Your author website is the one piece of internet real-estate that is entirely under your control. Amy Shojai shares how to make the most of the blog on your site to attract new readers, build your author brand, and sell more books.

Whether you publish independently or with a traditional publisher, publishing professionals routinely tell authors they must blog. Yes, a blog can be a great book marketing tool and promote your author brand.

However, most book authors refuse to blog, or worse—they do it wrong.

Why Authors Should Blog

Introvert’s Dream. How many of y’all consider yourselves introverts? That’s one reason creatives write in our office caves with a cat on our lap. A blog connects you directly with readers, with no need for makeup or shoes.

Even better, readers respond to you. A blog gives you feedback directly from your audience and allows readers a glimpse into their favorite author’s life–as little or as much as you wish to reveal.

Find Your Street Team. Building a blog creates book super-fans. These readers cheer your success and want to be part of that. Think of the blog as your front porch where friends gather over a cup of tea or a cocktail to chat about their lives.

You become a real person, and they empathize with you (and you with them) over trials and celebrations. They may even inspire you with new storylines or expert information.

Build Credibility. Authors wield authority and the blog works as an expanded business card to demonstrate your professional expertise. Agents, editors, organizations, speaker bureaus, television producers and others routinely fish the blogging waters for experts. That includes fiction authors when you becoming a go-to expert on the specific topic(s) showcased in your novels.

Note: Always include easy-to-find contact information on your blog so that booking agents can find you.

Author Control. The blog belongs to you, with no gatekeeper or social media watchdog second-guessing your content or showing it only to a select few. You can write what you want, promote or not, and even get paid for hosting guest posts.

Bogus Reasons Authors Don’t Blog

It’s expensive! Uhm, no it’s not expensive. In fact, you can set up a blog for free. I don’t recommend free because a professional blog offers more advantages, such as having your own “branded” URL. Joanna Penn has a great resource for creating an author website, and the blog can piggyback on that.

[Note from Joanna: You'll find that website tutorial here.]

I’m not tech-savvy. Neither are most authors, or we’d build levitating cars and James Bond gizmos instead of writing about them. Tech people created free- to low-cost options for plug-and-play blogs. If you use book formatting templates, you can use blogging templates.

Takes time away from book writing. So does any book marketing. Blogging is the cheapest option in your advertising toolkit. Use content you’ve already created for blog posts, or expand blog posts into additional chapters in your book.

I rewrite blog posts for my newspaper column and use the same subject for a biweekly TV segment. Some posts end up as chapters in books. A number of successful bloggers have published successful books based on their blog content, so it blogging could inspire your next book.

I’m a pro, why give my expertise away? Nonfiction authors get paid for writing blogs for clients. Get over yourself! Learn from your fiction colleagues.

Selective free content whets the reader’s appetite for more. Fiction authors give away first-in-series books, or novellas between installments, so readers fall in love with characters and purchase the rest of the author’s work.

Nonfiction authors can easily repurpose previously published material into blog posts (see previous section).

My big-name-publisher will promote me/my book. Hahahahahaha! Oh wait, you’re serious? Only a fraction of authors receive promotional help. The lion’s share falls to the author, which is why your agent and/or editor commanded, “Go ye forth, and blog!”

Top Reasons Blogs Fail & How Yours Can Succeed

There are many reasons blogs fail, and a top problem is discoverability. Most of my traffic comes from Google search, so I pay close attention to search engine optimization (SEO).

There are free tech tools that help bloggers get more of this “google juice.” Choose your blog URL wisely and if at all possible, use your name and/or your brand. A book title limits you to one book.

Blog owners also get in trouble using images or content without permission, or not disclosing affiliate relationships. It’s vital to purchase appropriate rights. As writers, we understand copyright issues.

Most blog problems can be easily fixed.

Here are four major reasons blogs fail.

1. Unrealistic expectations: How many of y’all tried blogging, and gave up after…how long? Two weeks? Six weeks? Growing a blog following doesn’t happen overnight.

Blog audience increases at predictable intervals when readers know what to expect. Traffic and page views (PVs) increase after three months, double after six months, and double again after about a year with consistent postings and content.

If your book launches in a year, blog now so your audience grows and boosts your book release.

2. Inconsistent posting: Authors start daily blogs and burn out, or they post when “the muse” strikes. Treat blogs as seriously as your book, or your readers won’t care.

