Tag: authors

Is Your Book Marketable?

As I learn more about self-publishing and strive to develop and sell better books, I realize how important it is to write a marketable book. As I speak with other writers who want to self-publish, I realize how important this stage is to the process.

Traditionally, publishers will turn down a book if it’s not marketable. In self-publishing, there are no gatekeepers to make that decision, as the author has more creative control.

The disadvantage to this, however, is that the self-published book that doesn’t have a market also doesn’t sell well, and the author learns the hard way why publishers tend to be so selective.

“No matter how you decide to publish, your book, ultimately, ends up a product in the marketplace—a product for sale. Yes, your creativity, authenticity and even inspiration make it stand out from the pack. However, often, more than these things, a bestseller is created by your ability to:

write a book that is unique in a category

write a book that is necessary in a market and category

write a book that targets a large potential audience

successfully target and promote to a market.”

Nina Amir, How to Write Marketable Books that Feed the Soul

Publishing is challenging, period. It doesn’t matter if you are self-publishing or publishing traditionally; it’s hard work.

But it’s even harder to push a book that has no market.

One way to discover this is to ask yourself questions.

Are there other books similar to the one I am writing that have been successful?

Years ago, I spoke with an author who said they wanted to write a cookbook that is also a self-help book and a memoir.

It would be difficult to market this kind of book because it has no clear focus, and there is no evidence of someone combining so many different genres in one book and doing it successfully. It is confusing, and there is no audience for it.

We frequently want to produce the most innovative and unique story ever written, which causes us to overthink. The concept that we have a completely original idea that has yet to be realized is a fantasy. It is not real. Each story idea has been tried before. What distinguishes a book is our unique perspective.

It’s YOUR voice that makes it different. It’s YOUR voice that makes it stand out.

Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile

What’s the competition like?

What are the top five to ten books in your categories that are doing well? This is not to compare yourself to them and feel bad about it. This allows you to determine whether there is a need that you can supply. In what ways is your narrative set-apart? Are there any gaps in the market you can fill? The lack of this type of market analysis is why self-published books fail to sell. There is a lot of inventiveness, but more business principle implementation is needed.

When I chose to publish Black History Facts, I knew I wanted it to be both instructive and straightforward. I didn’t want it to be so nerdy or long that the average individual became bored and stopped reading. I based this on other nonfiction history books that are comparable to mine but that I get bored with over time.

I also considered young readers early in their black history journey. Is there something a young person could read on their way to the longer, more advanced reads? I wouldn’t recommend Black AF History to my thirteen-year-old niece. It is an excellent education, but I know she’s not going to read 432 pages. I took all of this into consideration.

What are people’s reactions when I talk about my book? Do they gasp? Do they want to know more? Do they ask follow-up questions? Are they checking in to see if I’ve finished it yet?

If people keep asking about your book, that’s a clue that it is marketable because of its demand. If your logline or first few sentences intrigue them, you might have yourself a winner.

Another thing you could do is to use your blog as a test platform. Share a few chapters of a story and see what kind of engagement and feedback you get. I’ve written a few books from this blog by doing that, including Black History Facts.

“Publishing is a business, and the business owner needs to be as certain as they can be that the products or services they offer for sale will sell and make money for them. It is no different from a boutique owner deciding to stock one dress style and not another – or a building contractor using the same sub-contractors because they have demonstrated a superior service in the past.”

Nina Amir, How to Write Marketable Books that Feed the Soul

While editing, cover art, and formatting are must-haves for any book, writing a book that people want to read, one that is marketable, is the first step to self-publishing a book that sells.

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Take the Leap

When I first decided to put my book up for preorder in September (2023), I wondered if I had made the right decision. I had never run a preorder campaign that far in advance of the release date. And I was wondering if I could keep the momentum up. In my experience, people forget after a while, and the excitement fades.

Still, I took the leap of faith and put it up anyway.

The result is a book that has been selling every month since September and is currently a #1 New Release on Amazon for the ebook edition. The book doesn’t officially come out until the end of next month (Feb.).

“What if I fail?”

“Oh, but what if you fly?”

There is a common belief that if you give too much of your book away, people won’t be interested.

