PART THREE: SELLING YOURSELF/GETTING THE WORD OUT

This is the hardest part of being a self published author. I like to engage people, talk about my work, talk to people who have read my work and so on. But selling myself? Convincing people to buy my work? That’s another story all together.

As a self-published author, the work doesn’t end after you have written the book. Just because you have found a way to get your book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble website, it doesn’t mean that it will sell. Telling friends and family that you have published a book does not mean they’re going to go out and buy your book either. Besides, they are not your core audience. The people who read your genre of writing is your audience and that’s who you need to reach.

And even though you plan to attend that huge book fair near you, remember you are in competition with other writers. In some cases you may be up against big named writers so you have to step your game up. You need to make a business plan.

When you self publish a book, you are selling yourself to the public. You want them to read your novel but to get them to do that you have to get them to know you. So you have to get out there and sell yourself, right? But how? Here are some ways to get both you and your work out there.

WEBSITE: Build a website. You can either hire someone to do it or maintain your own. The website is your home base. It’s where you direct people to find out who you are, what kind of books you write, to get in touch with you and to sell through. Now when I say website I mean a site with multiple tabs and pages, not a single webpage with everything thrown on it. Not a blog page with multiple links to things. You have an opportunity on the site to offer people what you can’t in person such as discounts on books, contests where people can win copies of your book and sneak peeks like sample chapters of current or upcoming work. Make it inviting, easy to navigate and interesting. Be sure to update it regularly and keep your readers informed.

On my Hobbcat Website I have pages devoted to certain books, a library with links to my books as well as a photo gallery and media section with my reviews and interviews. People can easily track what’s going on with my work.

SOCIAL MEDIA and BLOGS: Social Media is another way to reach the masses. It’s free, it’s easy and the best way to reroute people to your website. The most important thing you should keep in mind is that your social media page should be kept separate from your personal media page. It’s always good to share your business information to friends and family but you want to keep business contacts and readers closer. They visit your page to be a part of your work. They don’t need to know about your family reunion in Vermont. Unless of course, you were selling books there.

On Facebook you should create a separate page for your company. Create a fan page for yourself and a group page that you can directly link friends and family to. Link your Facebook page to Twitter because when you update your status, Twitter is updated too. You don’t have to go back and forth. Use Linkedin for the more profession and business feel. Scribd is a popular site for writers you can also join as well.

Blogs are a great way to reach people who are interested in the same topics and dynamics you are. You can raise questions that attract both fans and other writers who may be able to help you in numerous ways. I like to use mine to pass on information to others and discuss my upcoming work. A blog can also inspire others and add to your fan base. That’s always good.


BOOK REVIEWS: You want to do this. Send your book to reviewers 6 months before the book is due to come out. You want to send it to reviewers no family and friends. They will not be a critical. You will want a write up done, especially if it’s a positive one. Taking a blurb from a positive review and putting on the book always helps.

You will also have to grow a thick skin which is not easy to do. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, people can go online and review your books who are not even book critics. They maybe avid readers of a genre you write in and if they feel strongly about what you do, they will voice it. Take into account you have to have a strong stomach for this sort of thing. Not everyone is going to like what you do. I have had some solid reviews come out about my work in the papers. But I had one online about a horror anthology I wrote that got a very mean review. I wasn’t prepared for it. In the review I was informed by the reader of errors in the book but they didn’t stop there. But the reader went on to not only bad mouth the work but bad mouth me. Naturally I pulled the book again and reworked it, but his review was seen by a lot of people and it cut me deep. I wasn’t sure what prompted such a mean review but I had to get over it if I was going to keep going. In the end, I needed that review because as a writer and, more importantly as a business man, I didn’t want my readers/customers unhappy.

INTERNET RADIO: There are so many book review radio shows out there. Blog Talk Radio is a large site that you can go through. I have been interviewed on at least four of them and soon after the interview I post them to my website for people to hear. These can be a great way for you to reach a mass audience. It’s free and the hosts are always looking for guests. Who knows, you could become a regular on one if the host likes you. You can also host your own. Talk about your work or talk about the genre you write in and have people call in. The more you put yourself out there the better.

PRESS KITS: Always have a press kit ready. You never know when a member of the press will pass by and you can give them a package. Put the essentials in there; Book launch announcement, post cards, business card, information about the book(s). In some cases you can even include a copy of one of your books. Get the press hungry for your work.