Would you come back to a TV program if the episode stayed the same or the channel never changed? Blogs are no different. Choose a schedule that works for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or daily. Loyal readers notice and return when you have something to share.

3. Writing about writing: That’s great—if your audience is other writers and you have a how-to writing book to sell. Readers may be curious, but you want rabid readers.

Ask yourself, who is my audience? What do they like to read?

4. Writing at your audience. Construct posts to invite conversation, not deliver lectures. Readers find vast material from googling topics. They read blogs for your personality, and a peek inside your world.

Try posting about personal experiences and ask questions to invite reader comments. When my puppy ate my vitamins, every blog reader shared their concern and feedback when I asked, “Has this ever happened to you? What else should I have done? Are there veggies that YOU hate, too? Do tell!”

[Note from Joanna: For more on using a blog as part of an author marketing strategy, check out my course, Content Marketing for Fiction.]

7 Prompts for Blog Posts

Write posts that whet readers’ appetites for the main course of your nonfiction book.

Identify your protagonist’s passions and expertise, and write posts about your fictional hero’s love of gardening, for example.

Write about your passions and what fills your heart with joy, just as you do on other social media platforms. Readers respond to that.

Share pictures, post videos, offer polls and ask questions to engage readers and prompt blog comments.

No time to post? Share a YouTube video you love.

Ask readers to post pictures of themselves reading your book, or other fun engagements.

Invite your audience to name that character in your future book. My blog audience competes to win the chance to name a cat or dog character to honor their special pet.

Do you blog on your author website? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.

Amy Shojai is a professional blogger and the author of 30+ pet-centric nonfiction books and thrillers. She also offers an on-demand coaching series Write Schtuff that includes further details about blogging and other publishing must-knows.

Live events can be a part of every author's marketing strategy. But how do we make the most of those events? John Sibley Williams shares seven tips for doing just that.

As any publicist will tell you, in-person events are crucial to networking and meeting new readers. There’s nothing so intimate as a cozy bookstore, library, or other literary space for strangers to first encounter your work.

They have the opportunity to not just read but feel your words, and they have the rare treat of asking the author questions. And you never know who may be in an audience: other authors, bookstore owners, local media, bloggers.

Events are as much about giving a real human voice to your work as forging social connections.

But the book sales from an event, especially a festival or conference, don’t always cover your costs. Events can be pricey when you add up the books, travel, meals, swag, rented table, and anything else the event requires.

Also, there’s the issue of competition: there may be dozens or even hundreds of authors at a book festival. All are vying for attention and doing everything possible to stand out. So finding inexpensive and unique ways to reach your audience and sell books is essential.

Here are some tips on specific sales strategies to garner attention and sales.

1. Publicize your event

Although the venue will likely provide a certain amount of event publicity, likely including social media posts and in-store signage or, if a festival, a brief write-up in their brochure, don’t leave all publicity in their hands.

Send a press release to all local media, from newspapers to radio, and submit your event to local media calendars (the online component to most newspapers have one). Create a Facebook event and invite local friends. Ask your friends to spread the word, sharing your link.

Research local literary organizations and send them a personal invitation. Build up to the event on social media by consistently posting pictures, excerpts, blurbs, and videos that highlight your book, ensuring the event details are always clearly labeled.

2. Make purchasing easy

Have you ever wanted to purchase a book at an event but the author only accepted cash? Nowadays authors have a wealth of selling options with Square, PayPal, and other devices that can allow you to take credit cards.

Do make sure that you’re ready with change in case folks want to pay with cash, but also carry a remote card reader, or your phone with a point-of-sale app installed. Whatever you do, make it easy to buy your book!

3. Bring swag

Always have professional author business cards on hand everywhere you go. But what else can your bring to catch reader interest? Bookmarks, postcards, well-designed posters and signage are all common, perhaps even expected.

But think outside the box too. What about pens or small notebooks with your name blazoned upon them? And think about your themes, setting, and characters. Are there extra special freebies you can offer that directly connect to your book’s content? The more unique, the more likely new readers will want them.

4. Price your book to sell

Must you always sell your book at retail price? Although bookstores often require sales be full price, it’s common for authors at other venues to provide an event discount.

