How to Reach More Readers with Self-Published Ebooks
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Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, discusses the evolution of self-publishing and how authors can reach more readers by using his platform, which offers free ebook publishing and distribution tools. The document outlines various strategies for authors to succeed, including creating quality content, utilizing effective marketing techniques, and maintaining a broad distribution. Coker emphasizes the importance of patience, community support, and the need to embrace global markets while continuously improving their work.
How to Reach More Readers with Self-Published Ebooks
- 1. How to Reach More Readers with February 18, 2013 Mark Coker Founder, Smashwords Twitter: @markcoker
- 2. My Backstory
- 4. We made wrote a book together
- 5. Publishers Said “No” • Every major publisher said NO (TWICE!)
- 6. I evaluated our options 1. The rational option Acknowledge we sucked and weren’t good enough to be a published author Curl up in fetal position and cry Give up 1. The irrational option Believe in ourselves Get mad Try to fix the problem
- 7. How to fix a problem 1. Identify the problem Big 6 Publishers!!! Toxic to the future of publishing Don’t value all writers Unable to take a risk on all writers 1. Visualize the utopian solution Every writer should have the right and the ability to publish Readers should have the power to judge what’s worth reading 1. Create the Solution
- 8. My Answer: Smashwords • Free Ebook Publishing Platform • Provide writers free tools so they can become their own ebook publishers • Open up the printing press to all • Open up distribution to major ebook stores
- 9. Indie ebooks published at Smashwords 191,000 92,000 28,800 6,000 140
- 10. Ebooks as a percentage of US wholesale trade market 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Source: Association of American Publishers, publishers.org. 2012 Smashwords estimate
- 11. How Smashwords Works • UPLOAD • Author follows our Style Guide, uploads a Word .doc file … or (NEW), upload .epub • Instant, free ebook conversion • Sell today to global audience • DISTRIBUTE • Distribution to major retailers • GET PAID • Earn 60% list for books sold at retail • Quarterly payments
- 12. Smashwords offers Free publishing and distribution 85% net royalties (commission of 10% list price at retailers. Author earns 60% list on prices $.99 and up) Unlimited free updates Centralized metadata management Aggregated sales reports Free marketing tools (Coupons!) Global community of 50,000+ fellow Smashwords authors, publishers, agents Professional development resources
- 13. Learn (for FREE!) to Become a Professional Self-Publisher • Smashwords Style Guide (how to create and publish an ebook) • Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any book) • Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success (best practices of successful authors)
- 14. Let’s review the best practices of the best-selling indie authors
- 15. Secret One
- 16. #1 Your best marketing is a great book • Honor your reader with a great book • If your book doesn’t make readers go, “WOW!” you’re not done yet • Must turn readers into evangelists • Be fanatical about quality • Edit, revise, edit, revise, repeat, proof • Leverage beta readers
- 17. Secret Two
- 18. #2 Adorn your book with a GREAT cover image • Invest in a quality cover image • Your first impression • Look professional • Should arrest reader with thumb nail • Visual • Genre/category appropriate • Makes a promise to the reader
- 19. Here’s a promise
- 21. Look what happened when the author went from this cover
- 22. … to this cover…
- 23. The cover sparked a breakout at Apple
- 24. And landed her on the NY Times Bestseller List
- 25. Secret Three
- 26. #3 Publish Another Great Book • The best-selling authors on Smashwords offer deep backlists • Each new ebook offers opportunity to • cross-promote other titles • Build trust with your reader • Build your brand
- 27. Secret Four
- 28. #4 Give (some of) Your Books away for Free • After book quality & cover image, FREE is the next most powerful marketing tool • If you have a deep backlist, offer at least one full-length book for free • Eliminates financial risk for first-time readers • Turbocharges a series • The highest grossing authors/publishers at Smashwords offer at least one free book
- 29. Secret Five
- 30. #5 Maximize Availability, Avoid Exclusivity • Exclusivity • angers fans • limits audience • increases your dependence upon a single retailer • Ebook retailing is not like sports, religion or politics • If your book is not available at every retailer, it’s not discoverable or purchasable
- 31. Ebook retailers want indie ebooks
- 32. Secret Six
- 33. #6 Patience is a Virtue • When your book lands at retailer, it’s a seedling, nourish it • Never pull out by the roots, never remove • Ebooks develop differently • Traditional print books – big sell-in, then yanked from shelves, then sales go to zero • Ebooks – can start small and grow slowly before breakout • Breakouts are unpredictable • Let’s look at some examples…
- 34. Slow boil, breakout, slow boil, bigger breakout
- 35. Slow boil, breakout, slow boil, smaller breakouts
- 36. Slow boil to breakout Ruth Ann Nordin’s An Inconvenient Marriage
- 37. Secret Seven
- 38. Don’t Worry about Piracy
- 39. Everything you need to know about piracy • Obscurity is your biggest risk • Black hat pirates who steal your book wouldn’t have purchased it anyway • Most piracy is accidental – it’s enthusiastic fans marketing your book for you • Combat piracy by making your book easier to purchase than steal
- 40. Irrational fear of piracy leads leads to obscurity • The only reliable method of avoiding piracy is to NEVER PUBLISH • Anti-piracy measures such as DRM only limit availability, accessibility and enjoyment • Fear gone too far will scare readers: • Bio: Dear all, Mohammad Nashir is a poet, foreign language poet and writer. Laws: If you have been found stealing or maintaining theft of any of this material you will be taken to court, have an injunction be contacted by fraud squads or have the police at your door.
- 41. Secret Eight
- 43. What’s a Viral Catalyst? • A viral catalyst is something that makes your book more available, accessible, desirable and enjoyable to readers
- 44. Viral Catalysts • Every thing you do right increases virality. Iterate until you get right formula Great cover Social media enabled Great story Sampling enabled Professionally edited Multiple formats Great title Good formatting Broad distribution Good categorization Competitive price LUCK! Great book description Great marketing
- 45. Secret Nine
- 46. Secret #9 Unit Volume is Lever for Success • Unit volume (sales and downloads) increase platform, drives readers to your backlist • Unit sales X royalty per unit = profit • Pricing strategy essential to maximize both
- 47. How Price Impacts Units Sold Data source: http://blog.smashwords.com/2012/04/can-ebook-data-reveal-new- viral.html
- 48. What Price Yields Highest Earnings? Data source: http://blog.smashwords.com/2012/04/can-ebook-data-reveal-new- viral.html
- 49. Secret Ten
- 50. Secret #10 Practice Partnership and Positivity • Your fellow authors and service providers are your partners • Help them be successful • Learn from them • Share your secrets • Positivity trumps negativity • Relationships give you upper hand • Internet rants are permanent • Google alerts keeps no secrets
- 51. Secret Eleven
- 52. Secret #11 Think Globally Retailers are going global. Apple iBookstore (50 countries), Kobo (15/180), B&N (2), Amazon (~12) Nearly 50% of Smashwords iBookstore sales outside the US
- 53. Secret Twelve
- 54. Secret #12 Pinch Your Pennies • You’re running a business • Profit = Sales minus Expenses • Most books don’t sell well (!!!!) • NEVER borrow money to publish a book • NEVER spend or invest money you need for food and shelter • DIY then reinvest
- 55. Free Ebook Publishing Resources • NEW! Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success (best practices of successful authors) • Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any book) • Smashwords Style Guide (how to format an ebook)
- 56. Thank you! Q&A Connect with Mark Coker and Smashwords: Web: www.smashwords.com Blog: blog.smashwords.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markcoker Facebook: facebook.com/markcoker HuffPo: huffingtonpost.com/mark-coker Twitter: @markcoker