SAMPLE COPIES: This is the real tricky thing. We want to make money from our books; after all we are a business. But there will come times where you will have to give the product away to gain attention. Reviewers, book clubs, press and interviewers are usually the best people to give sample copies to. You will have to accept the fact that you will have to eat the money on this. But also use your judgment. For example, you may give a sample copy to the head of a book club but don’t give the entire club the book. The idea is so that they will go out and buy it. You may, if you are selling the book through your own website, want to offer them a bulk discount.

BOOK FAIRS: What you have to understand about book fairs is that it’s a double edged sword. Yes, you can sell books and yes, it’s a great place to network and be seen. But what you want to do is market yourself here. You need to reach out to the readers, talk with them and get to know them. You are on display here, not the books. The books are the bonus.

An example of this was at the Brooklyn Book Fair in 2007. I had unveiled my new book The Hooky Party. Unlike my first time going to a book fair with A Gamble of Faith I came prepared with postcards, a book review on poster board and a couple of friends willing to spend the day with me.

The book is a young adult novel so that was my target audience for the day. There were many young adults at the fair, most were with parents. So my friends would go over to the parents with the book and postcard, ask them did they remember when they were teenagers what it was like to be at a hooky party. The reactions to the question drew their attention to the book then to me. When the parents came over, I would just reminisce about the days when we were young then segue into the book. Meanwhile the teen is looking at the book and reading the back. They were so taken by what I was doing, boom, I’d make a sale. The fact that I was the author and willing to talk was the plus.

To the teens, meeting a ‘real author’ is the treat. So I would talk to them about school and trade stories and soon they wanted to know more about the Hooky Party so they bought the book. In that instance, I never really talked about the book but about me and why I wrote it. So they think there’s some secret in there they will learn so they bought it. At the end of the day, I went home with only three books left.

Book Fairs can be slow going and if you don’t have patience you may want to think twice before going. While you do want to make money that day, remember readers look for bargains and take little risk on new authors. So you have to sell them on you and why they should put money down for your book. My advice would be never to sell the book for cover price unless it’s already cheap. Meaning that if your book is $15, don’t sell it for $15 as an unknown author. No one will touch it. Shave off a couple of bucks. If you have more than one book, do a bundle pack. My books range in price but I will do a bundle if people are interested. If I have 2 books priced at $15 each, I will sell both for $25. I personally don’t charge for an autograph but some authors do. They will charge $12 for a book with the autograph, $10 without it. That’s completely up to you but I don’t do it.

My final word on book fairs is to do your homework about them. What do I mean?

The Brooklyn Book Fair is a book fair, meaning the only thing you will see being sold and displayed are books. I have been to book fairs where there are people selling music CD’s, jewelry, t-shirts, scented oils, food, none of which have anything to do with books. Some even invite street vendors selling popular book titles for dirt cheap which, of course, takes away all potential customers from you. Then, peppered throughout the fair, are actual authors trying to sell. In essence the fair is more of a flea market than a place to sell books. There is a 99.9% chance you will sell nothing at all and worse, draw no attention to yourself. That’s a complete waste of time and money. So you should always plan to visit the fairs first and plan to sell the following year. Get out and experience them.

CONVENTIONS: Always great for networking, not always a great place to sell unless it’s a genre convention like Comic Conventions or Fantasy Conventions if that is what you write. If you plan to sell at one of these, build a fan base before you do. People who are familiar with you, your blogs or your marketing will want to meet you and thus bring potential buyers of your work to you. But networking, making yourself seen and getting your name out here is what’s important.

You should attend a couple of conventions first so you can get an idea of their set up, what people sell and how you will fit in. Unlike a book fair, Conventions are filled with a host of other events like panels and signing by celebrities. There are also a wide range of vendors selling collectables and other paraphernalia.

As a self published author you cannot be a recluse. Nobody knows who you are if you don’t come out or people meet you. The best promotion is self promotion. Be seen, talk about what you do and get people interested in your work.

GRANT APPEARANCES: For book clubs, offer to come and meet with the club about the book and answer questions. Make yourself accessible.
In the end, it boils down to the amount of time, effort and money you feel you want to put into being a self published author. Not everyone is cut out for it, not everyone can afford it and not everyone wants to do what I have above.

Writers write, that’s what we do, end of story (no pun intended). For the majority of us, getting published is the goal but it can a long time to reach. I’m not saying that self publishing is the quick and easy way to get published, it’s not. But is an option you have available for you.

THE VIDEO BLOGS ARE UP!!

