What Makes You Want To Write?

This post if for my readers who also happen to be authors. If you are like me, you have that one song that has the right music, the right beat, that gets your fingers moving across the keyboard. One song that gets me writing, (because I write books mainly about bad relationships) is  The Worst by Jhene` Aiko.
I am greatly inspired by different genres of music. I pick the type of music that matches my mood. Nothing special.
If I am in a real pissy mood, I pick a song that matches that. (It seems like this mood helps me to write some of my best scenes by the way :)
What kind of music do you write to?
What makes you want to write?
Please share your comments below.




 Until next time,

P.S. Have you joined my mailing list yet? If you haven't already, what are you waiting for? Sign up here.  I'm giving away something special just for joining me.

How Landing Pages Can Help You Sell More Books

Authors very rarely think of their books as products. I believe that if they did, they would understand the importance of doing the things businesses do in order to sell their products. A very powerful tool that can be used to help authors sell more books is a landing page.

What are landing pages? 

A landing page, or 'lead capture page' is simply a page that requests at least the name and email address of someone who would like to gain access to premium or exclusive information. Landing pages are used by Internet marketers to sell affiliate products. The goal of these pages is to collect leads and nurture them through emails to convert them into sales.They usually promise to offer something in exchange for the information given by the page visitor, such as a free report, or an ecourse or something of that nature. These leads become subscribers that you can build a relationship with, as well as to promote other products and services that you offer. Landing pages are ultimately used to build email subscriber lists.

Landing pages can be a page hosted on your website or blog, or it can be a standalone link like this one that takes people to your landing page once it is clicked.

Authors can benefit from using landing pages if they know how to use them properly.

How authors can use landing pages to sell more books

An author can actually use a landing page to collect the names and email addresses of their subscribers in exchange for free ebooks, exclusive chapters released only to their mailing lists, and more. You can use a video to introduce your special offer and encourage site visitors to sign up to receive it. Your readers will be thrilled to know that just by giving you their name and email address, they can get some special 'goodies' from their favorite author.

An easy and affordable way to create landing pages is with a program called Landing Page Templates. For a low monthly fee, you gain access to over 300 templates that can be used to build attractive landing pages that make people want to enter their information and ultimately, join your list.

You want to make sure that your landing page requires the bare minimums of a name and email address, but, you can get as personal as you like; but keep in mind that most people will be more apt to opt-in to your email list via your landing page if you don't require much information in order for them to join. Some people ask for name, email address, phone and physical mailing address if there is a print component to their list as well. Use your discretion here.


Ready to build your email list with landing pages? Click Here! 

Until next time,

 

Stop Being Stingy

Fear Of Advertising Will Kill Your Sales

I see it all too often.

A good business idea never makes it past the infant stage because the business owner was scared of one thing: the 'a' word.

What is this word that kills so viciously?

This word that causes people to cringe?

It is a word that should make those with something to sell very happy.

Instead, this 'a' word, makes people tingle with fear.

This dreaded word I speak of, is advertising.

Why are so many so called entrepreneurs afraid of spending money in effort to promote their products and service?

 

I will tell you why.

There are mainly one of three reasons.

They are either broke, stingy or lazy.

It may be harsh, but it is true.

Many entrepreneurs start their businesses on a wing and a prayer, hoping that they will make enough money from the people who find them through word of mouth.

Don't get me wrong, word of mouth is great for advertising, but how are the words of your business going to get into anyone's mouth if they know nothing about you to begin with?

The same goes for authors.

With so many free platforms available for authors to publish their books on, many tend to think that they don't have to advertise; that people will just so happen to stumble upon their books and make them a bestseller.

Uh-uh, nope, not gonna happen captain.

Even if your advertising costs nothing but investing in a domain name that you will use to promote your work, you need to advertise some sort of way.

Stop being so darn stingy, yet expecting people to spend their money with you.

That is not the way the world works.

Even the bible tells us to give and it shall be given unto us.

Now, you're probably reading this and saying, 'Sandra, this is NOT your normal stuff'.

And you're right. Today's a little different.

I am trying to get you to see that if you invest in someone else's business, people will in turn invest in yours.

Whether it's to buy books, purchase a personal training session, whatever.

The rules don't change.

So, here's my challenge to you.

Stop being stingy and start being more supportive.

If someone offers a service you need and it won't break your bank (yes, you must use wisdom), then support them and buy their service. And in exchange, ask them to support you.

I have sold many books this way, as well as other products and services.

So, don't be mad. Be happy that I care enough about you to tell you to step up your game and start doing what the big kids do: advertise and support.

Until next time,

Want To Sell More Books? Be More Social.

 To Succeed As An Author, You Must Connect With Readers.

There is a sad misconception in the publishing industry. Many authors tend to think that just because they wrote a book, success is going to magically find them.

In order to become the success you want to be, you have to learn how to connect with your readers.

The best way to do that is through the use of social media.

Your readers are hanging out on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube and other places online.

Not connecting with them there could prove to not only be detrimental to your book sales, but it could also have the same bearing on your career as an author in general.

People buy from those they know, like and trust.

This is true in the business world as well as in the real world.

If your readers can't find a connection with you, they will not buy your book.

I like to read books of the authors that I have built relationships with.

I have many author friends whose books I have purchase simply because I knew them and wanted to support them. Many of these people I managed to build relationships with via a social media outlet.

As an author, you need to use the power of social media to your advantage.

These outlets should be play a major role in the overall marketing plan of your book.

So how do you use these outlets to foster relationships with potential readers, fans and followers.

Be real. Be unique. Be yourself.

Don't set up a Facebook page just to get likes.

You want to use your Facebook page to actually engage with the people you want to buy your books.

Introduce yourself to people. Answer their questions and let them have a little sneak peak inside your life.

Don't spend all day just tweeting about your book. Nobody wants you selling to them all day.

Remember, the key word in social media is social.

Spend more time talking to your tribe and you will see an increase in both your book sales and profits.

Until next time,

The biggest mistake most authors make

Authors write books. It's what they do and what they love. Many authors, especially the self-published authors, are falling victim to one of the most dangerous mistakes known to the publishing industry: not having a platform.

As an author, having a platform is crucial to the success of your book. You should use your book to build your platform which in turn will create other avenues in which you can earn money. Most authors fail to take the time to learn what their platform is, and therefore, miss out on hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

What is a platform? An author's platform is what you are doing to reach those people you want to buy your books, or how you plan to reach them. It is that thing you are doing to get people to relate to you. An example of an author platform would be a single mother who has published a book. Though her book may be fiction, the fact that she is a single mom who has accomplished her dream of becoming a published author can be used as a platform to reach other single moms and women in general, whether they be parents or not. This same author can now garner speaking engagements from groups that host events in her area, and may be approached by various radio and television shows for interviews. At the engagements she will most likely be offered an opportunity to sell her books. And during her radio and television interviews, she will be asked to tell people where they can get copies of her book.

Your assignment is to take out a pen and paper and make a list of topics that you have experienced personally or have knowledge of that you would be willing to share with your readers to gain their attention and support. People like to feel that they can relate to someone. This in turn builds trust. Once you have gained the trust of your potential readers, they are no longer just readers; they become fans, and in turn, they become loyal supporters of you and your work.

Until next time,

~Sandra~

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