Becky Robinson's Blog, page 6

Benefits of Writers Conferences: The 6 Cs

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Information in this article is pulled from Episode 133 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast featuring Becky Antkowiak.

Writers often find themselves on a lonely journey, struggling to pursue their goals and navigate the challenges of the publishing industry. This is why it���s important for writers to be in community with each other by attending writers conferences. With unity and mutual support, solitary writing becomes a collective force. 

There is unparalleled value in attending writers conferences, and we want to share some of the benefits you���ll experience when you sign up for one, illustrated through the 6 Cs: Camaraderie, Culture, Connections, Coaching, Cohort, and Continuing. 

Camaraderie: Finding Your People

Attending a writers conference provides an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who understand the joys and challenges of the writing journey. Writers often feel isolated, but being in a community of fellow writers can provide a sense of belonging and support. It’s important to find people who “get” you and speak your language. Conferences offer a space where writers can feel understood and appreciated.

Learning the Culture of the Publishing Industry

Conferences offer valuable insights into the culture of the publishing industry. Writers can learn about the expectations of publishers and agents, which is crucial for anyone who wants to succeed in the industry. By attending conferences, writers gain knowledge and insights that will help them navigate the publishing world more effectively.

Making Connections: Agents, Publishers, and Peers

One of the significant benefits of attending a writers conference is the opportunity to make connections with agents, publishers, and other writers. These connections can open doors and provide opportunities for publication. Agents and publishers often give priority to writers they meet at conferences because it shows a commitment to the writing journey. It’s important to follow up on any requests for submissions and to send the materials within the requested time frame. Additionally, connecting with other writers can lead to valuable advice, resources, and support.

Coaching and Feedback

Writers conferences offer opportunities for coaching and feedback from professionals in the industry. Some conferences provide writing critiques, where writers can receive one-on-one feedback on their work. This feedback can be invaluable in improving the quality of the writing and identifying areas for growth. It’s essential to be open to constructive criticism and to implement the suggestions provided. Additionally, conferences are a great place to find editors and writing coaches who can help refine your work and take it to the next level.

Finding a Cohort: Your Writing BFFs

A cohort refers to a small group of writers who support and encourage each other on their writing journeys. These are the people who become your writing BFFs���your go-to group for advice, feedback, and motivation. Finding a cohort is crucial for writers who want to stay committed to their writing and continue honing their skills. These groups provide a sense of community and accountability, helping writers stay on track and overcome obstacles.

Continuing to Write: The Key to Success

The ability to continue writing is essential for writers who want to succeed in the industry. Many writers start a book but never finish it, and even fewer go on to be published. Attending conferences can provide the motivation and resources needed to stay committed to the writing journey. It’s important to remember that success is not just about getting published, but about finishing the book that you were meant to write. 

Next Steps

Attending writers conferences can have a profound impact on a writer’s journey. By finding your people and tapping into the resources and support available, you can navigate the challenges of the industry and find success on your own terms. Take action to connect with a writing community and unlock the full potential of your writing journey.

Looking for an upcoming writers conference to attend? The Write To Publish Conference is taking place in Wheaton, IL, from June 11 to 14, and you could meet both Becky Robinson and Becky Antkowiak there! Learn more here.

Becky Antkowiak is a Writer, Editor, Founder/Chief Encouragement Officer of the 540 Writers Community, and Serial Extrovert. Discover the powerful story behind her blue hair, learn more about the 540 Writers Community , and explore her website for blog posts and other guidance. 

The post Benefits of Writers Conferences: The 6 Cs appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Everything you need to know about pre-order campaigns for traditionally published authors��

If you���re a traditionally published author, your book will likely be set up for pre-orders nine to 12 months in advance. This means that anyone will be able to find your book through online retailers and place an order but the person ordering your book will not receive it until it ships on your publication date.

Pre-orders are important because they signal to retailers that there is interest in your book, so that retailers bring your book into the warehouse. In most cases, your publisher will establish an initial print run of your book, and books will be printed and distributed to retailers. 

A good goal for most first-time authors is to get a minimum of 100 pre-orders on Amazon. 

