Congratulations, you’ve self-published your first book. Now, how do you sell it? Not to worry. I’ve compiled a list of 14 methods I’ve used to sell my self-published book.
`How did I sell my self-published book?
This is one of the top five questions I get asked by my clients. They’re dying to know how to market their masterpiece they just spent the last year or so writing. Blood, sweat, tears, loss of sleep, and a shoestring budget to market; where can you sell this damn thing to make some return on your investment?!
Honest truth, it is totally random if you become rich off your first novel. Many self-published authors who are living comfortably off of their writing have several novels under their belt and are cranking them out faster than we can read them. Creating a series or having multiple selections to offer your audience increases your sales power.
Here are some creative ways you can sell your self-published book:
1. Website
Your website is your storefront. This is no different than if you were opening on 5th Avenue or in Times Square. Your store (website) should be organized, professional, offer great customer service, and be an experience for your customer.
When you first walk into a store you are greeted by someone. Your greeting would be an invitation to join your mailing list with a free chapter download for an initial opportunity to get a taste of your work. As a new customer who has never heard of you they will want to read your ‘About Me; page to learn more about you, the author, browse your book selections, and so forth.
Next, you’re left alone to browse. On your website have a Shop or Books tab. If this is your first book, try uploading other writing projects you have worked on to give your customers a variety to choose from (poetry, short stories, essays/articles, etc.).
2. Purchase
Have a simple check-out feature that allows the customer to feel safe ordering from your website.
3. Customer Service
Use an automatic reply for emails to let your customer know their message has been received and you will be responding within 24 hours.
4. Exercise
On Saturday go to the mall and visit a store that looks appealing that you’ve never heard of. Go in, browse, and find out as much information as possible. Think about how you can give that same experience to your customers online.
Pro Tip: Research how you can increase your SEO for your website to get higher in the ranks on Google and remember, Google loves Google
5. Email List
You have a customer in your store who may or may not be ready to purchase. You don’t want them to leave without getting their information. I use Mailchimp for my email list manager. You can create newsletters and campaigns within seconds. This is where you can talk to your fans directly and tell them what’s new with you and your writing. They signed up for this, so they know what’s in store! In exchange for their email information offer them a free chapter download.
6. Blog
Drive more traffic to your site and engage with the world. Don’t be one of those authors who writes the book, publishes their website, and waits for the book to sell itself. After six months of hearing crickets, they decide to call me to see why their book isn’t selling. First, a book doesn’t sell itself; you have to work at it. Secondly, just because you publish your website doesn’t mean people are going to flock to it.
By attaching a blog to your website and writing consistently, even if it’s once a week, you can increase your traffic. Use strong keywords and remember to use tags.
7. Social Media
Okay, there is always a challenge with social media. Which page should I do, all, some, none? Yes, some authors do nothing on social media and are still very successful. Don’t try that at home.
Test the waters to see what works for you. What can you realistically do on a daily basis and give time to? Also, think about what type of novel you have and where your customers would be. If you wrote a cookbook you can use Instagram and post high-quality food images. Wrote a book with a message, go full throttle on Facebook with no character lengths. If you want to create a movement around your book then go to Twitter and Instagram.
Another honest moment. Unless you have a name already, people rarely buy your book because they want the book. They buy the book because of you or because of something that led them to your page and so forth.
Take, for instance, the last couple of books I bought:
Sister Souljah, A Moment of Silence: Midnight III – saw on social media
Sadeqa Johnson, And Then There Was Me – saw on social media but also subscribe to her newsletter
Jen Sincero, You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Living an Awesome Life – saw rave reviews on social media
Gabrielle Union, We’re Going to Need More Wine – won in a book giveaway
Derrick Jaxn, I Still Want It – borrowed from a friend
*I saw this book on social media tons of times and was about to purchase when my friend said she had it. I wanted to read it right away otherwise I would have still bought it.
From this, you would take away that my buying power is done through social media.
8. Get Your Book off the Pages
People just don’t read like they used to. So be creative. Create a sixty-second skit of your book and post on social media; make it funny, make it entertaining, give it a message. This is up to you and the tone of your book. Adding a visual component will give your customers a different way to view your book.
9. Homework Exercise
Write down the last five books you purchased and how you came to buy the book. Were you following the author and saw the promotion? Did you see it on social media, in a bookstore, etc. Then ask two or three friends to do the same for their last five books.
This is the beginning of your market research on where people are making their buying decision to purchase books.
10. Meet-up Group
Some people may say this is a little vain, but so what? you have books to sell. Create a book club meet-up on meetup.com. Be prepared to give away five books to the first five who RSVP. Tell them the truth— that you just wrote a book and are looking for feedback and people to review the book. If more than five people show up, sell them the book. Aim for fifteen people to show up. You give away five and sell ten. Either way, that’s ten people who can give you the best promotion of all—word-of-mouth.
11. Giveaways
Each month expect to give away two books. Host a giveaway and give away a free signed copy of your book with a thank-you call. Yes, a thank-you call; people still love to feel special and connected. Create this giveaway as a call to action to get more followers on your social media pages or more subscribers on your email list. Whichever you choose, instruct the audience to follow you or subscribe to your list in order for a chance to win a free signed book and call with you. Winner disclosed on X date.
The second free book you will be giving away is to your most loyal follower of the month. The person who is always engaging, commenting, and retweeting your content. Slide in their DM/comments and tell them you want to thank them for their support and you want to send them a free book. Even if they already have and read the book send it, they can wrap it up and give it to a friend or family member who in turn can be another supporter and spokesperson for your book.
This is the start of your brand ambassador program. People speaking for free about your book and you as a person. If they see you really care about their support, they won’t forget when talking to their friends or over coffee at work on Monday morning weekend-roundup chats.
12. Facebook Ads
Wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . Now, you may want to run off and create your Facebook ad the second your book is published, but just wait. Try to tie your book into a trending topic, event, or holiday where you know there will be a lot of online activity. If you wrote a beautiful love story about a couple what better time than the month of February to promote when you know people are looking for that perfect gift. Work on some engaging, enticing content that will speak to your potential customers indirectly. Use high-quality photos and offer a limited-time-only price.
13. Sell Yourself
As I mentioned earlier, people seldom buy your book because of the book itself, they are buying you. Become a guest speaker, get on panels, become an expert in something; find your niche that will put you out there and on the stage, front and center. The people will flock to you after and want to know where they can find more information about you and what you offer.
14. Book Promotions
Yeah, you actually have to pay for some promotions, silly goose. Most of what I’ve told you up to now has been relatively free or low-cost, but here is where you invest those bucks that you do have. Go back to that exercise I told you to do with you and two or three of your close friends on what was the most common way that you and your friends made your book-purchasing decisions. Was it social media, word-of-mouth, or a bookstore? Whatever your answer, invest your marketing dollars there. If you and your friends are making decisions to buy books from social media, create a book campaign on your strongest social media platform. Through word-of-mouth? Then spend more time hosting giveaways, networking events, opportunities that put you in touch with people. If at a bookstore, then visit your local library to host readings every couple of months, visit your local bookstore and find out their guidelines for giving readings and get on their shelves. Also, participate in your local book fairs and street festivals. Aim to do more things within your community that generate heavy foot traffic.
Related Articles
Five Ways to Sell Your First Hundred Copies of Your Self-Published Book
4 African American Self-publishing Companies You Should Know
6 of Our Favorite African American Self-Published Authors
Additional Tools:
Free Resources
Get Coaching
