First you have the celebrities, who can be classified as the “narcissistic” personalities. Despite the fact that they are self-absorbed and aren’t always good communicators with fans and followers, they are successful at social media because they already have a built-in, loyal fan base.

Next you have the info-spammers, who can be classified as the “one-track-minded” personalities. They believe that the fastest route to success on social media is to post the same message over and over again (usually “buy me, click me, support me”). For instance, when trying to sell books many authors spam the Amazon link to their book all day long on Twitter.

Finally you have the communicators. These personalities are very aware of and in touch with their target audience. They care about what their followers care about and use social media to learn and market to them properly. These personalities tend to have the most long-term success at social media marketing. Here are five important tips to keep in mind if you want to fall into this last category.

1. Interact with the people you follow. What is the point of being on social media if you don’t talk to your followers and friends? If you want to connect with your potential customers and subscribers, what better way than to tweet or message them directly once in a while? Answer their questions or say something entertaining (using discretion of course). Even a simple “good day” will suffice in some cases.

2. Don’t automate messages. One of the most annoying things you can do is send an automated message to your social media friends. It is lazy and tacky. It gives them a lousy first impression because it tells them you’re probably going to be one of those spammer types (“buy me, click me, support me”). If you don’t have the time to dedicate to social media hire someone to do it for you.

3. Use social media tools. If you don’t have the resources at this time to hire someone, use social media tools instead. These tools abound and they can help you successfully manage your accounts and lists. You might have to try out a few different tools to find the right mix for your needs.

4. Follow back. When someone on Twitter follows you who may have an interest in your business, follow them back. Why wouldn’t you want to look at what your potential customers are tweeting on a daily basis? Twitter is a marketing treasure trove. Your main goal is not to look like “the man” just because a lot of people follow you and you only follow a few (see the narcissistic personality). The goal is to create a healthy communicative platform between you and your customers. Check your ego at the door.

5. Use the 60/20/20 rule. Okay, this may not be an official rule, but it is good to use as a guideline. 60 percent of your messages to followers and fans should be interesting and entertaining, such as news, sayings, quotes and ideas. 20 percent should be strictly informative, such as blog posts from you and your colleagues. The last 20 percent should be promotional. Promotional messages include the occasional, “Check out what we have new in the store” with a picture attached (pictures are gold) or, “Get 20 percent off of a book cover design if you inbox us before 5pm today” (social media folks tend to like timed deals).

It isn’t too late to become a social media marketer who is also a successful communicator. Go over your social media strategy and make adjustments as necessary starting today.

Here it is so far, in no particular order:

1. Let Go of Your Ego

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that your book is better than all of the rest out there — especially if you’re brand new and have never hit a bestseller’s list in the past. Keep your ego in check and humbly push forward with your book marketing plan.

2. Learn Something about Marketing

Ideally you should learn ALL YOU CAN about marketing, but at the very least you should learn the basics. Start by learning about the four Ps of marketing. This is what they teach you in marketing 101 and it applies beautifully to selling books. See if your local community college has some inexpensive courses you can take to get more familiar with marketing and sales.

3. Revamp Your Book Cover

One of the first things I tell my clients when they ask me what they can do to sell more books is to redo your book cover. Many times the book cover is the one issue that is preventing people from clicking that “buy” button and giving your book a try — especially when it comes to online sales. Get a professional to work on you book cover.

4. Do a “Price Check”

I cringe when I see a new self-publisher’s paperback novel priced at $20 for 160 pages. Many book buyers won’t even pay $20 for a 500 page book. Check the price tag on your book to see if you might be overcharging. Many brand new self-publishers are finding success with pricing their eBooks very low (99 cents to 2.99 per copy) as a way to get people interested in their work. Then they price their future or backlist titles higher.

5. Get Familiar with Social Media

If you’re not on social media, you need to be. While many social media sites are not a direct line to book sales, they help you build a community and interest around you and your books over time. At the minimum, join Twitter (for posting your blog posts and updates about goings on) and Facebook (to connect with book clubs, avid reader groups and other authors).

6. Take a Class in Sales or Public Speaking

If you’re not comfortable communicating with others, whether offline or online, take a class to teach you sales and public speaking techniques. These skills will become invaluable to you as you go forward with your book selling efforts, including attending book signings, doing interviews or even just talking to people on Twitter.

