Category: Articles

Help People Understand WHY They Should Buy Your Book

Supporting a fellow poetess at the Atlanta African American Book Festival, 2019.

In my years of consulting with authors and working with them on their books, I’ve discovered that the most difficult challenge for many is not writing the book (many of them have been writing their entire lives) but finding innovative ways to market and promote it.

With so many hats to wear, the last thing an Indie Author wants to do is strategize about how to promote their book day in and day out.

And you know what? We don’t have to!

Everything does not have to be part of some grand strategy that only a rocket scientist could understand. The secret to wisdom is often in its simplicity.

Considering it as relationship-building and connection-making rather than marketing and promotion could help you focus on the reasons behind your book. It involves thinking up creative ways to draw in and hold the interest of those who are already searching for solutions to the problems your books address. 

Not only can these connections help you meet new people who buy books, but you might also find a business partner or lifelong friend.

Since your identity as an author is heavily influenced by who you are personally, it might be beneficial to present your individuality and draw on real-world experiences to engage readers on a deeper level.

Dr. Jackie Walters does this well. 

Award-winning OB/GYN and star of the hit TV show Married to Medicine on Bravo, I reviewed her book a few years ago. The Queen V: Everything You Need to Know About Sex, Intimacy, and Down There Health Care goes into detail about our precious lady parts and all the ways to stay healthy. She has these videos where she reveals something informative about the vulva, sex, and intimacy. 

Here’s the important part: She only sometimes mentions her book in these videos! Sometimes, she’ll just have it sitting to the side, or it won’t be in the shot at all.

Dr. Jackie understands her expertise, and by educating her people and entertaining them with her props (she uses fruits and everything, chile), people are increasingly interested in her topic and her book without her mentioning it in every post.

She just shows up as herself.

In the end, we must show people why they should buy our book, not just that they should. This builds genuine connections and strong relationships that help our books to sell without stressing us out.

Click here for more Indie Author Basics aimed at encouraging you through the Self-Publishing / Indie Author Process!

People Don’t Buy Books

Photo by Pixabay

I was listening to a podcast with Myron Golden (he’s brilliant) about high-ticket coaching and sales, and I realized something: It’s hard to sell books because people don’t buy books.

They buy into the message behind the book, and its perceived value.

It’s not even about the book’s quality because people don’t buy quality either. They expect it.

I call this series Indie Author Basics because it focuses on the fundamentals of creating high-quality books. Every reader wants the book they buy to be well-produced. At the most basic level, we want to produce a high-quality book that meets that expectation.

But to go deeper, even more than quality, is what people feel. People will pay you when something is worth more than the money to them, and that’s the perceived value and the message.

This is why, as authors, we do interviews and podcasts, book signings, and meet and greets. It is why we write blog posts, post to social media, collaborate with other authors, and build relationships: to create an environment that helps us amplify our voices.

“Dig your well before you’re thirsty.”

– Harvey MacKay

Before I published Black History Facts, I published over fifty articles on Black History Fun Fact Friday. I then headed to IG and TikTok, turning those fun facts into posts and videos. It did better than I expected. In fact, it did so well that people asked me about the book, which wasn’t published yet.

I created an appetite for the book before I wrote the book.

I also set my preorder price for the ebook to $9.99 on Amazon and sold the hardcovers for $34. I also offered a bundle package which I sold for $97. From this, I learned two things:

  1. To quote Golden, “Your price is part of your branding.” It tells people how valuable you are.

I knew I needed to upgrade my mindset and prices for this kind of book. People who buy premium-value products will buy something just because it’s expensive. Their own sense of intrinsic value will cause them to pay more because it reminds them that they are worth it.

A person who purchases a Rolex probably didn’t do it because they wanted to wear a watch. They could buy any watch if they just wanted to tell time. But what they want is the prestige that comes with wearing an expensive watch.

This means that people also buy status.

SN: This does not mean throwing something together and then charging people up the ass for it. Remember, a good quality product is basic.

  1. People will pay you when the perceived value is worth more than their money.

People buy belonging, confidence, safety, knowledge, and solutions to their problems.

They buy reassurance and peace of mind.

So, I will not try to sell books because I now know that people don’t buy books.

Instead, I will continue to share my message (restoring black historical truth) and create an appetite for it by delivering value!

Drop a comment if you’re with me!

Understanding the Power of Distribution as a Self-Published Author

We hear a lot of the cons to self-publishing. Now, let’s talk about some perks!

One exciting benefit of self-publishing is not just being in control of how you will publish the book and who you want to help you, but you are also in control of distribution.

