The Biggest Mistake Authors Make When Self-Publishing a Book is a recap of “This is the One Biggest Mistake Authors Make. No, really.,” a recent episode on our Book Marketing Tips & Author Success podcast.
We delve deeper into our discussion about this important topic for authors trying to figure out the ins and outs of marketing self-published books on Amazon, so be sure to download and listen to the show for all the details, recommendations, and considerations!
The past year has been unlike any other, introducing change and providing more (and new) challenges, especially when it comes to marketing self-published books. To better help authors, our theme for this year – and a challenge for you – is to RISE ABOVE THE NOISE. The first step to doing this is to know your genre.
Amazon is inundated and only continues to grow, so you need to make sure that you are doing all that you can to stand out above the rest. When readers go online to search for books, you are asking for their valuable time and you only get one chance to capture their attention, make sure you don’t waste it. While there are other very important factors to this first impression (which we will get to another time), being firmly placed in the appropriate genre is a key factor.
How Can This Be A Mistake When Marketing Self-Published Books?
We are finding that readers are all about seeking out books by their genre of interest. If they find your book and it is not in the genre they were looking for, there is a good chance they are going to be upset – feel cheated, like they were lied to, wasted time and money – and you are likely going to lose a reader and gain negative reviews (because people are more apt to speak up when something is wrong, right?).
Whether you are currently working on your debut book or are established and working on marketing self-published books, make sure you find and stay in your lane. Readers are not looking for authors that are straddling genres or vague about what it may or may not be. You will also want to listen to your readers, find out what they like or don’t like, what they want more of, etc. You would be amazed at the authors that are marketing self-published books in the wrong genre and sometimes do not even realize it.
Making Sure You Are Firmly In Your Lane
Become a fan of your genre and LISTEN to your market – the more you know, the more likely you are to be successful. Before you start writing, read and familiarize yourself with the genre you are aiming for. You are going to want to make sure you know what the basics are and that you are adhering to what readers want and expect from that genre.
Over anything, keep pushing yourself to go beyond what you are already doing. Do your research and seek out others that can help you sharpen your skills. We can always improve and need to continue to grow in order to stand out in this market. A great way to do this is to seek out constructive feedback. You NEED this feedback to improve yourself and it will strongly benefit you later on.
Resources and Free Downloads
How to Market a Self Published Book in 2021: Creating a Plan You Can Stick with in the New Year!
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