How do you make your book standout from the crowd?
Today’s consumer has hundreds…scratch that, thousands…actually, millions of book choices. Authors may want to believe that the majority are poorly written, with low-quality production in the form of cheap covers and unattractive formatting.
Yet, the reality is that there are unlimited numbers of high-quality books available. You are part of a competitive field. So what will make them choose your book?
Read, re-read, and then edit some more.
Make sure your book is well-written, properly edited and proofread. This means once you think you have your final draft, get it read at least three more times by three different people in order to find grammatical errors, typos, and factual inconsistencies within your story. Don’t skimp on professional editing. A beta reader is great for catching typos, but most aren’t going to be able to suggest ways to improve the readability of your book. A good editor will suggest nuances to create a compelling character arc, a plot that tantalizes until the last page, and language indicative of each character.
Get covered.
Your book’s cover is the first thing readers will judge. Don’t simply find a stock photo image and layer over some typography using a free, online tool. Contract a qualified graphic artist to do your cover. Additionally, encourage your graphic artist to look for unusual stock photos or view the photo in a different way. Consider using only a portion of the photo for an interesting result.
Graphics aren’t just for book covers. You’ll find that they more than double your engagement on social media when you add a graphic to a post. You can find out why in this blog post on the subject.
What the font?
Once your book is in the hands of a reader, you want their reading experience to be enjoyable. That means, you must pay attention to the font size and style. If your audience is comprised of older readers, don’t have your book formatted in a small font size. If your book falls into the romance genre, consider having your professional formatter add decorative wingdings under the chapter headings. Enhance the reader experience with beautiful formatting.
Be a savvy marketer.
Mark Coker, Founder of Smashwords agrees that you could lament that there are too many writers out there. Those who have been in the game longer seem to have an advantage because they have had longer to build an audience. True, but you’re in the game now. So start playing. Here’s an article from the Smashwords blog on how to bring your book back from the doldrums.
It’s easier to build your readership now, then it will be a year from now when even more people are peddling their books.
Get social.
Determine where your audience spends their social media hours. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram all attract a different demographic. Take time to learn where your efforts are best spent. If your audience is older, focus on Facebook. But if you’re seeking a teen or twenty-something audience, then start snapping pics for your Instagram account. For that matter, take some cool video footage that conveys the essence of your novel or author branding and get it on Snapchat.
Find your home.
However, no social media channel is as valuable as your own website and email list. Why? Because that is something that you alone control. Facebook limits the number of people who view your posts. Your Twitter feed is fleeting with every passing minute. But your own email marketing? That’s golden. You create news and send it to your subscriber list and guess what…they’re going to see it!
That’s how your book gets discovered. And, while marketing is important, remember my mantra: A Writer Writes!
If you need support of how-to advice, drop me a line at info(at)evatopia.com.
