Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
CHAPTER 6. SELLING EBOOKS<br />
Section 1.<br />
HOW TO SELL MORE EBOOKS<br />
Selling hardcopy books at the brick and mortar store and selling ebooks online have some<br />
obvious differences that authors must know in order to devise the best marketing mix for their books.<br />
The obvious difference besides place and price is shelf life. If a hardcopy book title does not sell<br />
well within the first few weeks of its launch, the stock is usually stacked away and returned to the<br />
publishers a month later. However ebooks enjoy a perpetual shelf life that authors can make use of to<br />
launch several marketing campaigns over time, and even change certain parts of the book until it is<br />
right. Based on Smashword’s founder, Mark Coker’s ebook, “The Secrets to Ebook Publishing<br />
Success,” 30 there are certain steps that self-publishing authors can do to increase their book sales.<br />
A Good Book<br />
Although marketing can help to get the author’s first readers, a bad product remains a bad<br />
product that first batch of readers will not recommend to their friends. Word of mouth can lead to<br />
virality but all these will work only when the book is good enough. That means either it is useful for<br />
the reader, or a great story that touches or inspires the reader. Good editing and proofreading are also<br />
essential to improve the book content.<br />
A Good Cover<br />
Everyone knows too well that it is human nature to pick up a book based on its cover. Coker<br />
brought up a great example of a book that was in full distribution for 18 months, selling above<br />
average (approximately five copies a day), and received some great reviews from readers. However,<br />
the book didn’t manage to break out. Finally the author changed her book cover (Exhibit 6-1) and<br />
suddenly sales spiked at Apple iBookstore, becoming the No.5 bestseller (Exhibit 6-2).<br />
30 Coker, Mark. The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success. Los Gatos: Smashwords, 2013.<br />
46