7. Seek Reviews

Reviews are solid gold when it comes to selling books, especially when you’re selling them online. People are social creatures—we listen to the opinions of others when making a decision on whether to buy something. Seek genuine reviews from your targeted readers early on in the book publishing process.

Well the first two questions that I have are: “what kind of book are you trying to sell in the first place? And to whom?” Many new self-publishers don’t really know the answer to those questions.

Not only do many writers fail to explore the basics of the 4 Ps of marketing (product, price, placement and promotion) they also don’t really know their target reader.

-          Is your target reader a housewife looking to make an extra income to support her household?

-          Is she a bored college student who wants something interesting to read in between classes?

-          Is he a social studies teacher who is looking for a way to engage his students?

What is the target reader’s age? Occupation? Interests? How does she buy her books (electronic or print)?

Simply put, the target reader is the person who is most likely to purchase a copy of your book. As I wrote in How to Sell Thousands of Your Self-Published Book, “A book buyer is only motivated to purchase a book if it will make him money, make his life easier, educate him on something he was curious about, or make his life more fun and enjoyable.”

Know Your Audience

I have been fairly successful selling my tightly niched novels (I write under pen names) because I have a very strong idea of who my target reader is for each one. For three years I hit the streets of NYC and sold my novels hand-to-hand.

I got to meet thousands of people who fell right into my target audience back then, so now I know who they are whether I’m tweeting them on Twitter, reading their posts on Amazon or talking to them at book signings. I understand their motivations, interests and how they go about buying books.

Does Your Target Reader Like eBooks or Printed Books?

eBook or Printed Book?

Another important issue I think is crucial to consider right now (circa 2012 and beyond) is the book format that your target reader will prefer to purchase. I recently read an article that revealed that most people who read fiction novels tend to prefer eBooks (electronic books, mostly on Kindle or iPad devices) while people who read non-fiction titles prefer printed books that they can carry around and mark up for future reference. That is extremely important information for you to keep in mind if you’re trying to sell books.

Do People Really Want Your Book?

I’m quite possibly the last person on earth to discourage someone from writing and selling their own book, but you have to ask yourself: who, if anyone, wants your book?

Some writers make the mistake of writing and publishing books that have virtually no market — no one desires or needs the book. I learned that lesson first-hand when I published a book of photography (my very first self-publishing venture). Talk about bombing.

So if you are serious about succeeding as a self-publisher and selling copies I suggest that you do some personal reflection about your book before you proceed. What kind of book are you selling and to whom? If you’re having a hard time identifying a target reader, does the book really have one? If the answer is “well no, not really” just start a new writing project but this time make sure that you have a clear-cut idea of who is actually going to buy it when it’s finished. Selling books is as much about strategic planning as it is about writing.

Okay, get to work!

Yikes! Don’t worry, be calm.

It helps to understand the thought process a potential buyer goes through when deciding whether he’s going to actually buy or not. Some people who walk up to your table are just being nosy and want to ask questions, but others are seriously motivated to buy your book. But they might need some convincing. In my How to Sell Books eBook I discuss how to be successful when selling books at a book signing. Basically, you must pass four tests…

Wow, you really wrote this? Cool!

Front Cover

The front cover is the main attraction. A good cover draws the book browser to your table. The title or the central image should be visible from at least three yards away. The quality of the front of your book cover is the very first evaluation point that a potential buyer uses when deciding to buy your book.

Back Cover

If you pass the front cover test, the browser will then flip it around to read the back cover. This is why it is so important to write back cover copy that sizzles and immediately gets the point. During the back cover review is your moment to throw in a few words about your book — a one-liner or what inspired you to write it.

Quick note: if the browser doesn’t pick up the book when he first approaches your table, put it in his hand, back cover first!

Inside Pages

The next action many book browsers take is to flip through the pages of the book. Now this is the turning point. Some people have already made their decision — they just flip through it to make sure it’s not written in another language, garbeldy gook or print so tiny they need a magnifier to read. Others will actually stand there and read a few pages (just ask them politely not to bend the spine back too much, yes some people do that). This is why it is important to have your book text professionally edited and formatted.

Quick note: if someone speeds through these three steps, he might just be nosy or killing time as his wife shops…

You

There is just one final evaluation a browser at a book signing will make before deciding to support your work. He will look at YOU. How you present yourself to the public is important in terms of both your appearance and your attitude. If you’re sitting back looking uninterested with a soda in your hand, that’s not going to motivate someone to buy a book from you — smile and be attentive yet not too pushy. Wear something professional and clean yet relaxed.

