Self publishing opportunities made available by Amazon continue to flourish. A key part of these developments are the model and the tools Amazon provides us. Yet, beware, not all self publishing efforts equally benefit from these opportunities. Some tips on how to make the most of your efforts at self publishing on Amazon follow.
The numbers are pretty revealing. Analysis of U.S. ISBN data shows the number of self-published titles in 2012 increasing to an excess of 391,000. As a percentage, this figure is up 59 percent over 2011 and 422 percent over 2007.
This phenomenal expansion has been the result of the e-book revolution. By 2012 e-books were 40% of those self published ISBNs. That's an increase from 11% in 2007 - nearly a 400% rise.
To you, my dear self publishing author, these astounding statistics should illustrate two inexorable facts. The first is that self publishing opportunities have never been more promising. And, the second: neither has the competition ever been stiffer.
To benefit from these opportunities, more than ever, the aspiring self publisher must learn to distinguish him or herself. Self publishing on Amazon puts some great tools at your disposal. If you fail to make the most of them, it is only you who will suffer. Considering the three things discussed below will not guarantee your book's success. Neglecting them though is guaranteed to put you behind the eight ball right from the start.
First, on your author's page you are given the opportunity to post a photo. A surprising number of authors chose to post cover art. Don't do this unless your cover is a picture of you. That's what readers want to see.
Authors seem to assume no one wants to see what they look like. Actually though that is exactly wrong. It turns out a feeling of connection to the author can be a huge factor in prospective readers pulling out the old credit card on behalf of a book. However great your cover art, it is almost guaranteed that some sense of a connection to you will be more influential.
Standard head shots are usually the right choice. As in all walks of life, you're a bit ahead if you're good looking. Don't be hesitant to post your most flattering picture, though. Whatever you look like, trust me: a personal pic is better than not having one. And, at the risk of stating the obvious, smile at the camera! And, absolutely no sunglasses! A picture concealing your eyes may be the one thing worse than not having a personal pic at all.
A second point for your author's page is the field that invites you to say a little about yourself. Too many authors are much too lackadaisical about this opportunity. Does your book really speak for itself?
Alas, however great your book is, it can't speak for itself if no one reads it! Your mission, dear author, should you choose to accept it, is to actually prompt a potential reader to read it. A conviction that the author who wrote it is interesting enough to have something to say that is worth reading goes some way in that direction.
You're a writer, right? So write. Even with your Mount Rushmore-like modesty, certainly you can cobble together a few sentences that make you sound interesting. Bonus points for emphasizing aspects of your personality and experience that present you as a likely candidate for writing a revealing and engaging book on your chosen topic.
For example, did you wrote a travel book? Well, then, what is your travel resume? If you've got a mystery novel set in 1920s Paris how is it that you come to know about the time period? If it's a do-it-yourself guide, what is there in your experience that would instill confidence in the prospective reader that you know how to do it? I'm sure you'll following the idea.
Finally, last, but very much not least, give great consideration to your book's description. Believe it or not, this little bit of composition is truly more challenging than writing the actual book. Once they've laid down their hard earned cash for your book, most readers - unless they find it simply dreadful - generally give your book around 20 pages or so to win them over. In your book description, however, you have maybe 20-30 seconds to accomplish that feat.
Again, the book can't speak for itself until prospective readers have bought it. Until then, you've got to speak for it. The short version is simply this: all in a few sentences, you have tell them, entice them and show them.
It would (and indeed has) taken a whole separate article to explain how to get these book descriptions right. If you want the detailed explanation of what's involved, check out my article dedicated to
doing your book description well.
What we've covered here should go a long ways in improving your potential for success on Amazon. Getting these points right is essential to keeping your book from falling behind the curve right out of the gate. Self publishing on Amazon is a challenge and an opportunity. You have to successfully address the former if you hope to benefit from the latter.
