Nely Cab's Blog - Posts Tagged "self-publishing"
Checking Off Item Number Two
I was about ten years old when I told my mother I wanted to write. She persuaded me to write a story she often told me and to illustrate it, as well. I set my number two pencil to paper, took out my crayons and got to work.
My mother's story was quite unorthodox and had a tragic ending, but it managed to keep me away from the stove:
The main characters were a female ant and a male mouse who were married and lived in the hollow base of a tree. The ant went to the market one day and left her husband, the mouse, to watch over their dinner -- baked beans. The grey mouse, craving a taste of the beans in the pot, lifted the lid, fell in and died. Yes, I am sad to say that cute little rodent was boiled to death.
When I was done writing my childhood "magnum opus", or so I thought, I acquired the address to a well-known children's publisher from the interior of one of their storybooks. Neither I nor my mother knew that it was a must to be represented by an agent for an acclaimed publishing company to consider your work. I mailed it.
Several weeks later, my manuscript appeared in our mailbox along with a letter stating that the publisher would not consider un-agented manuscripts. I was thoroughly disappointed, to say the least.
That day, as I re-read the publisher's letter, I made a mental note: Write and publish a story before I die. That was item number two on my bucket list. Item number one was scratched off my list later that summer when I visited Disneyland for the very first time.
I don't remember being an avid reader as a child. I would fall asleep with books opened somewhere between pages five and ten. At my elementary school, we were bribed with free pizza certificates for entering book reading challenges. I chose the 20 page easy readers which took me about a week to read through. I must say, I got a lot of sleep during elementary and free pizza every six weeks.
When I was a teenager I was reminded about writing again. My eighth-grade English teacher assigned the class a descriptive paragraph due midway through class. We were to read it aloud to everyone and search for reactions.
My paragraph illustrated a walk through fresh, grey, humid mud. I described how the smooth, dense substance seeped up between my toes and over the top of my feet. I received an "Ewww" from my classmates and an "A" from the teacher. I got an "A" in the class for the six-week grading period in which we touched on imagery. I never again wrote.
In high school, I wasn't much of a writer or a reader, but I joined the Business Professionals of America and competed only once in proofreading and editing and word processing competitions. I won in proofreading and editing and was state alternate for word processing. Back then, I knew how to punctuate correctly and how to skip class without being caught.
After high school, I studied computer accounting. I worked at a bank for several years until I married and moved to Monterrey, Mexico. There, I took up culinary and art classes. After five years of residing in Monterrey, we moved back to the U.S., and I went back to work.
Two and a half years later, I resigned from my job, and I became a housewife again. It was great for the first three months, until I ran out of rooms to redecorate and crafts to create.
During the morning, I would sit and drink my coffee for about two hours trying to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my day. I couldn't think of anywhere to go or anything do by myself in the small city in which I live that didn't involve eating. This is when I began to read and loved it. I was 33. Shame on me.
One day, my sister -- a conceited seventeen year-old high school senior, at the time -- pressured me into buying a movie and reading the book. She noted that the book was far better than the movie. Aren't they always?
I read the four-book series in a week. I don't remember feeding my husband or my son in the process, but somehow they survived. I was so consumed in the easy read, that I shut down the world around me for seven days. Then, it dawned on me; if this author could write so simply and still hold the readers' attention, who was to say I couldn't do the same?
I sat in front of my computer for the next two days and wrote about ten pages, before I handed it to my sister to read. When she was done, she turned, looked at me and asked, "And then what happened?" That was a good question. I didn't know. I said, "Nothing. I just wanted to see what you thought of it." She said, "It's good. Finish it. I wanna know what happens next." Her words ignited a spark.
Everyday, for months, my sister pestered me about giving her new pages to read. I sat in front of my computer for a year, working on the story for her. Every other day, I would give her more material to read and criticize. When I was finished writing, the short story I had meant to write had turned into a novel. Being the bossy little punk she is, my sister started to pressure me to find a way to publish the book.
*I should note that I thank my sister for being so pushy and demanding. Had it not been for her enthusiasm, I would have never had the inspiration to continue writing. In her, I found my prime moral support and the best muse the literary gods could have sent me.
