A few days ago, I was working away at marketing my novels (what else) when I received an email from Amazon telling me that I had sold one of the volleyball coaching books I wrote last summer. That's not so unusual. I sell a dozen or so of those a month. But when I checked my Amazon seller site, I noted that my commission on this sale was more than double the usual amount!
I thought, what the heck?! Did I offer international shipping or something stupid like that.
But no. I had implemented a marketing strategy for that book that was now bearing fruit. I'd just struck upon it so long ago, that I had forgotten all about this tiny marketing gem.
Last year, when I first signed up to sell my book at Amazon, I had also offered an AUTHOR SIGNED COPY as one of those "Other Buying Options" that Amazon hides under the "Add to Cart" area of your listing page. And someone had just ordered one of my author-signed originals.
Yes!
The whole selling process was really no different for my highly profitable author-signed book than for my moderately profitable unsigned version. So . . . why hadn't I listed author-signed versions of my new books?
I experienced a moment of veritas -- of undeniable truth. There was no reason I shouldn't offer author-signed copies of my new novels as well. So I have. Now, if you check the "Other Buying Options" for any of my books on Amazon, and you look hard, you'll find a copy of the book that is described as SIGNED BY AUTHOR.
Okay. Given the lack of exposure Amazon accords these "Other Buying Options," I don't expect tons of sales. On the other hand, it costs me NOTHING to have the option available. And I did edit my author website to mention the availability of the author-signed purchase option on Amazon. Who knows? And . . . why not?
I've got another easy and free marketing tip that I'll share with you next time.
But that's it for today.
Hope you have a great one!
John
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great ideas, John. keep them coming.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tamara. Hopefully, small things add up.
ReplyDeleteJohn
So how does that work, if you don't mind my asking? Does Amazon just send you the book to sign first, then forward to the buyer? Just curious... :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie D.
ReplyDeleteI print my books POD through CreateSpace. I can buy as many books as I want directly from them, whenever I want, at my "author price" and have them delivered to my home. Total cost depends on # of pages and book weight.
Maybe it costs me $4 to $6 per book to get them printed and shipped to my house.
If you use a short run printer instead of POD, you would have a bunch of your books at your house already. And you may be shipping ALL of your sales -- even Amazon ones -- yourself. That depends on whether you are willing to pay Amazon extra to do the shipping for you. In which case you would have to send them some inventory.
Make sense?
John
Ah...I'm going through CreateSpace too - just assumed that they would handle the print and ship as books were ordered through their distributors (which includes Amazon, of course). Hence "print on demand" - I was sure that was how others I know have it set up. Good thing I asked, I'll check deeper into it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJamie D,
ReplyDeleteCreateSpace will, indeed, handle printing and shipping for you. But you also have an option to do some selling on your own. That's where this thread comes in.
Cheers!
John
Oh yes, I plan to do that as well from my web site. Just was curious how to do author signed from Amazon when CS would be shipping...which I probably can't in that case. It's a great option though...and I really appreciate your help/comments, and your patience with a "newbie". :-)
ReplyDeleteWriting is a cooperative activity, not a competition.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for stopping by.
John