I find a round number like $10 or $15 makes a purchaser more comfortable. And don’t forget to include the discount on your signage so readers know they’re receiving something special.

5. Collect names and contact information

Always have a newsletter sign-up sheet at your event table, allowing new contacts and readers to volunteer to receive your regular e-newsletters. To further entice them, you can offer a small gift for those who sign up. If you don’t already have a newsletter associated with your website, create one now!

[Note from Joanna: Don't forget about GDPR regulations; make sure to follow the guidelines and in this instance, where people are signing up to your newsletter list offline, be sure they understand what they are signing up for. You can find more help with GDPR here.]

6. Provide free copies

Don’t be shy of gifting copies of your new book to other authors, media, bookstore owners, or anyone who may be able to assist your publicity in the future. If this isn’t your first book, include with purchase of your new book a free older title. If this isn’t economically feasible, have cards on hand with a code for readers to acquire a free ebook.

7. Follow up with your network

So the event is over. Now what?

Contact the person who hosted you expressing your gratitude. Although you should do so in person too, a well-placed thank you goes a long way towards securing future events and leaving a kind impression.

Also, email people who signed up for your newsletter thanking them for attending. Include any pertinent personal remarks about conversations you had with them, and if they forgot to purchase your book in person remember to extend to them the same discounted event rate.

What strategies do you use to sell more books at live events? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.

John Sibley Williams is the author of As One Fire Consumes Another (Orison Poetry Prize, 2019), Skin Memory (Backwaters Prize, University of Nebraska Press, 2019), Disinheritance, and Controlled Hallucinations. A nineteen-time Pushcart nominee, John is the winner of numerous awards, including the Philip Booth Award, American Literary Review Poetry Contest, Phyllis Smart-Young Prize, Confrontation Poetry Prize, and Laux/Millar Prize.

He serves as editor of The Inflectionist Review and works as an educator and literary agent. Previous publishing credits include: The Yale Review, Midwest Quarterly, Southern Review, Sycamore Review, Prairie Schooner, The Massachusetts Review, Saranac Review, Atlanta Review, TriQuarterly, Columbia Poetry Review, Mid-American Review, Poetry Northwest, and Third Coast.

His upcoming book, As One Fire Consumes Another, is available for preorder at Orison Books.
For more information, visit his website.

[iPhone image courtesy Sara Kurfeb and Unsplash. Books table image courtesy Freddie Marriage and Unsplash.]

It's possible for indie authors to go beyond thinking of selling our books just at online retailers. Libraries are another potential channel for book sales and another stream of income! Eric Simmons shares how he's gotten his books into some of the largest libraries in the US.

In December 2017, as I was thinking about my 2018 business goals for my self-published Memoir, Not Far From The Tree, which was the first book I had ever written, I knew I wanted to establish near irrefutable credibility around the book with potential purchasers.

Ultimately, I decided to focus on libraries as a strategic market segment due in large part to the trustworthiness people tend to associate with these facilities, and because they have what's called a “Collection Development Policy.”

Per the New Orleans Public Library, which is now one of my customers:

“The Collection Development Policy is designed to support the Library's Mission statement and serves as a guide for the selection, acquisition, maintenance, and retention of materials.”

Having a book in a library helps establish credibility with readers, in my view, because the book has been vetted and passed a litmus test, so to speak, to be considered for purchase and placement within the library.

Also, libraries are highly referenceable customers, especially with other libraries. If you can get one library to buy your book, the odds are likely others will follow. I call this the domino effect, and it has been working for me.

To illustrate, after initiating my “Library Campaign” in January 2018, sixty-eight (68) libraries (21 Academic, 46 Public, and 1 Library Services company) have purchased my now two books (see, https://www.esetomes.com/library-customers). Of these, five are amongst the twenty-five largest Public Libraries in the U.S. and one is in the top twenty largest Academic Libraries.

Each time a new library purchases one of my books, I add them to my “Reference List,” and I share the list with prospective libraries during my marketing campaigns. One clear benefit I am beginning to see from my Reference List usage is a shorter time to sales closure, particularly with Public libraries, which for me is down from six months to three months on average. Lately, however, I've been seeing Public libraries purchase within a month!

The Library Market

Per data on the Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) website under, “Global Library Statistics,” there are 336,841 libraries worldwide (45,028 Academic and 291,813 Public). In the U.S., the site lists 3,793 Academic and 9,042 Public libraries.

