Happy Monday, WG2E-Land!
As we kick-off 2012, I thought I’d share with y’all what this new year will be focused on in my D. D. Scott-ville Indie Epublishing Empire…
Indie Epublishing 2012 is The Year of The Reader, Purple Cows…and Purple Horses Too!
What do I mean by that?
For starters, my sole focus for 2012 will be to Find Readers Then Get To Know Them and Learn How and Where They Discover New Authors and then Buy Those Authors’ Books.
So…using this image right here…
I’m looking for answers to these questions:
1. Who is the person holding the coffee cup? Male/Female? Age? Occupation? What genres does he/she like to read?
2. Which Ereader is he/she using? (Kindle, Nook, Sony, Kobo, iPad or is it a SmartPhone, Laptop or PC) Where did he/she buy it? (Amazon, Big Box Store like Sam’s Club, Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Staples, Online Stores of any of these, etc.)
3. Where does he/she buy the Ebooks for their Ereader(s)? (Amazon, B&N online, small online presses)
4. How many Ebooks does he/she buy per month? How many of those does he/she read?
5. What prices for Ebooks are auto buys for them? Which are not, and must be an author they love and will pay more for? How much more will they pay? What price do they pay for authors new to them? Versus price paid for their favorite authors?
6. What about their coffee and treat choices? Where do they buy them? For example, are they hangin’ in coffee shops where other readers are hangin’ or are they drinking at home, relying on nothing but the internet to influence their buying decisions? And if they are at home, which websites “show ‘em the books”?
Now then…what am I going to do with all of this superfab intriguing scoop?
I’m using it to determine how I can make myself – as an Author – stand-out enough that I’m the author whose book this reader is reading while sipping coffee/tea and munching on crackers and/or cookies!!!
Let’s look at it this way, using one of my fave analogies…
How can I be…
The Purple Horse in Oz’s waaay wonderful Emerald City?
Why the Purple Horse?
Because purple farm animals seem to work in the business world! LOL!
I took the A-mazing Seth Godin’s Purple Cow Philosophy and applied it to my Yellow Brick Road to Indie Epublishing Oz.
Or…as Seth says in the beginning of his must-read book PURPLE COW: TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS BY BEING REMARKABLE:
“Taste like chicken” is not a compliment
Everything tastes like chicken, right? Or at least that’s what you say when something doesn’t have enough of its own flavor to really stand out on its own.
In that same way, as I say in my Muse Therapy Online Classes and Book, barnyards are full of brown heifers and dairy cows…but you sure as hell don’t run into a ton of purple cows!
Another way to look at it…there ‘s a ton of damn green in Emerald City, but purple anything…yep, not so much!
As an Indie Epub Author…
YOU DO NOT WANT TO TASTE LIKE CHICKEN!!!
You want to have your very own pizzazz and flavor…plus perhaps be something purple too!!!
If 2011 was The Year For The Author
Then
2012 is The Year of The Reader
But how are you gonna make sure those readers know who you are and all about your superfab books?!
That’s what I’m after in 2012!!!
Only Writers and Readers are necessary for Publishing.
Truly…that’s it…
Writers and Readers
We’re the Writers.
So now…let’s find us some readers!!!
***Note: I’ll spend a bunch of time here in WG2E-Land 2012 helpin’ y’all learn how and where to find Readers!!!***
But in The Mean Time…It’s Your Turn, WG2E-Land: How and Where Do You Plan to Find Readers in 2012?
The Best of The WG2E 2012 Wishes — D. D. Scott
Happy New Year, DD!
I will offer more books in more genres: another thriller, a romance set in an animal orphanage in Africa, humor pitched toward Baby Boomer women, an occult…I want to reach a wide range of readers. My twitter handle isn’t RuthHarrisBooks for nothing!!! (note the plural!)
I will also experiment with pricing, taking into account length, genre & projected audience.
Happy New Year right backatchya, Ruth!!!
Publishing books in a variety of genres is indeed one of the superfab benefits to Indie Epublishing.
