Imagine that wonderful day when you have the final draft of your novel, all reviewed, edited, proof-read and stripped of every single grammatical error. You managed to get a beautiful front cover, a snappy title and you are just settling down to prepare the various formats so you can get it online...
But stop! There are five last little finishing touches that you should apply to your novel before it goes live, all of which will help you increase interest in your book.
1. About the Author - readers like to connect with authors. It allows them to view you as a real person and form a bond with you. This can certainly be positive for your book sales too. If the readers like what they read in your biography and feel a certain connection with you then they are more likely to support you as a writer. Tell them personal facts, such as where do you live, how many kids you have, whether you have pets, do you like baking or running or volunteering with kids. This is also the time to mention your other writing activities so you can increase interest in those projects too.
2. Dedication/Acknowledgement - this is your opportunity to thank people who were important is making your novel happen. The most obvious people to thank are your loved ones (who let you lock yourself away with a laptop) and your test readers (for digesting your novel in their own time before it was polished and published). If you want the support of either group for your next novel then extend them the courtesy of a public thank you at the back of your book.
3. Link to your website - this can go in the About The Author section. It is a crucial piece of signposting because you want as many readers discovering your website as possible. Social media platforms are great but your website is solely owned by you and is your HQ on the internet. Your website is a great opportunity for readers to engage with you and your projects. Therefore make sure the address is written in your paperbacks and, better yet, put the hyperlink in the e-book versions of your novel so readers can click straight through to your website if they are reading on a smartphone or tablet. You may even wish to add a link to your mailing list so readers can subscribed to your newsletter.
4. Please Write A Review - so much of self-publishing success rests of readers writing you a positive review on Amazon (as well as Goodreads, Kobo and so on). Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to ask readers for a review on the back pages of your novel. Keep the plea informal and light so they do not feel pressured but explain how much you would appreciate this.
5. Trailer for Next Book - if you have another project on the go, you can use your back pages of your book to advertise this novel. A quick trailer will be enough, such as the title, a quote from the novel to act as a teaser and an estimated release date. Keep the release date very general. Rather than an exact date or even a month, just go with a season, such as Autumn 2014. This gives you a wide window of three months. In the back of The Sheriff, I promised my next Nephos novel, The Curse of Besti Bori, would be out in Autumn 2014. I am now certainly feeling the pressure but that might be good for motivation!
But stop! There are five last little finishing touches that you should apply to your novel before it goes live, all of which will help you increase interest in your book.
1. About the Author - readers like to connect with authors. It allows them to view you as a real person and form a bond with you. This can certainly be positive for your book sales too. If the readers like what they read in your biography and feel a certain connection with you then they are more likely to support you as a writer. Tell them personal facts, such as where do you live, how many kids you have, whether you have pets, do you like baking or running or volunteering with kids. This is also the time to mention your other writing activities so you can increase interest in those projects too.
2. