As an author, one of your main goals is to have your books seen by readers. However, that is particularly difficult to accomplish, especially if you’re new.
Luckily, there are tips and tricks to overcome these challenges at Publishing Profits that we’ll discuss today. Let’s go over all seven of them, shall we?
Tip #1: Establish a presence.
Where and how? If you want people to buy your book, you must make sure they find you online. Fail to establish a presence on the internet, and you limit your reach significantly.
For the question of how the most important ways are through creating a website and being active on social media. It’s one thing to get the word out about your book to friends and family, but your target readers around the globe are another story.
To reach them, you will need to find ways to become more visible online. Aside from having a website and being present on social media, you must also:
- Interact with people commenting on your posts
- Have an ‘About Me’ page on your website with your bio and a recent photo of yourself
- End each page on your site with a call-to-action statement, whether it’s to ‘add to cart’ or subscribe to an email list
Your readers also want to know who you are, so put as much of yourself out there in a way that still allows you to control the narrative. Readers want to relate with you; they want to find common ground in terms of the genres you’re interested in, your inspirations, and your background.
When you have that covered, your chances of selling more copies skyrocket.
Tip #2: One book is not enough; try to write more.
Of course, this should be done at your own pace, but don’t limit yourself to just one book. For one, more books mean you get seen and heard quicker.
There’s more material to spread, and readers like hearing that it’s not your first rodeo. Also, your content won’t revolve around a single book, which can be boring and repetitive, making you lose reader interest.
More books mean more than one cover, plot, set of characters, and stories to discuss. You also give your potential readers more than one option. Not to mention, selling two or more books is always better than selling one.
Tip #3: Do a book giveaway.
Readers might not always be willing to shell out money on your book if you’re new. So, you need to do what you can to convince them that your book is worth the money.
Do a giveaway event so some readers can read your book for free. You can do it on social media by giving away one copy each to the first five commenters of a particular post. If those who receive a copy love your work, they’ll most certainly tell others about it. We’d say that makes giveaways worth it, doesn’t it?
Tip #4: Make sure you have a good book cover.
Never judge a book by its cover? In the case of first-time authors, in particular, readers are bound to. More often than not, books will surprise you by being so much better than their covers suggest, but new authors will need all the help they can get. They cannot slack off in this department.
A gorgeous cover that fits the synopsis is what draws readers in. A book cover that blends in with the majority of the books in a genre is not going to capture people’s attention. The fact that an author is yet to make a name for themself in the industry will only exacerbate the effect of going against this decision.
Tip #5: Get reviewed.
More importantly, get reviewed by the internet’s top reviewers of books in your genre. People want to hear about your book from critics on Amazon and Goodreads. They will either love, hate, or be on the fence about your work, but you get publicity either way.
Look for books in the same genre and contact their reviewers. Ask them politely if they would be willing to review your book in exchange for a free copy.
Tip #6: Network, network, network.
People need to know you exist. When they do, they will hear about your book and other things they need to know to convince them to buy your book. That’s how it works.
Networking becomes a lot easier when you’re active online, especially on your website, blog, or social media.
Connect with people. Engage with them. In doing so, you bring them closer to your work as fans, buyers, or both.
Tip #7: Be everywhere that matters.
Request to be featured on a TV show, radio station, or fellow author’s blog post. Find high-authority websites that will accept your work. They won’t necessarily have you write about your book; they could have you work on a piece related to their niche. What matters is you put your name and work out there, giving people the best chance to know you.