I had heard from a couple of friends about how they had each decided to self-publish. I thought about it long and hard for about five months. I knew that once I self-published my chances of being accepted as client by a literary agent would be near impossible. Then there was the ten year-old girl in me, eagerly anticipating what she had promised. How could I say no to her?
Convinced that it was now or never, I started searching for details on the pros and cons of publishing on my own. I must admit, I was scared.
The price for self-publishing is not cheap. I came across companies that charged thousands of dollars, and that caused a state of dejection in me.
While reviewing my email one day, I read an advertisement for a publishing company that knocked almost half the price off of their publishing packages and offered distribution to chain bookstores and the massive ebook market. Wide-eyed, I bought the package.
Item number two has proven to be one of the most challenging and time consuming life goals of which a ten year-old could have thought. Nonetheless, I'm happy to be entering into this new venture.
As for the rest of my to do list, I'm going to empty that bucket if it takes the rest of my life.
Nely Cab
My mother's story was quite unorthodox and had a tragic ending, but it managed to keep me away from the stove:
The main characters were a female ant and a male mouse who were married and lived in the hollow base of a tree. The ant went to the market one day and left her husband, the mouse, to watch over their dinner -- baked beans. The grey mouse, craving a taste of the beans in the pot, lifted the lid, fell in and died. Yes, I am sad to say that cute little rodent was boiled to death.
When I was done writing my childhood "magnum opus", or so I thought, I acquired the address to a well-known children's publisher from the interior of one of their storybooks. Neither I nor my mother knew that it was a must to be represented by an agent for an acclaimed publishing company to consider your work. I mailed it.
Several weeks later, my manuscript appeared in our mailbox along with a letter stating that the publisher would not consider un-agented manuscripts. I was thoroughly disappointed, to say the least.
That day, as I re-read the publisher's letter, I made a mental note: Write and publish a story before I die. That was item number two on my bucket list. Item number one was scratched off my list later that summer when I visited Disneyland for the very first time.
I don't remember being an avid reader as a child. I would fall asleep with books opened somewhere between pages five and ten. At my elementary school, we were bribed with free pizza certificates for entering book reading challenges. I chose the 20 page easy readers which took me about a week to read through. I must say, I got a lot of sleep during elementary and free pizza every six weeks.
When I was a teenager I was reminded about writing again. My eighth-grade English teacher assigned the class a descriptive paragraph due midway through class. We were to read it aloud to everyone and search for reactions.
My paragraph illustrated a walk through fresh, grey, humid mud. I described how the smooth, dense substance seeped up between my toes and over the top of my feet. I received an "Ewww" from my classmates and an "A" from the teacher. I got an "A" in the class for the six-week grading period in which we touched on imagery. I never again wrote.
In high school, I wasn't much of a writer or a reader, but I joined the Business Professionals of America and competed only once in proofreading and editing and word processing competitions. I won in proofreading and editing and was state alternate for word processing. Back then, I knew how to punctuate correctly and how to skip class without being caught.
After high school, I studied computer accounting. I worked at a bank for several years until I married and moved to Monterrey, Mexico. There, I took up culinary and art classes. After five years of residing in Monterrey, we moved back to the U.S., and I went back to work.
Two and a half years later, I resigned from my job, and I became a housewife again. It was great for the first three months, until I ran out of rooms to redecorate and crafts to create.
During the morning, I would sit and drink my coffee for about two hours trying to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my day. I couldn't think of anywhere to go or anything do by myself in the small city in which I live that didn't involve eating. This is when I began to read and loved it. I was 33. Shame on me.
One day, my sister -- a conceited seventeen year-old high school senior, at the time -- pressured me into buying a movie and reading the book. She noted that the book was far better than the movie. Aren't they always?
I read the four-book series in a week. I don't remember feeding my husband or my son in the process, but somehow they survived. I was so consumed in the easy read, that I shut down the world around me for seven days. Then, it dawned on me; if this author could write so simply and still hold the readers' attention, who was to say I couldn't do the same?
I sat in front of my computer for the next two days and wrote about ten pages, before I handed it to my sister to read. When she was done, she turned, looked at me and asked, "And then what happened?" That was a good question. I didn't know. I said, "Nothing. I just wanted to see what you thought of it." She said, "It's good. Finish it. I wanna know what happens next." Her words ignited a spark.
