Guest Blog David Branderhorst
Almost every author I meet says the same thing – I wish I could sell more of my books!
That sentiment is perfectly understandable. Most authors spend 6-12 months writing and putting their books together. Once it’s complete, you want to be rewarded for all your effort and get paid!
Unfortunately, most authors only sell a few hundred copies and end up in a vicious circle of constantly writing with very little reward.
If you want to break this cycle and start getting paid for your writing, there are three things you absolutely must do.
1. Choose Your Topic Wisely
So many authors write books solely because the topic is interesting to them. They don’t do the work to determine how big of a market there is and if people actually spend money on this type of thing. As a result, they are doomed before they start.
Your first step should always be searching on Amazon for books on your potential topic. Do you see lots of hot-selling books? If so, that is a good sign. That proves there is a hungry market for this type of material.
Second, use Google Keyword Planner to see how often keywords are searched for on your topic. If the search volume is high, many people seek answers and want help.
Third, determine if you have a better idea/approach. While you are looking at the best-selling books in your category, skim the summaries to see what they are saying. If you could write something that is more effective or tell a better story, then do it.
If the best you can do is regurgitate what everyone else has said, then move on to something else. Making sales depends on your ability to bring a fresh approach and offer something new.
2. Become an Ambassador for Your Book
The Achilles heel of most authors is they love writing but loathe marketing.
But here’s the truth: if all you do is write books but never market them, no one will know your book exists. Simply put, if you don’t talk about your book, no one else will either.
Here are three things you can do to bring exposure to your writing:
1. Find relevant groups to speak to. One of the best ways to sell books is to get in front of an audience. They naturally want to learn more when they hear about your story or expertise. Then you can sell them copies of your books at the back of the room.
2. Get on podcasts. If most of your buyers are related to you, then you haven’t built a big enough audience of people who want to read what you have written. You can find entirely new groups of people by being a guest on someone’s podcast.
3. Build Your Own Following. There is no substitute for having a following of your own. This becomes an audience you can go to anytime without permission. The best approach to doing this is twofold. First, start by posting on social media and inviting people to a Facebook group. Give people a reason to join and provide them benefits for being a part of the group. Ask questions of the group and get their involvement. The more engagement you create, the better your chances of getting them to buy. Check out the link: Design Launch Grow! Secondly, take those group members and add them to your email list. You do this by asking people to answer questions before they join. One of those questions should be what is your email address? When they respond, you can add them to your list. If you want to automate the process, you can use a service like GroupFunnels.
3. Package Your Book with Other Products and Services
One of the biggest mistakes authors make is only offering one product – their book. Since most books have small profit margins, you must sell thousands to earn real income.
But if you package it with other products or services, your profit margin goes up significantly. Think about it this way. Would you rather sell a book and make $2-4? Or sell a book and a course and make several hundred dollars? Or offer coaching services and get paid several thousand?
When you open your eyes to new possibilities, you realize your book is only the beginning of what can be done with your content.
Now, if you like the idea of building a business around your book but don’t know where to begin, I encourage you to check out our coaching program designed specifically for Authors, Coaches, and Course Creators called Design Launch Grow. (linked below)
Sometimes the only difference between success and failure is a good coach.
JOIN US SEPTEMBER 22, 2022, @ 6:30 pm for a Live interview with David to find out more!
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