While I don’t think you should reveal everything, I do believe that talking about topics related to your book never gets old and, in that sense, you can never give away too much information. You can never know too much about your topic. You can never over study. The more you know, the more you can give.

And the more you give, the more interested people become.

This is my first nonfiction book about Black history. My other books cover these topics, but they are fictional. The nonfiction authors I admire and respect and who have done well with their launches all have something in common. They all educate their audience on their topic.

Whether in the form of a story and lesson learned or just putting fun facts out on social media, they have garnered interest in their books by talking about them. 

My biggest worry is not knowing enough, which (from a not-so-positive end) sometimes causes me to shrink. However, from a positive end, it keeps me searching, reading, and studying to show myself approved. It keeps me humble and hungry.

So, I thank you for supporting this work and I hope it inspires you to take the leap on whatever that might be. You might discover that you can fly!

I’d also like to remind you that we are ONE week away from closing preorders! If you haven’t yet, you can grab your paperback, hardcopy, or bundle at the link here. You can also find the link to the ebook on the site and more information about the book.

We are one week away from closing preorders for Black History Facts!

Order Your Copy Here

http://www.blkhistorybook.com | 2.24.24

Self-Publishing: White, Cream, or Groundwood Eggshell Paper?

Self-publishers who use Print-On-Demand may find themselves in a situation where, though they’ve done all they could to produce a superior product, the lack of resources to truly make it shine will still leave the book with that this must have been self-published glow.

That is why the paper you choose for your book is important as it could set the tone for how professional (or cheap) your book looks on the inside.

So let’s talk about it.

White, Cream, or Groundwood Eggshell?

If you have yet to reach the stage where you’ve published your book, bookmark this for later!

In short, you will get to choose your paper when uploading your files to KDP, Ingram, or whichever platform you choose and setting everything up for publishing. This is the paper used to print your book. Your choices will be white, cream, or, if you are using Ingram Spark, Groundwood Eggshell.

I do not recommend white paper except in cases of books with color images. Otherwise, you want to choose cream paper when publishing your book.

It is easier on the eyes than white and makes your book look more professional on the inside.

I always say there is a lot self-publishers can learn from traditionally published books. If you go to your bookshelf and crack open a traditionally published book, the paper is a creamy, off-white. For self-publishers, cream paper is the closest you’ll get to that.

Well, it was the closest.

Enter, my new favorite, Groundwood Eggshell…

I love how this paper makes my book look like it was printed by a publishing house.

It’s not always the case that a Self-Published book looks self-published because of poor editing or cover art.

It can also be because Print-on-Demand does not offer the same industry-level finish to the physical product as traditionally published books by larger publishers.

Some people can tell by the glossy finish and white paper the book has been self-published.

Annd it doesn’t help that Amazon puts a Not for Resale strip on their proof copies. (This was not always the case). At first, I thought it was a nice touch, but now it’s like a big red flag that screams: “I published this book on Amazon!”

That’s why I like Ingram Spark’s quality, specifically their hardcovers and Groundwood Eggshell paper option better than Amazon. The grade of the physical book is excellent and sets the book apart to where it looks like it was printed by a publishing house.

For the record, I am not saying a self-published book is not good unless it is like a traditionally published book.

I am saying that self-publishers do not always have access to the resources to produce a book that can compete with books published by companies with bigger budgets and better materials.

Imagine if Black schools could have received better resources, school houses, books, everything they needed, but remained all-black.

History would probably be different.

https://www.blkhistorybook.com/

In the same way, imagine if self-publishers and indie authors everywhere had the same access to tools similar to traditional publishing houses but remained independent in the process.

When choosing your paper, I do not recommend you ever choose white except in the special case we discussed. Always go with the cream, and if you are using Ingram, try that Groundwood Eggshell.

If your book is properly edited and formatted, this paper should make your interior pop out.

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Preorder Your Copy of Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School Here!

http://www.blkhistorybook.com | 2.24.24

5 Ways to Use Social Media as Part of Your Book Marketing Plan

Social media is not a marketing plan but can be part of a larger strategy because it is a connection tool. It helps you to find, connect with, and nurture your audience.

It is through these connections that you build the like and trust factor. People believe in you and trust you.

When people believe in you, they buy from you.

