Archive for May, 2008

Book Marketing Tips Self Publishers Must Know

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
self publishing
Helen Hecker asked:


If you’ve written a ‘how to’ book you’ll find people are always seeking ‘how to’ information making your book easy to sell; in fact the most sought after items on the Internet are information products. Authors, self publishers and book publishers can be very unhappy when they see boxes of books delivered from the printer, loaded onto pallets in their garage and not have any idea on how they’re going to sell them; don’t let this happen to you — be prepared. Ensuring the success of any book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee, but with a good book, a little or a lot of money, and just plain hard work the odds are in your favor; many have done it.

Your book press release should not be written as you would a sales letter or flier, it should be written for the editor and tell about your book in a factual way, no opinion or glowing remarks. When picked up by wire services, a press release can easily end up generating hundreds of mentions for your book. Make sure you have at least one good press release, written in AP style that you can send out for the lifetime of your book.

Send out at least 10 press releases to the print and broadcast media in your area every month. Don’t underestimate the value of a good press release for making book sales. Make sure your press release spells out the ‘who, what, where, when, and why.’

Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by national trade or print media. Mail a press release to at least 1000 print and broadcast contacts just prior to publishing your title and again and again after you publish; you can never send too many.

I’ve not found that book signings sell many books for publishers and are often a waste of time; better to spend it elsewhere. I’ve seen publishers lose a lot of money paying for expensive display ads, so beware if you do this; I don’t advise it in the beginning — get your feet wet first so you know what you’re doing. Find a non-exclusive distributor with a good reputation to carry your book for the book store trade, as well as for other retailers.

Print and online publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible for people to reference ongoing. It’s important to publish a website that focuses on your title; you’ll be able to refer editors and customers and all interested parties to your book information with the click of a mouse. When you get a nice write up or feature about you and/or your book, have it laminated and set it up on an easel at trade shows.

Build a web site that provides another avenue for ordering, a virtual online press kit and link exchanges with sites that relate to your topic. Be your own publicist and send a press release along with a review copy of your book to publications in your book’s genre and to book review magazines. Make sure to promote and market your book each and every day, both online and offline.

Local radio shows and television appearances are good but are often forgotten within hours of the broadcast; make sure to make or get a copy of any television broadcast for future promotions. If your book fits a specialty market, find a store that fits the genre and offer to leave books on consignment; many publishers have sold thousands of books this way. Create an online contest and list it in online contest directories to drive traffic to your website.

Make sure your sales letter or flier is first class; this is your formal presentation of your title to the prospective buyer. Every day it’s important to focus on a variety of marketing approaches.

Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after the secondary markets. Contact any companies, corporations or organizations that might use your book for promotions; offer significant discounts for volume orders or for thousands of copies offer a specified amount above book production costs.

One of the biggest problems self publishers and book publishers tell me about is the hundreds of books they have in inventory they haven’t set up a marketing plan for; don’t let this happen to you — get prepared now. Now promote, promote, and promote your book some more! Make sure do some serious marketing and promotion every single day, no excuses.



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5 Tips To Start Selling Your Self-Published Book

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
self publishing
Jill Exler asked:


You’ve spent hours researching, writing and self-publishing your book. Now, you want to reap the benefits of selling it yourself, but where do you begin?

Here are five simple tips to help you get started.

1. Figure out your market.

“Bookstores are lousy places to sell books,” says self-publishing guru Dan Poynter in USA Weekend . “Find the places where your audience gathers and sell directly to them. If your book is about cats, go to pet stores.”

To start selling your book, take the time to research your target audience. Who will be interested in purchasing your book and sharing it with their friends?

Once you know your target market, look at the places they shop and spend their leisure time. What media venues do they watch, read and listen to on a regular basis?

Create a list of all potential organizations, business and groups. This will give you a good understanding of the online sites and brick-and-mortar locations where you need to focus your marketing efforts.

2. Spread the word.

When you are ready to start selling, don’t be shy. Talk about your book, carry a copy around with you and look for every opportunity to mention it. Also be ready to give copies away to influential people who will build buzz about your business.

If you are a good speaker, try to give presentations to groups catering to your target audience. You can partner with various organizations to promote your appearance and build word-of-mouth. This may include issuing a press release, giving books away during radio or television interviews or getting involved with charitable activities.

