This month, I'm seeking, as opposed to offering, help

Tweet  I'm afraid this month, I'm in the position of seeking assistance instead of offering it. I just published my first book in May and find myself trying to figure out how to promote sales. Part of the problem is I don't really want to be a person who sells books; I want to be a writer who puts my book in front of people and their eyeballs in exchange for money. "Well, there's your problem, dummy", you're saying. "That's what selling books is! Suck it up and do it." Yeah, I know. But while you're right, you're also wrong. As Icy mentioned in the last entry, there is no shortage of writers on Twitter who do nothing but hawk their books. Regrettably I follow a bunch of them although I don't know why I ever did in the first place. It's like DVRing a tv channel that shows nothing but infomercials. Believe me, I've been correcting that mistake ever since. The point is, I consider those people to "just" be book sellers and I refuse to become one of them. For one obvious reason, it's obnoxious and boring. For another, I doubt it's very effective.
Luckily, I'm in a position where I don't have to move X number of units by such-and-such date or I'm out on the street. That reduces the stress significantly (although, I'm sure it also reduces my overall motivation). Still, I'd love to sell lots of books and get more and more people to read the book, so I'm here looking for tips and tricks just like you. Here's a list what I've done so far, what I think the results have yielded and what I need to do better.

• I had a book release party - This was a lot of fun. I invited friends and close associates because it was largely a "thank you" to people who have supported me in various capacities over the years and with whom I wanted to celebrate the success of completing the task of getting something published. I sold enough books at the event to break even on the cost of the party (actually, a little bit ahead). I think everyone enjoyed themselves but I'm not sure how many, if anyone, have word-of-mouthed the book to friends of theirs who weren't there.
• I've made it available via multiple sources - Amazon, CreateSpace, an e-store at my web site. Of course, the task is driving traffic to those sources. My blog readers are certainly aware it exists.
• I've solicited Amazon.com reviews from readers - Good news: every one has rated the book FIVE STARS! Bad news: There are only two of them. I need to get aggressive about soliciting more reviews, I think.
• I've done a couple of local radio shows - I don't like to brag but I'm pretty good at holding my own during interviews so I think the ones I've done have gone pretty well. I need, and want, to do more. 

That's all, really. I know I need to do things like approach the local media and knock on the doors of my local independent booksellers, and I will do those things. I'm wide open to suggestions for stuff I haven't thought of or non-traditional tactics though.

- Clark Brooks

The Most Effective Hand Selling Technique For Authors I've Ever Seen

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by Jody Aberdeen

My first public signing as an author, independent or otherwise, happens at the end of the month.

I don't know what the rules are Stateside or elsewhere, but in Canada, when you're an independently published author and you want to market your book, there's only one show in town: Chapters-Indigo, our big happy national chain of bookstores, kind of like Barnes and Noble, only more awesome! 

(And I'm not saying that just because I work there on weekends and some evenings).

As such, it's rather fortuitous that our fearless leader Carrie Bailey decided to go with this topic this month, and also rather serendipitous that I found myself, two weeks ago, shadowing a fellow independent author who had what I and Mercury astronaut Gordo Cooper like to call "the right stuff". 

What is the right stuff?  You can see Carrie's recent entry for some great techniques, but I'd like to share what I learned from this writer.

Toronto author Yahaya Baruwa is the twentysomething author of his novel (and the first of a trilogy) called Struggles of a Dreamer, having migrated here in his teens from Nigeria to seek his fortune.  Unhappy with the cookie-cutter templates offered by such print on-demand companies as Lulu and iUniverse, Yahaya decided to start his own publishing company dedicated to his own project.

At one point, Yahaya was selling his book door to door in affluent neighbourhoods in Toronto and its suburbs.  He has also marketed an infomercial-style YouTube commercial for his book, offering a free can of Tim Horton's coffee with every book purchase. 

Yahaya has faced every kind of rejection you can imagine: doors slammed in his face, being told off, having his work criticized to his face.  He does his signings predominantly alone, requiring him to travel with his books and banners to faraway places such as my own store out in Milton, about 40 miles away from the eastern side of Toronto.

He has hired teams of marketers to either go door to door or promote his book in their own businesses and social circles, taking 50% as profit for each book they sell (an idea I toyed with a long time ago, but didn't actually implement...kinda kicking myself now for all the lost potential sales I could have had).

For his efforts and entrepreneurial spirit, Yahaya Baruwa has earned close to six figures in revenue over the past two years from Struggles of a Dreamer alone, making him arguably the most successful independent author in Canada.  And he's just getting started.

A Highly Effective Technique

Yahaya's sales technique, which I told him I was shamelessly emulating for my signings for "Convergence",  is the most effective model I've seen.  I had the chance to shadow him during my shift at the store during his signing.  Here's my takeaway:

1. Positioning

- Get your table at the front of the store.  Set up eye-catching props and signage, but nothing too gimmicky.  Yahaya set up his banner on a stand and a small sign on his table in front of his books.  That's it.

- Look good.  Guy Writers, wear a blazer and dressy jeans.  Girl Writers, wear.....whatever you'd normally wear to a professional kind of job, I don't pay attention to such things.  (Probably one reason I'm still single...but I digress).

