Tag: Outskirst Press

Marketing Options

‘Have I said too much …?’ How to preview your book without revealing it all

As an independent author, you’re all too familiar with the quandary of marketing: When, and to whom, should I send free copies of my book? Hardcopies have a small printing cost per book for self-publishing authors, and many fear that an ebook could end up in the hands of someone who might otherwise buy.

The Flipbook First Chapter Excerpt delivers the power of “try it before you buy it” marketing to hook potential readers, anywhere and everywhere you choose to share it … but without sending more complimentary copies than you can afford. Outskirts Press recently introduced this marketing option as a highly cost-effective way to market without incurring printing costs, while still allowing you to display a portion of your book exactly as it was intended to be viewed.

Like Amazon Search Inside the Book, the Flipbook First Chapter Excerpt allows you to provide a preview of your book to encourage your audience to buy, cover or review your book. But the Flipbook’s distinct advantage over Amazon is its flexibility: It’s not tied to the Amazon bookstore so you can use this option to preview the first chapter in many formats and venues …

  • Embed a link to your Flipbook in Custom Press Release that media contacts in radio, TV and newspaper can automatically view
  • Post it on social media as an effective tool in your marketing plan
  • Supply a Flipbook to bookstores to encourage ordering
  • Submit to reviewers to gauge interest
  • Place it on your website and/or blog to entice readers
  • Post your Flipbook anywhere you want your amazing writing front and center
  • You can even let others share your Flipbook preview so you can truly reap the benefit of word-of-mouth marketing!

In addition to this product’s flexibility, it’s also ideal for authors who wish to give readers, media and literary players a tantalizing taste of their work while maintaining close control over how many promotional copies are circulating.

Getting readers hooked is easier than ever with the affordable Flipbook First Chapter Excerpt marketing option from Outskirts Press! To purchase the Flipbook First Chapter Excerpt, simply login to your Publishing Center, place the Flipbook First Chapter Excerpt in your shopping cart.

Learn More
Top 10

Top 10 Self-Publishing Book Marketing Tactics

Even more than great writing, ongoing book marketing is a vital part of success for any self-publishing author. One must not only must be persistent, but must make smart use of modern marketing and promotional channels and selling tactics so books get noticed. But how?

Outskirts Press is constantly adding services for self-published authors like you to help you reach new and larger audiences of book-buyers in an ever-changing market. That’s why we lead the publishing industry in post-publication support, products and services to a growing family of self-published authors.

Here, we discuss the latest top-selling marketing options from Outskirts Press, and they include not only perennial, effective favorites (Custom Press Release, Amazon Search Inside the Book Submission) but newly added services (First Chapter Preview Library Distribution). Perhaps one or more of these is the perfect choice for you. Learn more about the services that are helping our authors achieve selling success, then let Outskirts Press help you choose techniques that are a great fit for you.

