So, regarding the sale of your book
Do you think writing a book is difficult? Wait until you sell it: that’s where the real work begins. At least, that’s the impression many have. The reason is, in our experience, that most self-published authors simply take the wrong approach to selling their books. What is meant by “wrong approach” goes like this: the author publishes his book on the chosen sales channels, announces it on social networks, and waits nicely for people to buy his book. We prefer to warn you right away: it doesn’t work like that. There are far too many publications every day for people to take an interest in your book on their own. If you want your writing talent to pay off, you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get started right away:
Let’s start at the beginning: before you even have a book ready for sale, you have to market it as much as possible. That said, you’re probably already well aware of this, since you’ve no doubt already read our guide to book marketing for beginners; very effective in getting you started. As this article is specifically about sales, we won’t cover the marketing stage here. Be aware, however, that the tips we share with you in this article will be less effective if you haven’t already invested time and energy in marketing. In fact, the first two steps of the sales and marketing processes come together: identifying your target audience, or your niche.
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1. Identify your target
This first step is really easy, because you should have already done it when developing your marketing strategy. Why do we keep talking about your target audience in so many articles? Because it’s really, really important. That’s why. We can never insist enough on this point. So, if you think you have already read enough on this subject: think again! Otherwise, you can also skip this point, we can accept it exceptionally.
You can also skip this point if you have already identified your target audience (well done!). If this is not the case, stay where you are, we will explain to you how to proceed.
Is it really necessary to determine a target audience? What if I want to sell my book to anyone?
The short answer is yes, it is necessary. You are not a door-to-door salesman. You cannot sell your book to everyone because:
- It’s literally impossible
- Not everyone is going to be interested and no one likes pushy salespeople.
So how do you avoid wasting your time and energy trying to sell a book to people who will never want it? Start by researching who might potentially be interested, and what’s the best way to reach them. We’ve already talked about it: it’s part of your marketing strategy that you should launch while writing your book, not after. Now you may be wondering: how to proceed if this step is missed? Where to find your potential readers? Let’s see.
Find your audience
To start, imagine the type of person for whom your book might provide a solution to a problem, or an answer to a question. If your book is a romance novel set in 18th century Vienna, you should try to find people or communities interested in that combination of time period, genre, and/or location. Presumably, members of these communities are struggling to find new books to occupy themselves with. Along the same lines, if your book explains how to start an online tulip shop, you’ll find a very interested audience among florist entrepreneurs who congregate online.
Once you’ve identified the community that will benefit the most from your proposed solution, it’s time to do some prospecting. Reddit is a great place to start: there are subgroups with just about every conceivable interest and philosophy. If you can’t find a sufficiently specific community (like a community dedicated to florist entrepreneurs for example), it’s not the end of the world. You can then opt for a more general community (entrepreneurs alone is good too).
What is all this for? It’s about putting all the chances on your side to make your book as attractive as possible. Your marketing efforts will make your book known within the communities concerned. Let’s assume here that the presence of your book is well established in the minds of your target audience. Now is the time to show them that your book’s solution is worth their hard-earned money. You wonder how?
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2. Offer extras
Let’s be honest: we all have a hard time resisting free offers or 2-for-1 offers. So, use that to your advantage and offer offers for your book. As cliché as it sounds, the only thing limiting you here is your imagination. Use the notoriety of your book and your target audience to launch combined offers that your future readers will not be able to resist.
For example, if it’s a personal development book, you can publish an accompanying practice book. This will allow readers to actively engage with your book as they progress through the course you are taking them. Offer this notebook for free to your readers to bring them added value. If you write fiction, you can do something similar by publishing an additional booklet that contains “deleted” chapters. Fantasy is a genre that lends itself very well to this, because you can compose a kind of album that represents the setting of the universe you have created. If this method does not inspire you, you can also simply create an electronic version of your printed book to offer it as an eBook to your readers. Our site is a promotional tool that is worth seeing.
