Sharon Ledwith is the author of the YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, debuting through Musa Publishing this May 18, 2012. When not writing or digging up the past, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.
Six Sales Points for Authors
There are a lot of authors out there today competing for readers’ attention—readers that you’ve worked so hard to obtain. Some do a very good job, make a lot of money, and stick around. They build satisfying publishing careers that last for decades. Other authors try to wing it and burn out. What’s the difference between a successful author and a wannabe author who just dawdles on the borders of success? Owning a great website? Having a damn good marketing plan? Creating a social media plan for each book release? Good luck? Whatever the answer, often the key to a successful career in the publishing field can be attributed to one or all of these time-tested sales points:
If it doesn’t work, fix it. Let’s face it—some sales
strategies work better than others. The trick is to reassess what you’ve been
doing. If you’re not producing the sales you’d like to see for a certain book,
then chances are you need to correct and fine-tune your methods. For some
authors this may mean retooling their blurb or tagline or change the cover. For
others, it could be giving their website or blog a fresh new look.
Listen and learn. A number of things factor into
book sales. One of the most important is your target audience—who you are
writing for. Ask yourself, how are you fulfilling your readers’ needs? What
must you do to continually hook their attention? For starters, you have to be
willing to walk that extra mile by getting to know and understand your readers.
You do this through social networks (Facebook, Twitter), workshops, book
signings, school and library visits, book clubs, and online communities such as
Goodreads or LibraryThing.
Show enthusiasm. Enthusiasm builds bridges. Panic
tears them down. One thing an author has going for them is their unique voice.
You use it in your books, so use it to sell them. Readers know when an author
resonates with them. Be invested enough in yourself, as an author, to give your
readers a fantastic story they’ll never want to end. Then write another one.
Sell yourself, on yourself. The power of positive
thinking works wonders. Motivation builders such as podcasts, CDs or self-help
books can help reinforce the super salesperson in you. Be specific with your
goals and rewards, such as if you send out ten review requests in a day, book a
pedicure or lunch with a friend. Write notes reminding yourself that you are a
‘Bestselling Author’ and ‘You can do it’, then leave them around your desk.
After all, seeing is believing.
Create a sales plan
to suit each book. Every book you write is one of a kind. Sales tactics for one
book may not work for the second book. That’s when you get creative and take
chances. Giveaways are always a fan favorite. Experiment with each book until
you get a sales formula that works for you. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes
helps, so if you can afford it, hire a publicist or a marketing consultant. The
bigger the investment, the bigger the payoff.
http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=277
When Amanda Sault and her four classmates are caught in a
major food fight at school, they are given the choice of suspension or yard
duty. It was a no-brainer. A two-week crash course in landscaping leads the kids
to discover a weathered stone arch buried in an overgrown backyard. Instead of a
forgotten lawn ornament, it turns out to be an ancient time portal from the lost
continent of Atlantis. Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary
time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force—the five children,
along with two offbeat adults, are sent on the adventure of their lives to save
the Earth from an uncertain future. The Timekeepers’ first mission lands them in
England in 1214, where they must find an adolescent Robin Hood and his band of
merry teens before history is turned upside-down.
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