Per the American Library Association (ALA), the total number of libraries in the U.S. is 116,867, the preponderance of which are Public and Private school libraries.

Note, the OCLC's number for Public Libraries in the U.S. doesn't include the total number of buildings which ALA lists as 16,568. I use this number for my Public library opportunity.

If you are targeting millennials for your books, they are more likely than older generations to say libraries help them find trustworthy information, learn new things, and make informed decisions, per a 2016 Pew Research Center survey.

On February 22, 2017, Reedsy published an article which stated, ” … 92% of librarians surveyed between May 2016 – July 2016 by New Shelves stated that they regularly buy books from self-published authors and small presses. The article goes on to say, “Once one library has your book and the check-out rates start showing up on reports, other librarians will start ordering your book. The growth and spread of your book’s sales and popularity will start happening while you are not even looking!”

The Challenge

You will find some Librarians still rely heavily on book reviews. As evidence, one Librarian sent me the following in an email last year, “New library materials are considered for purchase using a variety of selection criteria including favorable reviews in standard library review media (Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist) anticipated demand for the material, local interest, and space and budgetary considerations.”

Personally, I struggle mightily with book reviews. Here's why. Per Kirkus' website, the charge for a “Traditional Review” is $425 U.S. and you can expect a 250-300 word review back in 7-9 weeks. If you want the review expedited, the cost is $575.

A second option is an “Expanded Review” that can be received in 7-9 weeks at the cost of $575, and the expedited cost is $725. At a royalty rate of let's say, $3.00 U.S. for a paperback book, one would have to sell roughly 142 books to break even on the “Traditional Review.” That's like giving 142 libraries a book for free!

At this juncture, I prefer not to pay to play to get into libraries. Thanks, but no thanks!! I do realize however my stubbornness could be costing me revenue. Let's assume a Kirkus “Traditional Review” yielded me, 1,000 new library customers. Using the previous $3.00 royalty rate, I might be missing out on a net revenue gain of $2,575 ($3,000-$425). Due to my current marketing budget, however, I'm staying pat for now on paying for a book review.

Getting Started Marketing to Libraries

If like me, you've discounted paying for book reviews, for now at least, as a means for getting your book into libraries, you'll have to roll up your sleeves and contact libraries directly. To get started, you'll need to get answers to two key questions.

1. Who are the primary decision-makers in the libraries you'll be contacting; and
2. Where do these libraries go to purchase their books?

1. Key Decision Makers in a Library

Depending on the size of a library, the key decision-makers will have titles such as Head Librarian, Director, or in the case of Academic libraries, perhaps Dean. Other vital titles are Collection Development Librarian or Acquisitions Librarian.

If it’s a large library, don't be surprised if the Collection Development Librarian has the latitude to make the final decision on a book purchase. This individual carries a lot of weight, and often the Head Librarian will refer you to the Collections Development Librarian.

You should also look for potential influencers in a library. If an individual has responsibility for say, children's books, and you've written one, that person needs to be on your contact list. So, genre responsibility is essential as well.

Do sell top-down, i.e., to the highest titled person in the library. The rationale here is the “boss” can override a subordinate's decision – if you catch my drift. For most of my libraries, I try to have at least two contacts, and for some, I have as many as six because individual Librarians may decide to make a personal purchase.

2. Where Do Libraries Go to Purchase Their Books?

Baker & Taylor (B&T) seems to be the preferred vendor of many Librarians, but in my case, most of my library customers have purchased the paperback version of my memoir from IngramSpark. I anticipate my B&T sales will begin to pick up dramatically now that a snafu has been corrected following the absorption of CreateSpace by Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

To make a long story short, B&T dropped my book by mistake when the absorption above occurred and to complicate matters KDP was not doing business with B&T at the time, and may still not be as of this writing. Note, although Ingram distributes through B&T, Ingram states on its website, “Since B&T targets libraries they may decide to not to carry a specific title– regardless of the printer or publisher–if they feel it won't generate interest from their target audience. We cannot *make* B&T carry a title. It is completely at the discretion of B&T.”

Note: If B&T doesn't pick up your self-published title through Ingram, you may want to reach out to B&T directly, or you may have to get a library to request your book.