Standard Press Release Standard Press Release: The Standard Press Release includes information about you and your book taken directly from information you supply for your webpage during pre-production. It couldn’t be easier.
Audio Excerpt option Audio Excerpt:  Recording a 3-minute audio excerpt is as easy as speaking into the phone. Pique readers’ interest by recording a pivotal passage or explaining more about the book.
Amazon Kindle Submission Service Amazon Kindle Submission Service:  Make your book available on Amazon’s Kindle e-book reading device. More formats on Amazon means more exposure on Amazon, and the Kindle is heavily promoted by Amazon.
Personal Marketing Assistant Personal Marketing Assistant (5 hours): Do you need help developing a book marketing plan? Arranging book signings? Establishing/developing your author platform? Hire your own Personal Marketing Assistant today!
Google Books Preview Program Submission Google Books Preview Program Submission: This service is an inexpensive and extremely effective way to get your book in front of millions of readers quickly and easily.
Amazon Search Inside the Book Amazon Search Inside the Book: Books that participate in this program feature a “Look Inside” icon over their Amazon cover image, which invites potential customers to electronically “flip” through a small section of the book. This increases the level of confidence a customer has in your book – most likely leading up to a higher volume of book sales. According to Amazon, books participating in this program enjoy significant sales improvement, on average, over books that do not.
First Chapter Preview Library Distribution First Chapter Preview Library Distribution: With First Chapter Preview Library Distribution, your book cover, synopsis, pricing information and ordering details will run for three consecutive months in a quarter page ad in First Chapter Plus, a monthly catalog where viewers/customers can download and preview the first chapter of your book.  Those who are interested in buying copies will have all the ordering details right there in the catalog for their convenience, and your benefit.
Amazon Branded Featured Book of the Week Featured Book-of-the-Week: The Amazon-branded Featured Book of the Week gets your book featured before more than 20,000 readers and writers via email, complete with a link directly to Amazon, where they can buy your book!
Custom Press Release Custom Press Release:  Have our professional press release writer compose an original, unique press release for your book, submitted to you for your review/approval, and then distributed to our news wire service on your behalf. Distributed electronically to a database of approximately 100,000 media contacts, newsrooms, industry analysts, and freelance writers who receive daily email listings of press releases which match their filter criteria.
Amazon Cover Enhancement Amazon Cover Enhancement: By manually interfacing directly with Amazon, we can over-ride Amazon and Ingram’s automatic process and get your cover image on Amazon much faster, usually within 2-3 business days rather than the standard 30-45 days.

Want to learn more about how to successfully market your book? See these and other valuable services by logging onto your author’s center and reviewing our Marketing Options.

Learn More
Amazon Author Sweepstakes

Win a free copy of Nothing But the Truth from Outskirts Press #AmazonGiveaway

Outskirts Press author, Inam Qaiyum, is giving you a chance to win a free copy of his book, Nothing But the Truth!

AmzSweeps290076A_web

Even if you don’t win one of the free copies, you can still order it from Amazon for an amazing price!

Do you want to promote your own Amazon Author Sweepstakes to tens of thousands of readers for your book? Click here.

Amazon Author Sweepstakes

Win a free copy of Kakos Prose & Poetry from Outskirts Press #AmazonGiveaway

Outskirts Press author, Kakos Kakos, is giving you a chance to win a free copy of his book, Kakos Prose & Poetry!

AmzSweeps70480A_web

Even if you don’t win one of the free copies, you can still order it from Amazon for an amazing price!

Do you want to promote your own Amazon Author Sweepstakes to tens of thousands of readers for your book? Click here.

Top 10

Top 10 Self-Publishing Book Marketing Tactics for May 2017

There’s never been a better time to become a self-published author: The quality of services is better and, thus, the quality of the books. This all serves to make readers more receptive to the works of self-publishing authors.

But the fact is, you still need to get the word out! Book marketing remains one of the most vital elements to your success as a self-publishing author. Outskirts Press is an industry leader in post-publication support, products and services to a growing family of self-published authors.

So, how do you choose what’s right for you? Our list of Top 10 Book Marketing Tactics offers an excellent shortlist of our most popular marketing and promotional approaches you might consider as you begin or continue book marketing. Listed below are our Top 10 marketing products, in order of popularity.

Standard Press Release Standard Press Release: The Standard Press Release includes information about you and your book taken directly from information you supply for your webpage during pre-production. It couldn’t be easier.
Amazon Kindle Submission Service Amazon Kindle Submission Service:  Make your book available on Amazon’s Kindle e-book reading device. More formats on Amazon means more exposure on Amazon, and the Kindle is heavily promoted by Amazon.
Audio Excerpt option Audio Excerpt:  Recording a 3-minute audio excerpt is as easy as speaking into the phone. Pique readers’ interest by recording a pivotal passage or explaining more about the book.
Bookmarks Magazine Co-Op Ad Bookmarks Magazine Co-Op Ad: Reach at least 40,000 affluent readers guaranteed! Targeted exposure is key to your book’s success. Advertising in Bookmarks Magazine can help reach the audience that’s already waiting to read your book.
First Chapter Preview Library Distribution First Chapter Preview Library Distribution: Introduce your book to libraries, bookstores, media, reviewers, bloggers and readers by running a quarter page full-color ad along with a free preview of your first chapter in this catalog for three consecutive months.
Amazon Search Inside the Book Amazon Search Inside the Book: Amazon itself has stated that books participating in this program are significantly more successful, on average, than books that do not participate.
Personal Marketing Assistant Personal Marketing Assistant: Do you need help developing a book marketing plan? Arranging book signings? Establishing/developing your author platform? Hire your own Personal Marketing Assistant today!
Amazon Launch Bundle Amazon Launch Bundle: Save 25% on 3 of our marketing services focused on Amazon.com. This package includes the following options: Amazon Search Inside the Book, Amazon Listing Optimization and Amazon Author Profile.
Google Books Preview Program Submission Google Books Preview Program Submission: An inexpensive and extremely effective way to get your book in front of millions of readers quickly and easily.
Custom Press Release Custom Press Release:  Have our professional press release writer compose an original, unique press release for your book, submitted to you for your review/approval, and then distributed to our newswire service on your behalf.

