I just published my ebook, but I've only had one sale. How do you promote an ebook? I have my for sale at www.windsweptrains.com
Ive tried promoting on facebook with no success.
Ive tried promoting on facebook with no success.
How do I promote my Ebook?
- Thread starter sirx16
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2007
- Messages
- 1,330
- Reaction score
- 61
First of all, the website immediately turns me off so I probably would never read it. Also, if it isn't listed on Amazon, B&N or other such sites, you'll never get a lot of them sold unless you get reviews and comments in the media.
Have you tried sending out publicity blurbs to all your local news outlets?
Are there any clubs or social groups that might be interested in it? If so, contact them.
I tried clicking on this and thought I'd gotten a pop-up advertisement, because the site's name is apparently "Shop Sinexia".
That would put me off - it's too obviously trying to sell me something rather than offering me entertainment.
Then I tried going to the "Sinexia" homepage but got something saying I'd need to update my flash player, so no go (I'm reading this off a computer in the school library).
Also, the cost of your ebook "The Mark of Perillius" is apparently nine dollars. Most ebooks are cheaper - much cheaper - and I couldn't see a link for a preview or excerpt. No way am I spending $9 without a glimpse of what I'm getting.
Those could be some reasons for why the book isn't selling. There's a lot more to selling books than uploading a file to the internet and installing a "buy" link.
I agree with you! The reason I went with Shop Sinexia is because my fiancee wanted that name but I thought it sucked! I do have alot more on my actual website www.sinexia.net but it is 100 percent flash. I do worry about people not being able to access it, but it really is much cooler than my old html site.
The reason I chose 9.00 is because in a month or so it will be available in apple's ibook store, and they wont sell it for less than 9.99 and I would rather you buy it from me than them cause the take an ungodly amount of that 9.99
yeah, the actual website is www.sinexia.net thats just my "store."
It will be in apple's ibookstore soon, I'm considering amazon.
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2005
- Messages
- 28,750
- Reaction score
- 2,937
- Location
- right here
- Website
- www.veinglory.com
I think you will have much more luck selling through distributors that consumers trust. I would also suggest having a 'front cover' thumbnail not a cover flat. Nothing about the site or the book looks normal and routine, that will jar people out of completing a transaction. It doesn't matter how much traffic you drive to a book if it won't convert.
I agree, the website is a turnoff. The book seems to be fantasy, but the site comes across as tech...not a good match.
You mention marketing on FB. In what ways are you marketing? Spamming people on your friends/fan lists can just piss people off and a lot of people ignore emails that are spammed. If it's an ad, you may want to have get an objective second opinion on whether the ad is appealing.
I also agree that if you want to sell books (even virtually), you have to be where people traffic is, which is virtual bookstores. You can offer chapters of the book for a preview with Amazon or B&N. (You might want to consider this on your site, too.)
Best of luck as you move forward.
yes, it definitely will be soon. On FB I just have a page for the book where I update as changes happen. We dont want to run the FB add until the paperbak is in stores, which will be in February.
you know, I had thought that a once but I sought the council of some of my buddies and they liked that effect, but I wasn't so into it. You just confirmed what I thought though, so, I'll change it.
And yes, I'm sure buddies think its cool. If the site was just for your friends I'd say keep it, but its not. You want it to be marketable to readers, people you don't know.
I look forward to seeing the change.
Get on Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble PubIt. You won't move a lot of copies through a personal website unless you have a big fan base. Even then, it's iffy.
Z
Z
I second (third?) what everyone else has said. Get onto Kindle and the Nook, and Smashwords if you want as well. Also, drop that price. 9 bucks is too much. Keep it under 5. (4.99 for a full length novel is probably fine)
The keys to selling an ebook- good cover, good sample/blurb, good book, low price. Having it available maximum places is important, too
The keys to selling an ebook- good cover, good sample/blurb, good book, low price. Having it available maximum places is important, too
I'm not sure I follow you now, but the reason you can't charge 5 bucks for a book on your site is because ibook will sell it for 9.99? Do ibook put a lower limit on what you're allowed to sell it for in other outlets? It looks to me like you're just shooting yourself in the foot. As a new author your biggest enemy is obscurity. I know you've put a lot of work into this novel (we all have) but, unless you're already a name somewhere, I think it's wisest to view your first books mostly as promotional material to sell yourself. I'd worry about making big bucks (ha lol) down the line. If it ain't cheep nobody will know how good you are.
