The process of publishing a book has become a lot easier over the years thanks to an amazing set of tools on the Internet. Applications such as EPUB, PDF, and integrated browser-plugins allow authors to publish books in accessible formats and upload copies to the cloud for and online reading and download. Self-published books have never been more popular than they are today and due to an increase in the number of books hitting the market, you need to formulate a winning strategy when selling your next e-book.
Mr. Issa Asad Florida, an entrepreneur and businessman since 1996, has given us three pro tips for selling an e-book. He is the author of 4 social media marketing and e-commerce marketing e-books, which can be purchased on Amazon. Mr. Asad is also the CEO of 2 companies in South Florida, including Q Link Wireless and Quadrant Holdings.
These three tips will show you how to present your book to a larger audience and market yourself like a pro. Read on for 3 pro tips for selling your new e-book.
1. Set the Price Right
Thanks to Amazon subsidizing book prices, a large percentage of people who read and purchase books online are reluctant to spend anything more than $9.99 for a copy. Amazon pretty much set the standard for price and that means new authors have to be cautious when setting higher prices especially for self-published e-books.
Take for instance the author Darcie Chan, author of The Mill River Recluse, a New York Times best-seller; she chose to sell the book for $0.99 as a way to attract a higher number of readers and in the process expose her work to more readers. The trick worked and within a few months copies of The Mill River Recluse were being downloaded literally by the thousands every day, and while she may have bagged only a modest figure in revenue, she had already established a fan base, asserting herself an a popular author. This allows her to approach major publishers for an author’s fee and promotion as she works on her next book.
2. Partner with Popular E-book Networks
A good number of e-book fans have active memberships to blogs and websites that focus on the written word; and they check in a lot to see new books. Find a way to establish a digital presence across all these websites, blogs, newsletters and social media platforms, so that reviewers have a chance to appraise your latest work. Here are some well-known blogs and websites that generate high traffic:
3. Give the First Edition Away for Free
This is actually a fairly common move among new authors. The plan is to give away copies of the book for free, but only during a trial period of maybe 30 to 90 days. Once people read the book and start to generate interest through world-of-mouth, you can then consider setting a price for subsequent readers, but remember to keep the cost affordable. Social media is great for spreading word about e-books and self-published authors, so once the first readers generate enough momentum online, take away the free copy and start charging for the book.
One effective way to generate a wider readership is to send copies of the book to family and friends, with specific instructions to spread word about it further. Just send copies to 15 or 20 of your closest friends, and ask them to mention it to their friends. If the topic resonates with your new readers, reviews will go up and you will have a fan-base to which you can sell future publications.
