Posted on 2012-Aug-02
No More Deadlock
This interview with Mark Coker, the founder of Smashwords, gives a clear picture of how the eBook industry is being shaped at the moment. The undeniable support from readers has strengthened the platforms where indie writers and small presses can free themselves from the traditional publishing deadlock and constructively pursue their imaginative journey as a creator of words.
New Path
With royalties added up for each book sold, the motivation to self-promote a book can grow stronger. A writer’s passionate bond with the book they have created becomes a little tighter with every sale. It seems the road to obscurity through self-publishing is over, and the new path has become so bright that writers are not alone anymore. A legion of their professional colleagues have joined hands to focus on quality content delivery. Virtual bookstores provide the accessible showroom where everyone can equally be qualified to write for their target group and hand each product to their customers more affordably.
Smashwords’ Prediction
Coker’s prediction about the future of electronic books clearly demonstrates how the world is purchasing more and more eBook titles. Smashwords managed to have more than 92,000 books published and stronger sales records are expected even early this year. Furthermore, four of the self-published authors on Smashwords are now New York Times bestsellers.
Word of Mouth
The second part of Coker’s interview reveals that the best marketing strategy for self-published authors is the quality of their writing. Good quality generates positive comments and automatically boosts a word-of-mouth strategy. The first reader is considered the most important person, because they will buy the first product and tells their friends about it. Self-promotion does not carry as much negative meaning in itself anymore as it has become the social norms to stay relevant in the society.
Budget-saving Blogging
Blogging is seen as a permanent marketing campaign whereas advertisement may be ineffective budget allotment that tends to take money out of your pocket. Blog posts attract traffic from all around the world and create your online presence so appropriately readers can trust you and determine how many more customers are returning to follow your updates.
Editing and Book Cover Design
Although advertisement expenditures are not recommended in this interview with Mark Coker, certain expenses can boost your eBook sales. Editing helps the book sell itself more professionally. Professional cover design makes a great impact as well. Changing the book cover dramatically increased RL Mathewson’s sales from 3-6 copies a day for several months to 1,000 copies a day. Quality eBook design also provides an opportunity to impress your readers.
Enlightenment and Independence
Visit Chocolate Vodka’s blog to read her most recent post about book promotion on a budget. It sure is worthwhile. Also, have a wonderful weekend and spend your quality time to check out our new Regular Expression tutorials in the BB eBooks Developers section. It is a lot to digest, but it will help you become a more professional eBook designer.
Thank you to the kind folks at Digireado. The first part of the interview was originally posted on their Facebook page.
Label: Self-Publishing
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