I’m sure you noticed, but in our last two blog articles we’ve had books on the brain quite a bit. Here at Vervante HQ we specialize in helping authors self-publish their books and some of the most common questions we get are all related to books. We’ve discussed how to determine WHERE the best place is online for selling your book. And we talked about Strategies to boost your sales, sharing 17 strategies that will reach out and connect with potential readers.
Today, it’s all about the HOW. How books are really a super secret weapon for building your business. How writing and self-publishing a book gives you a quality product to use in building a new business or enhancing the one you have. And how your book can help you to:
Gain credibility and influence.
Become known as the expert in your field.
Create a new revenue stream for your business.
Create a platform on which to build your business and create ancillary products.
Sell your products online or at the back of the room during speaking engagements.
Collect contact information for your lists.
Boost sales and conversion by adding value to programs or other products
Receive invitations to speak.
Be interviewed on radio or for magazines and newspapers.
Open doors to publication of articles and columns.
Command higher speaking and consulting fees.
Have a product that gives you a competitive edge over your competition.
Demonstrate your passion and commitment to your business.
Just to get those wheels spinning in your head about all the possibilities, here are some common methods and opportunities many authors have utilized to grow their business and increase their visibility:
Speaking engagements: As a published author your chances of being booked for speaking opportunities increases, and with it the opportunity to share your message and your book from the stage.
Back of room sales: This goes hand-in-hand with speaking engagements. Often you can negotiate the right to feature your book for sale at the back of the room where you are engaged to speak.
Workshops and Programs: When readers love your book and want more, this is the perfect jumping off point for creating a workshop or continuity program that will continue to provide more of the message or teachings you share while also providing even more revenue streams and growth opportunities.
Joint ventures: Find someone whose products or services complement your book and create a joint venture together. Share a message, service or products that will provide greater value to your audience and again widen the impact you have with a new audience.
Guest appearances: As a published author, you’ve just become a fantastic potential guest expert for anything from radio and TV to webinars and live workshops.
Products: If your book resonates with your readers, they will want more, even after they read the last page. Now is the time to create products such as bookmarks, posters, card decks, CDs or DVDs that are a natural extension of the book’s core message and give your readers even more of your awesome author goodness.
As you can tell, books are often just the beginning. These are just a few ideas for how writing and publishing a book can lead to more business growth opportunities than you might have first imagined – and why we can’t wait to help you publish yours.
And if you need a little help or inspiration along the way, here's a quick list of some of our favorite free resources for authors:
You’ve got a book – now what?! Some people think that the hardest thing about writing a book is... writing a book. But from the number of emails we get from authors asking for guidance about what to do AFTER they’ve self-published their books, we know the truth. That’s why we wrote this special 3-part series filled with marketing and sales strategies for your book as well as other business-boosting ideas.
Today’s article is all about online sales. One of the most frequent questions we get from our authors deal with the uncertainty of how – and where – to sell their books online. Choosing the right retail solution can make the difference between robust sales or no sales at all.
The first step, that many people often overlook, is choosing the right place online to sell your book. When you work with Vervante you have a lot of choices, from the Vervante Bookstore to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, to using your own website and shopping cart.
Here are a few of your options – and insight into whether they are right for you. Remember, you aren’t limited to just one. Just remember to consider your target audience and choose the places online that will appeal to them best for finding, selecting and purchasing your book.
Personal Websites or Landing Pages
Using your own website or landing page to manage and process sales of your book is a powerful way to support your business growth that goes well beyond sales income. You can collect customer data, offer bonuses that enhance the value of your book, give readers the chance to opt-in to your email list, along with other relationship-building tactics that ensure interested readers become loyal clients and fans.
Sales for your book on your own website are also good for your budget, as you don’t have to deduct commissions or transaction fees that other retail channels will require.
Vervante Bookstore
The Vervante Bookstore offers the perfect solution for stress-free online sales without complicated and profit-eating commission or transaction fees common to other retail channels. We handle all the transactional details so you can focus on marketing for your book.
Vervante Bookstore sets up sales pages for your books and other products, and manages credit card transactions, fulfillment and distribution. You set the retail price for the product and pay us a simple 10% per transaction fee. The buyer selects and pays for the shipping and postage. Plus, we send you monthly statements to always keep you in the loop.
Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Amazon and Barnes & Noble are the go-to places to list your book for sale online in order to gain visibility through improved search engine optimization (SEO) as well as opportunity for increased sales and expert status. Their sales system is easy to use and trusted the world over. They handle accepting payments and processing credit cards, too. However, sales through Amazon and Barnes & Noble will involve commission and transaction fees that reduce your bottom line. For details, check out our Expert Guide “Selling Your Self-Published Books.”
We can help you with the process of placing your book for sale on these sites from A to Z - listing, orders, managing sales transactions, printing and distribution. We set it up so that we automatically receive all order information and we even know the secrets to a successful Amazon book launch.
Click HERE to read the next article in this series where we share proven strategies and tactics for boosting book sales that you can use no matter where you decide to sell your book online. And for even more helpful guidance about selling your books online, be sure to check out “How to Sell Your Book Online” on our blog now.
In the first article of this series, we talked about the world of retail sales for your book or ebook, highlighting options and how to determine the best place online for the best results. We had a lot of feedback (thanks for that!!) and what we heard the most was: “OK, we liked learning about where to sell – can you tell us more about how to sell?”
