Who Knew: Creating a Book’s Sell Sheet Headed for Internet Stardom

Sounds good, right? I had no idea when I wrote this article that so many people would go nuts over it. That's put a smile on this curmudgeonly face for certain. Since it has had such a great response, I wanted to post it here right away so everyone on my list would have timely access to it as well. So, without further ado, here is...

Creating a Book’s Sell Sheet

Many, many years ago, back when we were still using stone tablets and chisels to write, my first novel was published. The year was 2001. That was also when I created my first “sell sheet.”

A book sell sheet (or book one-sheet, as some people call it) is designed to provide the necessary information to people who would buy your book. This is not for consumers, however, it targets buyers at book stores, libraries, other retailers, and wholesalers. These people want quick facts about your book, without schmaltz. Save that dazzling salesy stuff for consumers.
The main things these buyers want to know are:

• What the book is about
• Who the book’s audience is
• How/where to buy the book
• Why the book is appropriate for them
• Who the author is
• How you will be marketing the book (libraries don’t care so much about this)
• What your book looks like

Use whatever program you’d like to create this sheet – MS Word, Publisher, whatever you happen to use. You don’t need fancy software to do it.

To read the rest of this article, please go here: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/10/01/creating-a-books-sell-sheet/

 

 

The Blurb Doctor Is In

In my last post, I grumbled about mistakes commonly made in book descriptions/synopses. If you missed that phenomenal piece of curmudgeonly brilliance, you can read it here. This week, I pony up and come through as promised – the Blurb Doctor is in. Trust me, this is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you.

Writing a book description or “book blurb” can be the most difficult part of the process for some authors. I don’t know why I have a knack for it. I also don’t know how some people have figured that out (before I came out of the closet with it just now) and have approached me to help them with theirs.

I tried to devise a formula that could be used by anyone for any book of any subject. Would you like to know how that went? Well, it looked something like this:

To read the rest of my post, please visit IndiesUnlimited.com

Timing Is Everything: Facebook Tutorial

I discovered something interesting by accident last week. How many times have you said to yourself Damn, I wish I could schedule my Facebook updates so that they’d post at a later time? Well, guess what? Now you can – at least from your “page” anyway. (I’ve not seen a way to do it from my personal profile.)

So, go to your page, and start typing in an update to all your fans. You can even upload a photo – anything you want to schedule to post at a later date. The strange thing about this (if you haven’t already “set it up”) is that once you click the little clock in the bottom left-hand corner of your posting window, you go to another screen, and moving forward will blow away what you’ve written. Make sure to copy it before you do anything else. NOW, click on the little clock.

To read the rest of my post, please visit IndiesUnlimited.com

Tutorial: Setting Up Your Empire

It was one of those things: a chance encounter filled with intrigue and temptation. He had intense, dark eyes with a powerful passion smoldering just below the surface. I was drawn to him. Next thing I knew, we were standing face-to-face, and he was saying things to me in French that made me swoon. Of course I kept my cool. I didn’t want Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous to know that he’d gotten under my skin.

Then, in his incredibly sexy Middle-Eastern accent, he said something to me. It was lyrical and captivating and it rhymed. “You’re the author K. S. Brooks. May I ask you a question about my books?”

“Of course,” I breathed, all sultry-like, seductively brushing my forefinger along my lower lip. Just between you and me, I was checking to make sure I hadn’t drooled on myself. Ha! My lip was dry. While he told me about his book, I imagined him riding across the desert on a fine Arab charger (thank you for that, Mick Jagger) and then when he said “I’m going to get an agent and a publisher,” I snapped back to reality. Then came the glare off his wedding ring, blinding me like a spotlight from a police car during a “routine” stop. Nice buzz-kill. Thanks a lot.

To read the rest of my post, please visit IndiesUnlimited.com

Book Signing Basics – Part 2

An author in one of the writers’ groups in which I participate posted that she had a book signing at a store and no one showed up.  She was very disappointed, and I can understand that.  Who wouldn’t be?  But she, and you, need to realize that this kind of thing happens all the time – it’s completely common for writers who have yet to become a household name. 

