How to Sell Your First Book (Not Just for Newbies)

Book Marketing Genius

I've recently come across this guest blog post from Shoshi Herscu, How to Sell Your First Book.  In it, she outlines exactly which methods she uses to promote and sell her indy-published book.  It is well worth having a look, especially if you write narrative nonfiction.  It's not just for first-timers.  

This blog post also includes a link to 127+ of the Top Free and Paid Book Promotion Sites, which is a brilliant resource.  As this is on the Kindlepreneur site,  it is particulary useful for ebook authors and publishers.

For more great content about how to market your book, go here to join my online group, Book Marketing and Financing.

Plus go here to download my FREE ebook, Book Marketing Genius, which details how to build your street team, to gain feedback, reviews and help with promoting your books. 


Please share this with your networks and please leave your comments below.   Thanks. 

How Long It Took 40 Writers to Finish Their Famous Novels

From a weekend to 30 years, how long did it take the authors to complete some of the best-loved novels?

For more great stuff for writers and readers, go here for my Writers' Secrets page. 

And go here for lots of marketing and funding resources for writers and self-publishers:  Book Marketing and Financing.

30 Ways to Help a Book Author You Love

Saw this great piece online, so I want to share it with you: 30 Ways to Help a Book Author You Love.

See also: A Powerful Way to Promote Your Books.

Promote Your Children's Book to Schools and Libraries across the U.S.A.

I Love to Write Day is in its 9th year and will be celebrated by libraries, schools and community organizations on November 15, 2010. The aim of the founder, John Riddle, is for everyone of any age to write something.

Some of the activities they suggest include: Authors and writers can contact local bookstores, libraries, senior centers, community centers, malls and schools and host I Love To Write Day programs. Talk to the audience about what it takes to become a published writer and author. Talk about the importance of writing, and how it is never too late to start writing. Encourage everyone to write something on I Love To Write Day: a poem, a love letter, a short story, an essay, start a novel.

Teachers can encourage students to write something special on I Love To Write Day.

From their press release:

"Everyone can get involved in I Love To Write Day,” says Riddle. “Just visit the
Website, I Love To Write Day, and you will find suggestions and ideas on how to hold special I Love To Write Day activities in your community.

There is a registration page, and I am encouraging everyone to sign up so that we can count how many people get involved in I Love To Write Day. People are also encouraged to spread the word about I Love To Write Day in their local communities."

For loads more writers' resources, go to Writers' Resources.

How to Become a Million Dollar Author

The interview with T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, was the best one so far in the Successful Author Secrets series.

Remember, this series is not just for writers, it's for entrepreneurs who plan to become bestselling authors.

Like many of the authors in this series, he stressed that in order to have success in the world, we first need to work on our inner success.

His book was No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. No. 2 was of no interest to him.

Most people won’t go for number 1 because they think they are going to fail.

Your intention determines everything.

He also emphasised that getting onto the bestseller list requires a lot of pre-planning. To make the bestseller list requires a certain number of book sales within one week. All sales have to take place within that week. So he gathered orders in advance but did not process them until one particular week. This was obviously a lot of work.

He remained on the bestseller list for two years, and to do this he gave away more than $2 million to Amazon and Barnes & Noble. He would have made more money through direct sales, but it was worth it to give the money away in order to maintain his bestseller status.

I really enjoyed listening to this interview because T. Harv's enthusiasm comes through. He is very entertaining and very honest.

The other reason I enjoyed it so much was that I have been writing about similar things for years, in Success Strategies for Black People and The Key to Everything.

In order to bring about changes in our lives, we first need to change our habits and patterns of thought, feeling and behaviour.

He talks about changing our financial blueprint, our financial programming. I couldn't agree more.

To read more, see Making a Quantum Leap.

He said, "I spell publisher P-R-I-N-T-E-R.

The publisher does not sell the book. You have to sell the book".

Click here to listen to the Successful Author Secrets series.

See also: Successful Author Secrets: Creating Your Inner Author Platform

Getting Started with Writing

How Did Jacqueline Susann Create a Runaway Bestseller?

Failed Broadway actress Jacqueline Susann wrote one of the most popular, most widely-read modern novels of all time, Valley of the Dolls, published in 1966.

After years of struggling to make it as an actress, Jackie was diagnosed with breast cancer and decided to try her hand at writing, stating in her diary, “I can’t die without leaving something. Something big”.

She wanted to make a fortune as her son was autistic, and needed to have enough money to ensure he would receive the care he needed in the event of her death.

Valley of the Dolls was turned down by several publishers. Jackie portrayed actresses using drink and drugs, having sex and having lesbian relationships, all of which were taboo subjects at that time.

There were rumours that Jackie had had affairs with Hollywood and Broadway actresses and that the characters in Valley of the Dolls were based on them.

She knew how to tell a good story, which is, of course, what everyone wants. That was one of the keys to the popularity of the book. Once you picked it up, you didn’t want to put it down.

The coarse language she used reflected the way showgirls and others in the entertainment industry spoke. Susann’s earthy language and subject-matter proved to be highly popular.

Valley of the Dolls was later made into a film starring Patty Duke and Sharon Tate.

Despite her success and the glare of the media, Jackie managed to keep her cancer a secret.

Strategies

Valley of the Dolls became a runaway bestseller, selling more than 30 million copies despite being slated by noted authors including Gore Vidal and Truman Capote. How did she do it?

She and her husband, publicist Irving Mansfield, drove across the U.S.A. and later travelled the world, networking with small, independent bookshops.

Jackie would make note of the birthdays of shop-owners and either send them a card or turn up to their store on the day. She treated bookstore-owners as personal friends, often sending them thank-you cards. She also linked up with the truckers who would be delivering her books, treating them like stars.

I am not sure if this formula would work as well today, as many independent bookshops have gone out of business, big chain stores proliferate, and many customers now buy their books online. But it’s certainly worth the effort to establish good relationships with your local bookshops.

The internet is not destroying literature. Check out this great blog about Twitter from Publishers' Weekly.

See also: Using Visualization for Publishing Success.