“Speaking to local, target audiences is a great way to start building buzz about your products and services,” says Melanie Rembrandt, small business PR expert and owner of Rembrandt Communications, www.rembrandtwrites.com. “But in order to build credibility, you need to offer valuable information pertinent to your book’s subject without being sales-oriented. You can always have a book-signing after your presentation to sell your books and meet potential customers.”

Another trick is to leave a copy of your book at your local bookstore or library. If visitors pick up the book and read it, they will ask for a copy of it. Then, the person at the counter may contact you to purchase additional copies.

3. Venture outside your target market.

After you’ve pursued all venues focusing on your specific audience, start marketing your book to other groups outside your target market.

Look for secondary sources that may be interested in purchasing your book as a gift for a friend, co-worker or family member. Perhaps you can partner with a business, charitable organization or hobby-group related to your book-topic?

Think “outside of the box” and try to let as many people know about your book as possible. You can issue a press release, offer special discounts and create newsworthy events to draw attention to your book. And these activities don’t need to cost a lot of money. You just need to think of some ways to stress the unique benefits of your book and take the extra time and effort to plan, coordinate and follow-through with your ideas.

4. Take advantage of business relationships.

If you used an online publisher in developing your book, advertise on their site. If you used a local printer, ask if you can leave a couple copies at their front desk.

Visit all of your local establishments and leave some kind of information about your book. If you are a regular customer, most of these businesses will be happy to help you and the local economy.

And when preparing these “leave-behinds,” think about the benefits for the business and customers. Perhaps you can print up small calendars, checklists, quick tips, bookmarks and other items that advertise your book while offering something of value to potential readers.

You may even be able to partner with various businesses to offer special joint coupons and discounts. Use your imagination, but always keep the benefits for the customer in mind.

5. List your book online.

This may be obvious, but you really need to list your book online to reach the broadest possible market and increase “buzz.” Review your target audience and try to get information about your book posted on all of the pertinent sites they visit.

Also create a simple website. And don’t worry. Today, there are many services that offer cost-effective or free websites to self-published authors. You don’t need to be a technical genius or have a lot of money to take advantage of these services and create an online presence.

However, in your online copy, be sure to stress the unique benefits of your book and provide customer testimonials (for credibility). Also include some information about your background to help you stand apart from others in your genre.

Once your site is up and running, research free, press-release posting sites. Also look for online organizations that may be willing to post reciprocal links to your site to help build search-engine optimization.

These are just a few, simple tips. There are many ways to sell your self-published books. But you can start by focusing on your target audience, work the business relationships you already have and be creative. And soon, you’ll be well on your way to being a top-selling author!

For more tips and information, visit www.jexbo.com.



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Self Publishing Success Starts With Marketing

Monday, May 26th, 2008
self publishing
Dharmendra Kumar asked:


Self-publishing is not for the faint of heart. The publication process is lengthy, involves a considerable number of detailed, administrative tasks and can be expensive. This is the easy part; the real challenge involves “S & M” - sales and marketing.

For an author to become a successful self-publisher, he or she must make a paradigm shift in consciousness from author to entrepreneur, and view their book in the same way that Madison Avenue gurus view the newest shampoo. An author has to be able to do a dispassionate analysis of the market the book was meant to reach. Is its greatest appeal to young people? Senior citizens? Men? Women? Members of a minority group? The definition of a market - or markets - will help to determine and focus the ensuing marketing campaign.

Next, the author must develop a marketing plan. How can I reach my market most effectively? Freelance authors are already aware of the plethora of niche publications on the market. Now, instead of contacting these publications for submission guidelines, the self-publisher needs to contact the advertising department for rate and data information. Information such as 1) per-issue circulation, 2) average response rates for classified and / or display advertisements, 3) advertising rates and specs for display advertising will allow a self-publisher to determine the cost per contact. If a book involves specialized information, the self-publisher can afford to advertise in low-circulation, niche periodicals, as the audience of those periodicals may well be the exact type of individual most likely to benefit from the book.

Books which were written to appeal to a wide, general audience will have to be marketed with a larger media blanket. Diet, self-help and money management books do better with radio or television publicity. These media have higher costs, but over the long run, the per-contact cost is smaller, due to the greater number of people reached.

The question of cost brings us to the next challenge: a marketing and advertising budget. How much are you willing to spend, and for how many years? Launching any new business venture generally requires five years to begin turning a profit, and the first two years concentrate on developing an identity and “brand awareness.” In other words, it may take an author two years for anyone to become aware of his / her existence, let alone want to purchase their book! Too many self-publishers give up on marketing after the first year, and wind up selling their book at garage sales.

