An Engaged Author: Bookselling Strategies

Authors who are more engaged in their books affect their book sales by connecting readers directly with their books and building a loyal following. Additionally, engaging with your audience directly can help to increase your visibility and ultimately drive more traffic to your website, webpage on CLC Kenya/ACABA, and other ecommerce platforms which result in increased sales.

The Trend

In recent years, authors have been utilising social media to increase engagement with their readers and promote their books. This has led to a more personal connection between the author and readers, as opposed to the traditional marketing of books.

This trend has been fueled by the rise of social media and online marketing platforms, which have allowed authors to directly reach their readers and promote their work. As a result, authors who actively engage with their audience tend to sell more books and gain more visibility in the competitive publishing industry.

However, it’s important to note that building a strong online presence takes time and effort, and authors should be willing to consistently create valuable content and interact with their followers to see significant results. It’s not an overnight success scheme but in line with God’s Word in Hebrews 10:36,

For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising],

so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised.

How can an author be engaged to sell more books?

In this module, we will discuss about fifteen strategies. You do not have to use all of them, but pick what is possible for you in every season. The benchmark is to use at least five at once to ensure you make maximum effort to reach as many readers as possible and have an impact on your target audience. By implementing a combination of these tactics, you can increase your visibility and establish yourself as a credible authority in your field. Remember to constantly evaluate and adjust your approach based on the results you see to ensure continued growth and success.

Use social media to create a personal brand

One of the most effective ways to increase book sales is by building a strong online presence through social media platforms and creating a personal brand. This can help establish credibility and trust with potential readers, ultimately leading to more book sales.

Online readers make up the larger market for any published book – whether self published or traditionally published. As a result, the majority (if not all) of your marketing efforts should be conducted online. Social media is the way to go because of these reasons. It’s great for both getting found and giving your followers a simple way to stay in touch. Use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok etc to connect with the enormous numbers of people and start building your brand presence there.

You can utilise paid advertising options to reach a wider audience, and track your results to adjust your strategy accordingly. Remember to also prioritise creating valuable content that resonates with your target audience to encourage engagement. By consistently executing a strong social media strategy, you can effectively promote your book project and drive conversions.

A personal brand is the unique image and reputation that an individual creates for themselves. For authors, developing a strong personal brand can help them stand out in a crowded market and establish themselves as experts in their genre. This can lead to increased visibility, credibility, speaking engagements and ultimately, book sales.

Also note that any potential publishers, book agents and conference/event organisers are looking for authors with a strong online presence and following.

2. Maximise Pre-orders and Launch Date Sales

A pre-order is a purchase made prior to a product’s or in this case, a book’s official release. You should advertise and gather orders as soon as possible, especially after getting the first proofing copy of your book.

Additionally, pre-orders can help gauge interest in the book and allow for better inventory management to ensure that there are enough copies available on launch day. It also creates a sense of anticipation and excitement among readers, which can lead to increased buzz and word-of-mouth promotion.

On the day of the launch, whether virtual or convened, increase your sales to increase your initial reach and impact. Most of the people that would attend your launch are family, friends and those in your network. These groups of people form your base reach and are likely to support your book project at the full price because of existing connections.

3. Have a website or webpage for your book

Consider developing a website for your new fans, curious readers, devoted followers in addition to social media. To share information about your book releases and updates, you need some sort of online hub.

While social media is useful, a website offers a lot more possibilities.

A professional website can:

a. Package as a seasoned author you are.

b. Be your online resume.

c. Allow you to include testimonials, reviews, nominations, or honours.

d. Promote your other programs and initiatives.

Website Options for authors

a. If you want a more professional-looking website, it’s best to invest in custom design and development by hiring a web designer and developer. You can hire a website builder from Upwork or Fiverr to create your website. This may cost more upfront, but it can save you time and money in the long run by ensuring your website is optimised for your specific needs and goals.

b. WordPress and Wix are also dependable and fairly simple tools that start at Kes 500–2,000 a month if you want to DIY but are on a tight budget.

c. You can also try a blogging platform like Tumblr if a website isn’t an option (it’s entirely free to use).

Recommended: ACABA Webpage

d. Use the ACABA webpage assigned to you

Many stakeholders in the book industry use the internet to both research their choices and make actual purchases. Your webpage on ACABA’s website serves as a platform to inform visitors about your book and related programs wherever they require them. This assists in their journey until they decide to make a purchase of your book. Therefore, at CLC Kenya/ACABA we are working to ensure that your webpage is user-friendly, visually appealing, and provides relevant information.

Additionally:

(i) Incorporating features such as customer reviews and testimonials also helps build trust and credibility with potential customers. Your part is to make sure that you get as many reviews/comments as possible to build your brand.

(ii) Encouraging cross and up selling can increase the average exposure and order value and ultimately lead to more revenue for all authors’ books. By suggesting complementary offerings of authors in same genres, we encourage readers to explore more of what our website has to offer and potentially lead to additional purchases.

(iii) You have a dedicated website manager to ensure the smooth functioning of your webpage and also perform any necessary software updates. The manager also keeps watch on your webpage performance and makes changes that are needed. They also handle backend technical support ie ensuring that the domain registrations and hosting remain current at all times towards improving user experience on the website. This includes analysing website analytics and making data-driven decisions to optimise website performance.

Action Points…

So, where can you start? Choose a social media platform that can work for you. If you need CLC Kenya/ACABA support, reach out to your Author Administrator in your group. Start creating your personal brand…

Additionally, get going in sharing your webpage with your family, friends, networks and readers and ask them to leave you a review on your ACABA webpage.