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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

HOW TO GET YOUR BOOK NOTICED


{Cover courtesy of the genius of Heather McCorkle}

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"HELP ROLAND REPAIR HIS CAR"
FUND! 

Consciousness seeped back painfully into my dull mind.  Where was I?  How had I gotten here?  And just where was here?  I opened my heavy eyelids.
Merde.
I swayed slightly as I hung by my wrists linked to a silver chain strung from the ceiling.  My nose wrinkled from the stench of sulfuric acid.  The interior swimming pool beneath me was filled with it.  The diffused sunlight from the shaded windows cast weird reflections on the marble walls from the lethal surface of the rippling acid beneath me. 
My wrists were handcuffed with silver cuffs.  I smiled bitterly.  Someone didn’t know exactly what I was.
That someone spoke gruffly, “The great McCord finally helpless.  I have lived to see it.”
I studied the portly man in elegant evening clothes sitting in a white wicker chair beneath me. The chair was far enough away from the pool’s edge that me dropping in would not splash acid upon him.  He sipped fine brandy and studied me back.  I may not drink the stuff, but I knew President Ulysses S. Grant would not drink any brandy but the best. 



You can write the most beautiful novel ever crafted ...
     but it will die if you cannot draw internet attention to it.

Most self-published books sell fewer than 100 or 150 copies.

GETTING YOUR eBOOK NOTICED IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT SELLING YOUR BOOK.

I. HOW DO YOU GET THAT ATTENTION?

1.) Book cover

You can choose a proper image for the book cover that will draw attention to your eBook.
     a.) You need to choose the proper thumbnail with a theme that reflects the contents of your
           eBook.

     b.) Many readers will be drawn to the book cover long before
          reading the description and the reviews.

     c.) It helps if you have a book cover that instantly draws attention.

     d.) Look at the image for THE NOT-SO-INNOCENTS ABROAD

2.) Pricing

      a.)  it should neither be too cheap or too expensive
      b.) People value what costs them and hold to be inferior what they got cheaply.

3.) TITLE

      a.) Pick your title BEFORE you begin (you'll be with your novel for weeks so have a title that inspires you!

      b.) It's a marriage - LOVE YOUR TITLE

      C.) What a great title does:
            1.) Captures your audience’s attention
            2.) It communicates what your e-book is about
            3,) If it’s your style, it should include a little bit of a “What the Heck?” factor:
                      
Titles tell your audience a little something about you.
Look at these three sets of words:
  • Epic; Awesome.
  • Remarkable; Brilliant.
  • Elegant; Erudite
Each pair of words has a unique flavor. You can almost begin to see the people that would use them in a title or a headline.

Which means that the words in your e-book title need to reflect your style.

       D.) WHO'S AN OXYMORON?~!

           i.) EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE was a great title to an older book because it linked two
                opposites.

           ii.) Startle your reader and snare his attention.

4.) YOUR BOOK DESCRIPTION

     a.)  Most people skim the content.

          1.) You’re also one of them (okay, including me)
          2.) This is where you need to write creatively
          3.) Use short paragraphs
          4.) Use short sentences like this.

     b.) Divide your content into three blocks

          1.)  Introduction (first two to three lines or really important. Tell them a story,
                make them scary, make them laugh, do anything but don’t make them bored.
               They must read your first two lines.

          2.) Middle of the content (this is where your actual MEAT of the content comes in)
          3.) Ending (end with either a surprise twist or question.)

II. HERE BE MONSTERS

   A.) It is the Old West once again.

   B.) Remember the Klondike Gold Madness (well not from actual memory, of course -- unless you're Sam McCord!)

   C.) Wild-eyed dreamers would race to Alaska where they would fall victim to prospectors
          selling fake maps to sure gold mines.

   D.) There are no GUARANTEED WAYS TO SUCCEED or 
 CERTAIN STEPS TO
          RICHES WITH YOUR EBOOK.

   E.) Once again, just write what you love, what fills your imagination with magic and delight.


4 comments:

  1. Good points as usual, Roland, and I can certainly relate to them. Yesterday I signed a contract with a book cover artist, one who is so good he's backed up for six months. I was planning on getting my two novels out sooner, but I figured that in the meantime I'll work on marketing them, getting a few important reviews, and so on. And of course I made sure every single word in the first book's blurb was perfect.

    Sigh. We put so much work into getting our stories out into the world, don't we?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Being self-published means we have to do what the traditional publishers used to do but do not anymore.

      Send me your first book when finished, and I will review it when life lets up on me.

      Best to wait to put your best foot (or in this case, cover) forward!

      Highest of sales, Roland

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  2. Excellent points! The title is so important. Unique is good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Noticed by readers is even better! :-) Thanks for being my constant friend, Alex.

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