You got it!
It’s no secret that by the time you’ve written, designed and published your book, you’ve put a lot of time, resources and personal energy into it. So now is the time to pull out all the stops and put into action a marketing plan that will give it the promotion it deserves.
We’ve been helping best-selling self-published authors with their books for more than 15 years and during that time we’ve learned a lot about what works – and doesn’t work – for promoting and selling books online. The following are just a few ideas for marketing your book both online and in person. It’s important to remember that if you are going to use your book as part of a business or message-sharing strategy, you must take steps to increase the visibility of your book and bring it to the attention of your target audience.
Shout it out via social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn. These and more have all been used successfully by authors to build up to a book’s release, attract a loyal audience and increase sales. Social media lets you connect to your target audience in a way that is quick, easy and often free.
Your website: This may seem like a no-brainer, but so many people forget to put a promo and a link to purchase your book in a prominent place on your website homepage.
Blogging: Share the inspiration for your book, reveal tidbits and quotes to give readers a peek inside your book, reprint feedback from readers and reviews. These are all great ideas for blogging as a way to increase visibility for your book while whetting people’s appetites to buy it.
Speaking engagements: As a published author your chances of being booked for speaking opportunities increases, and with it the opportunity to share your message as well as sell your book from the stage.
Colleagues and affiliates: Be sure to let your friends and loyal fans know about the book and how to share the news to their audiences. If your business offers affiliate programs, don’t forget to include them in the launch.
Sales or splash pages: These are specially designed web pages filled with sales copy and graphics that promote you, your book and the value it can bring to the reader, as well as giving readers the opportunity to buy your book online. Share links to this page on social media, from your website, blog, in person or on the phone.
Free telecalls or webinars: Using online or conference calling systems, offer a wide audience a chance to see or hear you speak about your subject or your expertise while also providing insight into the book and its value.
Guest appearances: These are not just for the Oprah crowd anymore. Reach out to online radio and talk shows, webinar producers, YouTube channels and more that focus on your topic and offer to share your knowledge, insight and information about your book with them. This is another great way to address a new audience, boost your visibility, and boost your book sales.
Invest in products that support your message and spread the word. Check out the Vervante store for ideas such as card decks, accompanying CDs, custom-designed mailers and more. For a small price you can get big marketing results by using these as part of a strategic marketing plan.
Plan an official book launch event: If you’re thinking about organizing a book launch as part of your marketing and sales efforts, there are many options available that will bring you success. Be sure to check out our free guide “How to Plan a Successful Amazon Book Launch,” on our website. Or if you are planning a live event, we can help, too. Just drop us a line at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to share our thoughts with you.
Your newsletter or ezine: An email blast is the perfect way to promote your book. After all, this is an audience that you know is interested in the topic you specialize in.
Your email signature: Think about how many emails you send out per day. Add a teaser and a link beneath your email signature that is short, sweet and lets the recipient know about your book, with a link to your sales page.
Press releases: Write several press releases about your book and send them out using either paid or free services before, during and after your book launches. Don’t forget to send these releases to your local newspapers, trade publications and niche websites, magazines and blogs who also might be interested.
Video: Video for a book? Oh yes! Here are some ideas for using video to promote your book: Share a video of the author (that’s you!) talking about what’s in the book. Record interviews with people who have read the book and their reviews. Place the videos on your YouTube channel, but don’t forget to share them via Google+, Facebook, Twitter and your blog as well.
Guest writing: Connect with people, websites, blogs, media that shares a common audience and focus as your book. Offer to write a guest article for them and refer to your book in your author bio or at the end of the piece.
Offer added value: If you are selling your book via your own shopping cart, website or through the Vervante bookstore you have the control and ability to sweeten the deal by offering valuable extras. Give them a free download, extra templates, CDs or DVDs, or other products that complement the book and add value to their purchase.
Watch and learn from the best: Is there a successful author you follow who recently launched a book? Watch and learn – see what methods they used to boost their book sales and use the ones that appeal to you most. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
Here’s the bottom line. You’ve written your book to provide something specific for your intended readers. Education, entertainment, inspiration, motivation... whatever it is, keep that original goal in your mind as you market and promote your book. Don’t be “salesy.” Instead let potential readers know why you write the book, what problem it solves, and how it will be the best at doing so. Connecting your passion and purpose to your book in this way is much better than pushing a sale, because people will appreciate that you’re in it for them. And that makes all the difference.
In our next article, we’ll talk about how your book is a super secret weapon for helping your business achieve a new level of success. And if you missed the first article in this series, click HERE to access it now.
I’m sure you noticed, but in our last two blog articles we’ve had books on the brain quite a bit. Here at Vervante HQ we specialize in helping authors self-publish their books and some of the most common questions we get are all related to books. We’ve discussed how to determine WHERE the best place is online for selling your book. And we talked about Strategies to boost your sales, sharing 17 strategies that will reach out and connect with potential readers.
You’ve got a book – now what?! Some people think that the hardest thing about writing a book is... writing a book. But from the number of emails we get from authors asking for guidance about what to do AFTER they’ve self-published their books, we know the truth. That’s why we wrote this special 3-part series filled with marketing and sales strategies for your book as well as other business-boosting ideas. 
You got it!