To date, my paperback library sales through Amazon's Expanded Distribution offering and Brodart, another company you may hear Librarians mention, have been minimal.

As for eBooks, I've had sales to the Los Angeles Public Library (the U.S.' 5th largest Public Library) and others through OverDrive, a service that allows customers to borrow digital content for free.

My Overdrive sales have come through Draft2Digital (D2D), Smashwords, and StreetLib. Last year, D2D began working with Bibliotheca, a library management solutions company, and unlike with Overdrive, you can get a royalty payment when your eBook is checked out.

D2D calls this option Cost Per Checkout (CPC) which they describe as “CPC allows libraries to have access to the same title for more than one user. Instead of a fixed price, libraries gain access to your books and pay 1/10 of the book’s full purchase price, each time it is loaned out.” I've received several small royalty payments under this option and wish something similar was available when OverDrive related book checkouts occur.

Building Your Library Contact Database

I built my Library Contact Database with Microsoft Excel. This souped-up spreadsheet is sortable and now contains 2,187 libraries with 2,046 Academic library contacts and 1,069 Public library contacts which equates to 1.4 contacts per library.

I keep separate tabs for my Academic and Public libraries because this makes it easier for me when I do a mass mailing targeted at either sector.

My field headings are Library Type (i.e., Public or Academic), Library Link (i.e., URL), First Name, Last Name, Salutation (example Mary, or Dr. Smith), Email Address, Date Contacted, Library Name, and Notes. I'm in the process of adding a State heading under which I will list the two-letter abbreviation for a State for sortability by state.

To populate my database, I perform a Google search. I'll use the State of North Carolina as an example since this was my most recently “targeted” library State.

When I Googled, “libraries in North Carolina,” near the top of the results list appears, “Library Directory | State Library of North Carolina.” Incredibly, every Academic and Public Library in the State of North Carolina with the Head Librarian is listed, and there's a downloadable spreadsheet to boot!

Now, before you get overly excited, this is more of an exception than the norm. For most of the libraries in my database, I had to manually load each one at a rate of about 12 libraries an hour.

The primary tool I've been using to identify Public Libraries is, LibWeb, Library Servers via WWW. You click on a particular U.S. State, and you'll be directed to Public Libraries within the State.

Next, you click on a library's link and you will be directed to the library's home page. Now, you will have to search the site to identify the primary decision-maker(s). In many cases, the decision makers can be found under “About Us,” “Staff Directory” or similar. LibWeb also lists Academic libraries in the same manner.

Create a Mail Merge Document

After loading information into my database, I created a mail merge document using Microsoft Word and the “Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard” function. If you are unfamiliar with how to do a Word mail merge Google, “Mail merge using an Excel spreadsheet – Word – Office Support,” and Microsoft has videos that will show you how.

Through mail merge, I can customize my campaign letters so that they look tailored for the specific individual versus having a mass email look. I can insert the Librarian's first name or title and the Library's name in the body of the document if I like.

I learned the hard way that Microsoft has a limit, under my Office 365 subscription, of 300 emails per day. I tried to do a mailing recently of over 300, and I was locked out of my account. So, depending upon your email service, be sure to look into the daily email limits if there are any.

Which Libraries Should You Target First?

I suggest you target your local Public and Academic libraries first, especially the ones close to where you live. Many Librarians are receptive, I've found, to helping local authors. Also, you may get invited to speak about your book which is what happened to me with my local public library.

When's the Best Time to Sell to Libraries?

Libraries tend to buy year round, but by and large, I've found the briskest selling times to be during their Fiscal Year End/Fiscal Year Begin or FYE/FYB. It varies, but most of the libraries I've contacted seem to have their FYE/FYB between April and July.

As an example, the State of North Carolina's Fiscal Year runs from July 1 to June 30. The two months leading up to FYE, the month of FYB and the month following are good times to approach Librarians because they will be spending both remaining and new funds.

Reference Your Successes in “Library Campaigns”

In mid-April, I started a North Carolina Library Campaign, because of their upcoming FYE, which has resulted in six book sales thus far. One of which was a purchase by a Public Library System for five copies of my latest book, #HTSP – How to Self-Publish which is based on the steps I undertook to successfully, self-publish my Memoir.

I made sure to mention in my mailing my memoir was an Amazon bestseller in January and March under the Single Parent category, so be sure to tout your book's successes in your email campaigns to Librarians.