Remember, all self-publishing means is you are your own publisher.

You can decide where to sell the book and offer discounts and deals to bookstores and larger corporations who want to carry your title.

Publishing with Amazon is just one step in your author journey. You can also set up an account with Ingram Spark to configure these discounts, returns, and wholesale prices.

This becomes important when you start petitioning booksellers offline.

Navigating this part is exciting for authors who always dreamed of seeing their titles on the shelves of bookstores and libraries. (Do people still visit the library?)

It can also be a learning curve, though.

For instance, while getting books into bookstores is thrilling, the job is only complete once the book has been sold.

If the book does not sell, it will have to be returned, which means that your books will be returned to you if they do not sell.

For this reason, booksellers tend to put self-published authors on trial periods, only accepting so many books for a specified time, to test demand for the title.

However, you can also sell your book to booksellers and corporations as a publisher.

The world of self-publishing is extensive!

Should we go deeper into this side of the business? Let me know if you enjoyed this post and want to hear more on this topic!

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Why Adding “Amazon Best Seller” to Your Book Cover Is Not a Good Idea

The Amazon Best Seller Badge is something to be proud of, no matter how small you believe your success is. However, I wouldn’t put it on my book covers.

Adding “Amazon Best Seller” or “#1 Amazon Best Seller” to your book cover is not a good idea because the title, unfortunately, holds little weight among industry insiders and quickly goes away when the book drops in rank.

I would also not add the badge if my book became a bestseller when it was free. This means people downloaded the book, I didn’t sell copies which could make the “Best Seller,” misleading.

If your book is picked up by a traditional publisher and reaches best seller status, they will create a new cover with the label.

“Being an Amazon Best Seller is a credential that could mean you sold 10 books in a sub sub sub category.”

Luvvie Ajayi Jones

What Luvvie means is you can get a bestselling ribbon or become a bestseller in a random, obscure category by selling just a few books.

This doesn’t mean the author shouldn’t be proud of themselves.

This means the author should wait until they see themselves on the list consistently (holding steady for days, weeks, or months at a time) or if they are in the top categories of all books on Amazon, not just one random category.

There are many bestseller lists, and being named on any of them is an accomplishment worth celebrating. 

Unfortunately, Amazon Best Seller holds the least weight, and people are so inundated by it that it no longer means much. Adding it to your book cover looks cool, but it will not help you sell more books, nor will it help you look like an accomplished author.

It could, in some ways, make you look like an amateur.

In fact, unless you are among more recognized lists, such as USA Today or the New York Times, I would leave bestseller off the cover altogether.

However, this is only my opinion so if you do it, I advise:

  • Award Winning Author (if you’ve won any notable literary awards)
  • Best Selling author of (Your Best Selling Title) but leave the Amazon part out
  • USA Today Best Selling Author (If applies)
  • New York Times Best Selling Author (If applies)

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Black History Facts Book Review by Jeremy Lamkin

The reviews are coming in! Here’s what Jeremy had to say!

“This book is full of the kind of history that should be taught in school but instead, is relatively unknown. The author did an outstanding job putting this material together, which took ten years and tons of research. It’s a must-read for anyone who’s into history.

The author focuses on people and groups who have been pivotal in black history. She gives a voice to the marginalized and makes us aware of the contributions of the family of historical figures like Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr. Each chapter gets the dirt on whitewashed or forgotten pieces of history.

Read this book to learn about the aftermath of the Civil War and how slavery was reconstructed in the form of criminal justice. The book is compelling and hard to put down as you discover a series of horrific truths about history.

This book contributed significantly to my view of American history, as it has put a lot of things in perspective. I see how slavery was reworked into other forms of slavery and evolved in complexity into the Bernaysian economic system based on Freud’s fear of human nature.

Reading this, a lot of light bulbs went off for me. It dawned on me that nothing that ever happened is ever really over, like slavery and public relations. I can’t recommend this book enough!”

Jeremy Lamkin, Amazon Customer Review

Thanks so much Jeremy!

If you read this book, please be sure to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads! The book is also on Barnes and Noble; reviews are welcome there as well!

Here’s how:

Facts to Know:

  • You don’t have to like a book to review it. All reviews help the author!
  • If you don’t have the book, it is currently 99 cents for Women’s History Month (all March) and free with Kindle Unlimited. After march, the ebook goes back to its original price of $9.99.
  • Blog reviews count! Simply link to my blog or let me know you’ve reviewed it and I’ll repost it.