At my first book signing, I expected to have a line – albeit small – because there had been so much press leading up to it – people had to be curious, right?  Wrong.  A few people did show up, and I did sell a few books – but there was NEVER a line.  I directed a lot of people to the Harry Potter books and the food court, as I mentioned in my previous post.  (Book Signing Basics)

All is not lost, however.  A book signing or other event is the perfect excuse to do a broad press campaign.  Every news outlet in your area should have received a press release and/or announcement with the details of your upcoming event.  No one who reads the news story will know if no one shows up – and at least that way your name got out in front of a lot of potential readers.  So always, always press the heck out of your event beforehand.  If not for the event, then for yourself – how many opportunities do you have to make the news for the same book? 

As far as no one showing up - you can’t take that kind of thing personally.  This author was under the impression that the store would share in advertising the event since that had been her experience in the past.  She’d been quite successful and pleased with a recent signing at a library.  But libraries are different – they have people dedicated to events and publicity.  They have public programs and relationships with the news media.  Book stores may or may not – and they probably won’t do any press for you.  Luckily this author didn’t slack and did a really good job pressing the event.  Her releases were published in a number of papers.  In my opinion, that’s a win.

Since you will pretty much be ‘on your own’ – take the initiative.  Print up some flyers or posters announcing the signing and bring them to the store a couple of weeks in advance.  These don’t have to be fancy – just a photo of your book cover(s), a photo of you, the date of the signing, and maybe “Meet the Author” across the top.  Make sure your name is in a large font, too.  Name recognition is everything.  Have the management hang them up in the store.  Leave book marks on the counter.  If there are any bulletin boards in the area – gas stations, community centers, convenience stores – hang those flyers there as well.  People do stop and look.

Why won’t people come up to your table?  People are weird. Many of them don't like to go up to authors at signings. They feel like you’ll pressure them into buying your book.  They feel like if they talk to you they SHOULD buy your book.  People don’t want to feel guilty.  Tomorrow, you might sell a lot of books because you were there today.

“Sure, Brooks, you’ve got eight titles.  This kind of thing doesn’t happen to you.”  Well, I didn’t always have eight titles.  I started out with one.  In fact, I was very nervous this exact thing would happen to me.  I’d been selling on average no more than FIVE books per signing.  Then came my first signing in urban Virginia.  There really hadn’t been any press on me in that area since it was more than two hours from where I lived – and it was no little farming town, either.  No one in this densely populated city knew me or even cared to know about me.  I’d spent SIX hours driving around the weekend before the event hanging my flyers everywhere I could find a spot:  bus stops, gas stations, restaurants, telephone poles at intersections – you name it.  Now that I think about it – it was kind of pathetic.  I didn’t know the area and I wanted as much exposure as possible – so at the time it seemed like the right thing to do.  I was scared to DEATH that the book store would think I was a total loser if no one showed up.  It was a big chain and I really wanted to make a good impression.

Then, I got an idea.  I can be pretty wily when I want to be.  I called a couple of friends.  I arranged with them to come to the signing, stop at my table, and I would slip them twenty dollars with a bookmark so they could go to the register and purchase a book.  Expensive, right?  Well, yes.  Stupid, right?  Well, as it turns out, no – it took SO much pressure off me that I actually enjoyed my signing.

Another thing I can't stress enough is to have something interesting on your table to draw people over. Since people are weird - it's so important to have an icebreaker. Pick something key (or not-so-key if it's tough) in one of your books and put it up there. If you're like me, you probably already have it for research or inspiration anyway (or just because you're warped). Even though grenades aren't used in my books, I have three different types. I used to set those out. Fantasy authors can put out big sparkly crystals - history authors can put Civil War figurines, etc. - go as big with stuff as the book store will let you. The key is to make people curious enough to come over and talk to you. If you can get someone to come up to your table, people will see you don't bite and that will encourage others.

Depending on the store, you may be allowed to put out food – cookies, candy, whatever.  Everyone loves free food.  I’ve seen some people detour just to get it.  If it’s a treat that has some sort of relevance to your book – even better. 

So, don’t get discouraged – it’s just the lumps you take starting out.  As long as you give it your best shot – it never counts as a loss.