Many readers, if not most, read across genres, and if they luuuvvv your voice, why not treat them to a few different genres?!
I’ve even had a ton of success by what I call Cross-pollination (thanks to Konrath) in which I have carried over my Romantic Comedy characters from my Bootscootin’ Books to my Cozy Cash Mysteries which are humorous mysteries. And my readers are totally following me across those genre borders!!!
And cheers to your experimentation with pricing and story-length too!
Superfab strategies to reach a plethora of readers, Ruth!
Well done!!!
Happy New Year!
Finding readers, yes! Bring ‘em on!
I’ve experimented and experimented, but haven’t found ‘em yet. . .
so I look forward to this.
It does take a while, Jamie…so no worries…just keep on keepin’ on!
In my case, I released my first book in August 2010 – BOOTSCOOTIN’ BLAHNIKS.
It took me one full year – so until August 2011 – to sell my first 5000 copies (by August 2011, I had 6 books out total).
I ended 2011, with almost 50,000 copies sold!!!
So 1 year for 5000…turned into an additional 4 months for a whopping 45,000 more copies sold!!!
It’s all about Long Tail Sails and reaching various Tipping Points on those tails!!!
DD~ Does this “sold” number include your free giveaway? Best~ els
Nope!!! That’s just sales alone, Ellen! I SOLD almost 50,000 Ebooks in 2011!!!
How superfab cool is that?!
My Free Downloads will be around 80,000 from September thru December 2011! (I still need Nook and Sony’s totals for December which should be around 8000 – 10,000.)
I don’t make resolutions, I set goals and goal one this year is working on my marketing. I expect to quit my day job in the next six months. In order to do that I need to be selling more books each day. I actually sell really well for someone that hasn’t touched the social media outlets. I’ve worked this year to establish myself and figure out what my brand is. This is the year to get the word out. I’ve spent most of my life in sales and it gets harder everyday to sell to people with less disposable time and money. The key thing is going to be building relationships so that when they do have the time and money they feel L.C. Giroux is a safe bet. The best way to do that is to establish a relationship based on things besides reading, WG2E is great for learning from but I am willing to bet none of you guys are going to be my biggest fans so Goodreads, reader blogs,are where I need together more involved. I am also working on educating myself on the basics of the business, attending the RT conference in April will help with that.
You nailed it right here, L.C.:
“I’ve spent most of my life in sales and it gets harder everyday to sell to people with less disposable time and money.”
This is one of the tenets of Godin’s Purple Cow book…old marketing strategies no longer work because, just as you said too, people aren’t listening because they have no time, and even if they have the money, they have everything they “need”. You’ve got to find a way to convince them that you and your books are what they “want”, despite all the noise made by similar products (in our case books and authors).
You do that by finding what Godin calls Sneezers…a term I’m basing my entire 2012 Strategy on!
I’m looking for Sneezers…peeps who will spread the buzz/like a virus to their peeps that your products are worth the time and money.
And you do this exactly like you said…building relationships with your readers!!! In the precise places you mentioned as well…social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and the superfab Ereader-Centric Blogs like ENT, KND, PoI, Cheap e-Reads and many more!!!
Turn your readers into Purple Cow Sneezers!!!
Love it, DeeDee! The bit about tasting like chicken made me giggle… it’s SO not a compliment!
Well, for me, I plan to use social media better to connect with readers — especially my blog. Right now, it’s much more focused on writers and promoting books, and while I want to help everyone get the word out there, I also want to make a consistent effort this year to make my blog and social media more reader-centric. I love connecting with writers, but I also want to reach out more to my target audience. Fingers crossed!
A great column to get us all focused for the start of the year.
That’s the key for each of us in 2012, Talli:
We cannot “taste like chicken”!!!
LOL! Still laughing…but damn is it sooo true!!!
I think you’ve got a great plan by focusing your blog more on readers!!!
