Getting Listed On Amazon.com
I mentioned to someone yesterday that they could pre-order the new novel at Amazon.com.
It made me think of way-back-when, (three years ago or so) when as a newbie I thought how big a deal it was to be listed there for a self-publisher. Turned out anyone could list a book on Amazon - all you had to do was open an Advantage account with them. They take 55 percent off the top and make you pay to ship to them. They're happy for you to try and sell a book on their site.
One of the big mistakes all beginning authors and self-publishers make is not understanding that the saying "If you build it they will come'' is absolutely untrue when it comes to most businesses.
In the music business performers are starting to successfully sell cd's on the Internet. I think that will continue to grow until the music business as it was, say, 10 years ago, will be totally dead.
That won't happen for books.
The marketing machine for celebrity and entertainment, etc., is 24-hour non-stop in magazines, the Internet, TV, whatever. All that marketing drives the customers right to the music specific websites. Those sites get the customers to buy there or sends them on to the performer's website to buy a download. Music performers are figuring out that they're giving the music companies a lot of money that they could keep if they just paid attention.
There is no such thing with books. As you all know the buzz for books in on a down trend.
And what that means is you're biggest task will be marketing. And it will have to be excellent marketing or your books will get awfully lonely there on Amazon.com.
Michael LaLumiere
www.whyiscraterlakesoblue.com
1 comment:
I agree with your analysis. I just self published my first children’s book and I am ecstatic that it is on Amazon. However, I am under no illusions about the amount of work I have set for myself to market the book. I strongly believe children will like it because it has been part of our local school’s curriculum for over a year – the kids love it. It began as bedtime stories to my children and although it may never become Harry Potter, it has made my family proud to introduce other children to these characters (www.johnfastramp.com).
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