SELF PUBLISHING - A GUIDE TO MARKETING YOUR BOOK

If you've self published your book(s) on Amazon or are planning to do so, this book

  LETS GET VISIBLE

By David Gaughran

will do two things as David explains in his introduction. 

"It will break down Amazon's famous recommendation engine and detail the various opportunities for exposure on Amazon's sites.  Plus, it will give you practical help on how to implement this knowledge.  By using the tips outlined in this book, you will get your book noticed."

I think this is a great book for your writer's bookshelf.

Previous posts on marketing

MAKING YOUR BOOK VISIBLE

MARKETING YOUR BOOK

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SELF PUBLISHING - How much does it cost?

How much does it cost to self publish an eBook and a paperback version?  The short answer to this questions is, very little.  Or, less than you might think.

I recently published ONCE UPON A LIE on Amazon.  Here is what I paid for the eBook and paperback formats:-

• $190.00  BOOK COVERS - this included 1 full cover (pdf file) for the paperback and 1 eBook cover 
• $160.00  MANUSCRIPT FORMATTED into a pdf file for the paperback version.

My total outlay therefore has been $350.00USD to have my book selling on Amazon.  Please note:  There is no cost involved in uploading your eBook or the paperback version onto Amazon unless, of course, you choose to use their publishing services.

Amazon has two publishing arms:-

KINDLE DIRECT PUBLISHING (KDP) for uploading eBooks

CREATESPACE for uploading paperbacks

What about ISBN's?

Whether you have an ISBN# or not, when publishing on Amazon, you will be assigned an ASIN# for your eBook from KDP, and an ID# for your paperback on Createspace.  

If you choose to buy your own ISBN#, you will need two.  One for your eBook and one for your paperback version.  The cost varies from country to country but here in Australia, one ISBN# costs $40 while 10 costs $80.  Depending on how many books you plan to write, it's cheaper to buy a batch of 10.

So, here is what you need to publish an eBook and a paperback version on Amazon:-

• your manuscript formatted for an eBook.  (Not difficult to do yourself.)
• your manuscript formatted into a (pdf) file for your paperback version.  
• book covers - one for the eBook - one full (pdf) cover for the paperback
• your bio (this will appear on your books Amazon site)
• your book blurb (this will appear on your Amazon site too)

So, why am I telling you all this?  Because I thought that there might be some people out there who are under the impression that it costs a lot of money to self publish a book.  There are also people out there who will offer to publish your book for you and charge you a huge amount of money.  Don’t get caught in the trap. Research your publishing options instead because there are many and they are not expensive.

What has your experience been in self publishing?

Self publishing an eBook
Book Cover and ISBN

Get Your Self Publishing Information In One Pocket Guide

This self publishing pocket guide takes you through what you need to do in order to self publish your book.  From information on formatting your manuscript, deciding on a cover and book blurb to decisions on price, ISBN, and choice of categories, it also includes helpful web site links plus marketing and author platform ideas to enable you to start your self publishing journey with confidence.

SELF PUBLISHING - Making your eBook Visible

Once your eBook is published, the work doesn't stop.  You now have to make that book visible to readers.  This means marketing.  A relentless task, but a necessary one if you want to sell your book.

Many of us, including myself, have never had experience in marketing, but don't let that stop you.  It's never too late to learn something new, and besides, you might find you enjoy it.

You may not feel comfortable with all the marketing strategies you read about, so to start with, my suggestion is to choose some that you are happy to try.

In my previous Self Publishing Your eBook - Part 6 - Marketing Your eBook, I listed a few ideas to get you started and I'm adding to that list here:-

FREE promotion day(s)
Everyone loves a bargain, so why not let readers download your eBook FREE for a specified time period.  Not only will the visibility of your book improve if you have it published on Amazon, for example, but there is also the possibility that those people who download it and enjoy the read, will tell their family and friends. Remember, by word of mouth is very powerful.

If you do decide to go FREE, advertising your promotion will help to increase its success.  The following sites are just some that can help at no cost.  Having said that, not all these sites guarantee that your book will appear, but it's worth a try.  You will also find that the Author Marketing Club list other similar sites that you can click on to submit your eBook for advertising:-

Author Marketing Club
eReader Utopia
Pixel of Ink
Ereader News Today
Book Goodies

Of course, making all these submissions is time consuming but there is help.  For the sum of $40, you can employ eBook Booster to do it for you.  eBook Booster will submit your FREE promotion to up to 45 sites.  There again, it isn't guaranteed that all these sites will feature your book, but well worth the cost nevertheless when one has time constraints.

Do you have any marketing ideas that you'd like to share?

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