Understanding these four points of evaluation will help you succeed more when selling books at book signings. Take care to ensure that your presentation is as close to perfection as humanly possible. If you pass you have a much higher chance of hearing those seven lovely words more often: “great, can you sign this for me?” 

In response the author simply added me to her newsletter list. I know this because I received a generic email newsletter issue days later. I promptly blocked her email address.

The Big Head

I have to look at this situation from a book marketing standpoint. It made me wonder why someone wouldn’t use this type of opportunity to build a relationship and possibly get a book sale. I don’t know?

I would say lack of time, but in the time it took her to add my name to her newsletter account she could have written back “Thanks for your email. FYI, I’m coming out with a new book that expands more on these thoughts soon….”

Maybe she has a bit of the big head? Or doesn’t want to talk to someone unless they’re buying her coaching services? Most likely.

Unfortunately some unknown authors and self-published authors have the idea that they are now “celebrities” due to writing a book and should now act like a celebrity (untouchable). Others are only concerned about the $$, not the actual people behind the $$. Either one of these viewpoints is the equivalent of standing high on a pedestal with rickety, unstable legs.

Respond to Your Fans

Thank your readers!

My book marketing tip #201 is really simple: respond to your fans. I think this is common sense to the majority of unknown authors, but not all. It is extremely hard to get someone’s attention online these days long enough to get a response to what you’re selling.

When I wrote my first novel almost a decade ago, one thing I committed to was promptly responding to emails from fans and inquiries from them about their orders. It paid off, because I believe many of the sales I received were from positive word of mouth — no specific action on my part. People appreciate it when you take the time to connect with them. I’ve also carried this into my client dealings — I respond to just about every inquiry, whether it is a sale or a general question about book marketing.

So the moral to this story is, if a fan or potential reader takes the time out to email you, email her back.

And build a relationship with that reader beyond just saying “buy my book.” Respond to her query and tell her a little about yourself and your story if she asks. Ask her about herself too. Remember, it’s not only about you.

If she’s read your book already, thank her for supporting you. Ask her to tell her friends, join your newsletter for updates and add a review to Amazon. Offer her a discount off of your next book or even a freebie — after all this is probably going to be one of your loyal readers who will most likely spread the word about your books. You can afford to give her a free copy.

So again, respond to your fans — it’s a very simple yet very effective book marketing tip. You’ll be surprised at how much just a little honey when dealing with book fans can start making your sales figures look sweeter over time.

The word “hustle” sometimes comes with a negative connotation, but it’s really a great term to describe what you have to do in order to sell self-published books.

The fact is, unless you’re a celebrity you’re going to be hustling your butt off to sell your book.

This might seem like an obvious statement to make, but you’d be surprised at how many first-time self-publishers think that as soon as they publish their book to the world they’ll just sit back and become best-selling authors.

The only people who may have that luxury are celebrities and well-known authors like Stephen King, James Patterson and Nora Roberts. They have a built-in audience that is eager to see what they have to say in a new book. But even they have to get out there and promote at book signings.

And the self-publishers who have achieved amazing success hustled their butts off to do so. Now they can also publish a new book and sell thousands in a very short time.

So What to Do?

As a newbie to self-publishing there are four steps to becoming a contender in the book industry.

First you must stay level-headed and realistic about your goals. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals for your new book. Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timed.

Second, figure out who would want your book.

In chapter 1 of my How to Sell Books eBook I tell new authors:

Your book must offer your readers 1) proven ways to improve their lives, 2) new information that they really need or want, or 3) entertainment value. The reader must also feel satisfaction at the end of the book.

Decide if your book provides one of these benefits to readers and if so, which one and to whom? Once you know that, you now know your target market. (And you can have multiple target markets by the way.)

Third, create a book marketing plan that will aggressively go after this market. The book marketing plan addresses the 4Ps of marketing (price, product, place, and promotion). A good plan will help you to shine your book up like a brand new penny, ready for sale. Adjust your goals as needed after doing marketing research. (You might even decide to publish a different type of book!)

Fourth and finally there is the process of implementing the steps of your plan on a consistent basis. Take steps to sell your book to your target audience online (more likely if you sell an eBook) or to sell in face-to-face scenarios, such as street fairs, book signings and meet-and-greets.

This last step requires a whole lot of “hustling” (promoting energetically and aggressively). A lot of time. A lot of work. A lot of stress. A lot of waiting for something, anything to happen.

