Here are the latest BookBaby newsletters for my followers to peruse:
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Is your favorite baseball team in the playoffs?
My Phillies aren’t…for the eighth straight year. But, with the World
Series on the horizon, it means the holidays—and prime book-selling
season—can’t be far behind. Over the last three weeks, we’ve reviewed
some of the most important elements of a strong end-of-year sales push:
- How
upgrading your cover design can boost sales.
- Why
selling directly to your readers on BookShop is a profit booster.
- What
metadata, the key data and information about your book, can do to
drive new readers to find you.
Today, I’m ending this series using one of my
favorite sports movies, Field
of Dreams, to illustrate a point about investing in your
book. If you need a refresher, you can read the plot summary, but a key line in the movie
is, "Build it and they will come." In the film, it means the
protagonist farmer could build a baseball field in his
otherwise-profitable Iowa cornfield and expect to attract both players
and paying fans to support his passion. And everyone lives happily ever
after.
It’s a great movie, but I think authors need to understand the parallel
reality to book sales. Since the early days of self-publishing, many
authors believed that having a book available on Amazon was equal to
"marketing" their book. I can assure you that building a sales
strategy on "List it on Amazon and they will buy" does not have
a fairytale ending. Distribution to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple,
and all the others is a must, but so is a commitment to invest in your
quest for readers.
The key word is "invest." It doesn’t automatically have to be
cash: I know authors who have enjoyed a return using the currency of
time, spending dedicated hours every week to connect with reviewers, beta
readers, bloggers, and local bookstores, as well as organizing and
promoting book signings and other promotional events.
But, the reality is that few can succeed exclusively trading time for
money. So, how much do you need to spend? Every author has to answer that
question for her or himself. There’s no single best way to advertise and
promote every book. Some folks hire publicists, like our friends at Smith Publicity. Others purchase paid reviews
or find other promotional programs.
What’s working for BookBaby authors? I can report that many authors who
have committed to serious social media ad campaigns are seeing growth in
sales and are finding new and loyal readers. BookBaby’s Facebook and Instagram advertising service can help you create a
compelling book ad and then serve it directly to book-buying audiences
within the massive (1.5 billion users!) Facebook and Instagram community.
I hope this series of emails has put your book-selling efforts into high
gear! Next week, I’ll share a story about one successful BookBaby author
who, after selling 250,000+ books, is close to fulfilling his dream of
working full-time as an author.
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All the best,
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Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
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P.S. While Listing on Amazon isn’t a marketing strategy
unto itself, it is a necessary part of being successful in the
marketplace. Download our new free guide, How to Publish on Amazon, to get the most out of
Amazon.
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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You know Amazon’s reach extends across the globe. You know
it’s the best place for any author to sell their work. But how do you
best position yourself for the most book sales possible? How much money
will you net with each copy sold? What are the steps to getting your book
published?
Our new guide will fill you in. How
to Publish on Amazon takes an in-depth look at the leading
bookstore’s pros & cons and how to best navigate your book around
both. It’s a brief but essential read for authors who’ve published a
career’s worth of titles, writers still working on their first book, and
everybody in between.
Get the answers you need to know today.
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©BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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Last weekend, we kicked off our holiday book sales-checklist casting a
critical eye on your book cover. Today, we’re focusing on merchandising
that eye-catching cover—and
the book itself—in a place that will win more readers and earn you more
royalties.
You probably know that BookBaby authors enjoy the very widest bookstore
distribution network—over 50 eBook stores and every large Print-On-Demand
outlet on the planet. But there’s one more important retail destination
that deserves your attention: your BookShop
page.
BookBaby authors can create their own eCommerce pages for every book
published through BookBaby.
Authors who take advantage of all the BookShop benefits and features are
often rewarded with tremendous sales, so I’ve got three reasons why you
should sell your eBooks or Printed Books through your page:
- You
make more money—a lot more. We pay 50% royalties on printed book
sales and 85% royalties on eBooks. Those are the highest numbers in
the industry.
- You
get paid faster. We’ll deposit your royalties into your account one
week after purchase.
- Your
book is guaranteed to always
be in stock. Even in the holiday rush, when Amazon may not have
enough on hand, BookShop delivers.
And there’s one more point: When you sell your book
directly to your readers, it’s the beginning of a beautiful relationship!
