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So the experience inspired me to share a tip for all the authors and writers using various mediums to market and promote themselves and their book products.
You must come up with a short paragraph (a line or two) that will entice the individuals you are targeting. You can learn more about book promoting and self marketing in my book, The Naked Author - Exposing the Myths of Publishing. (Available also at www.amazon.com)
A one liner asking someone to buy a book does little to motivate them. Just because you ask and give the necessary information like; the title of the book or name of the product and where to buy it, what is in it for the buyer?
Tell them what your book about and what benefit (s) they will receive from buying it. Will they learn that Charlotte is a scoundrel who stole her sister's husband only to have to ask forgiveness after being diagnosed with terminal cancer?
In order to achieve increased book sales, you need to capture the attention of who you want to read the book. A couple of ways to achieve this is by connecting to them emotionally or helping them relate to the topic in some way. For example, if your book is about a mother's journey with a ill child, then write something that will appeal to the female need to mother, care and the love we have for our children.
Share valuable or interesting bits about the book that will lure the reader and result in the action you desire TO BUY YOUR BOOK. Tell me something about the characters that will draw me in or points in the book that will help me in my daily life. Give me something of value.
Think about it. Food commercials appeal to hunger and taste. They don't just say, "Hey, we've got a new burger. Go buy one at our restaurant". They show us images and use descriptive words that activate our taste buds and they show happy diners at the restaurant. Tell us what is in your book that will make our mouths water.
Finally, it is your job, as the author, to create the act of getting your reader to take time out of their busy day to either get online or drive to a book store to make that purchase.
Wishing you success, Kat
2 comments:
Alvin C. Romer said...
WOW Kat! Your comments are right on time, and packs a potent punch without the subtlety that seem to permeate in the AA literary diaspora as it pertain to the cronyism and other familiarities that plague an honest book sale. Why indeed should someone buy your book without knowing you and without proper introduction?
Albeit, I'm a virtual novice to the novel approach in my writing career, but no newcomer as an author in other published arenas. Though not a novelist, as a freelance writer who have numerous articles and essays in academic journals I cannot impress upon my peers (in academia) or anywhere else thinking for granted that they will purchase my work or even accept a manuscript from me.
I happen to love your take on this and agree with you that there's no guarantee that any book will be purchased unless and until proper advertisement and introductory schemes are realized. For years I've reviewed books, edited them and have publicize a few, and now I'm beating the bushes with my contributions to THE SOUL OF A MAN, the award-winning anthology that is all the rage...do you think I'm going to plop it in the lap of readers with fanfare and expecting them to bite? NOT!
I will do what you've proposed and do so with a plan and a concept to give preliminaries a chance to vie for any final analysis that will make my book WANT to be read. Thank you for that translucent train of thought!
Alvin C. Romer
Editor/Founder
The Romer Review
Alan said...
Kat,
Right on target. In marketing there is an old saying: Customers buy the hole, not the drill.
Alan
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