Everyday, for months, my sister pestered me about giving her new pages to read. I sat in front of my computer for a year, working on the story for her. Every other day, I would give her more material to read and criticize. When I was finished writing, the short story I had meant to write had turned into a novel. Being the bossy little punk she is, my sister started to pressure me to find a way to publish the book.
*I should note that I thank my sister for being so pushy and demanding. Had it not been for her enthusiasm, I would have never had the inspiration to continue writing. In her, I found my prime moral support and the best muse the literary gods could have sent me.
I had heard from a couple of friends about how they had each decided to self-publish. I thought about it long and hard for about five months. I knew that once I self-published my chances of being accepted as client by a literary agent would be near impossible. Then there was the ten year-old girl in me, eagerly anticipating what she had promised. How could I say no to her?
Convinced that it was now or never, I started searching for details on the pros and cons of publishing on my own. I must admit, I was scared.
The price for self-publishing is not cheap. I came across companies that charged thousands of dollars, and that caused a state of dejection in me.
While reviewing my email one day, I read an advertisement for a publishing company that knocked almost half the price off of their publishing packages and offered distribution to chain bookstores and the massive ebook market. Wide-eyed, I bought the package.
Item number two has proven to be one of the most challenging and time consuming life goals of which a ten year-old could have thought. Nonetheless, I'm happy to be entering into this new venture.
As for the rest of my to do list, I'm going to empty that bucket if it takes the rest of my life.
Nely Cab
The Soirée is on the Way
The cake's been ordered, the place reserved. It's roughly two weeks until the official release party for "Creatura". Invitations have been mailed and some will be hand delivered. In all honesty, party planning is something I very much enjoy. However, this one takes precedence over the rest of the parties I've ever had to coordinate. It's absolutely nerve wracking!
I'm a planner - not a party planner, but a planner in general. Often, I tend to think of every detail that would please me if I were an attendee. That's not so bad is it? Okay, yes it is! Call me obsessive or compulsive...or both. I'm a female, for goodness sake!
The release party will be held in the City of Los Fresnos, Texas, also the setting of my book. Why Los Fresnos? Because at the age of 13, I moved there and hated it, BUT then something extraordinary happened - I fell in love. Not with a guy, with the town! It's small, it's friendly, it's simple. Yes, it may only have a population of 4, 512, but it's home, and home is where the heart is. I consider it my hometown even though I didn't move there until my teenybopper years.
Everyone says, "write what you know", but I wrote what I imagined. My imagination ran amok in that town and the surrounding areas as I wrote "Creatura". That's where David Chios came to life in The Ebony Estate (AKA Casa Los Ebanos at Los Ebanos Preserve). It's where Isis Martin attended Los Fresnos High School, and where Claire Martin, Isis' mother, worked for the County, as a paralegal in the courthouse. It's where Krystle, Sheila and Patrick - Isis' friends- graduated high school, before Isis. My characters have a life in Los Fresnos! They're very real to me. Holding the book launch within my town was the only feasible choice.
*I should mention that Krystle, Sheila and Patrick are real people and not just cameo characters in the book:
Krystle - my sister
Sheila - my sister's BFF
Patrick - my sister's BF
**They will be making an appearance at the launch. Who knows, maybe they'll be asked for their autographs.
So, what am I doing to prepare? I'm hot gluing my fingers to the bone - making centerpieces and detailing the event. I'm thinking of a speech and a paradigm. I'm thinking of great treats to serve and of how to set up the room. Plan, plan, plan! Yes, I am obsessive, but if I didn't obsess, how would I have ever detailed all those character personalities in "Creatura"?
Anyhow, I do believe I'm due for a well-deserved break. I'm off to relax with a good book that I'm eager to finish, and then I'll nestle myself into bed, where Morpheus, with a grin, will lure me away. Therefore, I must bid you adieu. I have a long day tomorrow: appointments, post office, burned fingers and crossing off other items on my "to do" list. Wish me luck!
Nely Cab
I'm a planner - not a party planner, but a planner in general. Often, I tend to think of every detail that would please me if I were an attendee. That's not so bad is it? Okay, yes it is! Call me obsessive or compulsive...or both. I'm a female, for goodness sake!
