I'm very excited because I'm going to be the featured guest on the "Mind Your Bizness" radio program on July 1st at http://www.mindyourbizness.com/. If you'd like some tips on selling your self-published book, check it out.
Also, I recently thought about something interesting...
There are some things I notice here in Germany that I cannot imagine ever seeing in the U.S. One of them is the habit of buying stickers showing a baby with the baby’s name written under it and sticking it in the back window of a car. It’s not unusual to see stickers announcing “Horst,” “Susanne” and “Fabian,” and three car seats in the back of a car.
I always comment to my husband that this is advertising your child’s name to every nut walking down the street, who can then use the information to say, “Lili – your mama sent me to get you,” and kidnap your child.
But just as I tend to defend the American way to my husband, he tends to defend the European way to me, and tells me there are far fewer kidnappings in Germany than in the U.S. This may be true, but there are also 200,000,000 fewer people in Germany than in the U.S.
So anyway, that’s just an observation of life here in Germany, and something I would highly recommend against. First of all, I think the “cute” factor wears off quickly. Second, why risk endangering your child? And finally, once the cute factor wears off, you’re stuck with what I saw this past weekend… stickers showing babies in a window with “Hans” and “Lia” written underneath, and two bored teenagers sitting in the backseat!
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Do you have comments about this or need help selling your self-published book? Please let me know here or at www.jexbo.com. I’d love to hear from you! Thanks!
How to Survive While Waiting For Your Big Break as an Author
Did you just finish your book?
Congratulations! Now, like many new authors, you may be waiting for your big break.
Well, while you wait for that publishing house, editor or producer to call, here are a few tips to help you get through these trying times while being productive.
• Do freelance work.
You’ll want to continue to improve your skills… so keep writing. Check with your local newspaper, or find neighborhood organizations that pay for submissions to their newsletters or magazines.
Also, research online for groups that may be interested in what you’re writing, and offer to prepare an article specific to their needs. You’ll also find freelance work at sites like http://www.elance.com/, http://www.craigslist.org/, http://www.guru.com/emp/index.aspx, and others.
• Consider teaching a class at a local adult education or community college program.
You might be able to set up an entire program yourself and teach something extremely focused in your area of expertise.
Or, you can branch out and discuss a topic you feel passionate about. You’ll be energized sharing your knowledge and increase your credibility as an author at the same time. Check with your local college, university or library to get started.
• Work as a volunteer somewhere that will help you promote your book.
For instance, if you’ve written a book about art, volunteer a couple hours a month at a local gallery. Perhaps you can develop a joint reading activity or event relative to your book that offers benefits for both parties?
To start, check out http://www.thevolunteerfamily.org/Volunteers/Default.aspx?gclid=CPD6zJ3igJsCFRYiagodFH66eQ, http://www.volunteermatch.org/ and your local phone book.
Now is the time to get out and promote yourself and your book. Don’t be shy. After all, you are your best cheerleader.
And while you work on your skills, spread the word and generate interest for your book, your phone just may start ringing.
Do you have questions about selling your self-published book or comic book? Please let me know here or at http://www.jexbo.com/. I'd love to hear from you!
Congratulations! Now, like many new authors, you may be waiting for your big break.
Well, while you wait for that publishing house, editor or producer to call, here are a few tips to help you get through these trying times while being productive.
• Do freelance work.
You’ll want to continue to improve your skills… so keep writing. Check with your local newspaper, or find neighborhood organizations that pay for submissions to their newsletters or magazines.
Also, research online for groups that may be interested in what you’re writing, and offer to prepare an article specific to their needs. You’ll also find freelance work at sites like http://www.elance.com/, http://www.craigslist.org/, http://www.guru.com/emp/index.aspx, and others.
• Consider teaching a class at a local adult education or community college program.
You might be able to set up an entire program yourself and teach something extremely focused in your area of expertise.
Or, you can branch out and discuss a topic you feel passionate about. You’ll be energized sharing your knowledge and increase your credibility as an author at the same time. Check with your local college, university or library to get started.
• Work as a volunteer somewhere that will help you promote your book.
