Allan Krummenacker's Blog - Posts Tagged "createspace"
A Little About Marketing and Distribution...
Okay, as you all know my first book is out. "The Bridge" is available on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, I-Tunes, Nook, Kobo, Smashwords, Createspace, and a bunch of other places. How did I do it? And how are the sales coming so far? Are probably what you are asking at this point. Well, I'll be honest, the sales are going slowly. The book has only been out maybe 2 weeks and during that time it took over a week for it to appear on a number of those sites. But that's no excuse. It is definitely out there, so why aren't more people buying it right away? The answer is simple, "They don't know it's out there!"
Now here's where we get into today's discussion. I'll briefly answer the first question "How did I get it in so many places?" Then we'll address how I'm going about to correct the problem of getting the word out.
Now I published my novel both in e-book form and trade paperback for those who prefer being able to hold a book in their hands and turn the pages. I did this by going to Smashwords for all the e-book formats that are NOT Kindle readers (Ibooks, Sony readers, Nook, Kobo and others). Smashwords gave me the option of where to distribute their formats and I chose all those I mentioned, plus they also made it available to libraries and e-book form.
Then I went to Createspace to make it ready and available for Kindle (which automatically got it on Amazon) and also for Print-On-Demand to have the Trade Paperback version available. Now, I also paid an extra $25.00 for the Expanded Distribution which is how I got the book to be available on-line with Barnes and Noble and other bookstores, even overseas. So, that part was actually pretty easy. Amazon also offers a KDP Select program which I did not opt for because the book was already out in Smashwords and I would have to make it unavailable for 90 days while KDP Select had the exclusive distribution rights. I could make it available again in Smashwords and their distributers afterwards, but that didn't feel right to me on this occasion. I might try it next time
But, getting back to "Getting The Word Out..." This is the harder part folks and I strongly recommend you get a good marketing plan in mind and underway BEFORE your book comes out. First, networking on the internet. Use the social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, etc. to establish your presence and let people know who you are. Don't just talk about yourself though. Be active in discussions and participate in other's promotions or questions. This way the other participants get to know you and what you're like. Help promote their works and books and they will be happy to do the same in return when yours comes out.
Create a blog and get yourself known to more people that way too. Write about something you're interested in (reading, cover art, hobbies you have) something to let people get to know you and become more intrigued by you.
Also, if you're like me and have no history of writing, maybe you can write some articles for your local newspaper (I've not done this yet, but it's been suggested to me and I'm looking into it).
Get yourself on Goodreads.com, review other peoples books and set up a presence there. And when you're book is ready to come out check out free advertising or promoting groups on the internet. I'm trying a new one called AskDavid.com to help promote my book. There's dozens of ways of getting the word out over the internet. But you can't stop there. You can do more locally to get the word out.
This coming week I'm going to be contacting local radio stations to see who does interviews with authors, I'll be sending out press releases to the newspapers and TV news stations in my area. I'm going to be talking to the local libraries about getting my book on their shelves and maybe giving talks. I also plan on getting business cards with my info and where people can find my books online. There are local independent bookstores I'll be approaching to see if they are interested in carrying my novel by ordering some through Createspace or on consignment.
You also need to get reviews done on your book. Goodreads is a good way to do it, or you can offer free downloads to select people who promise to write reviews of your book in return over the internet.
There's probably a bunch of other ways I haven't even thought of yet. If you know of some or have suggestions, please leave them in comments section below. We all want to get our work out there and by pooling and sharing our info, we can help each other make it as authors with good followings. But you have to get the word out first, for without that "How can anyone even know you have a book out?"
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments. Keep writing everyone.
Now here's where we get into today's discussion. I'll briefly answer the first question "How did I get it in so many places?" Then we'll address how I'm going about to correct the problem of getting the word out.
Now I published my novel both in e-book form and trade paperback for those who prefer being able to hold a book in their hands and turn the pages. I did this by going to Smashwords for all the e-book formats that are NOT Kindle readers (Ibooks, Sony readers, Nook, Kobo and others). Smashwords gave me the option of where to distribute their formats and I chose all those I mentioned, plus they also made it available to libraries and e-book form.