If your book has very few pre-orders, retailers may not stock your book���or stock enough of your book, which can cause issues during launch week. You���ll need to communicate with your publisher to get information about your progress with pre-orders because your Amazon Author Central account will not show that data. You will, however, be able to see the progress of your sales rank in Author Central during the pre-order period, which can tell you what early promotion drives orders.

If you���re hoping to land on a major bestseller list, you���ll need to drive as many pre-orders as possible to various retailers (not just Amazon). 

To fuel interest and excitement, we recommend that you:

Focus on one-to-one outreach with your closest connections who may be willing to pre-order. Encourage them to share your message with their connections to expand reach.Add all possible retailer links to your book page on your website to promote all paths to purchase. Share various retailer links through emails and social media posts to help distribute your sales to various retailers. Include excerpts or key findings from the book to build excitement around the messaging. Partner with independent bookstores or send sales to Bookshop.org. This may increase your likelihood of landing on the USA Today bestseller list, which favors independent bookstores. 

For Amazon specifically, you���ll be able to rank as a bestseller from the time your book is available for pre-order through your launch week and beyond. Orders on Amazon influence your Amazon sales rank at the time the order is placed, so your rank will go up and down over time depending upon how many books you sell compared to all books on Amazon and all books in your category. 

For this reason, it���s helpful, if you are doing a major push for pre-orders, either through email or an event, to look at your book page on Amazon intermittently, as the bestseller banner may appear briefly.

Because your book may be offered for pre-orders in several editions at once (print, ebook, and hardcover), any pre-orders affect Amazon sales rank for each edition. You may want to focus your pre-order campaign primarily on print pre-orders, which are most important as it relates to retailers ordering physical stock into their warehouses. Also, most bestseller lists focus on print books. 

You can also prioritize bulk pre-orders, which most authors begin outreach to organizations for six to nine months in advance of launch. If you���re working on bulk pre-orders, we recommend partnering with a bulk retailer like Porchlight Books, BookPal, or Bulk Buy, as these retailers offer discounts for your orders and report your sales to Bookscan. 

As an added bonus, Porchlight has a monthly bestseller list, so if you send a large number of pre-orders to Porchlight, you may make their list, providing additional exposure for your title. The Porchlight Bestseller list is derived from books that have been ordered and shipped, so if you secure a large number of bulk pre-orders, you could land on the Porchlight list during the month your book is released. 

If you plan to work with a bulk retailer, it can be helpful to reach out to coordinate with them, as they may be able to provide unique approaches based on your campaign and goals, including creating a custom landing page for your potential bulk sale customers. 

You can entice bulk orders by:

Creating incentives for individual and bulk pre-orders to attract early orders. These incentives can be outlined on your website, or shared in a PDF. Craft custom offers for specific customers.Fold in a bulk order to another business or speaking opportunity. 

Note: If you expect to generate large quantities of bulk pre-orders, you���ll want to keep your publishing team updated to ensure that the initial print run is sufficient to fulfill those early orders. 

In all, prioritizing pre-orders for traditionally published books is a crucial step in your launch plan. Find opportunities to engage your network and push bulk orders to ensure optimal success come launch day.

The post Everything you need to know about pre-order campaigns for traditionally published authors�� appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 132: Building an Online Presence to Achieve Book Marketing Success

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Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 5 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, Becky talks to Jesse J. Anderson���Author, Speaker, Creator, and ADHD Advocate. Listen as Jesse talks about his personal journey of being diagnosed with ADHD, the impact of finding his niche and building an online community around it, and how nurturing that community led to book marketing success, selling 10,000 copies of his debut book in the first three months.  

Key Points From This Episode:

[01:40] Jesse introduces himself and shares about his work in the world, his journey with ADHD, and the motivation behind writing his book, Extra Focus. 

[04:49] Jesse discusses the rapid growth of his online presence and community. 

[6:30] Learn how Jesse chose to show up with valuable content that made complex knowledge about ADHD more accessible.

[8:50] Jesse talks about how he prioritizes his energy and attention, especially while creating content and juggling a full-time job.