Here are Some Ways to Use Social Media as Part of Your Larger Strategy:

Share your journey and inspiration.

Why are you writing this book? Who are some of your favorite authors and their books? What inspired you to write in the first place? What’s the story behind your title? What’s your story?

Follow accounts related to your topic.

Who follows you on social media is less important than who YOU follow. These accounts influence you personally and train the algorithm to show you more of the same.

Engaging with accounts that are relatable to your topic, beliefs, morals, values, and passions will do two things.

First, it will make you aware of trending topics in the news related to your area of expertise, which will help you create relatable content.

Discussing current events related to your book’s genre can be a great way to generate interest and attention while using social media to share your thoughts and insights. This helps build your author platform, authority, and attract more readers to your work.

Secondly, following like-minded accounts and engaging with them will introduce you to more people who might enjoy reading your kind of book.

Center Content Around the Topics/Themes of Your Book

Focus your messaging on connections and themes related to your book. Consider how the post might be educational, inspirational/motivational, informative, or entertaining. Even when I post something silly to TikTok, I make sure it aligns with what I am known for.

My rule of thumb is that the post must have something to do with black history/history in general, poetry, or books in some way. As a result of only focusing on these things, I’ve grown my TikTok account from 3K to 26.1K followers, highest view at 1.5 million, and increased subscriptions to my email list.

Leverage Relationships

Collaborate with other writers, authors, and business people who write books similar to yours or offer a service you can benefit from. Can they get you on their podcast? Review your book? Promote it on their pages? Can they repost/share your book cover? Do they know of anyone who can offer a service related to what you do? As the old saying goes, “closed mouths don’t get fed.” A lot of opportunities to gain exposure comes from simply asking.

Social Proof

We live in a world where most people only believe what they see. Share screenshots of book reviews, excerpts, quotes, and recommendations from others to provide social proof that can help boost interest in your book. This proof can also showcase your writing through blog posts, articles, videos, graphics, and more. Give people a taste of what they can expect from the whole meal. People self-publish books every day so show what sets you apart.

I hope this helps get your 2024 book marketing efforts off to a good start!

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Preorder Your Copy of Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School Here!

http://www.blkhistorybook.com | 2.24.24

The Self-Publishing Debate: Should You Spend Money to Publish Your Book

I didn’t plan on posting today, but there is a debate going on about whether new authors should spend money on self-publishing their books.

In brief, publishing a book you want others to spend their money on will cost some financial investment if you care about your reader’s experience.

There’s a reason authors who sign with conventional publishing houses don’t pay money for editing and cover art. It is because the publisher has a team of experts to take care of that. In exchange, the author sells the rights to their book and receives royalty payments for sales.

As a self-publisher, you are the publisher, which means you are responsible for outsourcing everything you need to ensure a profitable product.

It doesn’t have to be an arm and a leg, but you want to, at minimum, cover editing, a decent cover design, print and digital formatting, and own your ISBN from Bowker so that you are the publisher of record.

Paying someone to publish your book is also not self-publishing.

If you paid someone to publish your book, including editing it and everything else, you have not self-published it. You have paid a vanity press to publish it for you.

I’ve heard too many horror stories from authors who say they will never self-publish again, only to discover they never actually self-published. They signed with a vanity press who uploaded the book to Ingram, and did little more than the author could have done themselves.

But this isn’t about vanity presses. This is about how too many people self-publish because they think it’s easier than all other routes: vanity, hybrid, and traditional. They have not considered if they have the time and resources to self-publish or if it’s even something they are really interested in.

The truth is that not everyone is equipped to be their own publisher, which is fine! First-time authors are not required to self-publish, but if they do, they must recognize the financial risks involved in providing a quality product worth people’s money.

You cannot throw a book together that you claim you didn’t do to make money and then sell this mediocrity to other people.

Cause technically, you can self-publish for $0, but it will look like it.

I blame the existence of this debate on the whole “art” conversation. Authors don’t think they have to invest financially because too many of us consider publishing a book a passion project instead of a business decision.

This is the first mistake.

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Preorder Your Copy of Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School Here!

http://www.blkhistorybook.com | 2.24.24

On Fear

I don’t exist out of thin air.

I didn’t just pop up out of nowhere teaching this through Google and YouTube University.