Finally, marketing efforts need to begin before the book is published. If an author builds interest and excitement while their book is still in the “proofing” stage, the outcome could easily be immediate demand upon release of the book. One of my clients did this, and sold 100 copies of his book before he received his first shipment.

Along with publications written to help authors improve their writing skills, the self-publisher should reference books or audiotapes relevant to promoting and marketing small or home-based businesses, such as Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerilla Marketing. Promoting your work doesn’t have to be torture or outrageously expensive. Well-planned, consistently executed promotion will get your book on bookshelves, as long as you are willing to invest patience and persistence in your marketing efforts.

 

 

 

For More Free Resources visit http://www.onlinepublishingsite.com



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Tips And Tricks For Self-Publishing Your Book

Friday, May 23rd, 2008
self publishing
Patrick Schwerdtfeger asked:


Becoming an author happens once in a lifetime. As soon as you publish your first book, you forever more become an author. And regardless how many additional books you write, that label never changes. The interesting thing is that you get the same designation whether you had your book published by one of the industry giants like Penguin or Random House, or if you self-published it. And since the process of self-publishing is a lot easier than getting one of the industry giants to accept your book proposal, I suggest doing your first one yourself.

One of the tricks to this process is to register a fictitious business name that sounds like a publishing company and then using that name as the copyright holder for your book. Your still publishing your own book but it looks like you used a real publishing company, adding credibility to the finished product. I would think of a regal-sounding name and use that. The exercise will cost you about $50 but it will add tremendously to the final piece.

There actually are thousands of smaller independent publishing companies and no one in the world knows them all. The reason for saying that is that your fictitious business name doesn’t need to be a recognized name like Penguin or McGraw Hill. It can be a different name that nobody has ever heard of before. The important thing is that the book appears to have been published by a legitimate publishing company and they own the copyright.

The obvious advantage of self-publishing your own book is that nobody has to approve the effort. With any other publishing house, you have to send in a proposal and have someone else say yes or no. With self-publishing, you have complete discretion of your own work. The downside is that you may end up publishing a poorly written or poorly edited piece. But the upside is that nobody can say no to you.

You’ll also make more money on each individual book when you self-publish. If you use a traditional publisher, you might only make a dollar or less on each book sold. The rest goes to the various contributors to the process, the actual printing costs and retail distribution. With self-publishing, the only contributor is you and you end up with a much larger share of the sale price as a result.

It’s worth noting that the majority of books being published today are self-published. It’s also worth noting most of these books sell fewer than 30 copies each. Thankfully, printing technology has taken some huge leaps forward in recent years and you can order your books one at a time, making the upfront costs of an initial print run a thing of the past. Nevertheless, you’ll benefit far more if you sell a lot of copies.

Of course, the marketing of your book is your own responsibility and Tactical Execution provides a lot of implementation solutions that can help you get the word out and generate interest. Solutions range from offline strategies like workshops and press releases to online strategies like article marketing and social bookmarking. Visit the website to access all the free resources available there.



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Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
self publishing
Christopher Kyalo asked:


While it is clear that writers and self-publishers will never be able to attract the same rates online that they did from offline publications and media, it does not mean that online writers doomed to starvation. If anything a number of them are already proving that many online writers and self-publishers will end up making a lot more cash than their offline counterparts ever did.

Actually already we are starting to see online writer’s incomes grow steadily. However what has confused a lot of folks is the fact that the rules online are very different. It is useful to examine a few of these differences because it will help us understand the online rules better and how to make money as an online writer with less effort.

Why Online Rules For Writers And Self-Publishing Are Different

The offline media has always been fat from the high advertising rates attracted and in some cases from a high circulation on a healthy cover price. The result was that freelance writers could live off a few articles a month. This is in sharp contrast to webmasters looking to pay single-digit figures for 500-word articles.

What all this means is that there are only two ways a writer can make money. Either by selling the same content to hundreds of sites or by finding a way to earn a continuous stream of cash from a single article. The first option doesn’t fly on the net because the World Wide Web is not a local fragmented medium. Rather the feeling is that when an article is published at one site, the whole world has seen it because the whole world has access to it. While this may not be entirely true, it is the general feeling and it greatly limits the number of different web sites you can sell a single article to.

In this article we examine closely what writers and self-publishers online are doing to maximize on their earnings from a single article.

