Exterior top, bottom, and outer edge and interior or gutter, where the book is bound. Now that youve written, selfpublished, and promoted your book, you need to know how to sell your selfpublished book. If you are considering selfpublishing, that number should make you salivate. How this selfpublished author sold 800,000 copies of her books. If the scenario above sounds all too familiar, consider the following common reasons for slow or nonexistent sales of selfpublished books and some simple ideas on how to fix the problem. The author can also control the entire publishing process. If you think your book fails on any of the first three points, you will probably be wasting your time trying to implement the remaining book marketing tips and advice. Once a book is selfpublished, you need to show a large and ongoing track record of sales for a publisher to want to pick that book up. How to price your selfpublished book selfpublishing, marketing one of the most difficult tasks youll ever face as a selfpublished author is to come up with the perfect price for your book. Print 1 or 1,000 print one copy at a time, or buy many of your selfpublished books upfront for a lower price per unit. I found i was writing less and spending a lot of time trying to connect with people to get the book exposure. As a traditionally published author, you will not pay anything for your book to be published. Choose a book from your dashboard, and click sell my book. As an unknown author, i found most media outlets were not that responsive.
The good news is that you dont really need traditional distribution to get into bookstores. Instead, delivery costs for ebooks and printing costs. How to sell your selfpublished book selling your book. How much does it cost to selfpublish a book without. Five simple ways to promote your selfpublished book. As many of you know, my book the gift of maybe is being published by perigee, an imprint of penguin random house, on november 4, 2014. The databases with your isbn and bar code from bowker in hand read my. Exterior margins should be at least half an inch three quarters is better, and the gutter should be at least one quarter inch deeper than the exterior. I selfpublished my book enter number of months or years ago and now im thinking of expanding my alreadysuccessful efforts by getting a literary agent and a traditional publisher for my selfpublished book. The cost of selfpublishing on amazon unlike vanity presses, which make authors pay for publication, amazon wont charge you any money upfront to selfpublish your book. If you would like to sell your self published book on amazon, youll need to know how to get it listed for sale on the website. Sell your books with the worlds largest online book retailer. Can you please tell me whether or not i can send my selfpublished book to literary agents and editors.
Even if 99 percent of your sales are going to be ebook. Mar 29, 2019 hand out a business card for the book and your contact information. How to sell your selfpublished book selling your book online. Hes a web designer and author who has selfpublished four books, including everything i know, which between the print and ebook versions sold a total of 4,000 copies. I will begin my advice on how to promote a self published book with the three key elements a book needs to stand any chance or success. For a self published author, marketing the book can be more important than writing it. Sep 19, 2017 this story was originally published 7212016 and has been updated. The average selfpublished book sells approximately 250 copies over its lifetime, according to both science fiction and fantasy writers of america and the nonfiction authors association. Jun 10, 2010 the rise of online book retailers means that selfpublishers have better access to customers than ever. How to land an agent for a selfpublished book jane friedman. Learn how to how to market a self published book with these basic tips for marketing your book to both existing and new audiences. Apr 25, 2014 hes a web designer and author who has selfpublished four books, including everything i know, which between the print and ebook versions sold a total of 4,000 copies.
But it is very rare to find a business of any kind, including selfpublishing, that has succeeded on the back of the skills of one person and without a cent of investment. Jul 12, 2018 once your book is listed on amazon, you will want to spruce up the book details page to help sell your self published book. Unfortunately, libraries usually order books from their own distributors, which means approaching them directly to purchase your self published book may be an uphill battle. What some of you may not know is that i originally selfpublished my book in february 20 the original title was the book of maybe. Trade shows also give you the opportunity to meet buyers, distributors and others working in the publishing and bookselling fields who can offer advice as to how to get a selfpublished book into bookstores. But if you are publishing by yourself and wish to be read by as many among your target audience as possible, you will have to learn an additional skillhow to market your books. Dec 05, 2019 if youre a self published author who is trying to promote your book and get it into bookstores, why not try getting it into a library first. Discover how selling a self published book on amazon is now easier than ever. I have recently self published on amazon, currently amazon is having an issue tracking my book sales and i am falling in the ratings. One of the most difficult tasks youll ever face as a selfpublished author is to come up with the perfect price for your book. Its fast and easy to independently publish your print book with createspace, your digital book with kindle direct publishing and create an audiobook with acx. Two years ago, i selfpublished my first science fiction novel, where the hell is tesla.
