How To Sell Your Own Self-Published Books
January 14, 2009 by C.F. Jackson
Filed under Keys to Success
How is it possible to sell your own self-published book with 692.3 million books
reported by Nielson BookScan as being sold in 2007? This is a 5% increase from
the previous year.
Publishers Weekly, 1/14/2008
It has been reported by Publisher Weekly that the internet is the dominating factor
when it comes to bookselling. In 2007, 35% of book purchases during the nine-
month period reviewed by Publisher Weekly were generated by direct-to-consumer
(internet, book clubs, book fairs, other).
As a self-published author, the ability to sell your own books through the WorldWide
Web makes it more achievable. The internet brings authors, entrepreneurs, artists,
etc. to an even playing field. This vehicle makes anyone with a website accessible
to a global population.
Just within the second quarter of 2008, the Census Bureau of the Department of
Commerce stated that the total number of internet users worldwide was
1,463,500,000. This is a large audience accessible to your website 24 hours a day
and 7 days a week.
That isn’t all. As a self-published author, there are customers out there waiting and
wanting to find you on Google, Yahoo! or MSN. Consumers are still purchasing each
and every day. Within the second quarter of 2008, retail sales increased by 0.9 percent
over the first quarter of 2008. This is equivalent to $1,034.8 billion USD.
How do you sell your own self-published books? The answer is the internet. With the
proper website fundamentals, strategies, techniques, and resources on learning how
to sell your book online, as well as learning how to market a book, it is possible. In
addition, you will have access to a larger, worldwide audience.
Why is the internet a powerful vehicle for any self published author?
- Low cost to start and operate
- It’s open and available 24/7
- Worldwide marketplace
- You are your own publisher and boss
- It offers flexibility – You can do business anywhere
- Offers the ability to advertise for free
- The internet is the fastest growing industry ever
The ultimate goal for the self-published author is to create the ultimate results online,
which includes having your target audience:
1. Find Your Website: Out of the more than 1,463,500,000 websites. This can be done
through website fundamentals and techniques.
2. Like You and Like Your Book: Once you’ve been found, it’s time to be part of the
$1,034.8 billion in sales by having a website that includes the proper elements and
strategies to generate action.
3. Buy It – Your book: Achieving one and two, the excitement comes when your visitor
buys a copy of your book.
Today, the fastest growing vehicle with an all-access pass to the world is known as the
Internet and the Worldwide Web. As a self-published author, learning how to sell your
book online is the key answer to how to sell your own self-published books.
Denniger Bolton on Thu, 22nd Jan 2009 1:14 pm
I find the numbers in this article gratifying. When I started selling my books, I set up my marketing goals with most of my efforts going toward this “direct to consumer” group, which according to the article is 35% of book sales. My highest value sales are internet sales, back of the room sales at speeches I give, book fairs and other events where book readers are present to buy a book from the author. I attend farmer’s markets, street fairs, author readings, etc.
What makes this “direct to consumer” group so special is that it is at retail prices. Selling to independent book stores where I have to cut into profits by 40% is less gratifying financially. And going through the whole Barnes and Noble, Amazon thing where their cut is 55%, does not illicit much effort on my part. Still need to do it, but fact is I’d rather make the full retail price on my book sales and meet the reader in person, than turn my book into a commodity. It just makes sense to me.
C.F. Jackson on Fri, 23rd Jan 2009 11:20 am
Hey Denniger,
I agree with you…
There are thousands of books
throughout any bookstore and
of course there are millions
of websites online.
However, the difference with
the internet we as authors can
control or let’s say we can
market and promote our work
constantly, rather than being
placed on a shelf w/hopes of
being found.
Like you’ve stated, taking that
%55 cut on each order, isn’t very
exciting. ;o)
At the end of the day, it all
depends on the goals and dreams
of each author, as well as taking
time to learn more.
Thanks for stopping by Denniger!
Continue to make it happen!
Won’t Be Denied,
CF-
Bookmarketing Newbie on Tue, 27th Jan 2009 4:09 pm
Great tips. I agree with Denninger, the best marketing that I have found is word-of-mouth marketing directly to my audience. If my target audience starts to talk about it, they usually pass it along amongst themselves, giving my book extra chances for people learning about it.
C.F. Jackson on Wed, 28th Jan 2009 10:34 pm
Bookmarketing Newbie,
I have to agree because that’s
hiow maketing takes place on e
very level around us. No matter
what industry or location, it’s
all the same.
