Why am I here? is what I find myself thinking when I expected to click through to a book sales page but end up lost among the many pages of a website I didn’t expect to see.
Many easy to read articles and writing problem solutions like this can be found in my writing reference, Write It Right – Tips for Authors.
A Tip About Promoting
Want to sell more books? This article is meant to offer suggestions to help authors find more viewers and buyers. It’s written mostly from my own frustrating experience as I peruse the Internet looking for authors to interview for my Write Any Genre website. One of the prerequisites for an interview is what the author’s promotions, or lack of it, shows me.
While I look to find authors to interview, what I am seeing are authors who have too little promotion going on. By that, I mean, if a person has one or more books listed on Amazon, then book pages and Bios with a good headshot needs to be completed. Huge amounts of promotional info can be included on an Amazon Author page that will help sell books. The link to add or edit an Author Page can be found at the bottom of the Biography column on the left margin. Click on Learn More at Author Central.
If an author posts (anywhere on the Net) about his or her books, yes, tell some small enticing bit of information, but do not send people to a website when trying to sell books. Provide the URL direct to the Amazon book sales page, or Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, etc., wherever your primary sales source is located.
When wishing to capture more public interest in your website, then is when you post links to your website.
Unfortunately, I have found that many authors do not promote themselves. They look for others who may promote them and their books. Some authors have only their Amazon Author page but do no other advertising, not even a personal website, thinking that being on Amazon will garner the sales they look for. It doesn’t work that way. If I see an author promoting widely (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and making a gallant effort, even though he or she does not have a personal website, as long as they can show where they are promoting, I want to interview them.
Recap
If I see a book I wish to buy, I want to go direct to the sales page. I DO NOT want to go to yet another website and have to look around for a sales link, maybe even switch to another page on that website, in order to find a link to Amazon. See what I mean? If you’re promoting your book to get sales, send viewers to the exact page to buy.
If you are promoting your website, only then, send people to your website. Even then, have enough info to hold their interest, not a lot of blank half-filled pages. Promotion means giving the viewer something to feel good about knowing or owning. Something that makes them want to follow your page and keep track of, and be a part of, your writing journey.
Last Note
If you wish to be interviewed, send me a message with your Amazon Author page URL, or website URL, and your regular email address so I can send my interview questionnaire. The message/email space below is private until I say whether or not it goes on the site. Private addresses are never approved for public viewing.
Agreed. Your thoughts are in line with GaryVee’s advice of always making it easy for the audience. Don’t give them extra steps just because you couldn’t be bothered with doing the legwork. Thanks for this, and it’s amazing to see that you’ve written so many books.
Thank you for your comments, Stuart. I see so many people dancing around themselves and not getting to the point, any point. I’ve been there, but briefly, and while I have not sold a million copies of anything, I’m also not afraid of sharing my knowledge with others to help them along. Yes, I have quite a few books with more to come. Don’t know how, but I started writing three all at once this time. The words just roll out. Yipes!
This was very informative for the new author and for those who are published that could do more for themselves to pick up sales. I had business cards, an author website, and an FB page before my first book was published. Now that I am published by NC, I’m doing more promoting than ever before. Being an author doesn’t really stop at any certain point. You are constantly learning, you help others just starting out to get where you are today and the list goes on and on. It’s up to you, the author, as to how far you want to go. Only you have that power. You, Mary, gave me that start and I’m glad we met up when we did. I will share this post on my blog and my author page. Hopefully, with a bit of luck, it’ll fall into the hands of someone like me when I started out and it’ll be their start of an exciting adventure. Thank you Mary for such brilliant posts that are so very helpful. No wonder in this writing world of ours, you have come very far in this field.
Thanks for your comments, Sue. I remember you as one motivated person in all that you do. Am glad some of my information and attempts stuck with you. You now have best sellers and I am so pleased that I had some teeny part in it. Actually, all credit goes to you. You were so eager to learn and ran with the information. Stay bold, stay on track. And thanks for your interview here on Write Any Genre as well.