Then I went to Createspace to make it ready and available for Kindle (which automatically got it on Amazon) and also for Print-On-Demand to have the Trade Paperback version available. Now, I also paid an extra $25.00 for the Expanded Distribution which is how I got the book to be available on-line with Barnes and Noble and other bookstores, even overseas. So, that part was actually pretty easy. Amazon also offers a KDP Select program which I did not opt for because the book was already out in Smashwords and I would have to make it unavailable for 90 days while KDP Select had the exclusive distribution rights. I could make it available again in Smashwords and their distributers afterwards, but that didn't feel right to me on this occasion. I might try it next time
But, getting back to "Getting The Word Out..." This is the harder part folks and I strongly recommend you get a good marketing plan in mind and underway BEFORE your book comes out. First, networking on the internet. Use the social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, etc. to establish your presence and let people know who you are. Don't just talk about yourself though. Be active in discussions and participate in other's promotions or questions. This way the other participants get to know you and what you're like. Help promote their works and books and they will be happy to do the same in return when yours comes out.
Create a blog and get yourself known to more people that way too. Write about something you're interested in (reading, cover art, hobbies you have) something to let people get to know you and become more intrigued by you.
Also, if you're like me and have no history of writing, maybe you can write some articles for your local newspaper (I've not done this yet, but it's been suggested to me and I'm looking into it).
Get yourself on Goodreads.com, review other peoples books and set up a presence there. And when you're book is ready to come out check out free advertising or promoting groups on the internet. I'm trying a new one called AskDavid.com to help promote my book. There's dozens of ways of getting the word out over the internet. But you can't stop there. You can do more locally to get the word out.
This coming week I'm going to be contacting local radio stations to see who does interviews with authors, I'll be sending out press releases to the newspapers and TV news stations in my area. I'm going to be talking to the local libraries about getting my book on their shelves and maybe giving talks. I also plan on getting business cards with my info and where people can find my books online. There are local independent bookstores I'll be approaching to see if they are interested in carrying my novel by ordering some through Createspace or on consignment.
You also need to get reviews done on your book. Goodreads is a good way to do it, or you can offer free downloads to select people who promise to write reviews of your book in return over the internet.
There's probably a bunch of other ways I haven't even thought of yet. If you know of some or have suggestions, please leave them in comments section below. We all want to get our work out there and by pooling and sharing our info, we can help each other make it as authors with good followings. But you have to get the word out first, for without that "How can anyone even know you have a book out?"
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments. Keep writing everyone.
Proof Copies, Worth The Investment Or A Waste Of Time?
Allan KrummenackerWhat is a Proof Copy?
On the surface it seems to simply be a regular printed copy of your book. Nothing more, nothing less. But when you look at the final page...
Okay? So it has "PROOF" printed on the very last page, so what?
That one word let's you know that you are holding an uncorrected, unedited version of a book. These are what come before even a 1st Edition of a book is created. Before electronic books, Proof Copies (also known as Galley Copies) were what publishers would create and send out to the editing staff for corrections and proofreading.
These copies were also referred to as "Advanced Copies" and would be sent out to critics and advertisers in advance to get them fired up about the upcoming final version of a book. The critics and company would build hype for the novel before it was released thus getting the readers anxious for the release date.
However, with Indie Publishers like Smashwords, Createspace and others, are Proof Copies even worthwhile anymore? Do they serve any purpose?
In my opinion the answer is a resounding "YES!"
Sorry for the shout there, but this is a subject I feel is important. First off, I will tell you right now that if you work with Kindle, Smashwords, or Createspace you will have a chance to look over your entire book right there on your computer so you can look for issues. Basically you have an e-proof copy available.
So shouldn't that be enough? I cannot speak for everyone else, only myself. But in my case I would much rather have both the E-Proof AND the printed Proof Copy to look over. Why? Simply because, even when reading one word at a time on the computer, errors still slip past me. I only found them when I was actually reading the printed book. My eyes tend to fill in or glance over problems when I'm looking at a computer screen. These errors even got past half a dozen Beta-Readers who had the electronic version of the book.
So, for me, having a printed Proof Copy is simply another extra tool in my arsenal. It only costs a few dollars to get one done on Createspace and to me it was totally worth it.
In the end it's up to the individual author what they want to do. I've simply shared my experience and why I find them useful. What are some of your experiences? I'm sure me and the other readers will find various points of view quite useful. Leave your thoughts in the comments below and thanks for reading.
Until next time, take care everyone and keep writing.
