The Top 10 Secrets of Successful Authors

by Judy Cullins

Published on this site: July 15th, 2004

If you are not a successful author yet, incorporate the following 10 Secrets:

1. Treat your book as a business.
   
   You spend many hours creating a masterpiece to help your audience. It follows then, you need to set up a regular time schedule to market and promote it.
   
   
2. Create a flyer for each book you offer.
   
   Hand out your flyer at business meetings or at any public place. Ask your audience to pass the flyer along to friends and associates. Offer one free report or ezine on the flyer to get new email addresses to send promotion to later.
   
   
3. Create a line or two about your book in your signature file that goes on every email you send.
   
   After your name, title, and benefit statements, add something like: eBk:
   "Write your eBook or Other Book--Fast!" Include your addresses and phone numbers too.
   
   
4. Invest some money in book marketing.
   
   Contact a book coach and schedule a low-cost introductory session to see if you are a match and will get what you need. Many authors print too many copies or use an expensive service to get book finished instead of putting aside an equal amount to market it.
   
   
5. Take a teleclass on how to market your book.
   
   These low cost and low time investments can make your book the great seller it should be. Discover inexpensive ways to market via the phone and email. How convenient!
   
   
6. Don't get fooled by high-cost services.
   
   If it's too good to be true, it isn't true. When you hire someone to do it all for you, it can cost over $1000 a month with small results. Check out what services fit your budget, and get a realistic picture of what your results will be.
   
   
7. Delegate some of the marketing.
   
   Like me, hire a low-cost computer assistant from your local high school. They know more than many professionals. For under $10 an hour, you can multiply your promotion exponentially via ecommerce your assistant does for you 2-3 times a week.
   
   
8. Set a dollar goal for your book each month,
   
   Don't count copies sold. Count each month's book sales. Put your goal near your workstation to remind you of what you want. Don't price your book too low, so you'll appreciate an easy experience--getting what you deserve for all your work.
   
   
9. Learn more about Internet book marketing.
   
   Think about reaching hundreds of thousands of your audience every week. When you give them what they want--free information--they will eventually buy. Many authors go the traditional path of talks, ads or press releases. They don't always pay well for the effort.
   
   
10. Don't stop marketing.
    
    Many clients come to me and say they are discouraged their book didn't sell well in four months. Replace doubt with patience for the process. Success takes many months, but once you get it, the Internet keeps it multiplied for you.

Knowing the secrets of successful authors can help you receive the same prestige and become a household word.

Judy Cullins: 20-year author, speaker, book coach Helps entrepreneurs manifest their book and web dreams
eBk: "Write your eBook or Other Book Fast!"
7000 Melody Lane, La Mesa, CA 91942
FRE.E "The Book Coach Says..." or Business Tip of the Month www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml -- mailto:[email protected]
Orders: 866/200-9743 -- Ph: 619/466-0622.