[12:08] Jesse reveals the strategies he has used to grow his newsletter and how important it has been in driving book sales. 

[14:55] Discover the value of committed audience members resharing and amplifying your content, including other top voices in your industry. 

[19:29] Jesse shares which social media channels he has chosen to focus on, how those have shifted over the years, and how he chooses to show up on those channels.

[22:56] (AD) Learn about our Book Marketing Strategy Live Course.

[24:37] Jesse reflects on when he decided to write his book and his thought process. 

[26:31] Hear about the success Jesse has experienced since Extra Focus came out in September 2023 and what contributed to that success.

[32:45] Jesse talks about the bonuses he has offered with his book in order to boost sales. 

[36:13] Jesse outlines more of the book marketing initiatives that have contributed to his book’s ongoing success. 

Action Steps:

Consider the value of investing in building your community before you launch a book. Jesse put a great deal of thoughtful work into adding value in online spaces for three years. When his book came out, he experienced tremendous success because of the value that he was already contributing.Take the time to be kind and amplify others who are sharing content on topics that are similar to yours. Don���t think of them as competition. It really makes a difference when you are able to reach out, connect with, and uplift others in your community. 

Resources:

Purchase a copy of Jesse���s debut book, Extra Focus , which has now reached more than 14,500 sales. Check out this book recommended by Jesse: Write Useful Books by Rob Fitzpatrick. Sign up for Jesse���s weekly newsletter. Find Jesse on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Threads, and YouTube.

Key Quotes:

This is the book that I wish the doctor had handed me when I went in and said, ���Hey, I think I have ADHD.��� ���Jesse J. Anderson 

I think I have done a good job of reading complex stuff and then making it bite-sized and something that’s easy to digest. ���Jesse J. Anderson 

The reason my book has sold as well as it has is because of the newsletter. I give most of the credit to that because it really gives me that direct connection with my audience. ���Jesse J. Anderson 

The ADHD community has been so welcoming and helpful. Everyone’s on the same side, just trying to encourage each other. ���Jesse J. Anderson 

It was just about three months from launch when I was able to hit 10,000 books sold. ���Jesse J. Anderson 

Write a book that is going to be highly recommendable because that is what gives books lasting success. ���Jesse J. Anderson 

Sign up for the weekly newsletter to connect with Becky Robinson and gain access to ongoing learning and conversation. 

Read our latest article based on key takeaways from this episode.��

Explore our archives! Listen to Becky���s five favorite episodes:

Episode 125 with Michael Bungay StanierEpisode 121 with Juliet StarrettEpisode 112 with Clint Pulver Episode 108 with  AJ HarperEpisode 106 with Jane Friedman

The post Episode 132: Building an Online Presence to Achieve Book Marketing Success appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Book Marketing Success: The Value of Building a Supportive Online Community

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Information in this article is pulled from Episode 132 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast featuring Jesse J. Anderson���Author, Speaker, Creator, and ADHD Advocate. 

Building a robust online presence can lead to remarkable success in book marketing. When you take the time to cultivate a supportive online community, develop direct connections with your audience, and amplify other authors and thought leaders in your field, you will be well-equipped when it comes time to launch your book. 

Here are some proven strategies to consider implementing as you start sharing your message with the world:

Build an Engaged Online Community

It���s crucial to build an engaged community around your content. Focus on providing valuable information and resources for people within your niche���your target audience���that resonates with them. Remember to actively engage with your audience by responding to their comments or questions to foster a sense of community and trust. 

Add Value Before Launching Your Book

If you have the time to nurture your online community before writing your book, it opens up the opportunity to have a strong, supportive network once the book launches. By sharing your personal experiences, insights, advice, and expertise, you will establish yourself as a trusted resource and will attract a community of engaged followers who will be eager to support your book once it is released. 

The Power of a Newsletter

Having a direct connection with your audience and using a newsletter to provide regular updates, share valuable insights, and promote your book is incredibly impactful. By consistently delivering high-quality content, you can build a loyal subscriber base beyond social media. Newsletter subscribers may convert into book buyers and supporters, further fueling your book marketing success.