I’ve found, in my own personal research and stats, that it’s the posts where I’m talking about books I luuuvvv that I’ve found for great prices that get the most attention. That’s why y’all often see me posting links to all of your books as I’m reading them or downloading them to my Kindle! I’ve created a wonderful circle of readers who count on me to help them find books we all luuuvvv…not just my books…and you betchya they’re all buying all of you and me too!!!
Yesterday’s marketing strategies – as in ad-based advertising – is over!!!
To reach consumers today, you do it via buzz and “Sneezes” from fellow peeps. And on sites where all these peeps are hangin’ each and every day (for example, the 100,000 plus peeps at ENT/Ereader News Today).
While I am staying with my genre YA I am writing on a variety of different paranormal subjects. I know that YA these days is mostly read by adult women who may or may not have daughters who read them too. I have always known my audience very well because I fall into that catagory myself. Some times we need to ask ourselves what would we like to read, what causes us to buy or not. After all we are our best resource. It’s going to be a fan-tastic year.
Yes indeed, Elizabeth…the perfect place to start analyzing readers is with yourself!
So what you said right here…is a great beginning:
“I have always known my audience very well because I fall into that catagory myself. Some times we need to ask ourselves what would we like to read, what causes us to buy or not. After all we are our best resource.”
BUT…that said, keep yourself open to the possibilities other reader preferences present too! You don’t want to be blinded by your own habits and not focus on those different than yours – for example, when it comes to price, number of books read per week/month/year, where readers find books, etc.
You can find a variety of readers very different from you who still luuuvvv the kind of books you write!
Happy New Year everyone!
Well I’m reporting in on the downloads received by Calculated Risk, contemporary romance, since it went free on 11/23 – to date: 52,206 – it has yet to go Free overseas…have no clue why. But I’m very pleased. Did it jump the other books – not as much as expected…perhaps 3-6 sales a day…and the rest were priced at 99 cents.
I’m not alone in wondering what happened to all those 6+ million new Kindle owners? My biggest surprise has come from ITunes…all 7 books are on assorted bestseller’s lists there. And Nook sales doubled.
I’d love to find reader pages for Itunes…any ideas? And more to attract Nook readers as well. Goal for 2012 – update my mystery series; get my last 3 category romances updated and out; I have a woman’s fiction book to update and release…then onto something new – sexy thriller!
I sooo hear ya on the huge increases in other channels other than Amazon, Elaine!
My Apple iPad/iTunes and Nook sales are soaring too!!!
My Kindle sales actually just picked back up again this week…so hopefully that will continue!!!
And WooHooo on your superfab Ridin’ The Free-way results! Welcome to all 52,000 plus new readers you’ve found!
It did take me almost a month and a half to see my backlist grow exponentially from that first batch of Free downloads. So just keep on keepin ‘on!
For finding Nook Readers, try the Ereader-Centric Blog Cheap e-Reads…they got me into B&N’s Top 100 (in the entire B&N online store) for two weeks!!!
I’m still searching out iTunes sites…but Kindle Nation Daily’s sister site Planet iPad is a great start!
Cheers to you, Elaine, and your wonderful 2012 Goals too!!!
Thanks so much D.D. will check out Planit Ipad…as for Cheap E-reads they block my covers all the time…saying they are too erotic looking…. it took Itunes since last Feb. to approve Special Delivery’s cover; recently, they just approved Video Vixen’s…both books then hit the bestseller’s list…with Special Delivery on Erotic list rock solid for last 2 months..and it’s not!!
Ohhh…Elaine, I had no idea they’d block for erotic covers. Something I learned new today!
Thanks for the scoop!
I too plan to write in different genres this year for my new indie career. I am currently near the end of my second angel ebook, and have in mind to start a magical romance series I want to put on the KDP Select Programme only to see what happens. This is mainly to attract readers to my adult writing, in readiness for my other magical romance series I am hopefully going to get published by a new digital publisher later this year. I also plan to market myself and my ebooks more this year, esp on social media and forums.