The release party will be held in the City of Los Fresnos, Texas, also the setting of my book. Why Los Fresnos? Because at the age of 13, I moved there and hated it, BUT then something extraordinary happened - I fell in love. Not with a guy, with the town! It's small, it's friendly, it's simple. Yes, it may only have a population of 4, 512, but it's home, and home is where the heart is. I consider it my hometown even though I didn't move there until my teenybopper years.
Everyone says, "write what you know", but I wrote what I imagined. My imagination ran amok in that town and the surrounding areas as I wrote "Creatura". That's where David Chios came to life in The Ebony Estate (AKA Casa Los Ebanos at Los Ebanos Preserve). It's where Isis Martin attended Los Fresnos High School, and where Claire Martin, Isis' mother, worked for the County, as a paralegal in the courthouse. It's where Krystle, Sheila and Patrick - Isis' friends- graduated high school, before Isis. My characters have a life in Los Fresnos! They're very real to me. Holding the book launch within my town was the only feasible choice.
*I should mention that Krystle, Sheila and Patrick are real people and not just cameo characters in the book:
Krystle - my sister
Sheila - my sister's BFF
Patrick - my sister's BF
**They will be making an appearance at the launch. Who knows, maybe they'll be asked for their autographs.
So, what am I doing to prepare? I'm hot gluing my fingers to the bone - making centerpieces and detailing the event. I'm thinking of a speech and a paradigm. I'm thinking of great treats to serve and of how to set up the room. Plan, plan, plan! Yes, I am obsessive, but if I didn't obsess, how would I have ever detailed all those character personalities in "Creatura"?
Anyhow, I do believe I'm due for a well-deserved break. I'm off to relax with a good book that I'm eager to finish, and then I'll nestle myself into bed, where Morpheus, with a grin, will lure me away. Therefore, I must bid you adieu. I have a long day tomorrow: appointments, post office, burned fingers and crossing off other items on my "to do" list. Wish me luck!
Nely Cab
Book Launch PIcs link
Go here to view a few pics from the book launch:
http://nelycab.blogspot.com/
http://nelycab.blogspot.com/
"Creatura" goes to High School!
A few weeks ago I was completely taken by surprise when I was asked by www.readforyourfuture.org to donate a couple of copies of "Creatura" to the Middletown High School library in Middletown, Ohio. That brought me such enthusiasm that I think I practically jumped. The thought of how many students will get to read the novel puts a smile on my face every time.
*GO MIDDIES!*
Then something equally as exciting happened:
I was contacted by an English teacher at Lopez High School in Brownsville, Texas, to be a guest in her five English classes. Immediately and without hesitation, I agreed. I was so excited to receive the invitation and flattered that a high school teacher would even consider "Creatura" in the classroom.
I offered the first chapter of the novel to the teacher by email and posted it on my website for easier accessibility to the students ... and to the rest of the world, of course. Some of them have already purchased the book through Amazon.com (it's also available through other online retailers)
*If you're a goodreads member you'll find Chapter 1 under the "read excerpt" tab of the novel.
A fair amount of students from Lopez High School have befriended me on Facebook, and after chatting with them, I've found they are just as excited as I am to be able to meet in person. It seems the first chapter has had a good reception by the majority. Let's see how the rest of the book is liked. I supposed I'll find out next week when they've had a chance to read further. Until then, I'll be looking forward to August 31st with eager and excited anticipation. I can already hear that Lobo Pride!
*SEE YOU SOON, LOBOS!*
Oh, by the way, the sandpaper I mentioned in the prior post was to sand down my "golden boy" before we applied the gold makeup. He was a real trooper! Thanks, Tristan! You can see fotos of him at:
www.nelycab.blogspot.com
*GO MIDDIES!*
Then something equally as exciting happened:
I was contacted by an English teacher at Lopez High School in Brownsville, Texas, to be a guest in her five English classes. Immediately and without hesitation, I agreed. I was so excited to receive the invitation and flattered that a high school teacher would even consider "Creatura" in the classroom.
I offered the first chapter of the novel to the teacher by email and posted it on my website for easier accessibility to the students ... and to the rest of the world, of course. Some of them have already purchased the book through Amazon.com (it's also available through other online retailers)
*If you're a goodreads member you'll find Chapter 1 under the "read excerpt" tab of the novel.
