Krill is a legitimate indie press but I knew that there were teeny-tiny marketing dollars on both our ends. And no one, (except friends and family,) would buy this book because of my name. So the question was, How in Holy Hell Could I Market my Novel?
Statistics conclude most indie and self-pubbed books from first time authors sell between 100 to 1000 copies. But almost eleven months after Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys was published, it has sold approximately 8000 copies, (most of them e-books.) Confession: While I’m not Amanda Hocking, I still consider my sales numbers to be pretty good.
Thanks to Jeffrey Marks, fab author, blogger, and marketing guru, I’m happy to share a few crucial ideas that I think helped attract readers to my book.
I’m not advocating chasing ‘trendy’. I am encouraging you to research, Google, check Amazon, B&N, Wikipedia. Advice: Take some time and effort to find the best title for your book. A publisher might change it. But they might not. If you self-publish, you can pick your book title.
Crossover Market. Envision connecting your book to a wider audience than just other book people. This will help you find more readers. Once I realized cupcakes were popular, I realized I had a crossover market. I contacted approximately 600 hundred baking and cupcake baker sites and gently pitched them my book. I went to Cupcake events that were charity related. I met awesome wonderful people who loved cupcakes. Guess what? A bunch of them bought my book. Who could be your crossover market?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c7LaV5Z5z4&feature=player_profilepage
Visible, punchy Book Cover. Unless you are picked up by one of the Big 6 publishing houses, realize that the majority of your sales will be online. Your book cover will be about the size of a postage stamp on a computer screen. Potential buyers must clearly see your book title, your name and a catchy book cover. Book cover graphics should trigger something in readers’ brains that says, “Buy. Very inexpensive. Costs about as much as a frappachino or a bagel with schmear. Buy. Now.”
Again, unless you self-publish you don’t have control over the book cover. Your publisher does. I loved my first book cover more than the one I ended up with. But, my Author Success coach, Deborah Riley Magnus, pointed out that the title was “unreadable,” on a computer screen. I mentioned that to Krill Press. Goodbye exquisite tiffany blue background. Hello dark purpley blue with a readable title. Hey, it pops.
Do Not ask people twenty times a day on Twitter, FB or your blog to buy your book. Honestly, I tune those people out. Instead, give potential readers information and entertain them.
I have a Google Alert for Cupcake news. Everyday Google sends me cupcake news, I pick something interesting and repost on my book’s FB page, which I’ve automatically linked to Twitter. Other kind people on Twitter include my news in their “Follow Friday” links.
I have a Facebook page for my book instead of a separate Author Page. This is because until I have several books out, most people don’t know me as an author. But they might check in for some Cupcake news or a shout out that I have posted for a Cupcake bakery.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cupcakes-Lies-and-Dead-Guys/145404255487900
Which is another note. Give people shout outs on Twitter and FB. Tell them they’ve done a great job. Link to them. Kindness is key. A friend of a friend wrote a novel about a dog. On their book’s FB page, they asked people to send in pictures of their dog. They’d pick one dog to be ‘Dog of the Week,’ and put its picture and caption on their website. Who doesn’t think their dog is fabulous? They were flooded with fans, the book became a best seller and DreamWorks picked up the movie rights.
Videos. Before I even had a copy of my paper book in hand I decided to shoot very short funny videos related to the title. I filmed “Cute as a Cupcake,” and “Scarier than a Dead Guy” videos in which I always said, “Pamela DuMond reporting for Cupcakes, Lies and Dead Guys.” I used a Flip camera and I didn’t edit any of the videos. My goal was to let viewers know I was willing to be silly, which meant my book was probably silly as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZfKYD7NXCU&feature=player_profilepage
Do mention your book on occasion. Link on FB or twitter, your blog, or your website if you got a great review that tickled you. Mention if you won an award. Got a shout out. I noticed Mystery Scene Magazine was asking readers to email them about new books they enjoyed. I asked several readers who liked my book if they would find time to do this. They did. My book got a great mention in the magazine.
Book Trailer? My friends did an awesome book trailer for me. Honestly, I don’t know if it helped sell more books but it certainly didn’t hurt. If you want a professional book trailer, watch this. If you’re as impressed as I was, call Mike Snyder at 818/300-5152.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdijpPkuzeU&feature=player_profilepage
Last but not least – Hang out online or in person with groups of people who like the kind of book you wrote. I found The Sassy Girls Book Club on FB. They are a loving kind group or readers that love funny books and support the authors.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sassy-Girls-Book-Club/115698138490216
Pamela DuMond
Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys - a comedic mystery published by Krill Press is available in trade paperback, Kindle, and Nook. http://www.youtube.com/