When it comes to getting to know readers and hangin’ where they hang, social media platforms sooo work, Julie . Particularly the Ereader-Centric Blogs and Kindle and Nook Boards we often mention here at The WG2E!
And yippeee on your multiple genre approach! That sooo works…especially if you can find a unique way to somehow connect your brands with techniques like Cross-Pollination!
I subscribe to Pixel of Ink, Kindle Nation Daily, & a few others, plus I check Amazon Top 100 a lot to get great books and/or free books or 99 cent books. It’s fun to look for great books at great prices!
Great scoop here, Jeanne, and thanks sooo very much for sharing!!!
Do check out ENT (Ereader News Today) as well! I find great books for great prices there too!!!
Do you subscribe to these blogs by email, Kindle/Nook or both?
PS New year off to a good start. Am being interviewed by fellow romance author Nell Dixon on her blog about The Railway Angel. Here is the link: http://nelldixonrw.blogspot.com/2012/01/guest-blogger-julie-day.html
Atta Girl, Julie!
Hi and Happy New Year!
I think the surge in e-book sales from new owners of e-readers has not occurred yet. I bought my son a Kindle for Christmas, and my sister and mother both received one as gifts. I replaced my Kindle with a Kindle Fire and passed that one on to my husband. I don’t know about you, but the holidays for us were busy with parties and visiting friends and relatives. It is only now that the people I know who received Kindles as gifts are learning how to use them. Unlike paper books, there is a bit of a learning curve when first using an e-reader. I think in the next few weeks, after everyone is comfortable with their new e-readers, we will see a surge in sales.
I plan to publish my first novel this year entitled, St. Anne’s Day, and by giving Kindles and encouraging others to buy them for gifts, they didn’t know it but I was position them so that they would be able to buy my book when it is released. I guess that’s called stealth marketing : )
Janice
This is sooo true, Janice, and thanks bunches for mentioning it!
Sales statistics show that from the holidays through January and early February are the biggest sales months for Ebooks…due to exactly what you are suggesting…peeps settle-in, following the holidays, and learn how to use their new Ereaders and how and where to buy great books for great prices.
Oooo…well done with your “stealth marketing” too! LOL! And congrats on making 2012 the year you join our Indie Epub World as a new Indie Epub Author!
We’re here to help you any way we can!!!
My biggest breakthrough in the past few days was to learn how to manage Twitter. All right. I’m an “older” writer, and this world of technology is a bit challenging for me at times. I must say, wow, I never thought I could find so much so fast as on Twitter.
I will continue to work on Facebook, Goodreads, and introduce myself to the E-reader sites that you mentioned D.D. I also have my book (yes, a paperback) in many independent book stores – I will be following up with ideas to promote my book this new year. One of the biggest surges this past 5 months since my book has been out has been book clubs. I offer to attend if possible and have done Skype and phone visits lately.
I am lowering the price of my E-book for the first time this January. Want to see if it will boost sales. Another new market I am going to tap is libraries (this is not only for paperbacks now – libraries are offering E-book check-outs too). We donate my book to the library, and then they order another! If I can convince the library to have me come as a speaker, they are likely to sell upwards of 20 – 30 books. A recent article discussed libraries as one of the best sources to “sell” books. Those who read it recommend it to others!
I just keep plugging at it. Thanks for all of your ideas. This site has helped me so much.
Bravo on your Twitter success, Patricia!!! U Go, Girl!!!
And Welcome to The WG2E! We’re thrilled to help you!!!
I sooo hear ya on the Library Front too! I’ve partnered with my local library for various Reader and Writer Events, and as a result, they’ve asked me to speak at the Midwest Library Conference this April (since one of our local librarians is on the conference committee). I’ll be speaking on how Libraries can partner with Indie Epub Authors to bring superfab new reads to their patrons for a ton less of their budget as well as without all the lending restrictions The TradiPub Big Six are stickin’ ‘em with!!!
Happy New Year, everyone!!