Book buyers can now elect to share their contact information with you.
You can use that as the starting point of building a valuable email marketing list and turn those readers into
your biggest fans.
There’s so much you can do with your personal BookShop page. You can:
- Customize
your page with different layout themes, alignments, and colors. You
can even add a large header or giant display of your book cover.
- Add
more content to your Book Overview, Description, and About the
Author sections, where you have total control over the content.
- Create
coupons and discounts to create custom promotions and sell more
books.
- Do
so much more. See all the advantages of BookShop.
Want some inspiration? Check out these great BookShop
pages:
Maybe best of all…Everything on BookShop is easy to
customize and edit at any time. Our best-selling authors know: It’s worth
your time and effort to create a great product page for your book.
On tap next week: That not-so-sexy but vitally important component to
your potential sales success: Metadata.
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All the best,
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Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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Here are
some pointers on how to best enter your book’s metadata, upload your
manuscript for publishing, and everything else that goes into the
ordering process. Read
more.
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Multimedia fiction is typically very visual and
tends to be very short. Some authors see an opportunity with this
format of storytelling to attract the attention of mainstream
teens. Read
more.
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There are rules and expectations that form a bond
between writer and reader. But that’s so traditional. If you want
to make it your mission to confound and frustrate readers and stop
them cold in their tracks, these 39 tips will help. Read
more.
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© BookBaby
7905 N.
Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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Time to shape up,
Shape up your books, that is, for the upcoming holiday season. We’re
going to be ho-ho-ho-ing before you know it, and I’ve got four ideas to
share over the next few weeks to help you take full advantage of your
sales opportunities.
Let’s start with how your book makes its very first impression: the
cover. In the past, book buyers would browse aisles in a bookstore, pick
up different books, and read a few pages to help make a buying decision.
These days, with over 75 percent of books being sold online, your
best—and often only—chance to catch a reader’s eye is to have a standout
cover design.
If you’re happy with your current eBook or printed book cover, that’s
fine. But take a few minutes and look at it with a critical eye:
- Is
it too similar to all the other books in your genre? Sure, every
genre has its own cover design conventions to be followed, like
romance novels always featuring the guy with the six-pack abs. But
your design needs to have some original elements—colors, fonts, and
graphics—that set you apart.
- Does
your cover scream “TEMPLATE”? Far too many books seem to
copy-and-paste the same cover design formula of “Title
Text/Picture/Author Name” in one block. You’ve got to design outside
that boring box.
- Does
your cover say too much? It’s so tempting to add subheads, blurbs,
testimonials, and other key information, like title and author.
Remember: It’s just a tiny postage stamp-sized picture for folks
browsing online. You need to be bold and creative to be seen.
You’ve got to make sure your incredible writing isn’t
invisible. Luckily, there’s a simple remedy. One of the best things about
self-publishing is that you can always change the cover if it’s not
selling. I’ve talked to dozens of authors who have done just that. They
hired professional designers, like the talented team at BookBaby for a complete makeover, and
it helped their sales almost overnight.
But before you can create that eye-catching cover, you’ve got to find the
right designer. Check out my recent blog post, “You Can’t Skip Hiring a Cover Designer,” that offers a few tips on
how to find the right design pro.
Next week we’ll cover the next task for you to tackle: optimizing your BookShop selling pages.
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All the best,
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Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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Good morning
They might not be as famous as the “Nigerian Prince” or “You’ve Won the
Lottery” email scams, but authors are forced to contend with publishing
swindles and fraud of all kinds.
Here’s one shared by a new BookBaby client this week. This gentleman was
comparing self-publishing options and unknowingly contacted one of these
shady outfits. They immediately sent him a long contract.
“Congratulations—your book has been selected!” it said, mimicking the
language of a traditional publishing house. To receive book distribution
through Ingram plus a dozen paperback copies, the author was asked to
fork over a “one time down payment” of $399. Oh, and 12 monthly
installment payments of $299. All told, about $4,000 on products that
would cost less than $400 through BookBaby—not to mention that BookBaby
would also provide distribution to 10+ more Print On Demand outlets.