A fair amount of students from Lopez High School have befriended me on Facebook, and after chatting with them, I've found they are just as excited as I am to be able to meet in person. It seems the first chapter has had a good reception by the majority. Let's see how the rest of the book is liked. I supposed I'll find out next week when they've had a chance to read further. Until then, I'll be looking forward to August 31st with eager and excited anticipation. I can already hear that Lobo Pride!
*SEE YOU SOON, LOBOS!*
Oh, by the way, the sandpaper I mentioned in the prior post was to sand down my "golden boy" before we applied the gold makeup. He was a real trooper! Thanks, Tristan! You can see fotos of him at:
www.nelycab.blogspot.com
The High School Visit was Awesome!
I could sit here and write it out, but rather than do that why don't I just tell you how my day went in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35cjnl...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35cjnl...
Creatura by Invitation Only
After exactly three months to the date of its realease, Creatura is slowly becoming known by local schools. I have been asked for my contact information by three different schools via their students. Some of my family members' children and friends' children spoke their teachers about the novel and about me without being told by their parents to do so. I was surprised that they are taking the initiative to make the novel known, and that they are just as excited as I am about this new venture. By word of mouth, resulted an invitation by yet another school to speak at an assembly comprised of nearly 200 students. On September 28th, I will be addressing kids between the ages of 12-14 (grades 6th-8th) at Harmony Science Academy in Brownsville, Texas. I am curious about how these junior high kids' questions will differ from the questions of the high school kids I visited a few weeks ago who, by the way, were a great bunch.
Before I go speak to a group, I like to send them a few chapters of Creatura so that they know a little about the story and my writing style. Opening up their inquisitiveness with reading is great because they are more inclined to listen when you speak and are more involved in the question and answer session.
The kids at the high school were interested in hearing about me, the process of writing, the self-publishing process, and the time it takes to wrap it all up. They were so excited to have me there that their high school news made a small clip of the students' reactions to the book and to my visit. I feel so honored to be part of their required reading!
* Side note: I love those kids!
And so, as I visit each school, not only do the kids learn about writing a book and publishing, but I too learn how try to inspire them to read for pleasure, rather to see it as a chore.
TO COME:
Hopefully, I'll have the video the high school students filmed in my possession soon so that I can share it with all of you.
**************Thank you for reading!***************
Video: Teens Talk about "Creatura"
Here is the video of my visit to Lopez High School in Brownsville, Texas. Credit for the video goes to Gabriela Moreno, a student of Lopez H.S.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKzeGk...
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKzeGk...
Selling Books Like a Banker
Before I started writing, I used to sell people their money back. How? I worked at a bank opening checking, savings, CD’s and other types of accounts for a fee. If you stop to think about it, this is how a financial institution works. Banks will house your money, and then you have to pay them to get it back, occasionally incurring other wonderful fees that you’re briefed on, but don’t understand and don’t bother to question.
Oh, the stories I could tell you about how customers react when they’re charged fees by a bank. But we’ll save that discussion for another time.
Being employed with a bank was probably the hardest job I ever had. I had to meet and exceed sales goals. I had to hunt down new accounts by visiting business, schools, or whoever had mercy on my banker’s soul and gave me an opportunity to hold a presentation. I worked in a low-income area where new customers weren’t swarming in, begging for a new checkbook and cover that emitted that bank scent I grew to love (I’ve named the smell “Monetary Plastic Couture”). My work required a lot of determination.
I was trained to sell, sell, and then sell...and did I mention sell? Every morning us Personal Bankers would meet with the Branch Manager to discuss daily goals. We’d have to write the number of accounts we planned to sell in “packages,” i.e.: Checking, Savings, Debit Card, Online Banking, and Credit Card/Loan or other services. No, not separately. All these needed to be bundled together into one customer’s profile. The probability of holding down a customer in his comfy chair after you overwhelmed them with all the bank’s products and services was very low – especially where I worked.
What does this have to do with books, you ask? A lot. It has to do with marketing and selling your book. I’ve learned that’s an even harder task than selling people their own money.
