Last week, on a publisher’s list, someone wrote in asking about NovelRank.com. He wanted to know if their numbers only came from Amazon, or if they counted third party sellers as well. He said NovelRank was reporting more sales than his printer. That was not at all surprising!
It happened again this week. And, unfortunately, it happens ALL the time. Conference organizers/coordinators and their employees (and even bookstores!) drop the ball. After hiring you (or charging you!) to appear at their event, and after promising to order dozens or even hundreds of your books for their attendees, they fail to do so. The author, after making plans to attend, to present, or just to sell, and perhaps even after buying a plane ticket, and reserving a rental car and hotel room, is stuck at a table (or in front of a podium) with no books for their eager, book-buying audience.
Would I approach a Barnes and Noble with a consignment agreement or there’s too much red tape for that?
My self-published book is in paperback and hardcover formats. I know the hardcovers are more expensive but I think they are more impressive, and might garner more attention from reviewers. I am looking at this from a business perspective – ROI. What has been your experience?
In today’s high-tech and uber-connected society, times have sure changed. You are now more likely to find details on a breaking news story on Twitter well before one of the major networks breaks it. Digital media has taken over newspapers and magazines, and long gone are the days of only the select few authors hand-picked by publishers getting book deals. Nowadays, just about anybody can self-publish in digital and/or print format.
The conference was less than 12 weeks away, which left less than a month for the actual authoring.
Despite taking an e-course in “Social Media,” I am only selling a handful of books. I have two Facebook groups and a web site/blog by the same name as my published book. I am tweeting. I am meeting contacts on LinkedIn. Yet, STILL I am not selling.
In 2002, my book was published by (a traditional publisher). It’s a book on creative writing for teachers. I don’t think the publisher could afford marketing and I did not have time with my job at a museum. Any ideas for how to promote?
Most writers have business cards to pass out to interested readers and writers, but what about business postcards? A writer is in business, after all, not only to let others know about their latest book but to sell it as well. Investing your money in postcards becomes valuable the minute you hand one to a potential reader …
My friend (who is a marketing major) and I are trying to organize a book signing. We are considering various things to make more sales. However, to do that, she said Barnes and Noble told us that the book has to be sold in that store in order for them to host my signing …
