Writing a book is one of the most exciting things you can do as a writer. Once you have completed the book, you have invested so much time and effort into what now?
When it comes to books, most newly talented authors need to understand that writing isn’t the hard part, as the skill comes naturally to you. Instead, selling it is more challenging as things have changed in this digital era.
Most authors depend on word-of-mouth publicity for their books to become visible and apparent to readers, but it is unlikely that it will boom your sales. Besides that, if you are not big on social media, your book might have difficulty being noticed. In addition, creating a listing for it on Amazon would not turn it into a bestseller overnight.
So, instead of relying on these ways, a few handy online marketing skills can help your book be recognized and sell out fast.
1. Price your book effectively.
When it comes to selling a book, its pricing matters significantly. It doesn’t matter how good your book is if not priced correctly, it will fail to make an impact. The right price can attract readers, but you must understand that many factors must be considered when pricing your book.
One element that affects a book’s pricing is the cost of publishing, which has skyrocketed in recent years due to shortages of raw materials and resulting in paper price increases. Additionally, importing and shipping costs have increased significantly as well as energy and utility expenses for printing books.
However, book printing companies today offer affordable and quality printing. If you’re a self-publishing author looking for an affordable and reliable printing company, look no further than Publishing Xpress. They offer the best quality book printing services at prices that won’t break your budget. You’ll be able to create a good price tag for your books without overcharging customers.
The company provides online self-publishing services that offer many cost-effective options. Furthermore, they have excellent customer service by delivering 100% satisfaction. If you are unhappy with the final product, they will gladly take it back or give you a full refund. Thus, promising low prices and various printing options with the best quality.
Besides that, before pricing your book, look around the prices online. Do your research by checking your competitors’ books’ prices and seeing how much they have priced out. Then, analyze the pricing of your book’s genre and see the average price. If you put a price that is way above your competitors, it might not attract readers. There for, it is vital to understand the market and what readers are willing to pay for a book of your genre.
2. Make a website
After you have set a price for your masterpiece, it is time to make its digital debut, and what is a better way than its dedicated website? A website for a book gives it a more mature look, giving your reader a more professional aura. It also helps you connect with potential customers, and you can sell your books through it on your terms and conditions.
Another benefit of having a website is that you will have complete control over the content that you will publish regarding your book. You won’t be able to find such freedom on other platforms as your content will somehow always become a victim of content changes such as Facebook algorithms.
A website is an excellent asset for any author as most readers nowadays do their research online. Thus, your website can be the first thing that gets their attention. Moreover, it will give potential buyers an idea of who you are as an author and will let them know all the essential information about your books. Therefore, if you want to build traffic on your site, ensure that you write and publish SEO-designed content, as it will help google put your site on top.
Another advantage of having a website is that you can sell your books directly to your readers without any third party taking their commission which minimizes your profit share. Your site can help you sell book fasters and gives you the most significant profit margin.
3. Use social media platforms wisely.
Social media is a medium that attracts the masses, giving you a platform to sell your books that already has an audience. Therefore, your book must be on social media to attract a larger group of readers. A survey found that 55% of people purchase products after seeing them advertised online. However, unlike the old days, when everyone was on every social media platform is now considered redundant as each forum has its unique audience.
So before using social media, decide which platform will be more effective for you to sell your books. For example, if your book’s genre is business or career, then platforms like LinkedIn will be great for you to advertise. However, if your book genre is coming of age or romantic, then platforms like Instagram and Pinterest will come in handy. You can also sell books like graphic novels or comics there, as these platforms attract many young and creative audiences.
Moreover, when selling through social media, ensure that you provide a clear and direct link from your social media account to your website. Put up direct links to your blogs on your story or posts as frequently as possible with relevant hashtags as on social media; consistency is the key.
4. Make the most of Amazon.
Amazon is an excellent platform to sell online, as many readers buy books from there. When Amazon first started, the only items it sold were books and with time started adding more products and has become the empire that we now know today. If you’re wondering if selling books on Amazon now is still profitable, you will be surprised to learn that books are one of the site’s five most popular product categories.
Amazon also makes selling books more convenient by offering different shipping methods. Sellers can ship the books on their own or use the site’s FBA and FBM options to send books that customers order in larger quantities.
Moreover, once you have decided to sell books through amazon, take advantage of every feature they provide to increase your chances of showing up in the search engine. That means you must be wise with the keywords you put and smartly develop the key phrases for your description.
Besides that, if you want the site to name your books in the recommendations, you must get early good reviews from your first few initial customers. Buyers look at reviews first, which play a massive role in purchasing products. Therefore if you want to make an impact, get good reviews early under your belt. If your customer did not leave a review, don’t hesitate to ask them for one. Satisfied readers are always happy to help authors.
Conclusion
Selling books online is a great way to sell your books and is more effective and profitable than traditional publishing. With the help of social media, you can directly interact and sell to your fans or customers, and with a few practical ways, you can sell your books fast.
Those tips include pricing them correctly and according to your competitor’s price online. You can also make a website and sell them directly to your readers, letting you keep all of the profit. In addition, advertise well on selective social media platforms. Lastly, make sure to use Amazon as smartly as possible; the site offers a great feature that can increase your sales.
