5 Self-Publishing Tips (Part 4)

Greetings to all. Thanks for visiting Self-Publishing Central.

Today we wrap up our "Tips" series with self-publishing tips 16 through 20. Links to prior posts are here: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3.

And here are your final five tips of the series:

16. Consider entering your book in awards competitions. There are lots of reputable contests out there. Generally, the entry fee is under $100 and goes (mostly) to pay for the judging and prizes. There are also scam contests to avoid. If you’re wondering about a particular contest, type its name into Google followed by the word “scam.” If it’s a scam, you’ll find out. Here’s a link to a post I did last year listing some respected contests. Check them out. Most of them are accepting entries RIGHT NOW.

17. A decent Media Kit is a valuable tool. When you send out requests for reviews, press releases or other media coverage, an up-to-date Media Kit is irreplaceable. If you don’t know what a Media Kit is, here’s one of many places you can find out. I expound on one of my Media Kits in a post from last summer, if you want a more personal example. Your Media Kit makes your first impression on many contacts in the publishing world. Develop one to be proud of.

18. Don’t plan on selling lots of books at book signings and book festivals. The average number of books sold by a relatively unknown author at a bookstore signing is FOUR. I usually do a bit better at my signings (16 to 34 books), but only because I really “work” the customers. If you just sit there behind your table of books, you probably won’t sell any.

The same goes for large book fairs and book festivals. I’ve participated in a couple book fairs. At the Minneapolis Book Festival, I sold ten books over a period of seven hours. I paid $60 for the privilege. The two guys next to me at the author tables combined didn’t sell as many as I did. There are some other benefits to Book Festivals, though. If you’re interested, take a glance at my report on the Minneapolis Festival here. But never expect to sell a bunch of books.

19. Take advantage of guest posters on your blog. There are lots of authors out there who have insights into the rapidly changing world of self-publishing. If you have a writing blog, share your blog space with a few well-chosen guest bloggers. They’ll appreciate the opportunity. Your readers will enjoy a new perspective. You’ll tap into at least a few of their Followers. Plus, you'll get a break from writing your blog that day. It’s a win-win-win-win.

20. Remember to have fun being an author. You are one of a select few who can say that he or she has published a book. I’ve mentioned several ways you can feel good in this post. Please read it. It’ll lift your spirits and encourage you to press on. In a like manner, all authors should encourage and support all others. I don’t get why some self- or indie-publishers and some traditional publishers can’t be civil to one another. Publishing is tough enough without authors beating each other up over their chosen paths to publication. So please . . . play nice.

Well . . . that's the end of our self-publishing tips series. It's not that there aren't more tips I could tell you here. But I want to move on, in future posts, to a bit more in-depth discussion of self-publishing topics.

Hope you enjoyed the "Tips" series. And thanks for stopping in.

Cheers!

John