Hi, I usually post in the kids section. I have four POD books at booklab.com and I want to know how to promote them on the web besides listing at craigslist and youtube.
Any good sites?
Any good sites?
Promoting POD books on the web
- Thread starter Newguy1428
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I use a myspace bot (shh! you're not supposed to) which I use to do things like send automated friend requests--which I personalize with a little note saying how I found them like, "Hi, this is a page for my book. Since we're both friends with XXX, I thought you might want to check it out." Also, I can send automated messages to everyone in my friendlist, etc.
My myspace about me section has info about the book and a link to buy it. (I'm always amazed at how many author's myspace pages I go to where I can't find a link to the book.)
Facebook fan pages make it easy to communicate with all of your fans, but really hard to actually get fans. (You can't send fan requests.)
I made a book trailer, which I submitted to as many blogs that post book trailers as I could.
I twitter. I blog about books and TV shows that I am a fan of and that are similar to my book, in the hope that a search engine will lead someone there and they'll be curious about my book.
There are also some blogs that do reviews of P.O.D. books like the LL Book Review. You might want to try submitting your books there.
My myspace about me section has info about the book and a link to buy it. (I'm always amazed at how many author's myspace pages I go to where I can't find a link to the book.)
Facebook fan pages make it easy to communicate with all of your fans, but really hard to actually get fans. (You can't send fan requests.)
I made a book trailer, which I submitted to as many blogs that post book trailers as I could.
I twitter. I blog about books and TV shows that I am a fan of and that are similar to my book, in the hope that a search engine will lead someone there and they'll be curious about my book.
There are also some blogs that do reviews of P.O.D. books like the LL Book Review. You might want to try submitting your books there.
How's it working out for you? What are sales like? Anything to shake a stick at? I have an idea for a website, but it's hard to figure out what would draw readers to it.
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See this book for ideas.
The Author's Guide to Building an Online Platform: Leveraging the Internet to Sell More Books (Paperback)
by Stephanie Chandler
--Kenby Stephanie Chandler
Well...since I am providing the novel for free online, I haven't really sold that many books. About halfway through serializing it, I made the whole thing available in print, hoping that people would want to know what happens and buy the whole book.
I have, I estimate, about 300 readers online, and I think most of them have come from my myspace friend requests. I've also been able to make some contacts via myspace and been asked to do an interview.
I've sold 23 copies in print, 14 Kindle copies, and about 5 ebooks. This is since the beginning of July.
Am I getting rich? Have I even made back my initial investment? Absolutely not. But, you know, it's not like I didn't know that selling self-published fiction was a steep uphill battle when I went into this thing. Overall, I'm just doing this for fun, as a hobby, so I'm pretty satisfied with the results.
I have, I estimate, about 300 readers online, and I think most of them have come from my myspace friend requests. I've also been able to make some contacts via myspace and been asked to do an interview.
I've sold 23 copies in print, 14 Kindle copies, and about 5 ebooks. This is since the beginning of July.
Am I getting rich? Have I even made back my initial investment? Absolutely not. But, you know, it's not like I didn't know that selling self-published fiction was a steep uphill battle when I went into this thing. Overall, I'm just doing this for fun, as a hobby, so I'm pretty satisfied with the results.
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I think the first question is where the sale point is. I couldn't find an online point of sale for OP's book. If sales occur offline only that is a different ball game.
Online sales. How do I promote print on demand books online through my website? How do I get customers to come? Craigs, youtube, facebook, twitter, myspace... Anymore?
RG, I was looking at the book's description, that you recommended and it was less than enticing, no offense. It just didn't seem to make any promises. If you know what I mean? I haven't checked out the bookstore specifically on this topic. I found some interesting sites through Verla Kay, though.
The POD books that skyrocket to success have some incredible author credits, Eragon, for example.
RG, I was looking at the book's description, that you recommended and it was less than enticing, no offense. It just didn't seem to make any promises. If you know what I mean? I haven't checked out the bookstore specifically on this topic. I found some interesting sites through Verla Kay, though.
The POD books that skyrocket to success have some incredible author credits, Eragon, for example.
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I don't think Eragon was POD. I'm pretty sure that the kids family printed up a bunch of copies of the books themselves (they owned a press or were printers or something). I don't think Eragon was sold primarily through the web, but rather by going on the road with the book. I think they toured schools, maybe...
Someone can set me straight on this, I'm sure.
Someone can set me straight on this, I'm sure.
