How to Sell a Self-published Book
Marketing, Reviewing and Promoting Your Newly Published Book
Having written, edited, proofed and designed your book, you may think the work is over, but this is just the beginning. Now people need to know about it and about you.
Once you’ve got a copy of your new book in your hands you may breathe a huge sigh of relief, but it’s not over yet. Getting to the stage of having your book printed is huge and rewarding, but now the baby is born you need to look after it.
Now you have arrived at what can be the most difficult and frustrating stage of all - selling your product. You’ve been a writer, editor, proofreader and designer but now what is really the most important job of all – you need to become a master salesperson.
Online Retail Listings
If your book has a UK ISBN number it may automatically be listed by any UK retailers online. All the bibliographic information comes from the same source and is available to retailers. Therefore a listing on Amazon should be automatic and not have to be paid for.
Self-Promotion of Self-published books.
Not only do you have to become a salesperson but you need to develop a strategy of publicity. Start with your own friends and family and extend it to the local community. Get some business cards or bookmarks printed and give them out at book shops, libraries, schools, hospitals, fetes etc. Obviously the choice of destination is very dependant on the genre of your book.
Willpower and Determination
Look how far you’ve come, your dream is in your hands, now you have to walk it and work it. This could very well just be the beginning of your career. Many, many authors self-published their first book, to then be offered a contract from a mainstream publisher, who at times refused them initially.
How to Get a Book Reviewed
Try and make contact with the local radio station, maybe offer a book or two as a give-away prize as a means of getting an interview. You are after-all a local celebrity now.
What about getting some reviews? There are hundreds of writers on this very site, each one is contactable by email. You could find several that write about your topic and ask if they would be interested in reviewing your book? There’s nothing to lose, and exposure to be gained. Don’t ever get disheartened if you receive a whether a review that’s not favourable, writers are individuals with likes and dislikes too, keep going some will like it some will not.
Troubador Publishing produces the Self Publishing Magazine which is full of helpful articles, case studies and also independant book reviews. Books may be submitted by any self published author or self publishing company published in the UK with a UK ISBN number.
See here for more information about Troubador Publishing.
