An Open Message to Authors (was, How Can I Get Your Attention?)

[CS]

Authors are out here scratching their heads. Okay, our books are on Kindle--now, how do we market to all of you?

I'm going to answer this question in general terms, not in specific relation to your book. Hopefully every author here will see this and get something out of it.

Advertising Your Book: Some Tips

- Not linking to the book in your post: This may be the biggest mistake authors make - and I've seen it several times on this board. If you can't do that, I can't be bothered to investigate further. (Yes, the author in the original post made the same mistake - BUT since Leslie helpfully included a link in the next post, I WILL click and look at it.)

- No plot description on Amazon: I realize this sometimes takes a few days to show up. In that case, wait a few days to promote your book. I know you're excited and want to get it out there, but there's no second chance to make a first impression.

- No cover/ugly cover on Amazon: This is not a deal-breaker by any means, but a bad cover or no cover really doesn't help. I will admit that both "In Her Name" and "Assignment in Antibua" caught my eye because of their nice covers, so there is something to be said for a good one.

- Constant spamming of your book on Kindleboards: There's a right way to advertise (Sig Rosenblum, Mike Hicks, Al Past, Jeff Hepple, Rick Reed, etc. always do a classy job of this, for example) and a wrong way (er...other people).

- Overpriced: I know most authors would love to charge $9.99 and rake in the dough. I don't blame you. After all, I'd want to do the same. But in the days of free books, 1 cent books, and 99 cent books, your pricing has to be competitive.

- Formatting and Editing: If the book is poorly formatted for Kindle, you've already lost me. If I see a ridiculous typo in the sample, I'm going to just hit the home button and find something else to read. Typos are probably unavoidable, and even bestsellers have them, but they should not be found on the first or second page of your book. Come on now.

- Word of Mouth: This is very important, but it must be allowed to happen naturally, organically. In other words, the author cannot interfere with, or influence, this process. If a reader on Kindleboards likes a book enough, he/she will naturally share it with the rest of us. Good word of mouth, I'm guessing, is likely to increase sales. For example, LDB has probably done more for Boyd Morrison's books than Boyd himself. He loves them, and his enthusiasm is infectious. (By the way, it is very obvious when "word of mouth" is forced. We're not stupid - we can tell the difference - so let it happen on its own.)

Hopefully these tips will help some new authors in their quest to wow us all with their latest books. Believe me, folks, I'm ALWAYS looking for something new to read and I WANT it to be YOUR book. So, with that in mind, please take my suggestions in the best possible light and apply them to the book you're trying to sell to us.

[Leslie]

Great post, CS. Thank you!

L

[drenee]

I found a plot description.  Am I looking at the right book?  It sounded interesting to me.  I dl'd a sample.  thanks and welcome.
deb

[Ann in Arlington]

I echo CS. . .and, as a reminder, it's pretty easy to make a link to your book.  At the top of the KB page is a 'link maker' tool.  (Actually it's at the bottom right below the quick reply box too.)  When you click it, it opens in a new tab/window where you can search for your book, make the link, select a picture or text link, and copy that code into your post.  Voila!  And then KB gets the amazon affiliate commission . . . . which keeps the boards going so Harvey can keep the boards going with out going broke!

Ann

[CS]

I found a plot description.  Am I looking at the right book?  It sounded interesting to me.  I dl'd a sample.  thanks and welcome.
deb

Yes. Most of what I said was meant for authors in general, not this book specifically.

Great post, CS. Thank you!

L

Thank you, Leslie.

I echo CS. . .and, as a reminder, it's pretty easy to make a link to your book.  At the top of the KB page is a 'link maker' tool.  (Actually it's at the bottom right below the quick reply box too.)  When you click it, it opens in a new tab/window where you can search for your book, make the link, select a picture or text link, and copy that code into your post.  Voila!  And then KB gets the amazon affiliate commission . . . . which keeps the boards going so Harvey can keep the boards going with out going broke!

Ann

Yep, gotta love Link-Maker.

[Linda Cannon-Mott]

Graet job CS, I agree with everything you said!

[Kathy]

Welcome. Read the description of the book and it sounds good. I will definitely sample it. Good to have another author on the board.

CS great advice.

[intinst]

Great job, CS. if I could I would add, don't make your thread remind me of an used car dealer's ad, full of superlatives, exclamation points, and typos.

[drenee]

Thanks, CS.  I thought I was klicking the wrong book. 
Thanks so much for your post.  I hope all of the authors read it. 
deb

[marianneg]

Ditto everything CS said.  I would also add:

Make sure your posts, as well as the book itself, have decent grammar and spelling.  A conversational tone is fine; abuse of the language is not.  You might want to check out the Grammar Pet Peeves post for things to avoid

Don't pretend that you're not the author and it's a book that you "found" or something.  That really bugs me.

Along those same lines, if you must get all your friends to write 5-star reviews for your book on amazon, don't be obvious about it.  I'm more inclined to buy a book with an honest (and detailed) 4-star review than a pure-fluff 5-star review.