For instance, if you’ve written a book about art, volunteer a couple hours a month at a local gallery. Perhaps you can develop a joint reading activity or event relative to your book that offers benefits for both parties?
To start, check out http://www.thevolunteerfamily.org/Volunteers/Default.aspx?gclid=CPD6zJ3igJsCFRYiagodFH66eQ, http://www.volunteermatch.org/ and your local phone book.
Now is the time to get out and promote yourself and your book. Don’t be shy. After all, you are your best cheerleader.
And while you work on your skills, spread the word and generate interest for your book, your phone just may start ringing.
Do you have questions about selling your self-published book or comic book? Please let me know here or at http://www.jexbo.com/. I'd love to hear from you!
How To Use SEO to Sell Your Self-Published Book
If you haven’t taken advantage of search engine optimization, or SEO, to sell your book yet, you’re missing out on a great opportunity. By adding appropriate keywords to your Amazon, jexbo or personal Web site page, potential customers will have a much easier time finding your site.
For example, if you write a book about rose gardens in England, key words for your book may be “rose garden” and “England.” Then, when people enter these words on a search engine such as http://www.yahoo.com/ or http://www.google.com/, a link to your Web site may come up.
And don’t worry. It’s not difficult.
Simply visit free sites like http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ and http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html. Enter a keyword related to your book, and these services will produce a list of popular words that people search for related to these words.
Then, take these keywords and use them to write some articles on your Web site. Provide valuable information specific to your target market. After all, the search engines look for beneficial copy, not just keywords.
This is a start, and you’ll see an increase in site traffic in a matter of days. But for additional training and to improve your SEO results, check out sites like http://www.seomoz.org/, or hire an SEO copywriter.
It’s well worth your time and effort. After all, if potential customers can’t find your books online, they’ll just buy something else to read!
Do you need help selling your self-published book? Feel free to write to me below or at http://www.jexbo.com/. Thanks!
For example, if you write a book about rose gardens in England, key words for your book may be “rose garden” and “England.” Then, when people enter these words on a search engine such as http://www.yahoo.com/ or http://www.google.com/, a link to your Web site may come up.
And don’t worry. It’s not difficult.
Simply visit free sites like http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ and http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html. Enter a keyword related to your book, and these services will produce a list of popular words that people search for related to these words.
Then, take these keywords and use them to write some articles on your Web site. Provide valuable information specific to your target market. After all, the search engines look for beneficial copy, not just keywords.
This is a start, and you’ll see an increase in site traffic in a matter of days. But for additional training and to improve your SEO results, check out sites like http://www.seomoz.org/, or hire an SEO copywriter.
It’s well worth your time and effort. After all, if potential customers can’t find your books online, they’ll just buy something else to read!
Do you need help selling your self-published book? Feel free to write to me below or at http://www.jexbo.com/. Thanks!
How to Make Money Selling eBooks
If you’ve written a book and are choosing to sell it as an e-book, rather than the traditional paper copy, there are a couple things you need to keep in mind about selling it.
Consider your target audience. They will either need an e-book reader, such as Amazon’s Kindle or Sony’s PRS-500, or they will need a computer which might require additional software (such as Adobe Acrobat) to read your book.
There are several advantages to selling your book in an e-book format. First of all, they are easier to self-publish than a book in a paper format. Generally, they can be emailed directly to the buyer, or downloaded from a Web site that stores your book for you.
This is a big plus to a buyer who might appreciate the instant access to your book. Buyers might also like that they can adjust the font to their likeness. Some readers prefer large-print books, and if your book is in e-book format, you don’t need two different copies printed to reach the market that wants the larger font size.
Do an online search to find where you can reach your target market and consider leaving messages in chat rooms and forums to let readers know you have a book they might be interested in. Some sites such as http://www.craigslist.org/ let you list your book for sale for free, but you are limited to 30 days at a time and have to remember to renew it after it expires.
You can easily sell your e-book online once you have it ready for purchase. For more information, please visit my Web site, http://www.jexbo.com/. We have an e-book format option when you list your book for sale. For 99¢ per month, you can list your book and print out bookmarks. These bookmarks will help you market your books to readers and let them know where they can buy a copy.