That said, you can sell many more copies on an ebook retailer like the amazon kindle store if you take bookmarketing seriously and invest in ads and grow an. If youre a selfpublished author who is trying to promote your book and get it into bookstores, why not try getting it into a library first. Print 1 or 1,000 print one copy at a time, or buy many of your self published books upfront for a lower price per unit. Discover how selling a selfpublished book on amazon is now easier than ever. For many writers, selfpublishing is a way of selling books online to reach a book sales target of more than a million copies and getting close to your audience. Booksellers do not want to hear about your success at. In the past, getting independent booksellers to shelve selfpublished books was a difficult prospect. Indie booksellers were reluctant to sell self published books, based on the old bias that self published meant poor content or poor quality. Two years ago, i self published my first science fiction novel, where the hell is tesla.
But, many writers that are just starting their journey on becoming an author still have a lot of questions around this topic. Hand out a business card for the book and your contact information. Getting your selfpublished book into libraries the writing. Lets begin with the most basic requirement for generating sales creating a quality. Again, because the barrier to entry is so low, the majority of selfpublished books are pretty bad. Marketing selfpublished books explained in 9 basic steps. Dec 06, 2016 i self published my book about a year ago and even though i got the satisfaction of having my first book out there, it never really made many sales. Learning how to selfpublish a book and getting your ideas into the world is easier than its ever been.
Nonetheless, these types of advertising can be costly and difficult to learn and navigate for the less digitalsavvy among us. How to get your selfpublished book stocked in bookshops. How to get an isbn number for a selfpublished book. You can promote and sell your self published book in a range of ways, including in the blurb bookstore, on amazon, and with worldwide online retailers.
A lot of selfpublished authors are under the impression that they must selfpublish with amazon in order to sell their book on the site. When you know how much readers are willing to pay, youll be able to. James, whose fifty shades books were initially selfpublished as. Self publish your book with createspace, a division of amazon.
Once your book is published, the publisher will own the rights to your book and you will receive a royalty for every book sold. One was done so illegally in holland because she could not sell her book unless she joined the nazi party. Selling selfpublished books on amazon sell books on amazon. Weve added him to the hire a professional section because he offers madeforyou book cover templates, but this site is also a fabulous resource if you decide to make your book cover yourself. How this selfpublished author sold 800,000 copies of her. To do this, you will need to submit a pdf file of your book to amazons. This story was originally published 7212016 and has been updated. Jul 18, 2019 for those thinking about self publishing a print book, amazon offers two distribution tiers for self published paperbacks. With the explosion of selfpublishing, authors must be aware of what they can and cant do when it comes to quoting, borrowing, and publishing works from other authors. Two years ago, i selfpublished my first science fiction novel, where. When honoree was introduced to jeffrey gitomer, the author of the little red book of selling, she handed him her new book.
There are also a number of ways new authors can access professional services without breaking the bank. This article primarily addresses self publishing a print book. With amazons self publishing services you can reach millions of readers worldwide and keep control of your work. I hope sharing my story with you sheds some light on the advantages and disadvantages of self. So she sold it illegally for a pound of butter and after the war it was published and very popular. But many authors still want to be on bookstore shelves. Now i believe that i should have tried getting a publisher. My second book, you are not alone, was selfpublished earlier this year on amazon and createspace. One telltale sign of a self published book is tiny, tiny margins. Today, she is the author of dozens of selfpublished books, which have collectively sold more than 800,000 copies. Their second one sold 14k in the first couple of months. Moved and changed titles of chapters, changed the general layout all without consultation and authorisation inspite of an email stating that i want the chapters left as they are. My self published book by shieldcrest of aylesbury is only as far as the proof copy.
Oct 18, 2018 in the past, getting independent booksellers to shelve self published books was a difficult prospect. He explains why selfpublished books often look selfpublished, and suggests five great fonts for book covers. Once your book is listed on amazon, you will want to spruce up the book details page to help sell your selfpublished book. How to list and sell your selfpublished book on amazon. Trade shows also give you the opportunity to meet buyers, distributors and others working in the publishing and bookselling fields who can offer advice as to how to get a self published book into bookstores. Regardless if a book was selfpublished or traditionally published, every printed book needs an isbn, and securing this number is a big step in your publishing endeavors. One of the best ways to do this is to utilize the search inside feature that allows people to browse through your books contents and sample pages.
