Self-Publishing Marketing Guide for all Indie Authors, BookRix .com [amazing books to read .TXT] 📗

Marketing Guidebook

Most authors don't want to rely on others, so take the chance of success into your own hands by using the Self- Publishing Service offered by BookRix. Included here are some practical marketing tips that will help you to gain potential readers that could lead to the success of your eBook sales!

 

THE BASICS

We all need to start somewhere and having a solid understanding of what needs to be done is key to becoming a successful author.

These next several chapters pertain to the very basic necessities of what you should consider when creating an eBook and getting noticed as an Indie Author.

 

A Good Cover

Did you know that books with professionally designed covers sell twice as much as books with poor quality covers? We were shocked, but it’s the truth!

We've all heard the saying “Don't judge a book by its cover”, but don’t fool yourself! A book can have amazing content, but if the cover is unappealing, nobody will take the time to open it.

This applies to printed books as well as eBooks: A stunning cover page might be the one reason why a book catches a reader's attention.

There are tons of books available, so indie books tend to get lost in the shuffle; especially if their appearance is not appealing to potential readers. To be honest, we have to admit that books are often judged by their covers. At BookRix, we feel that a well designed cover means a well written book. Our readers feel the same way.

Of course, you can't let this get you down. Sure, not every author is an enthusiastic artist. Most authors would rather live in a world of words, than deal with images and design. As you've probably already guessed, we spent some time thinking about this, and we've come to the realization that nobody on BookRix should be left to deal with this problem alone; especially when there are so many BookRix members willing to help out.

There are various BookRix groups that discuss the topic “cover design”, but we would like to specifically recommend the "Art Writers” group. There, you will find workshops with instructions to make your own covers AND meet other users who offer their assistance with cover design.

DON'T FORGET: It is extremely important to observe copyright laws at all times! But don’t fear: you can even get advice on this topic from group members. If you lack the confidence or skill to design a cover yourself, ask the group. Our members are great at offering assistance.

All in all, a nice cover attracts attention to your book and therefore, will get you more readers. And that’s exactly what we all want, right? And don't forget - BookRix won't promote your book if it doesn't look good - so put forth a little extra effort!

Go forth, to your design/editing programs, and prosper!

Tips:

-Make sure your cover art is not poor quality and pixilated (blurred) or has text that appears under or through the title of your book (double text).

-Also make certain your images are not sexually explicit or display illegal activity. This includes hate messages and symbols.

-Don’t ever use anything that is copyrighted. You are responsible if caught and copyright laws are strict. If you do not own it or have the permission from the owner to use it, then you are in violation of the law.

A Catchy Title

The choice of a title can be crucial! Not only because an appealing title makes the reader curious, attracts attention, and hints to what the book is about; the title can also cause certain associations in the mind of the reader.

Apart from the obvious requirements of a book title, there is another factor that shouldn't be neglected: Luck. There is always the possibility that a reader will come across your book by chance. The author can actively increase this chance just by using common words in the title of the book. There are some keywords that are typed in store searches more often than others. At bookstores (or online shops), some keywords are utilized more than others. An example of a good book title is “My Vampire Love” by BookRix user: jemma. This book title is effective because “vampire” and “love” are frequently searched words.

This can be an advantage on BookRix, too. Properly set keyword tags leads to more readers reading your book. If a reader is interested in vampire stories but your book about vampires is not tagged appropriately with” vampire” themed keywords, your book will not be found. Even if the reader really would like to read it, they won’t be drawn to your book.

Thus, a good choice for a title (and "keywords/tags") determines much more than it seems to at first glance.

Put some thought into your title - it's the one thing that people will remember about your book long after they've read it. The more original and interesting, the more likely the reader is to remember.

Proofread/Edit Your Book

If you have the idea and the will power, you can write a book. With the help of BookRix anyone can enter the eBook market too. However, there is an important aspect that is (unfortunately) way too often left aside. As you know, a good story doesn't always make a good book. What good is a great cover design and blurb if the author forgets one of the most important factors: A manuscript written with correct spelling and grammar.

Readers are critical customers. A typo or wrong comma placement can happen once or twice, but eventually the reader gets angry or no longer takes the writer seriously. Misspelling or using words incorrectly is a capital offense. We've all been the victim of using "Their" when it really should be "They're", and it isn't pretty. If an author wants to satisfy their readers, then they have to invest some time (or money) on a thorough grammar check and book edit. The solution for grammatical and spelling errors is relatively simple: Get an editor.

Let’s face it: Every author thinks their work is perfect. This occurs because, unfortunately, after a while a certain “blindness” develops. The author knows what has to be in a certain sentence and therefore, they think a quick read over is enough – in doing so the missing letters or incorrect punctuation are often missed.

Just because an author solicits the help of an editor doesn't mean they have poor writing skills. On the contrary, a good writer insists on an editor to turn their already very good book into a work of perfection.

BookRix has on-site helpers who have gathered in the following groups: “Editing 101”, “Elite Editing for Writers”, and “Serious Writers”. These are users who like to revise written works and have a passion for finding and eliminating common mistakes. While they might not substitute a complete and professional edit, the major mistakes will be fixed. More than likely, you'll even learn something new about the rules of writing.

If all our community editors are unavailable, the next best method is to find your own. Think about a well written indie book that you've read recently that was without mistakes. Contact the author and find out who edited their book. Now you can either hire that editor or ask her/him to suggest somebody else who can help you.

Unfortunately, professional editors can be quite expensive. Therefore, you (as the author) have to decide whether to invest your money or your own time to do it yourself. Otherwise, the only remaining option is to trust another member of BookRix or a friend (that is good with grammar and spelling) to help you in doing a good job in regards to editing your book for you.

No matter what you choose, we recommend at least one beta test. This is done by having someone read the story before it is put up for sale. This reader does not have to be a professional editor, but he/she will find the majority of mistakes that will annoy other readers when reading the book – and that’s what counts.

Tip:

-Please have as many eyes possible read through your work before putting it up for sale. It’s critical that you have your book edited for grammar and spelling. Your book will be rejected if it’s poorly written, doesn’t make sense, or has numerous spelling/grammatical errors.

Choose the Right Price

Aside from fame and glory, what is the one thing that all published authors want? Profits. Don't deny it, you know it's true.

When you decide to publish your book, you've probably already received good feedback from fellow BookRix community members, or at least your close friends and family. Now you want to get your book out there for the world to see (and buy). After you make an amazingly creative cover, and edit out all those mistakes, the last thing you need to worry about is pricing your book.

As an indie author we don’t