Tag: search inside the book

Marketing Options

How to Get the Most out of Amazon

Everyone knows that in order to successfully market and sell a self-published book nowadays, you have to leverage Amazon. But there are so many different ways to utilize all that Amazon has to offer the independent author, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Well, worry no more! Today we’re going to discuss some of the easiest, quickest, and most effective tactics you can pursue (or have a Personal Marketing Assistant pursue for you) in order to get the most out of Amazon.

Your product detail page, or sales page, is the page on Amazon that features your book, its cover image, and its marketing copy. Your author photo and biography may also be displayed here, especially if you already have an Author Page. If you don’t, make sure to create one at authorcentral.amazon.com/ or Outskirts Press can do this for you at https://outskirtspress.com/p/amazonauthorpage. Once you have an Author Page, your biography (and your author photo if you upload one) will appear on all your product detail pages.

Make sure your product detail page is as complete, compelling, and comprehensive as you can. This means making sure your cover image is uploaded and that you have “Look Inside” active on your book. You can personally sign-up for Look Inside from Amazon here https://amazon.com/sitb or Outskirts Press can do this for you at https://outskirtspress.com/p/sitb.

Next, make sure all your different formats are “connected” so that different “Buy” tabs show prospective readers your different editions. You can “connect” them from your Author Page (see above about getting one), or from your Amazon Author Central account. The best formats to have available, in addition to the paperback, of course, is a Kindle e-book edition and an Audio book. If you don’t have either or both of these additional important formats, Outskirts Press can publish and distribute these additional formats for you at https://outskirtspress.com/p/kindle and https://outskirtspress.com/p/audiobook, respectively.

Now that the important logistic steps are taken care of, the next step is educating yourself on all the opportunities Amazon offers self-publishing authors. Fortunately, we’ve made this easy for you, too, by creating the following white papers and tip sheets on the following Amazon topics:

There you have it. Now, you are ready for your masterpiece to take Amazon by storm! Start publishing and marketing today with the A+ rated and #1-rated self-publishing company, according to the Better Business Bureau and Top Consumer Reviews, respectively.

Would you like help choosing your best self-publishing option? Connect with Outskirts Press now in whatever manner is easiest for you:

“I give a big 5-star review to my Author Representative and Outskirts Press! The entire Outskirts process has been with people who are courteous, efficient and knowledgeable. I am very pleased with my first book! Thank you to the entire Outskirts Press staff!” — Jimmy Chew, author of Walking Around Lucky: Navigate America’s New Lust for Gambling

 

Advice, Marketing Options, Uncategorized

10 Ways Self-Publishing Authors Can Promote Their Books During National Reading/Small Press Month

March 1 marks the beginning of National Reading and Small Press month. This is the perfect time to revamp your current marketing strategy and try some new things. After all, readers are more inspired to buy books this month. As a self-publishing author, here are the top 10 ways to use this to your advantage:

  1. Come up with a marketing plan for your book. It may be helpful to speak with a professional that can coach you through coming up with a plan and taking action on those items.
  2. Contact your local bookstore to see what their policy is for carrying small press books. You may consider offering your book on consignment.
  3. Contact your local newspaper to remind them that it’s small press month. Write a press release (or have someone write one for you) and send them a copy. Be sure to call them shortly thereafter to make sure they received it.
  4. Contact your local library to suggest they feature small press titles this month, including yours. Make sure to have plenty of free copies to give away.
  5. Send out copies of your book to get reviews.
  6. Make sure your Amazon listing is up to par. You should have a Kindle Edition, Search Inside the Book, and a Book Video Trailer on your book’s Amazon page.
  7. If you haven’t already done so, buy your own domain name and start a blog. Blogging is a great way to reach new readers and possibly increase the sales of your book.
  8. Schedule a free webinar or teleseminar. Everyone has an area of expertise – what’s yours? Share your gift with the world. This will not only help increase your network, but you will be able to gain notoriety as an industry expert.
  9. Take a Virtual Book Tour. This is a cost-effective way to get yourself in front of your audience without leaving the comfort of your own living room.
  10. Offer freebies for people who buy your book. In your book’s description, you can let your potential reader know what they will get for free if they email you a copy of their receipt. eBooks, whitepapers or other virtual gifts are a great option due to their low cost and ease of delivery.

Overall, the most important thing is to have fun marketing your self-published book! Don’t take things too seriously and make sure you make the best use of your time this upcoming month.

DISCUSSION: Which of these strategies (or others) do you plan to take action on this month?