Self-Publishing, You, and Sleepytown Press
How and where do authors sell their books? Authors just like you...
1. A well-linked website designed to sell and give valuable information. (Weebly.com is free for the basic web site.)
2. Frequent public speaking events where autograph sales happen.
3. Frequent and self-generated publicity that's designed to promote the books and leads people to the website.
4. Always have a business card with you and copies of your books.
What About Distribution?
Everyone has a tough time with distribution. Distribution is the process that gets books onto shelves. No matter who you are, no let me back up...If you are a famous author or actor or politician, your name gets your books on the shelves. Walk around your area book store and you will notice that most of the store space is reserved for the "famous" author. So, where does that leave most of us?
It leaves us hoping and dreaming that we will see our books on the shelves of brick-and-mortar stores. Can it happen? It can and then it may not.
The Amazon Effect
Amazon has to figure into the mix. All of Sleepytown Press books are automatically available on Amazon as well as other Online Book Stores. Not only that, but SP novels are formatted for sale as an eBook for Kindle. There are also ways to drive up the ranking of your book on Amazon, if only for one day. It looks good and sounds nice when you tell people that your book hit #1 on the Amazon reader's list.
The Google Thing
Nothing is hidden on the internet and it stays there forever. Google is the dominant search engine. You can "pay" per hit to get more exposure, but that can be dangerous to the "pocket book." Still, it is important to put "search" terns out there that help people find you.
The Digital Giant
Now, eBooks, have grown in popularity. This past hoilday season, statistics show that around 21% of the people in the US own an eReader. Now, books can even be sold, downloaded, and read and never be in physical form. As in the popular movie, "if you build it, they will come." You need a good product, good service, and a good marketing plan.
Social Media
You can not ignore social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Texassing, and others. That is where people are and we have to reach them. It has been suggested that you discover the time of day when the most people are on a social network and that is the time that you post about your book and your writing. Ask your friends to pass the word. Ask them to repost an item. Some authors have found it useful to run an auction on a book, have a contest, or offer a special price. Almost anything goes, as long as it is legal. Just remember: Nothing on the internet ever goes away.
What if I choose to publish through Sleepytown Press?
First, Sleepytown Press offers a "turnkey" fee-based solution. Your manuscript will be formatted, to your liking. The cover will be designed, also to your liking. An ISBN and BarCode will be assigned to the book. Then, your book will be available to you for purchase at author cost at any time. (You may sell your book and keep the profit. You may also sell it on your own website.) The SP Publishing Fee is a flat $400.
I do wish that I could take submissions and totally publish them FREE, but that is not available at this point. I am experimenting in doing so with a few contests. Those may be offered at certain times of the year. As it stands, SP does not publish every manuscript that is sent in to us. I have had to turn down manuscripts or ask for revisions before publishing.
Some small publishers do offer FREE publishing, but it is totally as eBooks, which cost the publisher nothing to produce and list on Amazon. Those publishers offer a contract for an eBook and share the royalties with the author. If the eBook does well and earns enough money, to cover the cost of publishing a book in physical form, then those publishers may elect to publish the novel in paperback form.
It is true that you really need to make sure that your story or novel or children's book is edited fully. You must make it the best that it can be. As a general rule, it is very difficult for an author to edit their own work. The best thing is to have a professionally edited book. This will help others to take your work more seriously.
You really need to understand the target audience for your book. Cater to that reader.
You will have to work on marketing your book. You have to promote it and sell it. This is easy, if you already have a following. To be honest, if you are like most of us, you do not have the money to pay a fortune on advertising. You will need to come up with some low cost ideas for marketing.
THINK ON THESE: Speaking Ingagements, School Visits, Public Relations Efforts, Getting Someone to Review your Book, Getting an Interview with the Media, or anything else that gets your name out there.
Bloggers
Make contact with Bloggers. Get them to review your book. Make a friendship and ask them to interview you in their Blog.
Expectations
There is no promise that you will retire on your writing. You are not promised that your book will be a "best seller," but why not dream? Why not try? You do not have to sit back and wish. Sometimes, it is all about that "bucket list," or that wanting to hold your very own book in your hands. You have to do it with realistic expectations and know that it is very difficult to get noticed. Publishing is more difficult than ever in the publishing world. It takes a lot of "blood, sweat, and tears" to see a dream come true. Is it worth it? YES, it is worth it.