Review or Grab Your Copy Here!

The Journey

Photo by Josh Hild

When I decided to write the history book, I was intentional about taking people on that journey with me.

When I visited museums, I shared video clips, took pictures of historical landmarks, and shared screenshots of my writing progress.

I wrote about where I was in my writing, such as when the book was going in for editing, and continued to educate on topics I would cover in the book. I vividly recall how excited I was to finish the first draft and celebrate with my team.

I’d built up so much awareness and excitement about this book that people were searching for it on Amazon before it came out. This was part of the reason I put it on preorder so early. It was in demand. It is what the people wanted.

As a result of taking people on the journey with me, I’ve had more fun writing this book than I’ve had writing any other book. I’ve also sold more preorders for this book since The Stella Trilogy through my website. The level of trust that people who didn’t know me from Adam put in ordering directly from me was humbling.

But it didn’t come cheap.

People trusted me because I put in the work. The work is not done. Far from it, but it has started. With this foundation, I look forward to continuing to build with the people who believe in me and the mission of continuing the work necessary to restore the forgotten heritage to the forgotten people.

What I hope new authors will take from this is the power of taking people on the journey with you and having fun with the process of writing the book.

Purchase Your Copy of Black History Facts Here. It’s Only 99cents As An ebook for the Month of March!

ps. If you’ve read this book already, please be sure to leave a review on Amazon!

Women’s History Month: Limited Time Offer

PoeticMode at Modex Atlanta

First things, first. A quick update.

I met up with some amazing poets in Atlanta (there were more of us, but it was late and several poets had already left) for Modex’s first Poetic Mode feature on Wednesday night. There were three open-mic poets, four features, and the host also did a poem.

I was honored to be one of the features. The difference is the featured poets are paid to perform. *Does happy dance.*

The only downside (which is not a downside in the grand scheme of things) is that I felt out of place, considering I have not done much spoken word lately, let alone in Atlanta, so they were talking about stuff I didn’t know anything about, lol. But I listened humbly and vowed I’d get more involved.

At the end of the sessions, there was a panel where we were asked questions so the audience could learn more about us. I liked this part the most because the questions had us thinking deeply and going inward, and I love a good thought-provoking convo.

I wished it had been longer so that more audience members could have asked their questions, but it was at the end and we were tired and hungry from such a long day. We had been there since six, not counting travel time to the venue, which for me meant leaving the house at 4-ish (because I’m an hour away from the city and Atlanta’s traffic is trash), and it was now approaching 10 pm.

Either way, it was nice to meet poets and talk about poetry stuff outside of the internet. I love ya’ll, but talking to people face-to-face was refreshing.

Now, for today’s exciting book news:

As the reviews start to come in, I want to give more of you a chance to get your hands on this book.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the ebook version of Black History Facts is 99 cents for March.

After March, the price will return to $9.99, so don’t wait!

Take this chance to get your copy, and don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon when you are done!

About.

“Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School” is a historical guide on Black Americans’ accomplishments, contributions, and struggles. It includes the experiences of Black individuals who have often been marginalized, overlooked, or omitted from mainstream historical accounts.

From the resilience of women like Anna Douglass, first wife of Frederick Douglass, to the many Black communities that prospered, recognizing and celebrating Black history helps to ensure that these stories are acknowledged and that the achievements and resilience of Black people are valued and appreciated.

Here’s what readers have to say:

“The author has taken the time to identify the importance of black individuals that sacrificed and or gone to the extra mile to contribute. Why these people are often forgotten is unfortunately seen on a regular basis. Over time all those forgotten will be highlighted as this book does. An excellent read.”

Louis Glass

“I remember her sharing these facts that were on her blog weekly and I looked forward to them. The fact that she compiled them and expounded on what was there to give you all this black history atlas is a blessing. Not many people are giving you the history that isn’t washed over and dressed up in a new outfit. It’s commendable and appreciative for someone to provide this level of nuggets that are given.”

Natashia Crawford

“This book provides readers with a thorough examination of lesser-known but incredibly significant facets of the black experience, serving as a monument to the richness and diversity of black history. From African ancient civilizations to the American civil rights movement, each chapter reveals a historical jewel that offers priceless insights into the tenacity, inventiveness, and accomplishments of black people across time.”

SLT

“Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School!!! Well-researched and thought-provoking book that sheds light on the powerful but often overlooked contributions of Black Americans. Super informative and educational. Highly recommend it!!”

Emir

Grab Your 99c Ebook Here

If you preordered a book, it has shipped and you should be getting it real soon!