If you plant the right seeds and your (well-written) book is entertaining, informative or can improve someone’s life, eventually you’ll start to see some results.

And once you do develop a following for your book, publishing subsequent books is more of a breeze. Word of mouth marketing is extremely powerful.

Don’t Get the Big Head

It’s really easy to get “the big head” when you finally hold your printed book in hand with your name etched across the cover. You think that everyone is going to rush out to buy your book the minute they see the title!

But in reality, that’s just not usually how it works. Most people (other than your family) need a really good reason to try out a new book by a brand new author. It’s up to you to convince them.

So to achieve success, take a level-headed approach to selling self-published books, put on your marketing hat and get ready to hustle like your book depends on it (because it does).

For instance, Darcie Chan was a lawyer prior to selling 400,000 copies of her books. John Locke was a successful salesman and marketing mind who had the resources to invest $25,000 in his books before finding the winning formula.

Of course there are exceptions – Amanda Hocking worked at group home prior to becoming a best selling authoress according to Wikipedia. (I would actually love to watch an independent movie about her story, but I digress.) But in many cases, people who have a solid marketing budget available to invest in their books are more likely to succeed as self-publishers.

I receive a lot of messages to the tune of “Help, my book isn’t selling! And I don’t have any money to invest in it!”

I don’t always know how to respond to this type of message, because usually the first suggestion I have is that they fix the cover or get the book edited, which costs money. Not to mention advertising and promotion…

There are two main reasons why it’s really helpful to already have money in the bank if you want to become a successful self-published author.

It Takes Money to Make Money When Selling Self-Published Books

1. You need plenty of money to sustain yourself while you’re promoting and writing books. If you’ll notice, most high-selling authors have written 10 or more titles. They can keep pumping them out because they have cash to fall back on and pay bills in the meanwhile. Many other self-published authors don’t have the ability or time to write 10-20 pages a day while still juggling a job and everyday bills.

2. Money opens doors that aren’t open to small guys in the publishing industry. For instance, a book table at one of the major book expos costs thousands. Buying advertising on top book websites costs hundreds per month. Professional editors and book designers charge thousands to make your book look nice. Some services allow you to pay for high profile reviews.

And as this Wall Street Journal article confirms, authors who already have a large following are the ones who are most likely to succeed.

So where do these authors get that following?

It’s either from time served (they’ve been writing for years and developed a large fan list over those years) or money (they purchased ads or reviews and gave away plenty of books to develop a following).

Not to mention, their writing has to be pretty good to keep people interested.

So if you’re a brand new self-published author who no one has ever heard of with little to no following who doesn’t have much money, is it really a mystery why you’re not selling any books?

I’m Pretty Broke — What Can I Do?

1. The first thing to do is to be realistic as a brand new self-publisher. This is one of the top points I try to get across in my How to Sell Books eBook and when consulting clients. Be realistic and take measured steps toward your own personal success. Stop looking at the success of others as a gauge of whether you yourself are successful.

Some people look down on this advice as pessimistic, but I call it realistic optimism. About 130,000 books are self-published each year. According to Para Publishing there are about 86,000 self publishers.  Only 12 self-published authors have sold over 200,000 copies of their books according to the New York Times. That’s roughly .01 % of self-publishers.

The other 99.99 % of indie authors don’t get these stellar results. In fact, the vast majority of self-publishers sell about 150 copies total according to the New York Times.

So am I wrong for telling the truth to the 99.99% and trying to help them get on the right track?

I believe it’s best to be realistic about what you’ll sell and invest accordingly. Then if you happen to join the ranks of million-selling authors (which is largely a matter of luck and partly due to writing an amazing story), party like it’s 2099!

2. The next thing I would suggest is to consider taking time to hone your craft (writing) and save up some money to invest in your book if you’re really serious about self-publishing as a career. (Or at least as a consistent source of residual income.)

3. Finally, invest in affordable, effective, smart advertising. You must have a marketing plan and budget to sell self-published books but avoid places run by “the big boys” who are just trying to rob you of your money. You know, the $5,000 a month retainer publicity agents and $5,000 tables at book conferences. Find your niche audience and attack them with inexpensive yet well-placed ads, reviews and free copies of your book.

Of course I have more tips for self-publishers which I detail in my eBook. Your book is a product, and you have to become a bit of a marketing genius to sell it.

You must think of self-publishing as a business. Selling isn’t very fun. Making money is fun. And the old adage rings true: it takes money to make money.