[Steph H]

Not to detract from Sunny's post or anything, but it might be worth culling out these general "tips/advice for authors" into a separate thread...good stuff here.

[Linda Cannon-Mott]

Not to detract from Sunny's post or anything, but it might be worth culling out these general "tips/advice for authors" into a separate thread...good stuff here.

Thanks Steph. We have been in the smoke filled room with Harvey discussing this very thing and will have it worked out soon. Harvey is on a plane to NYC now but there will be some clean up done here.

[bkworm8it]

Welcome to Kindleboards Sunny!  

Ditto to CS's post.  Also I've been known to look at peoples Avators that are books. I've picked up some books that way as well.

theresam

[KCFoggin]

CS, I couldn't have said it better myself nor do I think anyone else either

[chynared21]

Hi and welcome aboard Sunny...it's nice to have you here with us!

Bravo on your post CS...wonderfully written and fantastic tips. 

[Snapcat]

Constant spamming of your book on Kindleboards: There's a right way to advertise (Sig Rosenblum, Mike Hicks, Al Past, Jeff Hepple, Rick Reed, etc. always do a classy job of this, for example) and a wrong way (er...other people).

Thanks for mentioning this, I have noticed this going on from certain authors on the book board, and it is the BIGGEST deterrent for me, I won't even sample a book from an author that is blatantly spamming.

Great list!

[r0b0d0c]

CS - well said! I second the motion to make your post a "sticky" for authors to review!

I also agree with Intinst - it's a HUGE turnoff when a single thread is spam-bombed by the author with multiple posts about their book (except for posts answering other forum members' comments or questions!)

If the price is reasonable, and the description is compelling, I'll AT LEAST download the sample - if the price is under $2, and the description is compelling, I'll generally buy it right away!

I'm also impressed by several of our forum member authors who add to discussion in threads that AREN'T about their books (I also notice their book avatars!) This also increases the likelihood of me purchasing their work!

[boydm]

I agree with everything that's been posted on this thread. A sticky thread on author tips would be great.

Would it make sense to have a separate area in the boards called Member Authors? Then authors could post their pitches there without taking up thread space on Book Corner. Not only would it be a good way to find authors that are new to Kindleboards, but the self-promotion could be limited to that part of the boards.

[Thumper]

Would it make sense to have a separate area in the boards called Member Authors? Then authors could post their pitches there without taking up thread space on Book Corner. Not only would it be a good way to find authors that are new to Kindleboards, but the self-promotion could be limited to that part of the boards.

I would like that. I do not want to seem like I'm jumping up and down squealing look at me ! look at me!. I do want to mention that I do write and the books are there for the perusing...but that's it. I am really uncomfortable with too much self promotion, but a place to connect with other writers, where anyone can lurk whether they write or not, that would be awesome.

[Leslie]

Sunny, sorry for slightly hijacking your thread...but

These are all great suggestions, authors and readers alike. We (by that I mean the admin group) have have working to find the right balance between great author promotion and overkill author promotion. Your input is very important and will determine the next steps we take on this path.

Thanks, everyone, for being part of the KBoards community.

Leslie
Global Mod

[pomlover2586]

I respond first to an appealing Cover read: Colors

[MichelleR]

I'm going to answer this question in general terms, not in specific relation to your book. Hopefully every author here will see this and get something out of it.

Advertising Your Book: Some Tips

- Not linking to the book in your post: This may be the biggest mistake authors make - and I've seen it several times on this board. If you can't do that, I can't be bothered to investigate further. (Yes, the author in the original post made the same mistake - BUT since Leslie helpfully included a link in the next post, I WILL click and look at it.)

- No plot description on Amazon: I realize this sometimes takes a few days to show up. In that case, wait a few days to promote your book. I know you're excited and want to get it out there, but there's no second chance to make a first impression.

- No cover/ugly cover on Amazon: This is not a deal-breaker by any means, but a bad cover or no cover really doesn't help. I will admit that both "In Her Name" and "Assignment in Antibua" caught my eye because of their nice covers, so there is something to be said for a good one.

- Constant spamming of your book on Kindleboards: There's a right way to advertise (Sig Rosenblum, Mike Hicks, Al Past, Jeff Hepple, Rick Reed, etc. always do a classy job of this, for example) and a wrong way (er...other people).

- Overpriced: I know most authors would love to charge $9.99 and rake in the dough. I don't blame you. After all, I'd want to do the same. But in the days of free books, 1 cent books, and 99 cent books, your pricing has to be competitive.

- Formatting and Editing: If the book is poorly formatted for Kindle, you've already lost me. If I see a ridiculous typo in the sample, I'm going to just hit the home button and find something else to read. Typos are probably unavoidable, and even bestsellers have them, but they should not be found on the first or second page of your book. Come on now.