You're right. GRRM's site isn't called "Shop Westeros" and Ursula LeGuin's site isn't called "Shop Earthsea", probably for a good reason.
Edited to add : I noticed the name of the site had been changed to "Enchanted Scrolls", which is much less of a turn-off.
The coolness is wasted if people can't access it, I'm afraid. That's like having a wonderful book that no one can buy or read because it's not available anywhere (except on a personal website maybe).
Flash and other computer tricks don't matter to me as a book reader/buyer. A professional look, excerpts, blurb, reviews, etc. do matter.
Problem is, both prices are high for e-books.
Let's say I was charging $5 for a can of Coke. You say, "I'm thirsty, but that's way too expensive for a Coke."
I say, "Yeah, but the supermarket charges $6 for the same Coke."
Would you then pay me $5 or would you stroll over to the nearest vending machine and pay $1 for a can of Pepsi instead?
That's what people will do when they see the price of your e-book. They'll read something else that's more affordable.
Last edited:
That makes a whole lot of sense! - although I have paid 4.75 for a coke, but I was in an airport and I was so thirsty!
I'll go change the price now!
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2006
- Messages
- 5,363
- Reaction score
- 1,763
BRACE FOR INCOMING.
Unvarnished feedback from a grumpy editor:
Your fiance's preferences aside, the name Sinexia made me think it's erotica, and this wasn't helped when I mistakenly read "The Mark of Perillius" as "The Mark of Phallus."
Perhaps there's a sub-conscious Freudian thing going on here of which he is unaware.
How to promote?
Make sure the book is worth a reader's money and time. The words will sell the book, not pretty art and ad copy.
I know this sounds like I have no confidence in the quality of the writing, but the websites have left me with that impression. The youth of the author works against him.
When I was 24 the stuff I wrote (and I was aiming for high fantasy) was bloody awful. Seriously, my stuff was why they invented eye bleach.
I kept a couple of pages around to remind me to be humble and shredded the rest. Unless the author has Mozart-like genius for this craft that will be obvious in posted excepts, leave out his age. Less is more.
The Sinexia website is high tech-looking as well, a turnoff to a fantasy reader and confusing to the S.F. fan.
The blurb doesn't compel me to read it. What makes THIS book different and better than all the others?
Don't tell me about the world--tell me about the main character and why I should spend money to read about him/her.
When you click on a link you have to hit the "back" button rather than shift to another link on a page.
And do NOT get me started on unpronounceable fantasy names. My eyes skipped over them without stopping.
On the map page: he may want to rename "The Big Pink" in regard to the Indian Ocean, as my in-the-gutter mind brought up mental pictures of battery powered marital aids. That's also the name of a rock band.
Correct the grammar here: "It's birth was" should be "Its birth was".
I clicked on the movie link and could NOT believe this was up:
"There is no Sinexia movie in the works for now. I'm not sure if I want the first movie to be animated or not. What would you guys rather see? Animated or live action?"
Okay, you do NOT put that up if you *ever* want to be taken seriously. Everyone in the industry knows that just because you write a book doesn't automatically mean you're getting a movie deal. I've had options on several of my books in the last 20 years and nothing came of it. The books were good, but it just didn't happen. They make movies from books that have been on the Times bestseller list because those have a platform of a built-in audience. My sales weren't up to it.
Heck, you don't even TALK about a movie until after a contract is signed with a real production company. Having that link up just tells a potential producer that the writer is strictly amateur and it's best to keep moving.
Ditto for this--to be blunt--nonsense: "So, there is no Sinexia Video game yet, but when there is, I plan to be very involved in the creation of the game."
Well, who wouldn't? But this is putting the cart before the horse in a big way. Take that stuff down. Seriously, it screams clueless.
Sell the book first, then worry about the other stuff if it happens.
You've a lot against you by going with self-publishing, but you can make some sales providing the writing is fresh, compelling, and delivers a satisfying read. It has to live up to the hype.