If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can also have bookmarks printed and sent to customers (perhaps in exchange for a photo of their order confirmation). Sure, a bookmark isn’t fancy, but it adds a personal touch and shows customers that you appreciate them buying your book. Such a token of appreciation can be very helpful!
These are just a few examples of what you can do to add value to your book. These different possibilities depend of course on your book and the resources you have. If you have studied your target audience well, you should be able to offer them a good incentive to buy.
3. Contact local bookstores
So, you have your book. It is ready to be published. Print out some copies and take them to the local bookstore. Engage in conversation with the responsible person; introduce yourself and present your book. Ask if they would be interested in stocking it and offer it at a heavily discounted price (otherwise they won’t be interested). You can also offer it to them for free, hoping that it will be interesting enough for customers to buy it. If your copies are all sold out, chances are the bookstore is willing to buy you extra copies.
4. Record a promotional video
If you’re comfortable in front of the camera, then you have a modern alternative to presenting in a bookstore. Instead of trying to convince a skeptical bookseller, this method brings you directly to the screen of your future readers. Thus, you are directly in contact with your real target audience; which of course means that you make more money per copy sold than if you sold through a bookstore.
Why bother filming yourself? Well, let’s start with the principle that if you don’t feel very sure of yourself as a presenter, you should ignore this point. A nervous and hesitant sales pitch will certainly do more harm than good. On the other hand, if you have confidence in your rhetoric, it is a method that can work very well.
The reason why it works so well is very simple: the public is more sensitive to personal contact. The days of sterile, corporate, standardized ads are over: people just don’t believe them. It’s in your interest to share your author journey with them and show them how passionate you are about your project. Of course, you have to give them an enticing preview of what they can expect to read, but don’t overlook the personal touch! It’s also always good to express your gratitude: your future readers are doing you a big favor, don’t forget! Also, don’t forget to mention any extras you choose to include, whether it’s a free eBook version or a bookmark. Finally, direct them to the sales channel of your choice!
Once your video is ready, you will post it where you know that your community (previously studied target audience) gathers. Invite them to share it; ambassadors are always a big help in marketing books.
5. Host a book launch party
Let’s be clear: whatever your ambitions, marking the launch of your book with a great event should always be on your list. Taking advantage of the commercial effect of such an event is the icing on the cake (but a very nice icing all the same). Yes, you have a solid sales opportunity in front of you. You should reserve a few copies to distribute to key people, but you can also take the opportunity to kick off some sales. You can choose to make things a little more traditional by offering a fixed price, but you can just as easily set up a stack of books available for those who leave an amount of their choosing. Pay what you want tables can generate very generous donations from people who want you to succeed.
Of course, the key to this strategy is to make sure your guests have a good time. If not, they won’t really be in a generous mood. Let’s assume that organizing a pleasant and attractive evening is within your abilities. Plan dynamic and interesting activities, such as talks, readings, video presentations and special guests. Also, make sure you have enough snacks and drinks to keep the mood going… Think of it as a birthday party for your book! We’ve put together a concise list that includes all the key elements for a successful launch party.
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6. Ask yourself how to sell your book; not just a book
No matter how much advice we give in an article like this, it will always be fairly general. You’re shown where to start, with lots of different ways to reach your sales goals, but the only person who will identify the right path to get there is you. That’s why it’s very important that you don’t use these tips as a point-by-point must-do list. Rather, think of it as different tools that you can sort according to your preferences, so as to create your own toolbox, specially designed to sell your book.
Some tools are better suited to self-help books than fantasy books, and vice versa. Others are limited by your location, or depend on a certain budget. Of course, there are also other tools that haven’t been mentioned here that might be a perfect fit for your book. That’s why you need to focus on your book and how best to sell it. There is no universal solution. What you can do is use these tips as guideposts that can lead you to a larger, more sophisticated sales plan. Mix them up, add or remove elements if necessary. The only bad technique is to do nothing and hope your book sells itself!
And now, time, to work!
If everything went according to plan, this article has given you some useful tips for selling your book. Use the tips and tools in this article to craft a sales strategy for your book.