Support Others in Your Field

Be kind and supportive of others who are in the same space as you. By amplifying content from other authors and thought leaders, you not only build strong relationships, but you also gain the support of influential individuals within your community. A collaborative approach can help you grow your own audience and create a positive and supportive environment for everyone involved.

Leverage Book Ambassadors

Another benefit of building relationships with influential individuals and trusted experts in your field is that they may be willing to promote your book. If they are willing, provide them with early copies of your book to generate buzz and gain social proof of how valuable your message is. This can lead to increased book sales and exposure. Actively engaging with your peers and amplifying their work pays off once it comes time to promote your book.

Form a Launch Team

Garner the support of your online community by forming a launch team and providing them with early versions of your ebook. A launch team plays a crucial role in generating early reviews, which are essential for book marketing success. Early reviews establish your credibility and increase your book’s visibility. By encouraging readers to leave reviews, authors can leverage social proof to attract new readers and enhance their book’s reputation. 

Offer a Bonus

Another way to attract book reviews is by incentivizing readers. Provide a bonus that includes additional resources related to your book���s content and make it available for a limited time only (for example, only during launch week). This will motivate readers to take action, engage with the work, and share their thoughts in a review. 

Conclusion

Building an online presence and achieving success in book marketing requires a strategic approach. By focusing on your audience’s needs and consistently delivering high-quality content, you can enhance your online presence and increase your book’s visibility. 

Remember, success in book marketing is not just about promoting your own work but also about engaging with and supporting others in your community. By fostering a collaborative and supportive environment, you can create a network that amplifies your message and helps you reach a wider audience.

Jesse J. Anderson is a writer, designer, developer, and maker of things. He was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 36 and has made it his mission to help others better understand what ADHD really is. Check out his bestselling book, Extra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD . 

The post Book Marketing Success: The Value of Building a Supportive Online Community appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Success on Substack: A Platform for Writers

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Information in this article is pulled from Episode 131 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast featuring Sarah Fay, a private Substack consultant.��

Substack is a platform that provides writers with the opportunity to reach a wider audience, build a community, and earn an income. 

While it has gained popularity as a platform for independent writers to practice free speech, it has also faced criticism. Some writers have raised concerns about the platform���s handling of controversial content and its potential to amplify harmful voices. However, Substack has taken steps to address these concerns and ensure that the platform remains a space for free speech while also maintaining a safe and inclusive environment. 

For many writers, Substack is a positive platform that can be instrumental in reaching a wider audience and building a community of readers. It provides a unique opportunity for writers to earn an income and share their work directly with subscribers, as well as connect with readers who are genuinely interested in their writing. 

Here���s what you need to know about Substack: 

– It presents an opportunity to serialize your work. To serialize means to publish a story in multiple installments. If you choose to take this approach, make sure your content is bite-sized and that each installment feels like a complete experience. Not everyone is going to sit down at their computer and read a full-length chapter every week, and they may not have time to read every single installment. This is why it���s important to hold their attention with digestible content that feels complete, despite being part of a larger story. 

– While there is a lot of long-form content on Substack, people���s attention spans are short, especially online. Consider presenting your content in multiple formats. Your subscribers have invited you into their lives���into their inbox���so how will you make your work stand out? One idea is to record an audio version of each piece of writing you share so your audience can listen and remain engaged, even when life gets busy. 

– Substack wants everyone to succeed on the platform. Users don���t pay a monthly fee but instead pay a percentage of each paid subscriber they get. This means that Substack wants you to succeed and grow a large audience because it���s how they make their money. People subscribe to you, the writer, not the platform itself.

– Other writers want to see you succeed on the platform. The belief is that there are plenty of subscribers to go around, so why not amplify other people in your field? It is a highly supportive environment.  

– Substack gives you a reason to write. When you publish on Substack, you are creating content for people���for the audience you have established and have developed a relationship with. Writing is not a solitary experience when you have a real, engaged audience cheering you on throughout the journey. 

– It opens up an opportunity to sell your books off of the backlist (a publisher���s list of older books that are still in print). If your book has been out for a while and you want to take another approach to boosting sales, create a Substack. Don���t let your work fade out. Amplify your message by growing a Substack audience. Subscribers are the people who are going to buy your book and champion your work. 

