Post by Ted on Feb 26, 2014 11:36:36 GMT -8
From Mark's blog:
Ebook preorders are one of the most powerful book launch tools for indies.
As I've blogged here previously, multiple Smashwords authors have hit the bestseller lists with the catalyzing assistance of ebook preorders.
But as many authors have learned, the mere act of doing a preorder does not guarantee a successful launch. In this context, a good universal metric of success is for each new book you release to reach more readers in less time than your prior release (that's how you know you're building readership!).
Like any tool, you need to learn how to use preorders before you'll get the best results. Several Smashwords authors have used preorders so often and with such success that they've become masters.
Preorders are a common checkbox item for nearly every title released by a traditional publisher, yet most indie authors don't take advantage of preorders. It's a shame more authors don't use preorders, because in the battle for reader eyeballs preorders are a great equalizer.
Probably the biggest reason most authors don't take better advantage of preorders is because they either don't yet know about the tool, or don't know how to utilize it to its fullest effect.
I want to help you make preorders work for you for your next book release.
Earlier today, I published a presentation about preorder strategy on Slideshare.net titled, Hit the Ebook Bestseller Lists with Preorders: A Guide to Preorder Strategy.
I hope you find it helpful. I also hope you're share it with your friends, Tweet about it or review it on Facebook.
The presentation provides an introduction to ebook preorders, and then reveals specific recommendations for preorder timing and preorder marketing. Most of these ideas were inspired by my observations of what worked and what didn't work for your fellow Smashwords authors.
And this is where you come in. If you've had success with Smashwords preorders, I want to hear from you. Please blog about your success, embed my presentation in your blog post, and share the preorder tricks that worked best for you. If you've received positive feedback from fans who appreciate the ability to place these set-and-forget preorders, mention that in your post. Preorders aren't just for the benefit of authors, they're for readers too. Then leave a link in the comments below so I can link to your post.
I'll update this post with a collection of links pointing to these blog posts so your fellow authors can benefit from your experience for years to come.
If you haven't done a preorder yet, but you found the presentation helpful, you can still participate by embedding the presentation in your blog, and by writing a review that summarizes the information you think your fellow writers would find the most helpful. Your post will make the information in my presentation more accessible to more writers.
If you don't blog, then simply share some comments below and tell us how preorders fit in your book launch bag of tricks.
One rule for submissions: In order for me to link to your blog, you must provide some value-add, either in the form of personal experiences and lessons learned, or in the form of summarizing the presentation's key points in a well-structured blog post. A summary of the points enriched with your own personal experience would be even better!
Deadline: Please submit links to your blog posts by Tuesday. After Tuesday, I'll close the call for posts but will still appreciate Smashwords authors sharing their book launch and preorder tips in the comments below.
We've done these collaboratives before and they've been quite popular. The bloggers get a lot more traffic to their blogs, but more importantly they gain the satisfaction of helping their fellow authors climb yet another rung up the ladder of success.
Even if you don't write a blog post, you can still participate by visiting the links of your fellow authors below. They took the time to help your next book release be more successful, so please return the favor by acknowledging those who did a great job by commenting on their blogs. And if they do an especially great job, check out their books!
Ebook preorders are one of the most powerful book launch tools for indies.
As I've blogged here previously, multiple Smashwords authors have hit the bestseller lists with the catalyzing assistance of ebook preorders.
But as many authors have learned, the mere act of doing a preorder does not guarantee a successful launch. In this context, a good universal metric of success is for each new book you release to reach more readers in less time than your prior release (that's how you know you're building readership!).
Like any tool, you need to learn how to use preorders before you'll get the best results. Several Smashwords authors have used preorders so often and with such success that they've become masters.
Preorders are a common checkbox item for nearly every title released by a traditional publisher, yet most indie authors don't take advantage of preorders. It's a shame more authors don't use preorders, because in the battle for reader eyeballs preorders are a great equalizer.
Probably the biggest reason most authors don't take better advantage of preorders is because they either don't yet know about the tool, or don't know how to utilize it to its fullest effect.
I want to help you make preorders work for you for your next book release.
Earlier today, I published a presentation about preorder strategy on Slideshare.net titled, Hit the Ebook Bestseller Lists with Preorders: A Guide to Preorder Strategy.
I hope you find it helpful. I also hope you're share it with your friends, Tweet about it or review it on Facebook.
The presentation provides an introduction to ebook preorders, and then reveals specific recommendations for preorder timing and preorder marketing. Most of these ideas were inspired by my observations of what worked and what didn't work for your fellow Smashwords authors.
And this is where you come in. If you've had success with Smashwords preorders, I want to hear from you. Please blog about your success, embed my presentation in your blog post, and share the preorder tricks that worked best for you. If you've received positive feedback from fans who appreciate the ability to place these set-and-forget preorders, mention that in your post. Preorders aren't just for the benefit of authors, they're for readers too. Then leave a link in the comments below so I can link to your post.
I'll update this post with a collection of links pointing to these blog posts so your fellow authors can benefit from your experience for years to come.
If you haven't done a preorder yet, but you found the presentation helpful, you can still participate by embedding the presentation in your blog, and by writing a review that summarizes the information you think your fellow writers would find the most helpful. Your post will make the information in my presentation more accessible to more writers.
If you don't blog, then simply share some comments below and tell us how preorders fit in your book launch bag of tricks.
One rule for submissions: In order for me to link to your blog, you must provide some value-add, either in the form of personal experiences and lessons learned, or in the form of summarizing the presentation's key points in a well-structured blog post. A summary of the points enriched with your own personal experience would be even better!
Deadline: Please submit links to your blog posts by Tuesday. After Tuesday, I'll close the call for posts but will still appreciate Smashwords authors sharing their book launch and preorder tips in the comments below.
We've done these collaboratives before and they've been quite popular. The bloggers get a lot more traffic to their blogs, but more importantly they gain the satisfaction of helping their fellow authors climb yet another rung up the ladder of success.
Even if you don't write a blog post, you can still participate by visiting the links of your fellow authors below. They took the time to help your next book release be more successful, so please return the favor by acknowledging those who did a great job by commenting on their blogs. And if they do an especially great job, check out their books!