More and more publishing success stories these days are coming from eBook publishers as compared to those who deal in print books. As a result, the number of eBook writers has gone up drastically. Though it may seem lucrative to write your own eBook and sell it, making enough sales to earn good money is not as easy as it seems. You need to learn and implement the right techniques and methods to promote your eBook. Here are some tips you should remember when seeking to boost your eBook sales.
1. Have a professional cover design
Hopefully, you have used the right tools to format and edit your eBook. The next step now is ensuring that the cover itself captures a prospective buyer’s attention immediately. The cover design is a very big factor in determining how well you promote your eBook.
The first thing is to have a professional create the design (unless you are one yourself). Look online for some of the best eBook cover designs and then use these ideas to help an expert create what you want.
Of course a professional designer will cost money but do not compromise on this. It is an investment you have to make if at all you want to earn from your work.
2. Sell your eBook on different stores
Amazon may have a lot of prospective customers, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Submit your eBook to multiple stores to make sure that it gets as much exposure as possible. Even small online stores will substantially add to your total revenue.
3. Give it away for free
For a writer, it is extremely important to have a loyal following. If you are writing your first book, getting this audience is a big challenge. One way of going about it is by giving the eBook away for free for a limited period of time. Even better, you can give your first book away for free and then use the gained following to make huge sales with your subsequent books.
Free giveaways can also help you gauge the success of the eBook and give you an idea of how much you can earn from it.
4. Get it reviewed
A good review can make all the difference in terms of eBook sales. There are sites that provide eBook reviews. Submit your work here. In addition, get satisfied readers and eBook stores to give their testimonials about the eBook.
If it is possible, find a well known author to also write a short review. This will give you a lot more exposure and more people will trust you.
5. Optimize your sales pages
Whether you are selling your eBook on Amazon or anywhere else, make sure that your sales page is highly appealing. Fill it with quotes from your eBook, reviews from customers and testimonials. Tell people what to expect and make them anticipate reading your work.
It is advisable to incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) into your sales page to make it easier for people to find it online.
6. Interact with your readers
It is very important to connect with your readers, both current and prospective. The best way to do this is through forums and social media networks. This interaction will also attract other people and multiply your following.
7. Be careful about the pricing
You may have done everything perfectly well up to this point but then mess up when it comes to putting a price on your eBook. Generally EBooks are priced much lower than printed books due to the lower production cost. In fact, the low prices have been instrumental in driving up the popularity and success of eBooks.
So be careful not to overprice it such that people don’t buy it. Ideally, eBooks are sold under $10. For fiction, it should be under $7. The most favorably price range especially for new writers is between $0.99 and $2.99. This way, you will sell enough books to get good returns.
Once your first eBook becomes a success, don’t stop there, publish another one. The more quality work you have the easier it will be to find you and the bigger the following you will have. Most importantly, don’t forget to always communicate and interact with your readers. Create a community within which people can share and even spread word about your books. This way, not only will you be able to sell your eBooks, but also create awareness about your work.
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Tanisha,
Great advice. I especially like your advice on a professional cover; so many books are a turn-off just due to their amateur/bad covers.
To your list I’d like to add: Traditional Marketing. I’m talking about press releases, book fairs, author signings, and some paid advertisements. Nothing is going to beat a ‘As Seen in the NY Times’ badge on your book’s site (if and when it gets media coverage), nor the chance to interact with your fans in person at a signing.
Thanks,
Mickie Kennedy
eReleases
http://www.ereleases.com/hello.html?a=76