1. A well-linked website designed to sell and give valuable information. (Weebly.com is free for the basic web site.)
2. Frequent public speaking events where autograph sales happen.
3. Frequent and self-generated publicity that's designed to promote the books and leads people to the website.
4. Always have a business card with you and copies of your books.
What About Distribution?
Everyone has a tough time with distribution. Distribution is the process that gets books onto shelves. No matter who you are, no let me back up...If you are a famous author or actor or politician, your name gets your books on the shelves. Walk around your area book store and you will notice that most of the store space is reserved for the "famous" author. So, where does that leave most of us?
It leaves us hoping and dreaming that we will see our books on the shelves of brick-and-mortar stores. Can it happen? It can and then it may not.
The Amazon Effect
Amazon has to figure into the mix. All of Sleepytown Press books are automatically available on Amazon as well as other Online Book Stores. Not only that, but SP novels are formatted for sale as an eBook for Kindle. There are also ways to drive up the ranking of your book on Amazon, if only for one day. It looks good and sounds nice when you tell people that your book hit #1 on the Amazon reader's list.
The Google Thing
Nothing is hidden on the internet and it stays there forever. Google is the dominant search engine. You can "pay" per hit to get more exposure, but that can be dangerous to the "pocket book." Still, it is important to put "search" terns out there that help people find you.
The Digital Giant
Now, eBooks, have grown in popularity. This past hoilday season, statistics show that around 21% of the people in the US own an eReader. Now, books can even be sold, downloaded, and read and never be in physical form. As in the popular movie, "if you build it, they will come." You need a good product, good service, and a good marketing plan.
Social Media
You can not ignore social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Texassing, and others. That is where people are and we have to reach them. It has been suggested that you discover the time of day when the most people are on a social network and that is the time that you post about your book and your writing. Ask your friends to pass the word. Ask them to repost an item. Some authors have found it useful to run an auction on a book, have a contest, or offer a special price. Almost anything goes, as long as it is legal. Just remember: Nothing on the internet ever goes away.
What if I choose to publish through Sleepytown Press?
First, Sleepytown Press offers a "turnkey" fee-based solution. Your manuscript will be formatted, to your liking. The cover will be designed, also to your liking. An ISBN and BarCode will be assigned to the book. Then, your book will be available to you for purchase at author cost at any time. (You may sell your book and keep the profit. You may also sell it on your own website.) The SP Publishing Fee is a flat $400.
I do wish that I could take submissions and totally publish them FREE, but that is not available at this point. I am experimenting in doing so with a few contests. Those may be offered at certain times of the year. As it stands, SP does not publish every manuscript that is sent in to us. I have had to turn down manuscripts or ask for revisions before publishing.
Some small publishers do offer FREE publishing, but it is totally as eBooks, which cost the publisher nothing to produce and list on Amazon. Those publishers offer a contract for an eBook and share the royalties with the author. If the eBook does well and earns enough money, to cover the cost of publishing a book in physical form, then those publishers may elect to publish the novel in paperback form.
It is true that you really need to make sure that your story or novel or children's book is edited fully. You must make it the best that it can be. As a general rule, it is very difficult for an author to edit their own work. The best thing is to have a professionally edited book. This will help others to take your work more seriously.
You really need to understand the target audience for your book. Cater to that reader.
You will have to work on marketing your book. You have to promote it and sell it. This is easy, if you already have a following. To be honest, if you are like most of us, you do not have the money to pay a fortune on advertising. You will need to come up with some low cost ideas for marketing.
THINK ON THESE: Speaking Ingagements, School Visits, Public Relations Efforts, Getting Someone to Review your Book, Getting an Interview with the Media, or anything else that gets your name out there.
Bloggers
Make contact with Bloggers. Get them to review your book. Make a friendship and ask them to interview you in their Blog.
Expectations
There is no promise that you will retire on your writing. You are not promised that your book will be a "best seller," but why not dream? Why not try? You do not have to sit back and wish. Sometimes, it is all about that "bucket list," or that wanting to hold your very own book in your hands. You have to do it with realistic expectations and know that it is very difficult to get noticed. Publishing is more difficult than ever in the publishing world. It takes a lot of "blood, sweat, and tears" to see a dream come true. Is it worth it? YES, it is worth it.