Book Sales Mentoring Sought

[ChrisD123]

I have just self-published my first Christian children's picture book. I have alot of good ideas about how to jump start my sales and I am going to work on them as I write this.

I am looking for a successful mentors, writers who have sold over 1,000 books in any Christian genre to correspond with for ideas to sell as many books as possible. I truly believe God wrote the message in this book through me. I want to do the best I can for Him at getting it into the hands of as many children (and parents) as I can.

Chris

[lynnmosher]

Chris, I wish I had some information to share with you. I pray others will jump in to help you.

[Lori Luise]

I recommend reading the book The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson (ISBN 1-932993-10-X) while you're looking for a mentor.

Wishing you the best,

[50/50 Adventure]

Here are a cpl ideas that were given to me regarding my website and self published books:

Website

• Create a “press room” menu option; that way, when a reporter receives a press release and wants to learn more, they won’t have to search for the info they are looking for. A typical “press room” section includes brief info about the company; any info on books that are featured; bio’s of the authors/owners; and press releases. Having online press releases is VERY important; you never know when a media person will learn about your site, and by having a current press release they can “copy and paste” from it, and write their news story. Most companies keep an archive of old press releases online; so reporters can have access to all of them.

• Create a free electronic newsletter through the Website. There are any number of “free” newsletter services available, including Topica, Yahoo, etc. By having a free newsletter, you are building your “fan base,” and letting them know when new titles are available; when book signings are taking place, and, of course, you can offer discounts and coupons as an incentive to get them to make a purchase.

• Have a sample chapter available for visitors to read, free of charge

• Include quotes and comments from satisfied readers

Media

• Send press releases to local and regional media outlets. Weekly newspapers may cover the press release first (and many will print your entire press release as it is written); the dailies soon follow (although they usually don’t print the entire release). Compile a local media list; check with the local chamber of commerce, united way agency, etc., they sometimes have media lists available for free.

• Contact book reviewers at both print and online publications. Again, there are numerous book reviewers listed online; they are easy to find with a Google search. Sometimes they will have instructions on how to get info to them: some will want an electronic press release; others may want a “hard copy.” Follow their guidelines; and don’t send any attachments UNLESS they ask you to. Just paste the info in the body of the e-mail. And, of course, offer to e-mail them a free copy of the new book for their review.

• Create an “author interview blurb,” and send to programming directors at radio stations that feature author interviews. These are similar to a press release, but are more geared for the “broadcast” media people.

• Send press releases to local and regional libraries. Or better yet, visit them in person and see who is in charge of “programs.” Offer to host a one hour presentation about your books, publishing, etc.

• Submit information to the various “author chat” sites on the Internet. This is a growing movement; I have participated in several author chats, and sales of my books spiked overnight.

Personal Appearances

• Contact bookstores within a 50 miles radius and offer to do a presentation. More bookstores are recognizing that self-publishing is a growing trend.
• Contact colleges and universities, and offer to host a one hour lecture and book signing.
• Contact local schools and offer to host a lecture series and book signing

Miscellaneous

• Mail a postcard, with the book cover on one side, to family members, friends, business associates, etc. (On the other side will be a request for them to share the info with at least 5 friends; and information on how to order the books.)

• Send excerpted sections of the book to appropriate consumer and trade magazines, as well as newsletters (both print and electronic).

[cpickett]

Hi Chris,
A few thoughts for you:
While it might be possible to find a peer to mentor you, maybe you should look for a book or marketing coach. These folks have set up businesses specifically because they want to help others. More importantly maybe, they've set aside time to do so.

To find coaches, you can do a search or maybe try CWFI (Christian Writers Fellowship International) they have a ton of resources. I will say, most coaching programs are not cheap, but some have varying price points depending on level of interaction.

One other thing you could do is submit either request on Shoutlife.com (if you aren't familiar it's the Christian version of Facebook basically and there's no cost to join).

Hope this helps.

[love2write]

Stepping Stones Magazine for Writers has some excellent 'in and out of the box' articles and tips on marketing and promotion. Read the January and February issue, Past Issues Articles (Platform Building), Resources & Marketing Tips.

A strong web presence is vital.

http://www.freewebs.com/steppingstonesforwriters/index.htm

[JMK]

Chris, you might read [U]Guerrilla Marketing for Writers (100 Weapons for Selling Your Work)[U] by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman & Michael Larsen. It's not Christian-oriented, but nothing unethical in it. Check out Amazon.com for a used one, so you can mark it up--as opposed to borrowing it from a library.

[writegirl1949]

Chris,

Marketing is probably the key ... and there are some great threads here on CW. Suggest you do a search and read over the posts. Members here have a wealth of knowledge they've shared.

50/50's post was awesome. Can't wait to check those out for myself.

Blessings, Francine