Much like my job as a banker, an author has to take every opportunity he or she gets to present their work to the public. A new writer’s struggle to sell one single copy may take days or weeks, and you know that royalties from one book isn’t enough to buy a decent cup of coffee these days. Ask yourself this: After all that time spent working on your book, developing characters, plotting stories and pulling out your hair, do you deserve a crappy cup of coffee from some corner store, or are you going to get yourself some of that fancy Starbucks? I know my answer. I’m heading to Starbucks; ergo, I need to sell more books.
By using the sales tactics that were drilled into me in the field of banking, I’m beginning to see more demand for my book. I’m going to share some of the things that I’ve done to gain more exposure in the literary community and gain sales.
Product Presentation:
The packaging and presentation of your book, a.k.a. the cover, is a crucial element in sales. The way your book looks reflects on you as a writer. Don’t ruin your street credit. Your readers need to see a cover that’s pleasant to the eye. If your cover looks like a poorly cut and arranged kindergartener’s magazine collage, chances are people aren’t going to buy it. Find a friend, a neighbor, or just beg for help with editing images on Photoshop from someone that’s familiar with the software.
Seek Out Your Buyers:
Aside from yourself, whom else did you write this book for? Who would be interested in reading your story? Don’t waste your time posting your Amazon link, book trailer and/or book’s synopsis on sites that aren’t frequented by readers. Join blogs, communities, clubs, and social networks that will give you that five-minute window you have to pitch the sale. Do not underestimate the power of Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and such networking sites.
Market the Product:
1. Develop an author website if you can afford it. Before committing to buy, consumers like to take a close look at the product – you.
1. Make your book nice and shiny. People like things that sparkle. Make it known to everyone how great your ratings are on your social media networks by reposting on your webpage, blog, personal network profiles, and social media sites. It doesn’t mean you’re showing off. Well, maybe a little, but it also means you take pride in what you do and people with good self-esteem and a strong backbone attract more attention than people with poor self-esteem. Google it.
2. Create a book trailer that’s interesting, well edited, visually appealing, with a casual pace and concise. You want to get the point across without too many words in less than a minute and a half. Using video elements and pictures to simulate the idea of what’s between the front and back cover of the book, does guarantee reader interest. It also lets the potential buyer dig into the mind of the author’s perspective of his or her writing. Also, be selective about the trailer’s music. Your best bet is to use a track with no words. Include the book cover, your website and the major purchasing sites that sell your book.
Make Yourself More Social:
1. Being an anti-social hermit wont’ get you anywhere! Befriend bloggers, authors, publicists, your friend’s cousin’s sister-in-law’s accountant or whomever you know that likes to read or not read.
Have you ever noticed how you can easily fall victim to mainstream marketing? Those “As Seen on T.V.” stickers on boxed products really stand out at the check out line in the grocery store. But you may not have the solvency to advertise on television or radio. You do, however, have the ability to get other people talking about your book. This is called Free Publicity and Word of Mouth Advertising. If other people are reading your story and posting reviews, their reader friends are going to want “in” on that great story too. And, trust me, those non-readers are going to want to know what the fuss is about when they see their friends posting and reposting your book’s cover image. You could gain a fan in that non-reader.
Promoting:
1. People love to win things. Hold contests and giveaways with book bloggers you’ve friended. Offering a book or swag (bookmarks, keychains, t-shirts, etc.) or both as a prize will gain reader and blogger interest. Did you know that many readers have a collection of swag from both independent and traditional authors?
2. Hold contests on your own sites and let everyone in your social networking sites know about it. Set up your giveaways with Rafflecopter, which allows you to program entries with points values, depending on what action you would like the entrant to do, such as, liking your author page on Facebook, following your blog or Tweeting about the giveaway. Yes, more free publicity.
3. Accept invitations for reviews and interviews on blogs no matter how small their following. Out of forty followers that Mary’s Book Blog has, maybe three will see the post. That’s three more pairs of eyes that know you exist. Tell Mary to include your links and your trailer on the interview post and offer a small giveaway with the interview to get more visitors.
4. Set up a giveaway on Goodreads. The giveaways are free to set up, and that site is visited by a multitude of readers.
5. Get out and get your feet dirty. That’s right, you’re going to have to go look for the sale. Set up signing or presentations at schools, libraries or bookstores. They’ll be more than happy to have you there because you are an author (insert fist pump here).