Christopher Paolini's Eragon was printed through a standard offset print run and published through his family owned small publishers who lent considerable push to it by 'touring' it through colleges and schools.
You can argue the point about it being self published, but really it's not an ideal example, and as with many 'self publishing successes' it was picked up by a major publisher soon after its initial self publication.
You can argue the point about it being self published, but really it's not an ideal example, and as with many 'self publishing successes' it was picked up by a major publisher soon after its initial self publication.
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Don't just bombard social networking sites, people resent it. A lot depends on what your point of sale looks like and what payment it accepts. Could you please link to it?
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FWIW, I have known the author for years and have heard her make presentations on the topic to writers groups. The book was good enough that, after she had launched it experimentally via Lulu.com, Quill Driver Press picked it up for a commercial edition (albeit retitled). If you want to learn about online book marketing, that is an excellent place to start. Perhaps you can find a copy in a library (via interlibrary loan, if need be), to save the cost of the book.
--Ken
I have an idea for my website and I am actually just trying to find out if anyone has done it yet. From what I can tell, most people think social networking. So, it looks good. When I get my site up, where is the best forum to post it? Here? I take it this is the place by all of your advice.
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He posted solicitations to buy his printing or publishing services in numerous AW threads, one after another.
--Ken
If any book makes promises, it's full of lies.
There's no easy way to publishing success. And hoping to just pick up a book and get all the answers isn't going to get you very far.
Research. Research. Research.
Good luck!
Spammer, okay.
Well, here's the link to my book. One Million Dollars for the Real Santa. It is longer than 32 pages, needs a text edit, and the main character often looks different page to page. I guess I shot myself in the foot when I did the costume changes, but I admit that the look sort of changes too, ugh.
I made the book over five years ago and have learned a lot since.
Now, the book's strengths. It is personalizable. You may change the entire text, change the look of the MC to match the look of the recipient and change who the real Santa is at the end. It's a great book! I should re-write it, submit it to the right publisher and relinquish the illustrating part to some well known illustrator. But, it doesn't fall into my author's platform to not do the illustrating because I am an art teacher and it would be better in that case to do the illustrations myself and risk lower visibility.
As for my website idea, all I can say is you’re gonna dig it.
http://www.booklab.com/Pages/PageCo...0&pcatid=37c31fca-be31-40c8-888f-ab2581726fe7
Well, here's the link to my book. One Million Dollars for the Real Santa. It is longer than 32 pages, needs a text edit, and the main character often looks different page to page. I guess I shot myself in the foot when I did the costume changes, but I admit that the look sort of changes too, ugh.
I made the book over five years ago and have learned a lot since.
Now, the book's strengths. It is personalizable. You may change the entire text, change the look of the MC to match the look of the recipient and change who the real Santa is at the end. It's a great book! I should re-write it, submit it to the right publisher and relinquish the illustrating part to some well known illustrator. But, it doesn't fall into my author's platform to not do the illustrating because I am an art teacher and it would be better in that case to do the illustrations myself and risk lower visibility.
As for my website idea, all I can say is you’re gonna dig it.
http://www.booklab.com/Pages/PageCo...0&pcatid=37c31fca-be31-40c8-888f-ab2581726fe7
Hmm...in the actual copy of the book, is it easier to read the blocks of copy? On the screen, several of them are over the illustrations, and the black text is disappearing into the black parts of the pictures. I like the illustrations themselves. They're very cute.
Since you're publishing a kid's picture book (I seem to have glossed over that info up there), I'm thinking that you need to really think about your audience, which would be parents of young children. Where do these people hang out on the web? You need to figure that out, and then you need to be there, with links to your book.
You might also consider taking the plunge and getting a domain name. It's not that expensive, and it's much easier to direct people to a website that is yourname.com rather than the very long booklab address.
Best of luck!!
Since you're publishing a kid's picture book (I seem to have glossed over that info up there), I'm thinking that you need to really think about your audience, which would be parents of young children. Where do these people hang out on the web? You need to figure that out, and then you need to be there, with links to your book.
You might also consider taking the plunge and getting a domain name. It's not that expensive, and it's much easier to direct people to a website that is yourname.com rather than the very long booklab address.
Best of luck!!
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I went to what I presume is your point of sale link. I think it needs work. Before you put effort into getting people to that website you need a website that is clear, easy to use and will convert clicks into sales. The site you linked doesn't clearly explain what the book is, how to personalise it, how to buy it, or price.
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