Or how about the rip-off company that charges hapless authors $11,500 for
a “Hollywood” package where their book is—allegedly—presented to agents
and movie execs? Out of the hundreds of books “pitched,” only two were
ever optioned for TV or film. When scammed authors ended up suing the
company, court records showed the company had raked in over $3.5 million
for this service alone.
I can’t share the company names of these bad apples here, but I recommend
you subscribe to Victoria Strauss’ “Writer Beware” blog where she exposes and lists these nefarious
characters. It’s shameful how these slimeballs prey on unsuspecting
authors! I have worked very hard to make sure BookBaby’s reputation in
the self-publishing world is among the very best, backed up by our 100%
satisfaction guarantee that we offer on every product and service we
provide.
Aside from BookBaby, how can you separate the good guys from the bad in
publishing? Last year I posted “How to Spot
Self-Publishing Scams,”
a checklist for authors to help you identify self-publishing frauds.
Here’s one more fun way to spot a potential swindle: Ask the company to
provide a physical mailing address. Then, plug that address into a Google
Maps search. We’ve seen supposedly “big” self-publishing companies end up
being UPS drop-offs, old trailer houses, or abandoned warehouses!
For comparison’s sake, here’s where BookBaby lives! You can see more clips of
BookBaby’s plant and staff at work in this video
featuring author Frank Moriarty.
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All the best,
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Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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Authors want to
manipulate readers’ thoughts—this is why we read, after all. We love
getting swept away into new worlds, with new people and ideas. Getting
a reader’s thought map is a great way to hone this skill. Read
more.
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As an author,
you might wonder why you’d need to build an email list. Short answer:
email lists make things happen. But you need to engineer that by
engaging, creating a platform for interaction, and building your tribe.
Read
more.
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It may not feel
like the holidays are just around the corner, but if you’re planning to
drum up holiday book sales this year, it’s time to put these 12
effective plans and strategies to work. Read
more.
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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When my
first book was being published, I toyed with the idea of using a pen
name for about three seconds. Looking back, I may have missed an
opportunity. Read
more.
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If you do the required scientific research, your
novels will transcend storytelling and the “science” will imbue
your books with a realism that will heighten your readers’
enjoyment of your work. Read
more.
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There are rules and expectations that form a bond
between writer and reader. But that’s so traditional. If you want
to make it your mission to confound and frustrate readers and stop
them cold in their tracks, these 39 tips will help. Read
more.
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© BookBaby
7905 N.
Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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Season's Greetings,
That message might seem a little odd—or extremely early—as we've just
reached summer's midway point. But if you still hope to get your yet‐to‐be‐completed manuscript published in time
for the holidays, Christmas is practically tomorrow.
Now, you know my feelings about indie authors trying for a big holiday
book release. Basically, my message is to publish
anytime you like!
But if you're bound and determined to have your book show up under
Christmas trees around the globe, we need to get you on schedule.
Each summer, we publish our holiday book
publishing timeline and checklist so authors understand what needs to be done when.
One of the first steps on the list is editing. So what kind of editing do
you need, and how do you find the right editor to help you? Here are a
few resources to help you out:
And if you missed last weekend's message: We're having a huge sale on
our editing service!
We want every self‐published author
to enjoy the benefits of a professional edit, so we're giving out 25% off
coupons for BookBaby's editing service all month long. You need to register
online by August 31 to receive the coupon, but the discount is good for
one editing order through the end of 2019.
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All the best,
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Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
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This post, the
third in my ongoing series about my self‐publishing experience, is a deep dive
into the process of book editing. But let me cut to the chase: You need
to hire a professional to edit your book. Read
more.
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When you're
building your social media strategy, it's a bad idea to focus on self‐promotion. Readers use social media for
connection, not for commerce. When it comes to social media, you need
to be authentic. Read
more.
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While a good,
professional (human) editor is invaluable to your book—the purchase of
manuscript editing software can be another prudent investment. Read
more.
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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It’s always nice to receive fan mail. Just last week a BookBaby customer
emailed our staff to say: "That Steven Spatz—He’s a silver-tongued
devil who could sell suspenders to nudists!"
Um, thank you! (I think?)
Better still is when I receive kudos and praise for my BookBaby
associates. I’ve received a lot of rave reviews for the team over the
years. Here’s one that I want to share this morning:
Dear Steven,
I just published my
third book, this time with BookBaby. My contact was Mathew Idler. My
purpose in writing to you is to tell you Matthew is a keeper.