Any book lives or dies because of the writing. Period. Go forth--amaze the world with the writing!
Unvarnished feedback from a grumpy editor:
Your fiance's preferences aside, the name Sinexia made me think it's erotica, and this wasn't helped when I mistakenly read "The Mark of Perillius" as "The Mark of Phallus."
Perhaps there's a sub-conscious Freudian thing going on here of which he is unaware.
How to promote?
Make sure the book is worth a reader's money and time. The words will sell the book, not pretty art and ad copy.
- Post excerpts of the first chapters.
- Change the Tron-like web design to something in keeping with the fantasy theme.
- Get reviewed by review sites.
- And hope that the self-pub writing IS up to taking outside opinions.
I know this sounds like I have no confidence in the quality of the writing, but the websites have left me with that impression. The youth of the author works against him.
When I was 24 the stuff I wrote (and I was aiming for high fantasy) was bloody awful. Seriously, my stuff was why they invented eye bleach.
I kept a couple of pages around to remind me to be humble and shredded the rest. Unless the author has Mozart-like genius for this craft that will be obvious in posted excepts, leave out his age. Less is more.
The Sinexia website is high tech-looking as well, a turnoff to a fantasy reader and confusing to the S.F. fan.
The blurb doesn't compel me to read it. What makes THIS book different and better than all the others?
Don't tell me about the world--tell me about the main character and why I should spend money to read about him/her.
When you click on a link you have to hit the "back" button rather than shift to another link on a page.
And do NOT get me started on unpronounceable fantasy names. My eyes skipped over them without stopping.
On the map page: he may want to rename "The Big Pink" in regard to the Indian Ocean, as my in-the-gutter mind brought up mental pictures of battery powered marital aids. That's also the name of a rock band.
Correct the grammar here: "It's birth was" should be "Its birth was".
I clicked on the movie link and could NOT believe this was up:
"There is no Sinexia movie in the works for now. I'm not sure if I want the first movie to be animated or not. What would you guys rather see? Animated or live action?"
Okay, you do NOT put that up if you *ever* want to be taken seriously. Everyone in the industry knows that just because you write a book doesn't automatically mean you're getting a movie deal. I've had options on several of my books in the last 20 years and nothing came of it. The books were good, but it just didn't happen. They make movies from books that have been on the Times bestseller list because those have a platform of a built-in audience. My sales weren't up to it.
Heck, you don't even TALK about a movie until after a contract is signed with a real production company. Having that link up just tells a potential producer that the writer is strictly amateur and it's best to keep moving.
Ditto for this--to be blunt--nonsense: "So, there is no Sinexia Video game yet, but when there is, I plan to be very involved in the creation of the game."
Well, who wouldn't? But this is putting the cart before the horse in a big way. Take that stuff down. Seriously, it screams clueless.
Sell the book first, then worry about the other stuff if it happens.
You've a lot against you by going with self-publishing, but you can make some sales providing the writing is fresh, compelling, and delivers a satisfying read. It has to live up to the hype.
Any book lives or dies because of the writing. Period. Go forth--amaze the world with the writing!
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 25,582
- Reaction score
- 3,787
- Location
- New Hampshire
- Website
- madhousemanor.wordpress.com
BTW, what's with the All Flash page? Are you trying to make sure the search engines don't index you?
Another point: Saying this is the first book of a series means that the story isn't complete. Who wants to buy an incomplete story? Tell people that you have a neat book. Later, when there's another, tell 'em that you have another neat book. And so on.
You must have the first chapter available to read, complete, for free. And the chapter must be the first one. And easily found.
You have the rights, right? Why limit yourself to this one venue. Put it up at Smashwords too. And make a hard-copy available via Lulu. All free. Make it easy for people to find and download it, in their preferred formats.
(I know, Smashwords doesn't do illustrations. But you know? They aren't important. What's important is the text.)
The number one reason anyone buys a book is that they've read and enjoyed another work by the same author.
Write a lot. Publish in the best markets you can. Repeat.
Another point: Saying this is the first book of a series means that the story isn't complete. Who wants to buy an incomplete story? Tell people that you have a neat book. Later, when there's another, tell 'em that you have another neat book. And so on.