– It���s about quality, not quantity. You do not need to post new content on the platform every single day. 

– If you���re a writer who wants to earn an income on Substack, use a service model in order to increase your chances of making money. If you already have a Substack for your writing, consider creating another one focused on your specific area of expertise. This is where people will pay to learn from you. You can grow as both a writer and an expert, but sharing your expertise will help you grow faster. 

– Set your Substack up with a goal in mind. You need a strategy for each goal you want to achieve, such as promoting an upcoming book, offering workshops to earn money, or establishing a platform to attract an agent. Substack has opened up a more achievable way for writers to earn an income, but you must take a focused approach if you want to experience success. 

Substack is one of the best platforms for writers, but it requires hard work and focused efforts. How will you choose to show up?

The post Success on Substack: A Platform for Writers appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 131: The Power of Sharing Personal Stories

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Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 5 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. 

In the first episode of Season 5, Becky talks to Sarah Fay���private Substack consultant, award-winning author at HarperCollins, and a member of the faculty at Northwestern University. Listen as Sarah discusses her personal journey through the mental health system and her decision to share her stories through writing. She also talks about her experience with landing a book deal, how she discovered Substack, and how impactful the platform has been for her writing career.  

Key Points From This Episode:

[01:17] Sarah shares about herself and her work in the world. 

[03:39] Sarah discusses her cats and the life changes that helped her recover. 

[06:05] Find out what inspired Sarah to share about her mental health journey in such an open way.

[13:15] Sarah talks about how she landed her first book deal and the motivation behind writing her memoir, Pathological. 

[19:08] Sarah shares some of the expectations vs. reality of selling a book. 

[24:30] How did Sarah build an online audience prior to the release of her first book? She reveals the approaches she took. 

[28:53] (AD) Learn about our Book Marketing Strategy Live Course.

[30:27] Sarah talks about her decision to serialize her second book, Cured, using Substack and explains the concept of serialization.

[37:07] Sarah explains why she also released a serialized audio version of Cured. 

[40:32] Sarah addresses some of the controversy surrounding Substack and explains why she loves the platform. 

[48:47] Hear about Sarah���s journey with Substack and how much money a typical writer might expect to make on the platform. 

[54:22] Sarah shares her best tips for people who want to show up in a more authentic way with their personal stories. 

Action Steps:

Investigate Substack and subscribe to Sarah���s Substack pages: Substack Writers at Work and Cured . Start thinking about writing for readers on Substack. Consider how you can show up on the platform and the stories you have to share with readers.

Resources:

Sign up for Sarah���s brand new course, ���Your Substack Success Blueprint: Create, Design, and Grow Your Substack.��� Read Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum, recommended by Sarah. Get a copy of Sarah���s first book, Pathological .Read the serialized version of Sarah���s second book, Cured . 

Key Quotes:

What’s beautiful about writing a book is I was in control. I got to decide how much I shared, and I was very open about my experience. ���Sarah Fay

It’s not that I’m against diagnoses, but it felt like I’d lost 25 years of my life. I believed so much in them that I identified as them. ���Sarah Fay 

I’ve always been obsessed with punctuation. I love it. I think it is a writer’s greatest tool. It’s a second way of communicating. It’s like hand gestures and facial expressions with words. We get to say so much in a comma and in a dash, and that has always interested me. ���Sarah Fay

Yes, I got a six-figure book deal. Yes, I had the dream come true. I had what every author wants, but I had no idea what to expect when the book came out and how hard it is to sell a book. ���Sarah Fay

I believe that platforms, ultimately, are a reflection of the people who run them. ���Sarah Fay

By having my book out there, by telling my story, I’m showing that I’m not ashamed. ���Sarah Fay

Just know that you’re so much more interesting and so much more talented than you think you are. ���Sarah Fay

Sign up for the weekly newsletter to connect with Becky Robinson and gain access to ongoing learning and conversation.

