Strategies to Success for Self-Published Authors

closeAuthor: Johnpaulriger Name: John Riger
Site: http://web.mac.com/johnriger3
About: I am a professional jazz pianist and author.See Authors Posts (3)

The Passion Project

I’ll never forget my first book signing. I was so worried that I might run out of books that I took my entire stock. I was so full of excitement and enthusiasm. I hoped that a dozen pens would be enough thinking I’d need them all to sign so many books. On a whim and having no other strategy I chose a local art show for my first signing. Call it beginner’s luck but it was a slam dunk. In as much as the average price of artwork hovered in the hundreds of dollars, my book at $16.50 gave most in attendance the opportunity to leave with a book in hand and some change to put back in their gas tanks. I sold 140 books in two and half days. Reality set in shortly thereafter when I realized the on line sales from word of mouth (my keystone strategy) just didn’t follow as I’d hoped.

The Christmas holidays proved to be successful shortly thereafter from local press, promotion and reviews from the art show. But I could see the momentum I’d expected just wasn’t there in terms of residual on line sales. No sweeping offers came, no frantic holiday packaging all day to customers all over the world as I had envisioned, no movie deals, nope it wasn’t going to be. It was a cold winter reality to accept that, if my book was going to sell, none would do it for me. I faced that I wouldn’t have to worry about how to handle the millions of dollars I’d make and shifted my hope to just breaking even. I squinted at the fat stack of boxes of books in one corner of my little home.

I kind of always did things on my own anyway, usually backwards. I never did any market research until after my book was in print. Maybe a little cart before the horse but nonetheless I learned early in life that the thing stopping most people from doing things is just that…most just don’t DO them. It was one thing for me to say that I wanted to or that I should write a book and quite another to have one with a glossy cover with my name as the author in print in my hand. Well right or wrong, good or bad I had a finished product. How would I sell it? Fortunately, I live in the United States of America where I’m free to write whatever I please and am also free to sell it to any willing buyer (given of course that I pay all taxes due along the way). My market research consisted of asking other authors who unanimously conveyed that self-publishing was a tough route to success. All I really had was a product and a printer. I had no distributor, no marketer, no promoter, no agent, no retail outlet; I had no traditional means. I had my little book and myself. Well, that’s not all bad news because I didn’t have to pay a distributor, a marketer, a promoter, an agent nor a retailer. Among them they’d slice up my would-be profit from all my hard work and toss me a paltry sum of change to fill my own gas tank. Yes, I was in control and my successes and failures were at my hands and I really, really liked that.

After the fourth printing I stepped back largely due to life changes that called my attention. It gave me time to reflect on the experience of selling my book at a distance. In analyzing what had worked and what hadn’t a few things became clear. All my efforts to generate on line sales were dismal at best considering the countless hours of wasted time I spent trying to gain the trust and credibility necessary for anyone to lay out their hard earned money to buy and read my book. On a smaller scale it was like trying to convince someone to buy sight unseen real estate in northern Mexico. I also had to admit that my intent had changed from what it had been when I wrote my book initially. Originally, I didn’t care if I made a profit or if I broke even for that matter. It was a story that I wanted to tell, that I had to tell. To share it with others meant more to me than anything and I was humbled to have to remind myself of that. I knew the story was awesome and would eventually survive to become a true American classic someday. Heck, in my book it already was.

I’ve learned a lot about selling books. There’s nothing worse than having a book signing where you feel out of place. Imagine John McCain trying to sell his books at a table in the parking lot of the Democratic National Convention and you’ll get my point. Imagine Hillary trying to sell her books at a roadside stand in the middle of remote western Colorado. The subject matter and its potential must match the venue. I choose venues that deliver a large number of contacts to my table. My goal then is to sell a book to the highest percentage of those contacts as possible. When I succeed, I try to repeat it. When I fail, I try to understand it and fix it.

I can tell in the first half hour what kind of day I’ll have selling books. I’ve learned that the best days to sign and sell books are on the weekend. Friday night and Saturdays are the best. Sundays are always slow as people have spent their pocket money and hold what’s left to put back in the gas tank. Weekdays are generally not so good either. I like to have book signings in locations and in conjunction with events where I’ll meet many happy people. I avoid selling books at funerals and all governmental functions. I make eye contact and break conversation with a grand smile and something short like, “Do you like to read?” If they say, “Yes” then I physically hand them a book. I tell them the selling points of my book and come to know them. I present an open mind, a positive and enthusiastic attitude otherwise my book may be assumed to be the alternative.

My book, “First Impressions” is a dangerously true story about love, truth, trust, freedom, courage, pain, fear, and faith. In 1978 my wife and I went camping on a honeymoon with very little money we’d saved from working the graveyard shift in an assembly line factory back east. We didn’t intend to write a book nor did we intend to travel for three months hitchhiking throughout all of North America as we did. I’ve now found my ideal venue to share my story. I set up a card table at the very top of McClure Pass in the heart of the Elk Mountains in western Colorado every Saturday. It’s a short and gorgeous drive from my home. An unlimited and ever changing clientele in the way of elated tourists from all over the world drive to the summit to take in the magnificent views. My contact success rate is between 70 and 80 percent of those who ask, “Excuse me, but just what exactly are you two doing up here?” Considering that almost everyone’s spare change is going into the gas tank too, I think that’s pretty darn good. I’m selling books to folks from as far away as Argentina and to others as close as our nearest town. I’ve even sold one to a film producer.

I just sit with the Mrs. and picnic at our card table with my books and CDs on display. Suddenly I realize that just like “First Impressions”, it’s not about money or units sold. It’s all about connecting to those who not only want to read my story but who have a story of their own that they want to share with us. And in coming to know them and what they have to say and share…well therein lies my success.

Johnpaulriger @ July 31, 2008

closeAuthor: Johnpaulriger Name: John Riger
Site: http://web.mac.com/johnriger3
About: I am a professional jazz pianist and author.See Authors Posts (3)