Self-Publishing For AdSense

So far this has proved to be the most lucrative source of revenue for self-publishing and writing online. AdSense are pay-per-click ads from Google that are posted on web sites and blogs all over the net. When people click on them Google shares their income with the owners of the blogs or web sites.

So a writer writes a single article and posts it at a blog somewhere where it attract relevant Google AdSense ads and they will continue aerning money from that single article for years to come. Even if an article earns $ 2 a day on average, it will end up earning the writer $730 a year. Not bad when it has the potential of doing the same for the next couple of years.

The trick with Adsense is to use the right keywords that will attract ads that will pay a lot more when people click on them. It is said that there are some keywords that will attract ads that will pay out as much as $100 per click. My special report provides tools that will help a writer find the highest paying Adsense keywords.

Self-Publishing At A Site That Sells Content For You

The great challenge for any writer is that they have to be good at two very different tasks. At writing and also at selling and marketing their writing. Not any more, web sites have emerged that will gladly sell your articles for you, leaving you with the task of writing them. The particular site I have in mind has experience selling license rights to the same article to various web sites, meaning that the writer can earn again and again from the same single article.

Self-Publishing For Traffic

Self-publishing your article and content at various other sites is a powerful tool for increasing traffic to your site by creating links to it and also causing folks to visit your site for more information.

So the result is that a single article can earn you cash for a long time by simply directing targeted traffic to your site where some of the folks will click at your Adsense ads while others will purchase something, maybe your special report based on some of your articles.

Self-Publishing At Blogs

An increasing number of organizations are paying people to blog. Some will pay bloggers for the traffic their articles attract while others pay writers a commission from the Adsense revenue that their articles generate. There are a host of different programs a writer or self-publisher can use to generate income from a single article for years to come.

Self-Publishing A Special Report

It is very easy to convert your article into a special report, which you can then sell at your site. Even if you charge pocket-change for your special report, over time you could earn thousands of dollars from it.

Conclusion

Now imagine the potential if you were to ensure that every single article you wrote was slightly adjusted so that it was able to earn you a steady income stream from all the 5 revenue generating ideas we have talked about in this article. That’s how a self-publishing online writer can make over $ 100,000 a year



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The Whole, New, Exciting World of Self Publishing

Monday, May 12th, 2008
self publishing
Ruth Barringham asked:


It used to be hard to earn money as a writer. But now, thanks to the internet and print on demand, there’s a whole new world of self publishing that allows you to work from home writer and earn money on the internet.

 If you want to make money writing, then there’s no easier and faster way than to using your writing skills to earn money online.

 You can write a book, or as many books as you want, and know that all of them will be published.

 Just write a book on any subject that you’re passionate about or have a lot of knowledge on. If you love your subject or know a lot about it, then it’s easy to write a book.

 Once your book is finished, create a web site on your chosen topic and write articles to make it into a really great information site for your visitors.

 You can place some Google Adsense ads on your site for free to earn some revenue, or join a few affiliate programs to earn commissions from selling other people’s products from your web site.

 And then create a sales page for your book and sell it as an eBook. Or read a great book on self publishing, like ‘Self-Publish Worldwide’, and you can also have your book published in print and sell it from book stores too because it’s easy to set your book up with an online company and have the whole printing, packing and shipping process done for you, which leaves you free to write more books.

 You can write articles to promote your book and upload them to article directory sites, with a link back to your web site.

 If you want to, you can even write a few short reports to give away as an instant download to further promote your book.

 And when you’ve done all you can, you can write another book and another and as many as you want  because the internet and print on demand has opened up a whole new exciting world where  writers are able to write and publish books and receive a residual income for years to come.



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Fran Lenzo Records Daily Battles With Breast Cancer in Self Published Book

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
self publishing
Michael McCain asked:


an Lenzo had only known the life she led before she met an Angel named John in 1994. After her holy encounters with the celestial being, she was taught to live each day embracing her mastectomy and breast cancer with the strength and courage she did not know she possessed. Her unyielding character was featured on their local newspaper and drew attention to several other people in small town Long Island.

Reading the book Halo My Dear Angel is like reading someone else’s hatless and wigless state in journal entries. Some chapters of this Xlibris published book are also composed of short stories, essays, or accounts of angel messages that others have also shared to this author who highlighted such experiences with the same character and vein that the people of Long Island has known of her.

This self-published book will make readers appreciate the significance of making the month of October the Breast Cancer Awareness month to help people take charge of their own health. Halo My Dear Angel: a Journey of Miracles will direct readers to that first and most important step.