Announcing Hobbcat2012 on Youtube. Go to Youtube and join Hobbcat2012 to see my video blogs. Get further information about self publishing and writing from me via video. Click the link below and check them out.

http://youtu.be/PR3HpykzvoU


Next blog coming next week.

PART TWO: COMPANY, OWNERSHIP & PRINTING

If you are ready to move to the next phase of self publishing, these next few steps are essential. You might be asking yourself why I would mention starting a company when we’re talking about writing your own book. Well, if you’re going to self publish, you’re going to want to establish a name for yourself via a company. Also, many printing companies only provide services to those with tax id numbers. But take a look at some of the next steps you want to take.

Since you are self-publishing, you want to establish a brand name. This brand name will be key for your fans that will come to know your work. Establish a company name and make sure it’s not taken by someone else. Try to avoid using your name for the company. Be creative but not silly that way people take you seriously. For example my company name, Hobbcat, was named after my house cat.

You may also decide if you want to become and Incorporation or an LLC. Before you make that final decision, be sure you do your homework on the difference between the two. Most people go with the LLC because it’s easier to deal with for tax reasons. Incorporations require much more attention to detail. You will want to find out your state tax laws and how you need to file. Do not make this decision lightly or you will pay for it down the line. You can either check with your state website or Legal Zoom about the differences.

Next you will need to get ISBN (International Standard Book Number) numbers and barcodes for your books. This is that 13 digit number you find with the barcodes and inside the copyright page of the book. Why do you need to buy this number is you are going to self publish?

Let’s go back to IUniverse. Remember when I told you I went to them first to self publish my book because I was considered the self publisher and retained my rights? That was only half right. I will explain.

When you publish with them, you retain your copyright which means you keep ownership of the book. But the ISBN is assigned to you by them. That number is owned by the company, IUniverse, thus making them the publisher, not you. That means you cannot duplicate that book with that ISBN number anywhere because you don’t have that right. If you own your own ISBN, then you are the publisher. It is linked to you. You need that number to sell in bookstores and abroad. Without it, you won’t be able to get it in the stores.

The Barcodes contain the price that you set for your book. How do you determine how much to set the price for? It all depends on you. Really, it does. As the publisher you set the price. Keep in mind what you’re spending to put the book together and printing costs. If you’re not sure how much to price your book for, my advice is to go to the book store and look at the shelves. Hard cover books often cost much more than soft cover book. One reason for this is both shipping and printing costs. The heavier the book, the more you will pay across the board. Soft cover book vary in size and price so depending on what size you want to print, you should adjust your price accordingly. Again, go to the bookstores and check out the shelves and see what prices have been set on the books. Remember now; think about your printing costs and how much you want to take in.

PRINTING: There was a time when printing was done in bulk. Traditional Printing, as it is called, is still done. But for the most part self published authors tend to avoid bulk printing unless it’s necessary. It used to be that if you took your book to a printer to have copies done you had to print a minimum amount of copies. Anywhere from 200 to 1000 and then you had to store them someplace.

There isn’t anything wrong with traditional printing. If you have only one title having five hundred copies of the same book on hand for when you are doing speaking engagements or signings is always a good idea. However if you are a self publishing author with multiple titles you may not want to have five hundred of the same titles sitting around you home. You may not even have room for it all. So what can you do in that case?

Well printing has changed. Now a day you don’t have to do traditional printing. There are a lot of companies offering what is called print on demand. They are offering discounts for ordering in bulk and even shipping directly to other addresses per your request. It is more cost effective for the self published author to go this route unless you prefer to have thousands of copies of your book on hand.

So what is print on demand?

Print on Demand (POD) is a printing service by which books are printed in the amount they are requested. As opposed to having to order a set amount of books, you can choose to print only what you need. You can order one book or a hundred. I have found this process to be the best for me especially since I have multiple titles under my name. Since I also don’t sell too many books out of my home, I can always order what I need for events.

For example, if I am going to be at a book fair or a convention and I know that certain titles will sell better than others, I can order up just enough of the best sellers to have on the table.

When you are ready to print, you should look into Lightning Source as a way to go. They not only offer good prices on POD but they when you sign up with them they will list your books on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It’s always a plus to have your work listed on these sites.

If you are willing to put in the time and the money to follow the above steps, you are halfway there to self publishing your own book. If not, that’s okay. But you still need to follow that editing step before you send a manuscript out to a publishing house. The cleaner your work is, the better it will be received.