6. If you can afford it, buy a $20 Ad Campaign on Goodreads, one on Google Ads and another on Facebook. That’s $60 worth of Ads will get people to visit your websites and discover your book. By the way, the Goodreads Campaign will probably run for about three weeks with $20.
Pitching the Sale:
You thought you were done? Oh no! This is where the real work begins. After you’ve perfected your cover, uploaded your trailer, purchased swag items, talked your head off at presentations and made a bunch of new friends, it’s time to work for your royalties and that Starbucks coffee.
I’m going to reveal a huge secret. We’ll keep this between you and me: In the end, you’re the product that’s being sold. Yes, your personality is the one that’s going to get you that cup of delicious coffee.
1. Bite your tongue. Your social network has expanded and so has your exposure among the literary world. Now you have a following and your posts reflect who you really are. Be yourself when you post a tweet not pertaining to writing or your book saying how much you enjoy eating with your family at Chili’s. But be wary of tweeting how much you hate John Smith and how you’re going to kill his dog. Negative posts get you negative impressions, and that’s something that people in the literature field don’t want to be associated with. It could ultimately hurt your writing career.
2. Talk to your followers and fans. The rapport you develop with your new author, reader, blogger and friend’s of friends of friends, etc., is going to sell you. They want to know that you’re not just a picture on a website or words on a page. Respond to retweets, tweets, and their facebook posts. Let them know that you know they exist. Overall, thank them repeatedly for their support.
I hope you’ve learned something from my sales advice. Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and reading. Be well, beautiful creatures!
Oh, the stories I could tell you about how customers react when they’re charged fees by a bank. But we’ll save that discussion for another time.
Being employed with a bank was probably the hardest job I ever had. I had to meet and exceed sales goals. I had to hunt down new accounts by visiting business, schools, or whoever had mercy on my banker’s soul and gave me an opportunity to hold a presentation. I worked in a low-income area where new customers weren’t swarming in, begging for a new checkbook and cover that emitted that bank scent I grew to love (I’ve named the smell “Monetary Plastic Couture”). My work required a lot of determination.
I was trained to sell, sell, and then sell...and did I mention sell? Every morning us Personal Bankers would meet with the Branch Manager to discuss daily goals. We’d have to write the number of accounts we planned to sell in “packages,” i.e.: Checking, Savings, Debit Card, Online Banking, and Credit Card/Loan or other services. No, not separately. All these needed to be bundled together into one customer’s profile. The probability of holding down a customer in his comfy chair after you overwhelmed them with all the bank’s products and services was very low – especially where I worked.
What does this have to do with books, you ask? A lot. It has to do with marketing and selling your book. I’ve learned that’s an even harder task than selling people their own money.
Much like my job as a banker, an author has to take every opportunity he or she gets to present their work to the public. A new writer’s struggle to sell one single copy may take days or weeks, and you know that royalties from one book isn’t enough to buy a decent cup of coffee these days. Ask yourself this: After all that time spent working on your book, developing characters, plotting stories and pulling out your hair, do you deserve a crappy cup of coffee from some corner store, or are you going to get yourself some of that fancy Starbucks? I know my answer. I’m heading to Starbucks; ergo, I need to sell more books.
By using the sales tactics that were drilled into me in the field of banking, I’m beginning to see more demand for my book. I’m going to share some of the things that I’ve done to gain more exposure in the literary community and gain sales.
Product Presentation:
The packaging and presentation of your book, a.k.a. the cover, is a crucial element in sales. The way your book looks reflects on you as a writer. Don’t ruin your street credit. Your readers need to see a cover that’s pleasant to the eye. If your cover looks like a poorly cut and arranged kindergartener’s magazine collage, chances are people aren’t going to buy it. Find a friend, a neighbor, or just beg for help with editing images on Photoshop from someone that’s familiar with the software.
Seek Out Your Buyers:
Aside from yourself, whom else did you write this book for? Who would be interested in reading your story? Don’t waste your time posting your Amazon link, book trailer and/or book’s synopsis on sites that aren’t frequented by readers. Join blogs, communities, clubs, and social networks that will give you that five-minute window you have to pitch the sale. Do not underestimate the power of Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and such networking sites.
Market the Product:
1. Develop an author website if you can afford it. Before committing to buy, consumers like to take a close look at the product – you.