You must have the first chapter available to read, complete, for free. And the chapter must be the first one. And easily found.
You have the rights, right? Why limit yourself to this one venue. Put it up at Smashwords too. And make a hard-copy available via Lulu. All free. Make it easy for people to find and download it, in their preferred formats.
(I know, Smashwords doesn't do illustrations. But you know? They aren't important. What's important is the text.)
The number one reason anyone buys a book is that they've read and enjoyed another work by the same author.
Write a lot. Publish in the best markets you can. Repeat.
Last edited:
Hey sirx16,
Good, you provided a couple of sample chapters. That's a start!
Now, the first thing to do is to make those sample chapters 1 and 2 rather than 12 and 13, so that readers can follow the storyline easily. Otherwise they're getting all these unfamiliar names and places and events. It's like walking into a movie halfway through - that's confusing.
Also, make sure that your HTML code is correct - when I looked at the sample chapters on your website using Explorer, the punctuation didn't appear, and that could give readers a poor first impression of your work.
Best of luck!
Good, you provided a couple of sample chapters. That's a start!
Now, the first thing to do is to make those sample chapters 1 and 2 rather than 12 and 13, so that readers can follow the storyline easily. Otherwise they're getting all these unfamiliar names and places and events. It's like walking into a movie halfway through - that's confusing.
Also, make sure that your HTML code is correct - when I looked at the sample chapters on your website using Explorer, the punctuation didn't appear, and that could give readers a poor first impression of your work.
Best of luck!
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2005
- Messages
- 28,750
- Reaction score
- 2,937
- Location
- right here
- Website
- www.veinglory.com
I would suggest looking at your formating. If you ebook actually is double spaced and left justified, I think you should rethink that. A book is not a manuscript. It should be fully justified and closer to single than double line spacing. Originality of subject and voice is fine, but in other aspects your book should look like a standard professional book to inspire confidence in prospective customers.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 25,582
- Reaction score
- 3,787
- Location
- New Hampshire
- Website
- madhousemanor.wordpress.com
If the sample chapter is anything other than chapter one, the message is that all of the other chapters up to the one provided ... aren't very good.
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2006
- Messages
- 5,363
- Reaction score
- 1,763
It took so long for the page to load on the sample chapters that I thought my computer had frozen up. Not all your readers have a wireless connection. Make that link a lot faster to upload.
You post chapter one and two in consecutive order, not stuff plucked from the middle of the book.
What I read indicates no one did a basic spelling/grammar check. Apostrophes are missing, among other sins. Get a copy of ELEMENTS OF STYLE.
Maybe you had formatting problems, but missing apostrophes and quotes to indicate dialogue only work against your goal of selling books. No story is so gob-stopping amazing that readers can't be jerked out of it by punctuation and spelling errors. They will assume the e-book has the same problems and avoid it.
Emberillius and Solaria.
Sorry, but the first name sounds like a skin condition from an episode of House--or maybe a flower's Latin name, and the second like a brand of floor covering. I know you must love these names, but the editor in me wants something less jarring. Calling other characters "Symphony" and "Prayer" might go over great with fans of symbolism a la Akira Kurosawa, but all the characters in The Seven Samurai got new names when it morphed into The Magnificent Seven. Pretension is your enemy.
And to throw myself completely into the box with the word "TOOLS" painted on top, I'll let you know that to judge by these excerpts, this book is not ready to be put up for sale.
The excerpts are all tell, not show, reading like a synopsis for a film script, not a novel.
Writing 101: SHOW, don't tell.
Get this book workshopped. Hone your craft. Read more in the genre to see how other writers deal with high fantasy. Hit the library and grab up Lois Bujold's fantasy titles.
Check out one of her opening chapters: From The Curse of Chalion.
In less than two pages we're given a glimpse of this world, the fact that the vulnerable main character has a solid military background, and we're wondering why he looks like a bent old farmer instead of an honored veteran.
She focused on one person, introducing him and his world to us a bit at a time.
Or this introduction from The Sharing Knife.
Bujold does the same thing there in plain words, introducing us to a smart young woman who is in some sort of difficulty that requires she be on a dangerous road on her own. I want to know what happens next.
