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Self-publishers Can Fund Book Production With Presales

Author: Danny Stooksbury

There is no sweeter word to a self-publishing author than presales. Presales provide relief to the many expenses involved in publishing, including printing, marketing, purchasing office materials and dozens of little things here and there. Persistent authors are often able to sell enough advance copies of their books to start making a profit before ever stocking a single bookshelf.

Once you begin accepting presales, you’ll also gain an improved understanding of your book’s market. Keep records of your sales to use when determining how many books to order and where your marketing efforts have been most successful. If you are planning to order 1,000 copies of your book but sellout before your book even get to the printer, you’ll know your order needs to be increased. And if your book’s Website is overloaded with traffic after placing an advertisement in one newspaper but not another, you’ll know where your ads should be focused.

Here is a list of things to consider when you begin accepting presales. Remember the more people see and hear about your book, the more likely they will be to buy it:

  1. Utilize the Internet. A well-maintained, well-built Website is the key ingredient to getting your first sales. Whether you build your own site or hire someone to do it for you, make certain your visitors have a way to reserve copies of your book. That might simply mean placing your personal contact information on your site, or it could mean posting a shopping cart directly on your Web page. Building online shopping carts can be a bit advanced for any first-time site builders, but you can cut some corners by utilizing Paypal.com’s “Website Payment” features.

  1. Direct mail. If you can identify a specific group of people who will be interested in your book, wet their chops by mailing out postcards announcing your upcoming volume. You may be able to borrow or purchase mailing lists from organizations directly linked to your subject matter. The U.S. Postal Service has a partnership with Click2Mail.com that will allow you to create and send small black & white postcards for less than price of a postage stamp.

  1. Flyers. Identifying high-traffic areas where your potential readers congregate will help you find the ideal locations for posting fliers about your soon-to- be-released book. Put some information about your book and your Web address on your flyers.

  1. Friends and family. Your friends and family believe in you and most will want their own copy of work. Ask if they would be willing to purchase your book while you’re raising money to pay for the printing costs rather than after your book has been completed.

  1. Spread the word. Talk about your book whenever you get the chance. Talk to your hairdresser, the guy at the grocery counter, your neighbors and anyone else who listen. Sometimes it’s the people you would never expect that will surprise you the most by ordering one, two or maybe even a dozen copies of your book.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-publishing-articles/selfpublishers-can-fund-book-production-with-presales-678657.html

About the Author

Get loads of FREE tips and modern ideas on writing, designing, marketing, editing and self-publishing your next book from author Danny Stooksbury and other publishing consultants at www.higherlevelpublishing.com. Visit www.higherlevelpublishing.com to sign up for the FREE monthly ezine Modern Niche Publisher and get publishing secrets sent right to your email inbox.