Oct 23, 2014 after my book was self published, i found it very time consuming to sell books. Its important that you know what your audience is already paying for similar stories. How to selfpublish your book through amazon forbes. Oct 10, 2017 honoree corder started her writing career as a single mom over a decade ago. May, 2019 get your book edited, a cover designed, and it formatted. Another book on her war memoirs is being claimed by her estate executor. For a selfpublished author, marketing the book can be more important than writing it. At authorhouse, a self publishing company, we understand the amount of work youve put into your book publishing project, and ensure that you retain all rights to the content of your book throughout the self publishing process. Jul 25, 2019 regardless if a book was self published or traditionally published, every printed book needs an isbn, and securing this number is a big step in your publishing endeavors.
I have published a self help book which was created from my auto biography which is not published. If you selfpublish your book with diggypod, you can absolutely sell your book through amazon. Nov 14, 2018 how to sell your selfpublished book online. Jul 18, 2017 if you are considering self publishing, that number should make you salivate. At first, selling a selfpublished book may seem difficult to do. When i published the coaching habit, little did i know how big it would be for me. Scott allan is a student success coach and inhouse content creator here at selfpublishing school. That said, you can sell many more copies on an ebook retailer like the amazon kindle store if you take book marketing seriously and invest in ads and grow an. Five years ago, in order to achieve this level of publishing success, you would have needed to be extremely lucky to even land an agent who would. You can promote and sell your selfpublished book in a range of ways, including in the blurb bookstore, on amazon, and with worldwide online retailers. Scott has a passion for teaching strategic life skills and inspiring people to take charge of their lives. How to sell your selfpublished book to bookstores know your audience.
If you want your book to flow easily into independent bookstores. Getting your selfpublished book into libraries the. Oct 28, 2009 my self published book by shieldcrest of aylesbury is only as far as the proof copy. If you submit a print book for consideration, its free.
Once your book is published, just send two print copies to mbr, along with a cover sheet detailing information on your book like title, description, isbn, price, and any other pertinent information. I originally published the article back in 2008 and have updated it a few times, most recently on june, 2012. It stands out from the average selfpublished book when you have an ebook, a print version, and an audiobook. How to copyright a book quickly stepbystep with examples. How are you supposed to sell your book without publisher at your. Jul 16, 2019 as a traditionally published author, you will not pay anything for your book to be published. Plus, the audio book is more expensive, so even though there are fewer sales, its decent money.
Selfpublishing is a great way to get your book into the world. Before you price your selfpublished book, you should also check out the competition. May 07, 2019 learning how to a book can help alleviate all of that worry. Libraries are great marketing tools they enable people to read. With a few key steps, an author can build a loyal following, get the word out about his or her work, and get. Libraries are not only a huge market, they are frequently an untapped one for self publishers. The average self published book sells approximately 250 copies over its lifetime, according to both science fiction and fantasy writers of america and the nonfiction authors association. Libraries are great marketing tools they enable people to read your book and tell other people about it, making it more wellknown and easier to eventually sell to bookstores. No matter what youve written, you have competitors vying for the attention of the same audience. There is a lot to be said from all of the challenges i experienced throughout my life.
One of the best ways to do this is to utilize the search inside feature that allows people to browse through your book s contents and sample pages. I made them aware of some of the recent purchases, they know theres a problem and they are looking into iti have faith in them. Each comes with its own royalty structure, and in both cases, the cost of printing the book is deducted from royalty payments. Aug 19, 2019 he explains why selfpublished books often look selfpublished, and suggests five great fonts for book covers.
By the way, if you selfpublish, always do a print book at the very least. This article primarily addresses selfpublishing a print book. One telltale sign of a selfpublished book is tiny, tiny margins. There are two main methods for getting your book listed for sale on amazon, as well as a couple of ways to make your book more attractive to readers. There is a wealth of knowledge available online, shared by authors who have developed proven techniques for selling more books. Selfpublished authors can tend to concentrate on online sales, but once you have refined your product and have social proof of its appeal to.
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