Outskirts Press Published authors who are interested in any of these (or many of our other available services) can find further details and ordering information from the Marketing Options page of your author’s center.

View Marketing Solutions
Book Fairs

Meet, Greet, Read and Learn at the 2017 ALA Conference & Exhibition, June22-27

No one knows books like the American Library Association (ALA), so it makes sense that no one holds a book exhibition quite like the ALA either. The ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition takes place in Chicago June 22-27, with more than 25,000 library staff, educators, publishers, authors, exhibitors and special guests expected to attend. Whether you’re an Outskirts Press author, prospective self-published author, or simply a student, educator or business professional who’s passionate about reading, it’s a high-profile event that could forge new connections and opportunities for you in your own book journey!

Founded in 1876, the ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world and serves a mission of promoting libraries, enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. There’s more to the ALA Conference & Exhibition than we could ever list here, but even the highlights offer an impressive immersion into the literary world!

This year’s event features an impressive list of key speakers: actor Sarah Jessica Parker; entertainer Bill Nye (“the Science Guy”); Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code; and a host of accomplished authors, entrepreneurs and literary professionals. Exhibition attendees receive unprecedented access and insight into the literary world via seminars and networking events with some of the most powerful movers and shakers in the industry.

The 2017 expo includes a variety of opportunities for readers, writers and publishers to learn, look and liaise:

  • 500-plus informational programs and sessions
  • more than 900 exhibitors, including authors and publishers in a variety of genres
  • literary readings
  • panel discussions
  • networking events
  • awards presentations
  • And so much more!

ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition is an opportunity to tap into valuable industry knowledge and make priceless connections. While it’s too late to get involved in the 2017 ALA Conference & Exhibition, Outskirts Press can make sure you’re represented at next year’s event to get the most benefit from every exciting lead!

So, think ahead to 2018 and exhibit book at the 2018 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition with representation from Outskirts Press.

Learn More
Promotions

Spring Into Some Savings This May!

Spring is a time for renewed hopes, and a time to dust off those projects which have been sitting in the back of your mind–or in the far recesses of your computer’s memory–over the chilly winter months. You’ve had time to let the ideas percolate, like snowmelt through warming soil, and things are starting to come together to grow your dream into something magnificent. Now that May has arrived, spring is officially underway–and your prospects are coming up all roses!

We at Outskirts Press would like to invite you to make good on your desires, and to that end we are offering a spring savings discount of $250 off either our Ultimate Publishing package or our Full-Color Publishing package!

You are an author who knows the virtues of patience—after all, waiting through the cold winter months for a sale like this one is no easy thing!—and you are committed to doing the necessary research to ensure you pick the right self-publishing company for your needs. We hope that, with our phenomenal offerings and equally phenomenal spring savings discount, you’ll choose to publish with us—the one Top Consumer Reviews rated #1 Self-Publishing Company for 2016!

Here’s how to do it:

From now until the end of May, log onto our website or get in touch with us over the phone and add one of these two packages to your shopping cart. Then, enter the promotion code 250May17 at checkout.

That’s it!