Read our latest article based on key takeaways from this episode.��

Explore our archives! Listen to Becky���s five favorite episodes:

Episode 125 with Michael Bungay StanierEpisode 121 with Juliet StarrettEpisode 112 with Clint Pulver Episode 108 with  AJ HarperEpisode 106 with Jane Friedman

The post Episode 131: The Power of Sharing Personal Stories appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Best Book Launch Tips: 5 Secrets of Using Social Media to Promote Your Book

I hope my headline caught your attention. Although I am not sure these 5 ideas are secrets, they are important and noteworthy.

If you want to use social media to promote your book, these five ideas will help you achieve the success you desire.

Consistency Matters

If you want to promote your book online, you have to be online consistently, sharing valuable and interesting content to create a community of people who are interested in your ideas. Building a community of connections takes time, and showing up consistently is critical.

Small Bursts Of Content Make A Big Difference

When you share your content in small bursts, you create interest in your larger body of work. Short-form social posts may seem insignificant or thrown away, but small bursts shared consistently will whet your audience’s appetite to read your full body of work (your book).

You Don’t Have To Do It All

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the many social media channels available for spreading your audience. The most important priority is to focus on the center of your social media strategy ��� your own website. Create and share content there, and use your social media profiles to make connections and invite people to your site. If you don’t have time to add value on every channel, choose one or two channels and devote your time to those.

Book Promotion Is Not Self-Promotion

Many authors feel uncomfortable using social media to share their books because they think they will seem self-promotional. Focus on sharing content and adding value and suddenly you are not promoting yourself anymore, instead, you are promoting your book and ideas.

It’s Not About The Book

If you plan to invest significant time, energy, and money to promote your book, you must realize that you will most likely never match those investments with financial return through book sales alone. If this is about money for you, it can’t be about the book, but only for the credibility and recognition the book will bring to you and the work you will find as a result, speaking or consulting. If it’s not about money for you, then you must be so compelled by the desire to share your ideas and message that money doesn’t matter.

How will those five secrets change the way you use social media to promote your book?

The post Best Book Launch Tips: 5 Secrets of Using Social Media to Promote Your Book appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Best Book Launch Tips: Create Bulk Buy Incentives

Selling books is really hard!

One way to sell more books is to focus your energy on bulk sales.

Do the math. You can sell books singly, and add up the numbers, 1 +1 +1, or you can sell in bulk and see sales multiply 1000 X 10, or 10+10+100+1000+1500.

You may want to sell thousands of books in a week to reach best-seller status on a big list. Most business books that make a best-seller list include some bulk orders. It’s a little bit tricky because some lists exclude bulk sales from their calculations.

Our client, Mark Miller, amassed more than 5,500 pre-orders leading up to the launch of his 2023 title, Culture Rules, to land on the Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists, offering incentives for orders of 11+ books that included a free one-hour virtual conversation about the book. Read our case study about his campaign.

*Note, as of February 2024, the Wall Street Journal best seller list has ended.

Many of Mark’s pre-orders were bulk orders, strategically placed through Porchlight Books and independent retailers.

Even if you don’t want or expect that you’ll make a big best-seller list, bulk sales are still a helpful way to see more of your books in readers’ hands more quickly, creating more possibilities for your book and work.

As a first-time author, you may find it harder to identify bulk purchasers for your book, unless you have a well-established reputation with your clients. As your work grows in the world and organizations see the value you offer, you will gather readers who are excited to buy your next book.

Most authors view a bulk sales approach as both proactive and reactive.

You are proactive when you make a list of possible organizations or individuals who would buy your book in bulk and reach out to share your bulk incentives with them. You are reactive when someone approaches you for work and you negotiate your fee to include a bulk order of your books.

Here are a few ideas about how to leverage bulk buy incentives to increase sales of your book:

Identify incentives that will compel your audience. Whatever offer you make must be congruent with your book’s content and value. Look for offers you can make that fit your audience’s needs and interests.

Be creative!��Look for ways to offer unique incentives that compel people to buy more books.

Make sure your offers will scale. If you are offering your time in exchange for bulk sales, make sure the numbers add up. You have a limited number of hours available and don’t want to over-promise your time. Look for incentives that do not require your time, when possible. This could include exclusive access to a video series or other digital resources related to your book.

