We have been treated to a mini-seminar on the do’s and don’ts of self-publishing by author Peter Bowerman, author of the book “The Well-Fed Self-Publisher” (TWFSP). If you missed parts one, two, or three, click the links to get caught up.
Peter, you’ve been telling us the things we need to do to get our names out there. Sounds like you’ve got to be quite the “marketing expert” to be a successful self-publisher. Is that true?
Absolutely not. For those who say, “I just don’t have what it takes to be a successful book promoter,” I firmly assert that commercial success as a self-publishing author is far more about a process than an aptitude – far more about a lot of things you have to do than some way you have to be. I’ve done it and countless others have done it as well. It all starts with a plan, and that’s the whole point of TWFSP – a detailed blueprint authors can follow to write their own self-publishing success story.
Speaking of that, here’s an interesting sidebar (as well as a great tip for maximizing the profitability of your self-published book)…
After writing TWFSP, I assembled a 100-page ebook containing “virtually every piece of marketing material used in the course of marketing my successful titles.” I sell it for $20 extra with my book ($30 standalone) as an automatic ebook download – a steal, according to most buyers, but that makes it an easy “impulse buy.” Other than the time it took to create it, I have zero costs.
So instead of roughly $14 net profit on a $20 book sale off my site, 60-70% of folks who buy TWFSP buy the “Biz-in-a-Box” as well. So, I end up with a $34 net profit on a $40 sale (roughly $6 cost for book production costs, plus shipping to me and customer.) And in the process, I’ve found a way to re-purpose all that marketing materials in a most profitable direction.
What could you create as a companion ebook to sell with your book?
Peter, thank you for sharing all this information with us. I’ve come away from our interview (and your book) feeling well-educated and definitely more enlightened.
If you would like to learn more about Peter Bowerman, click here.
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Author Interview: Tracy Winegar
Author Interview: Jean Hackensmith