Need help selling your self-published book? Please send me a comment here or at http://www.jexbo.com/. I'd love to hear from you!
Consider your target audience. They will either need an e-book reader, such as Amazon’s Kindle or Sony’s PRS-500, or they will need a computer which might require additional software (such as Adobe Acrobat) to read your book.
There are several advantages to selling your book in an e-book format. First of all, they are easier to self-publish than a book in a paper format. Generally, they can be emailed directly to the buyer, or downloaded from a Web site that stores your book for you.
This is a big plus to a buyer who might appreciate the instant access to your book. Buyers might also like that they can adjust the font to their likeness. Some readers prefer large-print books, and if your book is in e-book format, you don’t need two different copies printed to reach the market that wants the larger font size.
Do an online search to find where you can reach your target market and consider leaving messages in chat rooms and forums to let readers know you have a book they might be interested in. Some sites such as http://www.craigslist.org/ let you list your book for sale for free, but you are limited to 30 days at a time and have to remember to renew it after it expires.
You can easily sell your e-book online once you have it ready for purchase. For more information, please visit my Web site, http://www.jexbo.com/. We have an e-book format option when you list your book for sale. For 99¢ per month, you can list your book and print out bookmarks. These bookmarks will help you market your books to readers and let them know where they can buy a copy.
Need help selling your self-published book? Please send me a comment here or at http://www.jexbo.com/. I'd love to hear from you!
How to Sell Your Self-Published Comic Books
There’s a booming market in self-published graphic novels and comic books right now, and if you’ve just written one, you’ve got a number of choices to sell it yourself.
Contact your local media.
One way to get some free publicity is get in touch with your local newspaper. They might be interested in a story about you or your comic book, which would help get the word out locally at no charge to you.
Check with local businesses.
Research local clubs and organizations in your neighborhood that may be interested in your comic books. You can ask to be included in their newsletter or purchase advertising.
Also, most large cities have stores that sell comic books and graphic novels. Check to see if you could leave some copies with them to sell. And if they have a community bulletin board, ask if you can post an advertisement selling your book.
Don’t forget to check out your local bookstore or library too. See if they would be interested in selling your book, or letting you come in to give a presentation, host a book signing and sell your book yourself.
Go online.
If you want to reach a worldwide audience, list your book online on a site like http://www.jexbo.com/. For 99¢ per month, you can have a Web page to list your book. This includes uploading images for readers to check out before purchasing. You can also print out bookmarks including information about your book and, “Buy my book at http://www.jexbo.com/” so buyers will know you have a book, and where they can purchase a copy.
There are many cost-effective ways to sell your self-published comic book. It just takes some time and effort, networking with the right people and using the appropriate services.
Do you have questions about selling your self-published book? Please let me know here or at http://www.jexbo.com/. I’m here to help! Thanks!
Contact your local media.
One way to get some free publicity is get in touch with your local newspaper. They might be interested in a story about you or your comic book, which would help get the word out locally at no charge to you.
Check with local businesses.
Research local clubs and organizations in your neighborhood that may be interested in your comic books. You can ask to be included in their newsletter or purchase advertising.
Also, most large cities have stores that sell comic books and graphic novels. Check to see if you could leave some copies with them to sell. And if they have a community bulletin board, ask if you can post an advertisement selling your book.
Don’t forget to check out your local bookstore or library too. See if they would be interested in selling your book, or letting you come in to give a presentation, host a book signing and sell your book yourself.
Go online.
If you want to reach a worldwide audience, list your book online on a site like http://www.jexbo.com/. For 99¢ per month, you can have a Web page to list your book. This includes uploading images for readers to check out before purchasing. You can also print out bookmarks including information about your book and, “Buy my book at http://www.jexbo.com/” so buyers will know you have a book, and where they can purchase a copy.
There are many cost-effective ways to sell your self-published comic book. It just takes some time and effort, networking with the right people and using the appropriate services.
Do you have questions about selling your self-published book? Please let me know here or at http://www.jexbo.com/. I’m here to help! Thanks!
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