Use bulk sales as a negotiation tool.��While most authors can’t afford to trade keynotes for book sales, you can use the purchase of a bulk order of your books as a negotiating tool in closing a keynote sale by offering your keynote for a price and allowing part of the price to be applied toward a bulk book purchase.

Ask for bulk purchases.��Many authors sell thousands of books to clients of their consulting practices. Your book brings your best thinking and learning to your clients in a convenient package, which can be read, re-read, and shared. If clients already pay top dollar for your knowledge and expertise, they will likely be willing to invest in buying multiple copies of your book. Consider the price of a day of training with you vs. the cost of bulk purchases of your book.

Create a landing page or pdf flyer that makes your offers clear and promote/share it widely. Don’t assume that people who want to purchase in bulk will know about your incentive offers. Proactively share your offers. Make sure people can easily find them. Be open to possibilities beyond the offer to come up with approaches that work for your clients.

Time these bulk buys proactively.��By sending bulk sales to a site like Porchlight Books, which reports to Bookscran, you can increase your chances of landing one of the big lists. Porchlight also has a monthly best-seller list, so if possible, time your bulk sales through Porchlight to land within a certain week or month. Another bulk sales resource is BulkBooks.

Put a time limit on your offers.��If you want your bulk orders to help you land on a best-seller list, work to gather them as early as possible so that they ship during the week your book is released. This may mean timing your pre-order bulk incentives to expire about a week before launch. You can also shift or adjust your offers to continue to attract bulk orders after your book is released.

When you incentivize and promote the bulk sales of your book, you will multiply your success and see your sales grow exponentially.

Tell me something!��What other ideas do you have about how to leverage bulk sales? What has worked for you?

The post Best Book Launch Tips: Create Bulk Buy Incentives appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 130: A Literary Agent���s Book Launch Journey

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Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 4 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. 

In this final, bonus episode of Season 4, Becky talks to Lucinda Halpern���Author and President of Lucinda Literary. Listen as Lucinda discusses her brand new book, Get Signed, what she hopes to achieve with her launch, and some of the surprises she has experienced throughout her book launch journey.  

Key Points From This Episode:

[01:25] Lucinda introduces herself and shares a pitch for her book. 

[03:13] Lucinda explains what success looks like for her and what she most wants to achieve with her book launch. 

[06:15] Becky reveals the smartest thing she did for her book launch. 

[08:02] Hear some of Becky���s best book marketing tips, like hosting a Virtual Launch Party and creating bulk incentives. 

[10:55] Becky shares a helpful approach from Robbie Samuels for obtaining book reviews. 

[12:39] As someone who has been in the industry for a long time, Lucinda talks about some of the surprises she has experienced on her book publishing and marketing journey. 

[15:45] Lucinda shares some final advice for listeners who are launching a book. 

Action Steps:

Please consider filling out this survey to help us better understand our audience so we can continue serving your book marketing needs in future episodes. Get a copy of Lucinda���s new book, Get Signed , available now! 

Resources:

Season 5 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast is coming soon. In the meantime, catch up on Seasons 1-4, here. Listen to Becky���s interview with Robbie Samuels about his approach to building a dynamic launch team and obtaining Amazon reviews. Follow Lucinda on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.Follow Lucinda Literary on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook. 

Key Quotes:

This is the playbook that no New York agent in the trenches of booksellers every day has ever revealed. It’s all of the shortcuts, it’s all of the secrets. And it’s called ���Get Signed.��� ���Lucinda Halpern  

You actually need to know what questions to ask an agent so you can find the right advocate. ���Lucinda Halpern  

You have to give each book the space that it needs. ���Becky Robinson 

I think the smartest thing I���ve done is give away as many books as I can all the time. ���Becky Robinson

Quite often, we’re not bold enough in what we ask for. ���Becky Robinson

Nearly everything begins and ends with how you mobilize your network to become advocates for your book. ���Becky Robinson

Writing this book helped me really clarify my message in ways that I’ve never been able to do before in keynotes and course presentations, or anything else. ���Lucinda Halpern  

There’s a long tail to it; it’s a long road. ���Lucinda Halpern  

I do not want you to make the mistake of not pausing to celebrate the milestone of the launch as an important part of your life and career. ���Becky Robinson

To connect with Becky Robinson and get access to ongoing learning and conversation, sign up for the weekly newsletter. 