1. Make your book nice and shiny. People like things that sparkle. Make it known to everyone how great your ratings are on your social media networks by reposting on your webpage, blog, personal network profiles, and social media sites. It doesn’t mean you’re showing off. Well, maybe a little, but it also means you take pride in what you do and people with good self-esteem and a strong backbone attract more attention than people with poor self-esteem. Google it.
2. Create a book trailer that’s interesting, well edited, visually appealing, with a casual pace and concise. You want to get the point across without too many words in less than a minute and a half. Using video elements and pictures to simulate the idea of what’s between the front and back cover of the book, does guarantee reader interest. It also lets the potential buyer dig into the mind of the author’s perspective of his or her writing. Also, be selective about the trailer’s music. Your best bet is to use a track with no words. Include the book cover, your website and the major purchasing sites that sell your book.
Make Yourself More Social:
1. Being an anti-social hermit wont’ get you anywhere! Befriend bloggers, authors, publicists, your friend’s cousin’s sister-in-law’s accountant or whomever you know that likes to read or not read.
Have you ever noticed how you can easily fall victim to mainstream marketing? Those “As Seen on T.V.” stickers on boxed products really stand out at the check out line in the grocery store. But you may not have the solvency to advertise on television or radio. You do, however, have the ability to get other people talking about your book. This is called Free Publicity and Word of Mouth Advertising. If other people are reading your story and posting reviews, their reader friends are going to want “in” on that great story too. And, trust me, those non-readers are going to want to know what the fuss is about when they see their friends posting and reposting your book’s cover image. You could gain a fan in that non-reader.
Promoting:
1. People love to win things. Hold contests and giveaways with book bloggers you’ve friended. Offering a book or swag (bookmarks, keychains, t-shirts, etc.) or both as a prize will gain reader and blogger interest. Did you know that many readers have a collection of swag from both independent and traditional authors?
2. Hold contests on your own sites and let everyone in your social networking sites know about it. Set up your giveaways with Rafflecopter, which allows you to program entries with points values, depending on what action you would like the entrant to do, such as, liking your author page on Facebook, following your blog or Tweeting about the giveaway. Yes, more free publicity.
3. Accept invitations for reviews and interviews on blogs no matter how small their following. Out of forty followers that Mary’s Book Blog has, maybe three will see the post. That’s three more pairs of eyes that know you exist. Tell Mary to include your links and your trailer on the interview post and offer a small giveaway with the interview to get more visitors.
4. Set up a giveaway on Goodreads. The giveaways are free to set up, and that site is visited by a multitude of readers.
5. Get out and get your feet dirty. That’s right, you’re going to have to go look for the sale. Set up signing or presentations at schools, libraries or bookstores. They’ll be more than happy to have you there because you are an author (insert fist pump here).
6. If you can afford it, buy a $20 Ad Campaign on Goodreads, one on Google Ads and another on Facebook. That’s $60 worth of Ads will get people to visit your websites and discover your book. By the way, the Goodreads Campaign will probably run for about three weeks with $20.
Pitching the Sale:
You thought you were done? Oh no! This is where the real work begins. After you’ve perfected your cover, uploaded your trailer, purchased swag items, talked your head off at presentations and made a bunch of new friends, it’s time to work for your royalties and that Starbucks coffee.
I’m going to reveal a huge secret. We’ll keep this between you and me: In the end, you’re the product that’s being sold. Yes, your personality is the one that’s going to get you that cup of delicious coffee.
1. Bite your tongue. Your social network has expanded and so has your exposure among the literary world. Now you have a following and your posts reflect who you really are. Be yourself when you post a tweet not pertaining to writing or your book saying how much you enjoy eating with your family at Chili’s. But be wary of tweeting how much you hate John Smith and how you’re going to kill his dog. Negative posts get you negative impressions, and that’s something that people in the literature field don’t want to be associated with. It could ultimately hurt your writing career.
2. Talk to your followers and fans. The rapport you develop with your new author, reader, blogger and friend’s of friends of friends, etc., is going to sell you. They want to know that you’re not just a picture on a website or words on a page. Respond to retweets, tweets, and their facebook posts. Let them know that you know they exist. Overall, thank them repeatedly for their support.
I hope you’ve learned something from my sales advice. Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and reading. Be well, beautiful creatures!