It’s a powerful thing to grab
the attention of your market
through innovative and unique
marketing to get the word out
there.
Thanks for chimming in on the
conversation.
Make it happen,
CF-
Paul J Krupin on Thu, 5th Feb 2009 3:27 pm
I think the numbers are absolutely irrelevant. This is what Guy Kawasaki calls top down marketing analysis and it’s a formula for failure. Pie in the sky.
What is needed is for you to learn how to sell your book reliably to individuals. One at a time.
Then once you have a short script that works reliably you then go to groups of people. if you can talk to 25 people for five minutes and be so galvanizing that half of them come flying out of their seats with money in their hands (that’s a 50 percent response rate to a five minute presentation) then maybe you have a speech or a marketing script that is capable of being used to get sales reliably.
You must actually realize that to sell a book you have to connect with a real person meaningfully and persuade them that the value of what you offer is more than the cost it will take to get it.
Without that, it won’t matter what technology you use to market your books. The message will be ignored.
So work on your pitch. Practice it and refine it till you get a profit response.
Then go to market.
C.F. Jackson on Thu, 5th Feb 2009 6:55 pm
The numbers are really to bring to
the front that there are millions of
people online and people are buying
daily, so it’s all possible.
And agree with Paul, it’s about the
pitch. As well as the offer and the
presentation… online or offline.
So as a fiction or non fiction author
when the opportunity to grab more
sells and more word of mouth as Book
marketing newbie added, is online
because it’s…
- Low cost to start and operate
- It’s open and available 24/7
- Worldwide marketplace
- You are your own publisher and boss
- It offers flexibility – You can do business anywhere
- Offers the ability to advertise for free
- The internet is the fastest growing industry ever
Won’t Be Denied,
CF-
Book Marketing Blog Carnival - February 25, 2009 : Selling Books on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 9:48 am
[...] Jackson presents How To Sell Your Own Self-Published Books posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “How is it possible to sell your own [...]
Gregory Vincent on Sun, 15th Mar 2009 3:06 pm
Hello, all.
I published a book of local history about an art deco building a few months ago, and the work is selling reasonably well. I agree that the internet is potentially a wonderful way to sell books, but the issue is how to get your own website to the top of the list of a given search – and how to get owners of other websites to agree to connect to yours.
When customers buy from me after seeing my website, they will pay the full cover price (which is good for me), but they will also pay postage and packaging, which is not cheap. I think that selling through bookstores does have something to be said for it, in that if you can get enough of them to accept the book – then you can do a bulk delivery to their distributors, and hopefully have packaging and postage costs factored in – as they are all transported to one delivery point. Of course, the bookshop may have commission at my expense, but at least the customer in the bookshop pays only the cover price; and not £3 or £4 more. And this is to my advantage as well as his, because he is more likely to buy.
C.F. Jackson:
You’ve asked some great questions.
The key today with search engines is content. Your
website must offer quality content to help the Googles
and Yahoos find you. Their goal is to serve their customer…
the searcher.
Also you have to use the correct keywords, which I’ve
made several posting about why and how to do this.
One more tid bit, it’s about having quality and quantity
backlinks pointing to your website.
You just ask! However, one thing to ask yourself is
what’s in it for them? What are you offering in return
other than a link on your website? You can gain greater
results just by writing articles and posting them on article
directories.
You are the author and seller on your website you can
offer promotions and special offers. Should your concern
be postage, why not offer free shipping?
Here in the states when it comes to book stores, they receive
a 55% cut of each book purchase most of the time. So to
offer a free shipping, you’re still ahead of the “bookshop” as
you’ve put it. ;o) And you’re gaining readers and profit.
It’s a combination… online and offline.
Gregory, thanks for visiting. ;o)
Won’t Be Denied,
C.F. Jackson
thobani publications on Mon, 4th May 2009 8:40 am
I was selling books with you 5 yrs ago, have changed my details and need to come back to you. how do you do that. salim
Cecil on Mon, 12th Oct 2009 5:39 pm
I need some information on building a website……….Can you help me with this?
Just Write Blog Carnival February 27, 2009 Edition | Incurable Disease of Writing on Mon, 11th Jan 2010 2:07 am
[...] Jackson presents How To Sell Your Own Self-Published Books posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “How is it possible to sell your own [...]