Did your book sales start out strong, but now you’re seeing that the numbers are lagging? We hear this story from authors quite a bit. They saw consistent book sales when the book was first released, but then their sales tapered off, and they aren't sure how to re-energize them.
There are many ways you can boost book sales and get people engaged again. Read on for some of the key methods.
Offer a Free Chapter
We all know the power of “free.” Offering a free chapter of your book can be a great way to entice your followers to take the plunge and buy your book, and it can also be a powerful way to enroll new followers into your book newsletter (you can woo them from there!).
A few tips:
- To gain new followers, promote the free chapter on social media.
- Make sure new followers sign up for your newsletter to receive the free chapter.
- Use a 3D image of your book cover with your promotions.
Also, promote the free chapter to your newsletter. This will give your followers who are on the fence a chance to read your content and get a taste for how the book will help them.
Post on Social Media
Make sure you’re using the power of social media. Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or others, social media platforms are a simple, (mostly) free way to keep your book in front of people.
Of course, you don't want to keep posting the same content or reminders. Think about creative ways to remind people about your book’s content and how it can help them.
- When possible, relate your book to current events.
- Share quotes you’ve never posted in the past.
- Use design themes and colors that relate to your book cover.
- Share stories of how the book has helped readers.
- Post positive reviews the book has received.
There are many fun ways to keep your book content fresh!
Attend Conferences
Make sure you’re staying active in the circles that relate to your book topic. This will help you meet people who can help share the word about your book, and it can also lead to speaking opportunities.
Already active in conferences? Keep books with you so that you can easily hand them out to people who can help get the word out.
Run a Flash Sale
Another way to quickly engage people to buy your book is to run a limited sale. People function best with deadlines—especially when they’re short. Think about running a 48-hour sale, for example.
A few pointers:
- When you promote the sale, briefly remind people how the book will help them.
- Add a timer counting down the remaining time in the sale.
- Promote the sale on both social media and in your newsletter.
- Don't overload followers with hourly posts or emails, but post about the sale more than once.
- If you’re worried some people might miss the sale, add a surprise 24 hours at the end of the sale to pull in stragglers.
Optimize Your Author Website
You should already have an author website or book landing page. Take a look back over it to see if you need to add fresh content or update the design of the website. You want the website to be clear, up-to-date, and easy to use.
- Keep the website simple so that users can quickly and easily navigate.
- Don't clutter the site with unnecessary or confusing content. Hone your message to what users actually need to know.
- Organize the content clearly so users understand where to go at a glance. If you have a lot of sections and wording on the front page, consider organizing some of the content into subpages.
- Be sure the calls to action are clear. If the goal of the website is for people to buy your book, provide clear buttons and wording for them to do so.
- The top right-hand corner of your website is prime real estate where the eye is naturally drawn. Considering placing a button here for people to buy the book.
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But, where should you begin? Start with the step that’s easiest to implement. Maybe you already have a pile of quotes you want to share, or maybe you know your website needs some attention. Once you’ve tackled the first method, keep implementing new strategies. Don't give up hope—there are plenty of people out there who want to read your book! They just need to hear about it.