Consider Using Multiple Email Addresses

Consider using multiple email addresses for contacting Librarians. I use three different email addresses. Why? 1) To avoid the appearance of bombarding the email recipient and 2) As a backup plan in case my email gets put in a “junk email” list.

Purchase a Library Mailing List

For this article, I did some research to see if there were library mailing lists that you could purchase and located one provided by Lists You Can Afford.

The site lists library contacts ranging from 900 to 23,000 with prices from $39 to $99. If you're looking for a vetted list that is generating proven results for a self-publisher, I've decided to make my Library Contact Database available to The Creative Penn followers for $19.97. My North Carolina Library Campaign shell letter is also included to give you an idea of the type of information I provide Librarians.

My sincere thanks to each of you for your time and interest today. Hopefully, you will find the information provided beneficial. A special thanks also to Joanna Penn for being such a beacon of hope and inspiration for self-publishers worldwide!

Here's wishing each of you the best of luck in selling to libraries. Feel free to reach out to me with questions, or if I can be of assistance, at my book website.

Have you made attempts to get your books into libraries? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.

Eric Otis Simmons is the owner of ESE, Inc., a website development firm specializing in creating sites for High School Athletes to aid them in getting recruited, Authors, Poets and others seeking to present their “Personal Brand” on the Internet. A former college athlete, Eric enjoys sports and public speaking. The first two books he's ever written, which were self-published, have recently been added to the prestigious Collection of the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Every aspect of your book is part of its marketing. Rob Eagar walks us through three essential elements that, if done right, will help you sell more books.

What if you could increase your book sales without spending more money on advertising, publicity, or promotions?

It is possible when you understand the power of language at your disposal.

We live in an era where technology influences every aspect of our lives, including the Internet, social media, computers, Alexa, and e-reader devices. But, concluding that technology rules the day leads to a misconception that can prevent many authors from reaching their full sales potential.

Language drives the book sale, not technology.

People do not buy books because computers bombard us with offers to purchase.

Readers decide to purchase based upon the word of mouth they hear, the customer reviews they see, and the marketing copy they read. Technology simply delivers those words to potential readers in more ways than ever before.

Therefore, you can master technology and still struggle at selling books. Authors are supposed to be the masters of words. But, have you learned how to master marketing words?

If not, let’s fix that problem here and now. There are three types of persuasive marketing copy that every author has the complete control to create:

1. Book title
2. Book description
3. Book accolades

Let’s examine each type of language in more detail to help your book capture as many sales as possible:

1. Book Title

You’re probably familiar with the adage, “Never judge a book by its cover.” That notion may be true about book covers, but it doesn’t apply to book titles. Every day, people judge whether to buy a book based on the title.

Compelling titles attract interest and stimulate a purchase, while dull titles cause people’s eyes to glaze over and lose interest. You have direct control over creating a title that will work in your favor.

There is no perfect way to create a book title. However, there are proven principles you can follow to ensure that your title is a marketing asset, rather than a liability.

The ultimate purpose of your book title is to tease, not to teach.

Never confuse your title as a teaching tool. Instead, it’s a teasing tool. Your title’s primary job is to draw readers to your book, not teach readers what you know.

Without reader interest, there is no book sale. For example, notice how these fiction and nonfiction titles tease you to want more information about the book:

Fiction examples:

• The President is Missing
• A Killer’s Mind
• Something in the Water
• The Other Woman

Nonfiction examples:

• The Truth About Men
• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
• Born a Crime
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Effective titles use the power of persuasive language to drive book sales by engaging readers in the following ways:

• Attract attention and generate curiosity
• Suggest how a book’s content will entertain or educate the reader
• Imply the results or benefits the reader will enjoy from a book

There is no perfect titling method. There is also no perfect word count, although shorter titles are easier for people to remember. Plus, you cannot expect everybody to like your title.

However, you can always follow this rule of thumb: Never settle for a bland title.

Lackluster titles are obvious. They typically occur because frustrated authors rush the process. I teach my bestselling clients to always create numerous title options. Don’t put unrealistic expectations on yourself to demand a finished title during a quick brainstorming session.

Instead, create various options and let them percolate in your mind for a few weeks. Also, ask beta readers to provide input on their favorite option.

