If You Believe in Your Books Give Them the Best Chance

I get emails from authors asking about book marketing for their books. The first thing I ask is for the authors to send me links to their books on Amazon, to their website and to their social media accounts if any.

What I receive in return is often quite revealing. Here are some common issues:

Issue: An author will send the URL to a page on Amazon that lists her book along with books by other people of the same name. Then I have to scroll down the page to find her book.

Solution: Send the URL to the exact book page on Amazon. And do NOT send the very long Amazon URL. Go to bit.ly where an Amazon link is automatically turned into a shorter Amazon link that looks much better. (For example, the Amazon page for MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL is at http://amzn.to/OXrBhh)

Issue: An author will say she is on Facebook without sending a link. No way to know whether a personal profile or a Facebook Page is being referenced.

Solution: Send the URL to the Facebook profile or Page. Make sure you have gotten a customized Facebook URL at www.facebook.com/username

Issue: The Kindle price is very high, especially for a self-published fiction author. For example, many self-published fiction authors have their Kindle ebooks priced between $.99 and $4.99.

Solution: Lower the price.

Note: An alternative would be to put your ebook on Amazon’s KDP Select exclusively for 90-days (read the terms carefully) so that the ebook can be borrowed for free by Amazon prime members with a Kindle. At least this way an expensive Kindle novel can be sampled – and then there is the option for the five free days in each 90-day exclusive KDP Select period.

Issue: Unclear from book title and book cover whether book is fiction or nonfiction.

Solution: Clarify the book cover by adding on it, for example, the word “novel” or “thriller.” If this is not feasible, add the appropriate word in the book’s description.

Full disclosure: I just took my own advice and added the word “technothriller” at the beginning of the Amazon book description for LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS (see http://amzn.to/N6YyFZ). I also added the word “thriller” in the beginning of the Amazon book description for CIA FALL GUY even though “A Thriller” is on the book cover (see http://amzn.to/L38eiP).

Issue: Amazon author presence not optimized — no bio and/or no headshot.

Solution: Go to authorcentral.amazon.com (if in U.S.) and add the information. And if you need help with this, see my ebook TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK at http://amzn.to/N5H0Gj

Also my new ebook TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET ON THE INTERNET WITH PICTURES could be helpful for authors — see http://amzn.to/Oa5Cmb

In conclusion, most of these issues revolve around two topics:

1) making things as easy as possible for people to say yes to you
2) making yourself stand out as a person rather than just as a book author name

When you are engaged in marketing your book online, keep these issues in mind. Your prospective readers will thank you.

And if you need help with any of these issues, consider a one-hour brainstorming session. Email me at pzmiller@millermosaicllc.com

ANNOUNCEMENT: MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL (2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist) will be FREE on Kindle Aug 20 and Aug 21. See http://amzn.to/TKTk4B

Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of fiction and nonfiction books/ebooks. A new nonfiction ebook of hers is TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK and her newest fiction ebook is the thriller CIA FALL GUY.

Click here to visit her Amazon author page at amazon.com/author/phylliszimblermiller

She also has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and is the co-founder of the online marketing company www.MillerMosaicLLC.com