About Xlibris

Xlibris was founded in 1997 and, as the leading publishing services provider for authors, has helped to publish more than 20,000 titles. Xlibris is based in Philadelphia, PA and provides authors with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound, and full-color formats.

For more information, please visit www.xlibris.com, e-mail pressrelease@xlibris.com or call at 1-888-795-4247, to receive a free publishing guide.

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Self-Publishing Book Production & Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008
self publishing
Scott White asked:


Once your book is written and you’ve determined that you will be self-publishing, there are a few serious errors you are going to want to steer clear of.

THINKING YOU DON’T NEED AN EDITOR

Even the best writer needs a second pair of impartial, well-trained eyes to look over their work before sending it out into the wide, wide world. The reason being that as the author, we are too close to our work to see it objectively. Are there any holes in your points or arguments? Are the introduction and conclusion as strong as they could be?

Editors provide feedback, sharpen the focus, and turn an already strong piece of writing into a stellar piece of writing. While you might have a great story to tell or have incredible information to share with the world, you also might struggle with getting the words out of your head. Or, perhaps you’re talented at outlining your overall concepts, but you need some help fleshing out the ideas, or finessing the language to make it as clear and compelling as possible. These issues are nothing to be ashamed of - but they are signs that you will definitely benefit from working with a qualified editor.

Think about it. Michael Jordan once was asked how he became the best basketball player in the world. Did he chalk it all up to raw talent? His answer might surprise some folks: “I had great coaches.” Likewise, great writers have good editors behind them. A good editor can make all the difference between a book that should be used as fireplace kindling and the next viral marketing success like “Unleashing the Ideavirus.” (No disrespect to Seth Godin - I’m sure he’s a brilliant writer whose work needs very little editing.)

DESIGNING YOUR OWN COVER - OR HAVING A FRIEND DESIGN IT FOR YOU

A lot of first-time self-published authors, in an attempt to conserve money, forego the investment in a graphic designer with book cover expertise. This is a HUGE mistake.

According to selfpublishingresources website, three-fourths of 300 booksellers surveyed (half from independent bookstores and half from chains) identified the look and design of the book cover as the most important component of the entire book. All agreed that the jacket is the prime real estate for promoting a book.

Although not all books are sold in bookstores, at least 50 percent still are. But before your book even makes it onto the bookstore shelf, retailers and reviewers will see it, and make their determinations about your magnum opus based on just a few seconds’ glance at the cover. And in the bookstore, a shopper will spend an average of just 8 seconds looking at the front cover and 14 seconds on the back cover. This is a total of less than a half-minute to decide if your book is even worth flipping through! If you do not have a professional image that is congruent with your contents, you will very often miss the sale.

A professionally designed cover will:

* ENHANCE the salability of your book. Does your cover make a person want to pick up the book and buy it? Will booksellers be proud to display it in their stores?

* INCORPORATE the book’s theme. Does the cover design effectively convey your voice and style? Does it entice and appeal to your target audience?

* EMPLOY creativity and originality. Is the design a unique expression of you, your theme, and your contents? Is it aesthetically pleasing and tasteful?

There are no two ways around it. If you want your book to sell, you must spend the money on a professional designer for the cover and interior layout of your book.

BELIEVING THE BOOK WILL SELL ITSELF

Many writers finish their books. For most, though, that is the end of the line. Few ever actually see their work in print. One of the main reasons for this has to do with marketing. Of all the mistaken beliefs held by new nonfiction authors, the most difficult one for most writers to grasp is an understanding of the time/money/energy commitment involved in marketing, a book.

Many writers envision themselves as creative geniuses who believe they should be left alone to write while someone else handles the marketing and promotion. In the sphere of traditional publishing, some publishers may provide significant marketing support, but that is mostly a thing of yesteryear. Today, most publishers offer very little in the way of marketing assistance; virtually every publishing house - from the smaller, little-known shops to the behemoths of great repute - leaves it to the author to promote his or her own book.

If an author is unable to provide any marketing support and cannot clearly define the market for their book, publishers are unlikely to be interested at all. This should be a red flag to those pursuing the self-publishing option. Know your audience and shatter that ubiquitous box, in terms of your creative marketing concepts. Who will read your book and where can you find them? These are the questions you need to keep at the forefront of your mind, even as you write the book, print it, and design your Web site.

