HOW TO SUCCEED WITH YOUR eBOOK IN 2013

 

Anne Gallagher:
http://piedmontwriter.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-lesson-on-dreaded-november-sales-slump.html

and

L. Diane Wolfe
http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/2012/12/are-your-book-sales-sagging-and-friday.html

both had excellent articles on why your eBook may not have sold as well in November and now in December as you might have wanted.

Since 2012 is pretty much a wash now, HOW DO WE SUCCEED WITH OUR eBOOK IN 2013?

1.) Your ebook needs to have an attractive title.

a.) The title should grab the attention of your intended target audience. The more appealing the title, the more your ebook will be downloaded.

b.) Be careful with your title:

in an era of keywords, tags and search engine optimisation, it has never been more important.

2.) Your cover should be as stunning as you can afford to make it.

a.) Your cover must entice as a thumbnail and as a large cover.

b.) Your cover blurb must reach out and grab the reader:
                  "Impossible only gives birth to legends."

                  "When reality bites, bite back."

3.) Your ebook needs to have quality content.

a.) Pick a page at random - would it make a stranger want to read more - be harshly honest.

b.) Read the first chapter.  Read the last chapter.
                 i.) The first chapter exists to make the reader read more.
                 ii.) The last chapter exists to make the reader want to read the next book.

4.) It's important to put your ebook in as many formats as possible.

a.) Kindle sells the most eBooks, so start with a format compatible with Kindle Direct Publishing.

b.) Nook sells the next highest - for that you must format in Smashwords or its kin.

5.) Keep chapters short and snappy

a.) Don't flit between characters - stay with one character and thus bond your reader to her/him.

b.) The successful self-published ebooks spring from popular genres,
and those for which there are already big online communities:

c.) fantasy, erotica, chick-lit, horror and crime thrillers.

6.) Do it professionally:

According to the survey done by The Taleist ( http://blog.taleist.com/ )

self-publishers who take the most professional approach to production – getting external help (editors, proofreaders and, especially, cover designers) –

make on average 34% more from their books.
 
7.) Learn from the most popular girl in high school -
GIVE IT AWAY:
Everyone loves a freebie, especially online. Getting read is an obvious way to sell more copies via word of mouth –

if your book is any good.

For authors wanting to eat, giveaways should be for a limited time only.

8.) THE DARK SECRET:

THERE IS NO SECRET.

SOMETIMES THE LIGHTNING SIMPLY STRIKES.

The truth is, there is no magic wand.

Regardless of anyone who tries to sell you a 'How to sell a million books' guide,

it is the dirty secret no one will share – a lot of it is luck.

So there all of us are:
on the shore of the ocean of possibilities. The decisions are yours alone.

Make them wise ones.