I learned to write by reading what other writers did and figuring out why they did things this way or that way.
If your self-published success story hero is Chris Paolini you can do better for a literary role-model. There are far, far better writers out there. Like Bujold.
His parents owned a printing company, which was a huge help, but if a writer had taken his son to the zoo that day instead of to a bookstore where Paolini was doing a signing, no one would have ever heard of Eragon. He didn't do squat with sales until his book was picked up by a publisher with that writer making introductions. You can't count on that same kind of luck.
For every Paolini success, there's going to be hundreds of thousands of fails you never hear about.
At this point the book needs more work. If you want it to succeed, you're going to have to put more time in on it.
And now I'm gonna climb into that tool box and slam the lid down.
You post chapter one and two in consecutive order, not stuff plucked from the middle of the book.
What I read indicates no one did a basic spelling/grammar check. Apostrophes are missing, among other sins. Get a copy of ELEMENTS OF STYLE.
Maybe you had formatting problems, but missing apostrophes and quotes to indicate dialogue only work against your goal of selling books. No story is so gob-stopping amazing that readers can't be jerked out of it by punctuation and spelling errors. They will assume the e-book has the same problems and avoid it.
Emberillius and Solaria.
Sorry, but the first name sounds like a skin condition from an episode of House--or maybe a flower's Latin name, and the second like a brand of floor covering. I know you must love these names, but the editor in me wants something less jarring. Calling other characters "Symphony" and "Prayer" might go over great with fans of symbolism a la Akira Kurosawa, but all the characters in The Seven Samurai got new names when it morphed into The Magnificent Seven. Pretension is your enemy.
And to throw myself completely into the box with the word "TOOLS" painted on top, I'll let you know that to judge by these excerpts, this book is not ready to be put up for sale.
The excerpts are all tell, not show, reading like a synopsis for a film script, not a novel.
Writing 101: SHOW, don't tell.
Get this book workshopped. Hone your craft. Read more in the genre to see how other writers deal with high fantasy. Hit the library and grab up Lois Bujold's fantasy titles.
Check out one of her opening chapters: From The Curse of Chalion.
In less than two pages we're given a glimpse of this world, the fact that the vulnerable main character has a solid military background, and we're wondering why he looks like a bent old farmer instead of an honored veteran.
She focused on one person, introducing him and his world to us a bit at a time.
Or this introduction from The Sharing Knife.
Bujold does the same thing there in plain words, introducing us to a smart young woman who is in some sort of difficulty that requires she be on a dangerous road on her own. I want to know what happens next.
I learned to write by reading what other writers did and figuring out why they did things this way or that way.
If your self-published success story hero is Chris Paolini you can do better for a literary role-model. There are far, far better writers out there. Like Bujold.
His parents owned a printing company, which was a huge help, but if a writer had taken his son to the zoo that day instead of to a bookstore where Paolini was doing a signing, no one would have ever heard of Eragon. He didn't do squat with sales until his book was picked up by a publisher with that writer making introductions. You can't count on that same kind of luck.
For every Paolini success, there's going to be hundreds of thousands of fails you never hear about.
At this point the book needs more work. If you want it to succeed, you're going to have to put more time in on it.
And now I'm gonna climb into that tool box and slam the lid down.
It's also best to remove the pages about the movie and the video game, even if you're an avid gamer.
To discuss movies and games based on a book that has sold one copy, a self-published e-book not available anywhere except on your website, is like saying, "I just started work as an intern at Microsoft. What changes should I make when I'm the CEO?"
At best, that will sound silly. At worst, it'll come off as amateur. By all means talk about a movie with your friends, decide which actors you want portraying the characters and so on. There's no harm in dreaming. But keep your website professional.
To discuss movies and games based on a book that has sold one copy, a self-published e-book not available anywhere except on your website, is like saying, "I just started work as an intern at Microsoft. What changes should I make when I'm the CEO?"
At best, that will sound silly. At worst, it'll come off as amateur. By all means talk about a movie with your friends, decide which actors you want portraying the characters and so on. There's no harm in dreaming. But keep your website professional.
- Status