There are hundreds of humor writers, columnists, and experts in myriad fields who could write books. What differentiates them is not their writing talents, as much as their ability - or inability - to sell their books. As we have by now determined, publishing is a business, and publishers will always go with the books they anticipate to be the biggest sellers. You must keep this same attitude and vision, even if you decide to self-publish. If you lose sight of creating a book that will actually sell, you may find yourself in an uphill battle once it’s done. The last thing you want is to take out a business loan to get your books produced, only to have 30 cases of them stacked in your garage for the next 10 years.

Be ready and willing to market yourself and your book. Become a media darling. Look for opportunities to appear on local, regional, and national radio and TV. Yes, this means you, even if you are shy! Take an acting class or join Toastmasters if you have a fear of speaking in public. You are going to sell this book - no one else is. That means you must be as available and open as possible. If someone from the media calls to invite you for an interview, drop everything else and get to that interview. Spread the word about your new title on the Web. Send preview copies to select reviewers and/or celebrities or personalities with long reach. You went through all the other steps to get here. Believe in yourself, your book, and your market - and be fearless in promoting it to the world.



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How Self-published Books Create Highly Profitable Businesses

Thursday, May 1st, 2008
self publishing
Robert Skrob asked:


Customers expect a book to cost $9.95, $19.95, or perhaps as much as $49.95. With production costs, that doesn’t give you a lot of money to promote your books and generate sales. It depends on your income goals, but if it consists of selling your books alone, you’d have to sell hundreds or thousands of books a month to earn any substantial income. Your operation costs and marketing expenses would quickly exceed the revenues.

There is a better way. When you use your self-published books as a sales tool to identify customers and make additional sales, then your self-published books become a money-generating tool that can drive a million-dollar business.

Here Are 3 Examples of How Your Self-Published Books Can Create a Highly Profitable Business:

1. Well-known speaking and presentation skills coach builds a massive list of targeted, hungry prospects and a multi-million dollar business with a self-published book.

Speaking and presentation skills coach, Susan Berkley self-published her book, Speak to Influence: How to Unlock the Hidden Power of Your Voice, (http://www.speaktoinfluence.com) in 1999. The book has sold over 14,000 copies, is now in the second printing of its second edition, and continues to sell every month. Susan still gets quoted from her book, even though it is over seven years old. In fact, the book recently scored blurbs in Glamour and Self magazines without even trying.

More importantly, Susan invites her book buyers to sign up for her free e-zine through her website. In the e-zine, Susan offers subscriptions to her monthly paid newsletter, and promotes her products, teleseminars and consulting/coaching services. The revenue from these additional services and products is many times higher than anything she has received from publishing her book. Best of all, Susan can easily market new products whenever she likes. If she decides she needs more money, she creates another program, sends an e-mail to her list, and makes sales—all from a list created through her self-published book.

2. A mortgage expert increases web traffic and generates millions of dollars of revenue for his mortgage brokerage company from his self-published book.

Brian Sacks’ self-published book, Yes, You Can Get a Mortgage: Even If You’ve Had a Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, or Other Credit Issue, (http://www.marylandloantips.com) has helped thousands achieve the American dream of homeownership. For Brian, this $19.14 book has generated a constant flow of great customers and millions of dollars of revenue for his mortgage brokerage company.

Brian invites book readers to visit his website for more information and a personal evaluation. Quite often, this evaluation leads to mortgage services with fees ranging from $5,000.00 to $15,000.00.

3. The source for accurate celebrity contact information creates monthly, recurring revenue from his self-published book.

Jordan McAuley self-published his book, Contact Any Celebrity, (http://www.IMACelebrityResource.com) and sold it for $55.00. This book that provides contact information for celebrities is useful for authors who want positive quotes from celebrities to put on their book covers, fans seeking autographs, and charities looking for celebrity endorsements.

Even though $55.00 for a book is a great price, Jordan didn’t stop there. He created a membership website with data that wouldn’t fit into the finished book. Jordan includes publicist information, additional phone numbers, and charities the celebrity already supports. It’s a lot of useful information specifically for authors and charities. Jordan charges only $9.95 a month for membership and promotes this option throughout his book. So instead of selling a book and getting paid once, Jordan has created monthly, recurring revenue from individuals who want constant access to more extensive and constantly updated information.

Final Self-Published Thoughts

Too many authors see the self-publishing of a book as their end goal. When that book hits bookstores, they breathe a sigh of relief and pat themselves on the back for a big accomplishment. Yes, you should be proud, but don’t stop there. Self-publishing a book opens the door to hundreds of other business opportunities.



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