- Word of Mouth: This is very important, but it must be allowed to happen naturally, organically. In other words, the author cannot interfere with, or influence, this process. If a reader on Kindleboards likes a book enough, he/she will naturally share it with the rest of us. Good word of mouth, I'm guessing, is likely to increase sales. For example, LDB has probably done more for Boyd Morrison's books than Boyd himself. He loves them, and his enthusiasm is infectious. (By the way, it is very obvious when "word of mouth" is forced. We're not stupid - we can tell the difference - so let it happen on its own.)

Hopefully these tips will help some new authors in their quest to wow us all with their latest books. Believe me, folks, I'm ALWAYS looking for something new to read and I WANT it to be YOUR book. So, with that in mind, please take my suggestions in the best possible light and apply them to the book you're trying to sell to us.

Quoted for truth -- this is pretty much perfect.

I recently got grief over at the Amazon Boards for saying some of this, because people wanted to defend a guy who enlisted his girlfriend to start multiple threads saying the books were the cat's behind, started multiple threads himself, and then rated his own stuff 5 stars, because he thought the person giving him 1 stars was just being mean.

I think that this is a great thread, but let's make clear that merely asking for attention is not specific enough. 

It's not really enough that someone has written a book, not these days, and not with the proliferation of ways to get published. People want to support a new writer, but there's also cynicism. Even if the price is right, I need more to go ahead and make that purchase, yet daily (between here and a few other boards) I see authors that come in, say they have a book, state it's a bargain and then disappear or continue on the one note. They either keep a low post count, or you can look at posts by members and see that all the posts are the same topic -- their book, which we still know nothing about other than it's inexpensive.

Writers have obligations and can't always hang around message boards, but whether they post one or twenty times, they still should make their language skills work for them. A little persuasion. What's the book about? Does the writer have any favorite authors or inspirations? I want to like the author enough to take a chance. I don't have to think we'd be best friends, but it doesn't hurt if I feel I could talk to this person about books and that that they walk the necessary tightrope between humility and confidence. I don't like the aforementioned, "Hey world, I wrote a book, buy it!" but I also don't want to see, "I'm a better writer now, but I dunno, maybe you'll like it."

There are writers who constantly hawk their books for .99 and I consistently deem it not worth the risk, because the writer has yet to show charm or skill. Yet weekly, I spend more money than that per book on new (to me) writers because I see a recommendation from someone I trust, or the person has said something charming on a message board, or I'm lead to their entertaining blog. I am taking a chance on them and paying several times what others are asking, but it seems like much less of a risk, because they and the people associated with them are acting in a professional manner.

I've seen the argument made that it's tough to get out, get noticed, yet read, and so you have to pick up a bullhorn and do a variation of "Head On! Apply Directly to Forehead...Head On! Apply Directly to Forehead." I don't buy it. There's a difference between successful marketing by using available resources and being an obnoxious tool. I think people in the latter group think they're being savvy, but the real term for it is off-putting.

I know the self-published and the, um, vanity pressed are fighting more of an uphill battle, but that's when it's even more important to act like the writers in the big leagues. Make people think you don't have a contract because you've yet to be discovered, and not because it's the best you can do. Behave with the same decorum you would if you had a big time pub there to rein you in from making an *ss out of yourself.

The hard-sell that I've decried does work for some people in the market for books and there are some readers who just really like the idea of reading the work of people they "know," so the obnoxious stuff will sell some product. However, a more refined approach gets the same people, but also attracts those who prefer a different technique.

[MichelleR]

I would like that. I do not want to seem like I'm jumping up and down squealing look at me ! look at me!. I do want to mention that I do write and the books are there for the perusing...but that's it. I am really uncomfortable with too much self promotion, but a place to connect with other writers, where anyone can lurk whether they write or not, that would be awesome.

I've never noticed you cross a line. In fact, between your low-key mention of your cat's writing career, and other people chiming in to say your cat is pretty funny, I now own three books by your, ahem, cat.

I respond first to an appealing Cover read: Colors

I know! And sometimes it defies logic. I don't know how many times I've been more-than-half sold by a cover, read the description and found out the book was not my thing, and read the back again just to make sure I couldn't justify buying it.

[Steph H]

<totally off topic>  Thumper's cat is freakin' hilarious!   </totally off topic>

Actually, maybe not so off topic. After having devoured all 3 cat books, now I have to try Thumper's books too. Surely she's as good a writer as her cat is....   And that's one way a writer gets attention, by having a clever but not nauseating "gimmick" (for lack of a better word). Interest me in one book, for whatever reason or combination of reasons, and I'm much more likely to try out others.

[chynared21]

<totally off topic>  Thumper's cat is freakin' hilarious!   </totally off topic>

Actually, maybe not so off topic. After having devoured all 3 cat books, now I have to try Thumper's books too. Surely she's as good a writer as her cat is....   And that's one way a writer gets attention, by having a clever but not nauseating "gimmick" (for lack of a better word). Interest me in one book, for whatever reason or combination of reasons, and I'm much more likely to try out others.

Clever is right...she was kind of promoting her cat's book  But, she also had me laughing when she said that she didn't want to seem like she was jumping up and down promoting her books....struck me as funny with a name like Thumper