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Selling More Books to Your Readers

  
  
  
  
  
  

By Bob O’Connor

 

If you have one book in print congratulations. Please make sure you capture the addresses and/or e-mails of your purchasers. They will want to purchase you second book too. And it is easier to sell to someone you know has read your first book than just any random person.

 

When I publish a new book (I have seven in print), I have a postcard made with the book cover on it. I print 1000 at a cost of about $100. It costs 32 cents to send out. So I have 42 cents invested. I hand address each one. My return in actual book sales is very high. Where else can you spend 42 cents to reach your target audience?

 

The postcard sends them to my website to purchase the books. I have a form on my website that allows them to purchase and tell me how they want me to sign the book. Of course, they have to pay the postage for me to ship the book to them.

 

What about those I only have e-mail for? I send a newsletter to them quite often, but not every month. I put in information concerning my new book, places I am appearing in the near future and other pertinent information. See if that doesn’t work for you too.

 

Bob O'ConnorBob lives in Charles Town, West Virginia, close to most of the sites of his books. He is a well-respected member of the travel industry and a long time journalist and photographer. He initiated two of the area’s most popular annual events, the Independence Concert at Antietam Battlefield in July and the Memorial Illumination at Antietam Battlefield in December. He lives close to his six grandchildren and his two children. His next historical novel follows two brothers who fought against each other in the Civil War. The book is called "A House Divided Against Itself". Contact him through his website  www.boboconnorbooks.com.

Comments

Hi Bob...and Sherrie, 
I'm glad you found a niche, Bob. Your tactic doesn't work well for fiction, although I slip a business card in every bill I mail. Google Adwords doesn't work either. The problem: While various methods increase traffic to my website, that doesn't guarantee that I sell any of my books. I work hard at marketing (because I'm not good at it), but it takes time from my writing, so it's a catch 22. 
All the best, 
Steve 
Posted @ Thursday, February 09, 2012 9:52 AM by Steven M. Moore
Hi Bob; 
 
I have just one book in print and I am 77 years of age. I don't thank that I will be doing an other. Just a one book wonder. It has taken me 30 years to that one. 
 
The GODFLY by George Frank Reif 
 
Infinity Publishing 
 
www.BuyBooksOnTheWeb.com 
 
(877) 289-2665
Posted @ Thursday, February 09, 2012 10:00 AM by George Frank Reif
One wonder is better than none...anyway you're young, write a series!
Posted @ Thursday, February 09, 2012 10:21 AM by James Strait
Hi Mr. O'Conner, 
Thank you for your tip. I have "HI" in paperback and Kindle and do not have many takers. I could use any suggestions from you and your followers on how to get more traffic. 
 
Thanks, 
 
Ron
Posted @ Thursday, February 09, 2012 10:29 AM by Ronald Franklin Saia
Hi Bob. A couple of questions: 
 
1) How do I "capture the addresses and e-mail" when my book, Blessings in the Mire, is being sold by Amazon and BBOTW? 
 
2) When you purchase the 1000 postcards, to whom are they being sent? 
 
The one thing that is clear from your post is that I am going to tear down the superfluous author sites and focus directly on my own website where I can capture the personal information of my readers. Certainly, it makes little sense to be promoting the other avenues above my own. 
 
Thanks for that between-the-lines insight. 
 
Warm Regards, 
 
J. Deelstra
Posted @ Thursday, February 09, 2012 10:49 AM by Jan Deelstra
I've published 3 novels through Infinity and I'm about to embark on #4, sequel to the third. (BTW to George R., my good friend published her first novel at age 60+ and now at age 90, she has published 25 books, both novels and non-fiction and has 2 new ones coming out this year!) I also use postcards, mailing them out and handing them out to everyone I meet. I find my website helpful and sell some books through there but despite all the hoopla about Internet sales, I find my best sales still come through personal contact, i.e., speaking engagements and meeting folks face to face. None of it makes for HUGE sales, just a few here, a few there that have total sales of over 1200 books in less than two years. Marketing is slow in this economy and fast-changing publishing world but it is what it is and as writers, if we want out books to sell, we have to work it as best we can. Keep the ideas coming! 
 
 
 
Laura L. Valenti, author 
 
"The Heart of the Spring" 
 
"The Heart of the Spring Lives On" 
 
"Between the Star and the Cross: The Choice" 
 
Posted @ Thursday, February 09, 2012 11:47 AM by Laura L. Valenti
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