When authors call me to inquire about publishing or marketing services for their books, they are often stumped by one of my questions. When I ask about the sales process for the book, the phone line goes silent.
It is understandable. Most authors are so thrilled to have their manuscripts completed that they have not been able to look past getting that final page written. Many are not familiar with the term sales process, especially when it pertains to books. Thinking about the sales process may not be as thrilling as dreaming about appearing on the cover of a magazine or interviewing on the Today Show.
Yet, the sales process is a crucial ingredient to your book’s success.
Simply put, the sales process is the path that your book buyers will take to get your book into their hands.
There are several different options available. You may:
- Sell your book on your website and personally mail it to buyers
- Sell your book on your website and pay someone to ship it to buyers
- Sell your book on your website and hire a distribution company to ship it
- Sell your book on Amazon.com and other online book sellers who will mail your book directly to buyers
- Hire a book distributor to market your book to bookstores and other wholesale outlets as well as ship books to both individual buyers and stores
- Seek a traditional publisher who will handle all the sales and distribution in exchange for the lion’s share of the profits
- Sell your book electronically for reading on Kindle, Nook, iPad, and other electronic readers
There are a few very basic things to consider as you contemplate these options:
- How much time do you have? If you are very busy, you may not want to do your own shipping. However, this can be a good job for a responsible teen or college student.
- Where do your ideal readers shop? If the majority of your target readers buy books in a bookstore, » Read more: The Book Sales Process: An Overlooked and Important Consideration for Your Book