I am not a computer
person. Asking me to do anything complicated on a computer is like asking
me to rewire a 747 airplane! But Matthew walked me through the entire
operation. He’s a savior and really comes through for his customers. I’ve
not found that with the other two publishers I had.
Anytime I called
Matthew he was ready with the answer. If he was away from his phone, I
left a message, and he would return my call as soon as he returned. I was
pleased with the way the book was completed. It looks great!
So now I’m getting
ready to send my next book, and I’ve already talked to Matthew. I feel
fortunate that Mathew and I formed a relationship and that he will be
working with me again. Please give Mathew a personal pat on the back. He
deserves it.
With my kindest
regards,
Brent W. Warberg
I’ll do that, Brent!
There’s a really important word in that love note: relationship.
When authors work with BookBaby they often form a very strong bond with
Matthew…or Karen…or Christina, Mike, Patrick or any of our publishing
specialists. Later as their book is designed, printed and distributed,
authors enjoy working with our outstanding support team, folks like Mare,
Lori, Sam, Colleen, Alexa, and many more.
For some authors, self-publishing can be a lonely road. But not BookBaby
authors. They can count on our smart, caring team to help them through
the entire process.
Speaking of the authors’ experience: are you following the exploits of
Scott McCormick on our blog? He’s chronicling his self-publishing journey
with BookBaby. His latest installment, “Amazon
Optimization: My Self-publishing Experience,” covers an often
overlooked—yet vitally important—part of successful book distribution.
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All the best,
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Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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This is the
fourth entry in a series in which I detail the entire experience of
self-publishing my book to offer tips and strategies so you can learn
from my successes and mistakes. This week: Amazon optimization. Read
more.
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There are two
ways first-time authors can plan their book marketing activities. The
first is discovery-driven planning; the second technique views planning
as narrative, conducted as you would when writing a novel. Read
more.
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The blazing sun
and summer calendar don’t change the fact that the holiday
self-publishing crunch has already begun. This book publishing timeline
will help you manage the calendar. Read
more.
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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Today was supposed to be the kick-off of an email series on preparing for
holiday book sale opportunities. Instead, I need to share some breaking
news that might affect your publishing plans.
The US-China tariff war has arrived at your local bookstore. As of
September 1, nearly all books manufactured in China have been hit with a
15 percent tariff. (The only exceptions are religious books, including
Bibles, and some children’s book products.) The publishing industry lobbied hard against this
action, but
I’m not going to waste your time debating international economics.
Instead, I want to demonstrate how this trade tiff impacts you, the
self-published author, and how you can take action.
Few readers of our Weekend Edition emails are buying their books directly
from China. The estimated $5 billion in Chinese printed books come from
large- to medium-sized publishers printing thousands of books at a time.
It’s the trickle-down effect of this new 15 percent tax that I believe
will have a dramatic impact throughout the entire printing industry over
the next few months. Why?
- Chinese
manufacturers will be sure to pass along the 15 percent tariff to
their customers. Suddenly, pricing from US companies offering offset
and digital print services will be much more competitive.
- Publishers
will start to bring production back home, filling up the US printing
pipeline to over-capacity.
- Right
now, printers are operating on a six-week production schedule. With
the huge wave of books being printed for the holiday season, we
could be looking at two-to-three-month backups at presses around the
nation very soon.
And who could get squeezed out of the schedule? Indie
authors who print their own books. So here’s what authors can do to get
in front of this oncoming print surge: Get your books done now—today—for
your holiday sales needs.
New authors planning to publish their first book must move fast on
production. BookBaby works with hundreds of new authors every month, and
we’re experts in getting your manuscript to the marketplace in the
fastest possible time.
Published authors planning to re-order existing books for holiday sales
should get on the phone today and order early. You don’t want to get shut
out!
Tariffs or no tariffs, BookBaby is gearing up for a record-breaking
holiday season. Now is the time to call us so that you can be a part of
the self-publishing success story.
Want to learn first-hand what it’s like self-publishing with BookBaby?
Published author and BookBaby Blog contributor Scott McCormick is
chronicling his own self-publishing journey. You can follow his series, “My Self-Publishing Experience,” on the BookBaby Blog.
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All the best,
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Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
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© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
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