I teach this because I’ve lived through it.

And, while much of what I discuss is well-known on the tail end of 2023, it wasn’t when I first started. Self-publishing has been around for ages, but Print-On-Demand was new, and no one was talking about it, let alone their journey.

Without that first book, there would be no I am Soul or any other book.

I self-published my first book in 2010, and it was trash.

But I was 23 and unafraid.

There is something to be learned from young people.

The content was good, but the production was poor.

I knew nothing about editing, book cover art, or proper formatting.

Every mistake that could be made by self-publishing a book, I have made it and then some over the years.

But even though the book was far from perfect, I still sold copies. And even though I didn’t know what I was doing, my youthfulness had armed me with the boldness to put it out there anyway.

“Take the risk or lose the chance.”

I remember being at my in-laws house in Memphis. My husband had told my nephew:

“You can do anything if you believe it. You can climb that wall if you wanted to.”

Do you know what this five-year-old did?

He proceeded to climb the walls.

The fact that he could fall had never crossed his mind. And if it did, he didn’t care.

As we age and experience the brutality that is sometimes this life, we become more afraid.

This causes us to overthink until fear paralyzes us into not taking action.

And now, we are afraid to move forward because we are afraid to fail. In many ways, this also means we are afraid to learn!

“The fear will become your weakness if you don’t overcome it.” – Yecheilyah

I cannot say if I would have taken that leap of faith, the proof of what is not seen, had I known everything there was to know about book publishing. It would not have been perfect enough for me.

The most insightful lessons you will learn is through doing the work.

Don’t let overthinking paralyze you into not taking action.

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Preorder Your Copy of Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School Here!

http://www.blkhistorybook.com | 2.24.24

The Best Advice is Lived Experience

Photo by Ivan Samkov

I saw an Ad on Facebook where the person was telling authors that selling their books on Amazon is a waste of time and that they should sell directly from their website.

And, if you buy the course for $89.95, he’ll teach you exactly how to do it.

Be careful with this kind of advice.

It’s not even that it’s bad, but it is unbalanced.

Questions.

How many people visit your author’s website monthly? Not your blog, your static author website?

How many author websites do YOU visit regularly?

When you think about a book you want to buy, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

For me, the answer is not from the author’s website but from Amazon, and if I am going offline, I am hitting up Barnes and Noble or my local Independent bookstore.

Photo by Ivan Samkov

I have always advocated for author websites because they allow authors to track leads.

You can collect data to keep in touch with readers, like email addresses and phone numbers—something you can’t do through Amazon, which doesn’t show who bought the book. You only know if that person leaves a review.

But I wouldn’t consider Amazon a waste of time when they are the number one go-to for people looking to buy books.

This person’s perspective lacks balance. Authors can have books available through their websites and on Amazon. Also, consider everyone’s journey is different:

  • Some authors need help to afford or do not want to pay for a website, which requires buying a domain name, paying for e-commerce, and the percentage your cart of choice (say Stripe) takes out of every transaction. Meanwhile (at the time of this writing), setting up an Amazon Author Central page is free.
  • And some authors prefer to add a website outside of Amazon to track leads because they understand that a book is a product. And individuals don’t have products; businesses do. These authors see the value in their books not as the end but as the beginning of a thriving and profitable business, and businesses have websites. 

What I Recommend:

The best advice is lived experiences, and I recommend that everyone do what feels right with their souls. Otherwise, we risk stifling an author’s creativity and rob them of the opportunity to learn.

  • To increase traffic to your static website or landing page, promote it. Let people know the option to buy directly from you is available. Offer your books as signed copies and throw in some book swag. People do buy from author websites if you let them know.
  • Use your blog as your website. Because they are updated often with posts, they get much better SEO and traffic than static sites. You can set it up for free right here on WordPress. You don’t have to buy a domain unless you want to. (I did because I’m extra, lol.) It is also a great way to build community.
  • If you opt out of a website, set up your Amazon Author Central so you can send people there to buy your books and follow you. People who follow you on Amazon will get an email the next time you publish a new book!
  • Experiment! Test things out. Take risks. Sometimes we don’t know what we like because we’ve never stepped outside the box. Let experience be your teacher.