If you have any questions or, if you want to find out more information about either our Ultimate or our Full-Color Publishing packages, get in touch with your Publishing Consultant. There are three convenient ways to connect:

  1. Call us at 1-888-672-6657 (OP-BOOKS)
  2. Live-chat with us via our website
  3. Go online to schedule an appointment
View Publishing Services
Marketing Options

Amazon Author Profile Now Available

Great news! Outskirts Press now offers an Amazon Author Profile to published authors. Why is this so important? Amazon.com sells books, but the Amazon Author Profile sells you!

What is an Author Profile?

If you look at a book listing on Amazon, you will find the Author Profile, labeled “More About the Author,” below the “Product Details” section. There you will see the author’s photo and biography.

Why do you need one?

Amazon Author Profiles convert more shoppers into buyers because people like knowing who wrote the book they are considering. If you are an expert who has published a non-fiction book, your Author Profile shares pertinent information about your expertise. If you are a fiction writer, your Author Profile is an invaluable space to build your brand. The same holds true if you are a poet or children’s book author. Regardless of the type of book (or books) you have published, your Amazon Author Profile serves one very important task: it sells YOU to your potential readers.

The Author Profile is more than just a new section on your sales page. It is your entire author presence on Amazon. When set-up correctly, your Author Profile includes your entire bibliography of published books, all your book videos and/or video teasers, a direct RSS feed to your author blog, and so much more!

More Perks of the Author Profile Option

  • You can start to attract “followers” to your Profile, just like on Twitter and Facebook, and those followers will be notified when you write a new blog post or publish a new book
  • When participating in our Amazon Author Sweepstakes, you can require sweepstake participants to “follow” you before they are eligible for your free book giveaway
  • You only have to set it up once, no matter how many books you have published. As you publish more books, it’s easy to add them to your Author Profile

How do you set it up?

If you don’t know how to set up everything yourself, no problem. Outskirts Press will do it all for you. For more information and to purchase the Amazon Author Profile option from Outskirts Press, simply log into your Author Publishing Center and select Amazon Author Profile from the Marketing Solutions menu.

Learn More

 

Amazon Author Sweepstakes

Win a free copy of Old Man on a Bicycle from Outskirts Press #AmazonGiveaway

Outskirts Press author, Don Petterson, is giving you a chance to win a free copy of his book, Old Man on a Bicycle!

AmzSweeps242675A_web.png

Even if you don’t win one of the free copies, you can still order it from Amazon for an amazing price!

Do you want to promote your own Amazon Author Sweepstakes to tens of thousands of readers for your book? Click here.

Publishing Options

Make Smart Use of Smartphones by Adding a QR Code to Your Book!

Let’s face it, we live in an increasingly mobile society. If you take a moment to gaze up from your own smartphone in a crowded room, you’ll see most people are absorbed in their screens–checking up on social media, reading some news headline or maybe even just shamelessly taking a selfie. Why not take advantage of the ubiquity of smartphones by putting a path to your book everywhere they are?

That image right there is no Rorschach test, it’s a QR code, and with a quick scan of that on the back cover or inside your book, voila—readers and potential readers can navigate instantly to your website or other web address of your choice. This is a fantastic way to lead current fans to your site for news, or for new book buyers to make on-the-spot smartphone purchases while you’re still fresh in their minds.
With a QR code, you get some pretty nifty advantages toward the marketing of your book, as this provides a quick and easy way to get readers to your website–or any webpage you want them to land on. It also encourages an active engagement with you and your fan base, which you can monitor via your website and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly. Lastly, you have a cost-effective marketing tool to add to your arsenal! It’s a win-win-win!

How do you get one of these newly offered QR codes? First off, you must be logged in to your Publishing Center and have purchased a publishing package with Outskirts Press. Your Publishing Consultant can help you to add this option to your book. To learn more about adding a QR Code to your book, click here. If you have any questions, your Publishing Consultant or Author Representative can help.

Corporations, publications and sellers worldwide use QR Codes effectively in their marketing every day. Level the playing field by putting this powerful technology to work for your book!

Log In