- Wear comfy but good looking shoes, with insoles if you, like me, are heavy on your feet.  The comfortable shoes rule is important because you should also...

-  Be standing the whole time.  Yahaya had no chair.  It kept him out of the comfort zone of sitting at the table, using his books and props as a fortress to hide from his potential customer base.  Do the same thing.

2. Approach

- Build up your energy before you start.  Could be through meditation, creative visualization, or smoking some crack cocaine (this still being Rob Ford's Toronto and all...for now), but make sure you're in a positive, outgoing, energized mood when you start.

- Meet the eyes of every customer who comes in.  Smile and say hello.  Ask them: "Would you like to hear about my book today?". 

- If they say "no", and most of them will, don't just take it and feel rejected.  Instead, brand yourself in their minds.  Yahaya's method is particularly good.  "That's no problem.  Would you at least remember the title of my book: 'Struggles of a Dreamer'"?  Nine customers out of ten will say yes.

This kills two birds with one stone: you're able to shake off the rejection (which, admit it, is your biggest fear) AND you brand yourself in the process.  

The branding component is especially effective.  Days after Yahaya's signing, I was telling a co-worker at my full-time job about it and she said, "Wait, is this the guy who wrote 'Struggles of a Dreamer'?"  Turns out she had seen him at another store, declined to buy his book, and was asked the same question.  This shit works, y'all!

- If they say "yes", pause your sales pitch and introduce yourself. Shake their hands, get to know their names.   Personal connection and energy is what separates a shitty salesman from a good one.  People like feeling empowered, and few things empower a customer more than a real connection.  And I'm serious: be authentically interested.  Who are these people who have just said "yes" to your book? Don't you want to know? 

-  Prep your elevator pitch for your novel.  You should already have this ready in the form of your cover jacket description.  If you find that what you've written is a little too wordy to be spoken, then reduce it until you're comfortable rolling it off your tongue (and, um, consider doing the same with your cover jacket description in the next edition).  Should last no longer than twenty seconds to say it all out loud.

- Emphasize the now.  Yahaya tells his customers "I'm in the store for today only, and if you buy my book, I'd be more than happy to sign it to you."  Really, if you like reading, how often do you get the opportunity to have the author stand right in front of you to sign it?  It's quite a privilege, even if we ourselves as authors don't think so, and it's a great nudge to buy now.  After all, he's only here for one day.

- Know when to STFU!  Yahaya makes his case in under thirty seconds, then does one of the most critical things in the process:  he hands them a copy of the book....then says nothing.  This is an old rule: you negotiate, then you shut up.  As my Dad says about buying a car: "whoever talks first loses".

Everyone likes to buy, no one likes to be sold. At this point, you've done all you can do: ball is in the customer's court to buy or not buy.  If they say no, take your book back, thank them for their interest and for meeting them, then move on.

(And, of course, ask them to remember your title). 

And if they say yes, thank them for the sale, sign their copy - making sure to spell their names right, for Valen's sake - and shake their hands before directing them to the cashier. 

Understanding What's At Stake

As a bookseller with Indigo, I've seen a lot of independent authors come in.  They don't do well.  They fiddle with their phones, they don't interact with customers (or do so poorly), no eye contact.  They don't smile.  Some of them even get up from their signing tables and parade around the store.  That's why the average independently-published author sells only two or three copies of their books in any given four-to-six hour sitting. 

By contrast, Yahaya brought 50 books with him and sold 40 in a single visit.  The only reason he didn't sell all 50, in my view, was because he showed up in the afternoon and we had to close the store.  At an average of about $10 profit per book (minus Indigo's cut), Yahaya made $400 in a day, or a little under what I make in a week working for 40 hours for someone else at a non-writing job.  

And it's a good book.  I'm really enjoying Struggles of a Dreamer, which I find to be very reminiscent of all the great things I loved about Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, but told with multiple levels of narrative that, though it took a little while to adjust to at first, I'm now very much enjoying.

Guys and gals, if you set up a signing event, don't waste your time or your venue's time by screwing it up being timid.  Even if it's just for those few hours, you need to evolve yourself into an effective author salesman.  No one's asking you to push something that other people won't want: all you need to do is let your passion for your own story that you've written find an outlet through effective technique, and you'll win.  It takes practice and rehearsal, but you can do it.  

Yahaya Baruwa isn't all that much different from me: in many ways, he's just an ordinary guy with a dream. If he can do it and he's an ordinary guy, why can't you? 

My signing's on Saturday, July 13th, from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at Indigo Milton, 1180 Steeles Ave in Milton, Ontario, about 40 minutes outside of Toronto.  This will be the first of many.  If you live in the area, feel free to stop on by and watch me demonstrate my shameless adaptation of Yahaya's highly effective technique. 

Visit www.strugglesofadreamer.com to see Yahaya's book and learn more about him.

And, of course, once I get everything nice and updated, visit www.jodyaberdeen.com to find more information on my novel, "Convergence".   

Stay tuned for Part II, which I'll write after the signing itself...