Great points to think about D.D. and lots of great comments. I’m hoping to get my 3rd book out fairly soon but with Tax Season about to hit me right between the eyes I’m not sure that’s going to happen
Good luck to everyone for 2012. I did see a big spike in my free book downloads from Christmas morning onwards. And sales of my second book doubled each day (not huge, from around 10 up to around 20 but it’s still very positive) So I did notice a difference with all the new e-readers out there. Let’s hope it continues
Janice, you made a very good point about people only now getting around to figuring out their new e-readers. I got a smart phone for Christmas and only got around to activating it and starting to figure it out on New Year’s eve!!!
I’m like you, Alison, in that I learn a ton from all our WG2E Comments too!
That’s what makes WG2E sooo terrific…we’re all learning from each other because we’re willing to share our journeys.
And congrats on your sales increases! Well done with your Ridin’ The Free-Way Experiment! It sooo works!!!
Cheers to you 2012 Goals too!
Informative post DD and informative comments by everyone. I’ve noticed a small jump when I became active on Goodreads. I did print on both books so I did giveaways and love to see the ratings /reviews by readers who ‘added’ by book. Whether this means they actually bought it – I don’t know.
I will check out that Ipad site – lacking in sales on that format and on Nook.
Terrific news, Liz!
You can also Kindle and Nook Gift Copy your Ebooks as well! I’ve had terrific results doing that! Here’s the scoop:
http://ddscottville.blogspot.com/2011/12/ebook-gifting-is-now-available-for-all.html
I’m on Goodreads too, but must be more active there.
Planet iPad is terrific and that Cheap e-Reads (for Nook readers) is beyond superfab!!!
Honestly D.D I plan on finding them everywhere I possible can & mainly online. The thing is, I’m not all that sure “How” to find them. I’ve been doing a pretty great job of getting my name out there & I’m all over google, I just have to figure how to attract the people that will read my books. My goal is to change at least 150,000 people’s lives with my books. I look forward to your blog posts this year & exactly how I do this. I’m to February of last years post, I’m catching up. Don’t wanna miss any of your amazing info.
Alishia Willardson, Author of:
“Live The Life You Love, You Deserve It and Relationships”
Http://www.live-my-life-free.webs.com
Http://alishiawillardson.blogspot.com
A great place to start if you’re new to The WG2E, Alishia, is on our newly revamped E-Experiments Page, where you’ll find some of our best posts on “the basics”, including an Indie Epub Beginner’s List:
http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/e-experiments-were-watching
As far as finding readers, begin with Ereader-Centric Blogs and their Facebook and Twitter pages and profiles. You’ll get a list of them in a post on that very thing on the E-Experiments Page.
Write more, social network more, continue to do reader friendly conferences.
Good plan, Tonya.
DD your timing is perfect…I’m publishing my first e book this quarter and I need to figure this out. thanks for a great post. I look forward to learning more.
U betchya, Louise, and woohoo on preparing to Indie Epublish your first book!
Go, Girl, Go!!!
Good post – lots of things to think about and EXACTLY what I’ve been putting into practice lately. I’ve been putting out feelers and getting some good feedback, some of which I have acted upon.
I love receiving comments on my own blog and always try to reply honestly to my readers – it’s them that count after all.
My latest book came out yesterday, “The Surgeon’s Blade” and in response to some of our menfolk readers I’ve upped the text to read grittier and more chilling without going over the top. We’ll see if it pays off – feedback even this early on has been WONDERFUL!
Keep your posts coming – always enjoy them and a FAB New Year to you and the other members of your illustrious team.
Faithx
Congrats on your latest release, Faith! Terrific news!!!
And yes indeed, 2012 will be all about “Goin’ Total Purple Cow” in D. D. Scott-ville, and I’m thrilled to hear that’s working for you too!
Happy New Year right backatchya!!!
DeeDee:
Wonderful post. I am looking forward to learning a lot about garnering readers. I learned a lot in the FB chat tonight, and it was a great kickoff for 2012!
We luuuvvved chatting with you tonight, Michelle! You asked some terrific questions!
And Welcome to The WG2E!!!