The post Episode 130: A Literary Agent���s Book Launch Journey appeared first on Weaving Influence.

An Orphaned Book is an Opportunity

You may have an orphaned book when your publisher goes out of business or chooses to put your book out of print.

I had a client reach out to me last night when she learned that her hybrid publisher is going out of business. The copyright to her book is reverting back to her. She is wondering about next steps for the book.

While I understand that this is less than ideal and a cause for concern or overwhelm, regaining the rights to your book presents a few unique opportunities. 

When the book rights revert to you, you can republish the book and set it up for distribution as a new product. You have the opportunity to update, correct, or refine your book to keep it current and incorporate your new and best thinking. You can refresh the cover if you desire. You can try new formats, producing a paperback if the book was previously released in hardcover or add an audiobook if you didn’t produce one previously.

If the book fits into your bigger picture goals for your life and career, this road bump can also introduce an opportunity to market the book in a different way than you may have the first time, sharing the ideas more widely, making a bigger difference in the world, growing your brand, and reaching new audiences with your content. Additionally, owning your own work increases the financial benefit to you for every book sold, since you will no longer share royalties with your publisher.

Bonnie Marcus��� rerelease of her bestselling book, The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead, provides an interesting case study about the possibilities you create when you regain the rights to your book. Bonnie acquired the copyright to The Politics of Promotion, originally published by Wiley, as the hardcover inventory dwindled. She had a small stock of the original book, which she made available for sale on Amazon through their Seller Central program. 

Bonnie chose to update the content in her book, adding a new chapter, designing a new cover, and rereleasing in paperback in 2019, about 4 years after the initial release. For this relaunch, she energized new marketing efforts, creating new possibilities for her work to reach her audiences and setting the stage for her launch of Not Done Yet! in 2021. 

Here are some questions to consider as you transition ownership of your book���s content from a publisher back to you:

What does success look like? A book is an asset that can provide value both to you and your readers for a long period of time. If you have a clear picture of what success looks like, you���ll be able to make the right choices about what���s right for you and your book.

Is the book an important part of your current career goals and work? If the book is not an important part of your current story, you may want to minimize your financial investment and not make any significant changes. If the book is important to the work you���re doing now, making a more significant investment may be wise. 

Are you ready for a refresh as a new edition? Are there valuable new approaches, insights, or research to add as you republish the book? Would a new cover invigorate marketing approaches? Do you have any book awards to highlight or mention? 

If you acquire print inventory of your book, how can you use the book to fuel your current projects? Books are powerful seeds and sharing them exponentially grows the good they can do in the world. If you end up with inventory of your orphaned book, why not look for ways to give the book away to increase its reach? For example, if you have a new book coming out, you could use a free print copy of your other book as a pre-order or bulk order incentive, giving copies away to people who commit to ordering the new book. Or, if you are developing business, you can give your book away to people interested in your organization���s services. If you are a speaker, you could fold a giveaway of your book into your speaking fee. Your inventory is not a problem to be solved, but instead possibilities to be discovered.

What support might you need to format, distribute, and market your book? Professional support may be helpful as you navigate republishing your book. A book production partner, like my team at Weaving Influence, can edit your book to make any updates or changes, design a new cover, and troubleshoot any other issues that may arise as you work through setting up your book for distribution through Amazon or another distributor like IngramSpark. We can also help connect you to a resource to create your audiobook (such as Twin Flames Studios) or partner with you to plan and execute a marketing campaign to fuel your important career and life goals. 

Of course you feel bewildered, shocked, frustrated, or overwhelmed when you find out your publisher is going out of business. We���re here to empathize with those feelings and help you move forward to all the possibilities that await.��

The post An Orphaned Book is an Opportunity appeared first on Weaving Influence.