In this award-winning guide for authors, Mike Kowis shares his successful book-selling formula and explains the marketing tactics he used to sell over 1,500 books within his first two years of being an indie author.
HOW DO I SELL MORE BOOKS?
WHICH MARKETING TOOLS WORK BEST FOR INDIE AUTHORS?
Have you ever asked yourself these questions? If so, this is the perfect book for you! In this award-winning* guide, Mike Kowis, Esq., shares his successful book-selling formula and explains the marketing tactics he used to sell over 1,500 books within his first two years of being an indie author. Don't worry, it's MUCH simpler than you think!
In this book-marketing guide, you will learn:
*Mike's proven BOOK-SELLING FORMULA,
*16 MARKETING TOOLS that he used and their results,
*EFFECTIVENESS RATING, COST, and TIME required for each tactic, plus
*12 COMMON ROOKIE MISTAKES to avoid.
This handy guide also includes a summary of all marketing strategies that he tried so you can decide which tactics to use for your book.
*This book was chosen as the Solo Medalist Winner in the 2018 Fifth Annual New Apple Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing (Writing and Publishing category).
Professional Reviews
Reader's Favorite Review by Shaul Behr
"Are you an independent ("indie") author, struggling to get people to buy your books? I know I am. Let's face it, we authors are (hopefully) good at writing, but not often good at the sales and marketing side of our business. And it's exactly for people like us that Mike Kowis has written his outstanding guide, Smart Marketing for Indie Authors. It's packed not only with generalities of how to approach the challenge of marketing your books, but also with lists of real, practical actions you can take, including step-by-step instructions in many cases. Even better, Kowis has rated each of these actions, based on his personal experience, for effectiveness, cost, and time investment, so you can decide where your time and money are best spent.
For me as an indie author, I felt my heart rate quicken as I read this book.This is pure gold. It is written clearly, concisely, and candidly, interspersed with gentle touches of humor. Kowis shares his experiences, both the successes and the failures, establishing his credentials without ever coming across as boastful, and giving the aspiring best selling author a toolbox packed with practical advice, tips, and suggestions, all expressed clearly with easy-to-follow instructions. The fact that he shares his personal experience relating to each of these actions, both positive and negative, gives his adviceso much more credibility. I found Smart Marketing for Indie Authors a pleasure to read, and I am excited to start putting what I've learned from this book into practice! Fantastic book, all round."
Publishers Daily Reviews by Don Sloan
"Award-winning author Mike Kowis, Esq., has done it again, practicing what he so eloquently preaches. He has rolled back the mysterious veil that has long kept many an independent writer from commercial success with his impressive new guide to help Indie authors market their book. Called, appropriately enough, Smart Marketing for Indie Authors, this erudite little book packs a value-laden punch with almost every word.
Warming nicely to his theme in a clear, conversational voice, Kowis challenges Indie authors to stop muttering discouraging words about how woeful the task of self-promotion is, and do something about it.
For example, he suggests making good use of social media in promoting your book. In recent years, of course, the word "tweet" has entered the public lexicon as a savvy way of succinctly sending a pithy promotional message to a select -- yet massive -- audience instantaneously.
In another section, he examines the relative merits of a book's informal "soft launch" versus a "hard launch," offering a concise explanation of the difference between the two and why a soft launch might work more in favor of the Indie author.
Then, in short order, he delivers a verdict on the relative impact of such historically revered tools as the press release, and reviews by book bloggers -- both of which may be falling out of favor with Indies as being too expensive, too unpredictable, and (in the case of bloggers) way too long to wait for feedback that might (or might not) do the author much good.
Finally, in amongst the many other tips, Kowis points out the importance of frequently checking sales data to maximize book sales -- and tells exactly how to do that. Then, he offers advice about using online ads and public speeches to boost sales after you've launched your book. (He favors both marketing strategies and offers compelling data showing why.)
Seriously, this how-to guide is good. It succeeds where other guides have failed because of Kowis' strongest suit -- the analysis of cold hard data in determining a viable marketing and promotional plan for your book.
Looks just like what most indie authors need. Including me. Although I have been savvy of the Internet since the late 1990s I have reluctantly shied away from social media, except this site. Probably to my regret.
Writers' Tricks of the Trade is like the appetizer table at a writers' buffet, filled with tips, techniques and tricks. Written in easy-to-read prose. Available in paperback, eBook and Kindle from multiple sellers
