I 've been getting asked the same questions over and over again lately, and so I thought I'd answer all of those questions with this article. The basic gist of what people are asking me is this: "why aren't my books selling and how can I get out there so I can speak and sell my books?" None of these individuals are my PR coaching clients, they're just folks who have published and now wonder why they are not selling this book like a PR Rock Star.
So here are the top 3 reasons why you're not selling your book: 1) You never got around to establishing yourself as an author. The promotion of the book starts BEFORE the book is out! I say that all the time. But, the overwhelming majority of people who publish never really take the time to build a platform. You need to build up an audience of people who would want to buy their book. Having 1,000+ "friends" on Facebook is not a readership. Most people create a book and think everyone would want to buy it and have them come speak about it once it rolls off the presses. And what happens when they publish the book and announce it to the world, the same result is the same -- they sell about 200 copies to their friends and family.
2) You didn't market your Book. You've just finished your first book and published it. Whew! Now it's time to sit back, relax and watch the sales roll in. Right? Wrong! Nothing could be further from the truth. Getting your book published is about 10% of the work. The 90% of the work involves around getting the word out and generating sales. This is where most people who get around to publishing their book typically fail. They see that they still have some more work to do, and quit. It just seems way too hard.
3) You didn't invest in any marketing support, buy a "how to" kit or get a coach I'm not here to try to sell you anything, so let's get that out of the way. But what I will tell you is that those who succeed are those who are prepared. And preparation involves GETTING INFORMATION AND TALKING WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE. A lot of first time authors make mistakes - costly mistakes. How do I know this? Because I see it. They come to me - crying and upset. They didn't have any help when they were publishing and had to figure this all out on their own. They spent a lot of money trying to figure it all out and got very confused - and frustrated.
Here's what you need to understand. Without any advice or guidance, you're dooming yourself to learning by trial-and-error. That can be both costly and very time consuming. Don't make that mistake.
Here's the bottom line. I truly believe you can become a successful author. You need to set a goal for yourself, get some information from a professional and stick with it. Do what they instruct you to do. Trust me, you'll be incredibly happy if you follow my advice.
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