Your title is within your control. Take your time, use solid principles, and develop a winning title that is provocative and memorable.

2. Book Description

After people see a title that attracts their attention, their interest usually leads them to read the book description.

The description isn’t the only reason readers buy books. Word of mouth, advertising, and author reputation play a large role in convincing people to purchase.

However, your book description is one area where you have total sway over what people see. While you can’t control other marketing factors, you get to determine the book description that shoppers view.

Thus, your book description offers a golden opportunity to directly influence a reader’s decision-making process. It’s where your language gets to crystallize into one cohesive summary.

Plus, your book description appears in several pivotal places throughout the book-selling process, including:

• Back cover copy on a printed book
• Book detail page on Amazon and over 100 other online retailers
• Publisher and distributor catalog copy
• Publisher website
• Author website

Based on all of the places where people may see your book description, you need to think seriously about the book description that you create. You usually get 150 – 300 words capture the reader’s interest, so your words must count.

When written well, great marketing copy can close a lot of book sales by itself.

Whenever I train authors or help my top clients create a winning book description, I refer to these excellent examples to follow:

Fiction: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Nonfiction: Getting Past No by William Ury

If you write novels, you can create a persuasive book description or “synopsis” using this three-step template:

1. Start with a one-sentence “hook” that arrests the reader’s attention.
2. Next, describe your main character wrestling the primary conflict in your story.
3. Close with a suspenseful cliffhanger that makes readers wonder what happens.

In order for a non-fiction book description to be successful, the marketing language must resonate with the reader in two key ways:

1. Show that you understand how the reader feels
2. Show that you understand what the reader wants

When people consider buying a non-fiction book, they are usually motivated by an internal desire to solve a problem, learn something new, or feel inspired.

Logic makes people think, but emotion makes them act. If you can identify the feeling that is motivating the reader, then you create an emotional connection that makes the reader infer, “This author understands me.”

Wring the maximum value out of writing a great book description. Display it everywhere that your book is for sale.

People never tire of compelling language. Never get tired of using it.

3. Book Accolades

Besides your book title and description, there is another type of persuasive marketing language that you control: the accolades or achievements that your book receives.

Readers respond to accolades because they prefer books that have a satisfying reputation. That's why you see books touting “New York Times bestseller” or authors proclaiming to be a USA Today or Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Accolades signal that your book should be perceived as a high-quality item that shoppers should value.

Currently, there are over 1,000,000 new books published each year. What chance does your book stand at competing against millions of other titles? One word: Differentiation

If your book has achieved an extra level of credibility, you would be remiss to withhold that influential language. Display any and all legitimate accolades on your bio, website, Amazon sales page, etc. (By the way, telling people your book is an “Amazon bestseller” is not a legitimate accolade.)

Displaying accolades for the world to see will help you close more book sales for free. Here are five types of honors that you should exhibit once they occur:

1. National bestseller status
2. Endorsements from well-known people
3. Major sales milestones (i.e. – over 100,000 copies sold)
4. Reviews from high-profile media outlets
5. Literary awards

These types of honors raise a question that worries some authors, “What if I don't have any accolades?” For instance, you may be a first-time author who is just starting out with no awards or sales history. That's normal.

Here are three options you can pursue and display as they transpire:

• Highlight the accomplishment of “Over 100 positive Amazon reviews”
• Display any local or regional awards
• List endorsements from notable leaders you know

Any author can strive for these types of achievements to help differentiate their book within a crowded genre. But, an accolade won’t increase your book sales unless you display it for readers to see.

Language is the power of the book sale. Fortunately, language is within your complete control as an author.

Your title, book description, and accolades have the power to help close more book sales without spending more money. And, if you spend money on advertising, displaying powerful language on your ads will make them even more profitable.

What if you could sell more books for free? Now you know how. Take control over your marketing language and enjoy wielding the power of words.

Do you think that your book title, description and accolades are doing their job to sell your book? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.

Rob Eagar is one of the rare marketing consultants to help both fiction and nonfiction books hit the New York Times bestsellers list. He even helped a 23-year-old backlist book become a New York Times bestseller.

Rob has coached over 600 authors and is creator of The Author's Guide series, a collection of books that teaches writers how to increase their book sales. Get 3 FREE e-books to jumpstart your book sales as a gift from Rob at his website.