3 Ways to Inspire People to Buy Your Book

by Carrie Bailey

What thoughts circle around when you think about selling your book? Author platforms? Getting it finished? Getting it started? Querying? Publishers? Agents? Perhaps inspire isn't the first word that comes to mind when you think about selling your book, but no matter where you are in your career, it could be a good time to sneak that one in with the rest. 

"How am I going to sell my book?"

"How am I going to inspire people to buy my book?"

A lot of writers don't know where to start when they think about selling a book or they're VERY concerned about becoming that guy, the creepy sales person, gold necklace, greasy hair. Or worse, that writer, who asks everyone to buy her book over and over on social media, but you never hear what it is about or why you might like it. We're dignified bibliophiles, not the worst stereotype of a used car salesman on a budget lot manifest as a bookwright, right? That part is easy. Don't be a creep. You're probably not a creep now and we can keep it that way.

1. Ask "YOU" questions 

Most conversations with authors start out with "I" statements and bore listeners to tears. In this case, I do mean face to face conversations rather than correspondence online. Often, I find myself wanting to pat authors on the back and say, "I mean, it's really great that you wrote a book and thanks for reciting its synopsis verbatim, but why did you think I would be interested or did you forget I was sitting here with you?" Other authors will start the conversation by telling me that I wouldn't like what they wrote and even tell me what the genre might be. And I'm like, "HUH? Is it because of my hair style?" No matter who you're talking to about your book, you need to engage them, get to know them as a reader and inspire them. This is process that can take many directions and gets easier with practice. 

My book is about [insert synopsis here].

Do you find much time to read? Have you ever read any science fiction? 

You probably wouldn't like it. 

What authors have you read? Do you have any friends who read science fiction? Do you know who they like? And what about you?

Each conversation you have about your book should be about the reader's interests and how your book fits in with them. While they may not be likely to buy or read your book - perhaps they prefer romance and you write horror - you can leave them with enough understanding of what your book is about that it might spark a connection with someone they know at work, a friend or someone in their family. Who knows? The worse that can happen from a good conversation is that they go to someone and say, "Oh, I met this horror author who writes that terrible stuff that you just LOVE!" Because? Inspiration travels. 

Another way to use "YOU" questions to your advantage is to post them on social media. Of course everyone wants to know what you had for breakfast and what temperature your coffee is now, but asking "YOU" questions can engage people.

I'm drinking very expensive coffee with important people today.

What is your favorite coffee drink? Who did you share it with? I think I just had my best coffee moment today.

2. Find common ground

The main reason why a good number of people don't want to buy your book is not because they don't understand it or they don't have good taste, but it is because they don't know anyone else who has read it. We are intensely social creatures, us humans. We want to spend our time doing things that make us feel connected and part of specific social groups. We want to hear our own ideas and values expressed in what we read. We do not want to find ourselves sitting on a plane, reading a book and look over at an unpleasant smelly guy with the political button and religious necklace from the groups we are most uncomfortable with turning the pages and relishing the same book as us. In general, readers want to read the same books as the people they identify with or want to identify with.

How can an author incorporate this inalienable truth of human nature to inspire more people to read? By getting more social. I don't mean transform from an introvert into an extrovert. I mean that you can show people why reading your book now is a great idea for them...socially.

My book is popular with single women ages 34-49 who live alone and have more than 2 cats.

Do you like animals? The heroine of my story past college age, but hasn't settled down or had kids yet. She has a black cat named Mortimer. 

It's not really popular with YOUR group. 

You might not like it, because there is a bit of sex/violence/religion/supernatural phenomena in my story that normally turns a few people off, but it's certainly not the focus. You could give it a try and let me know.   

"Where would the Twilight series - written with the YA crowd in mind - be without the forty something crowd?"

Yep. Never exclude a potential reader. Just keep the conversation open and let them decide.

Maintain awareness of who you are talking with when you explain why your book is worth reading. If they only read popular books or books in their book club, don't push it if you're selling a eBook with a circulation of less than two hundred. Aim for early adopters. Early book adopters that is. Find someone who enjoys discovering and sharing a new book or likes knowing obscure facts and information about not commonly read works. These people may be more interested in giving your work a first glance.

3. Give them a reason to buy it now (rather than later)

Having a sale is not about the price of the book. Seriously, this is such an important statement that I'm going to type it again: having a sale is not about the price of the book. A sale only gives people a reason to buy it now rather than later. And that is crucial to giving people a reason to buy now. 

How many times have you gone into a bookstore and seen a book you wanted, but you didn't buy it? Hah! I know, right? I can't carry that many books even. Maybe you had other books you wanted more. Perhaps, you thought that the book looked great, but knew you could always buy it later...

And that is when book sales come in. And limited editions. And signed copies. Every special offer needs to be set for a limited duration so that people who are already interested have an incentive to choose your book over everything else that they could buy. If you're talking to them directly, give them a discount if they buy one for a friend. If they have a book club, offer a book club price.

Inspiring people to read your book is about helping them unearth the reasons they, specifically, would benefit from purchasing or checking out your book right now. So, just remember the word inspire, because whether or not they make a purchase that day, you can still leave them feeling good about you, your work and themselves, too.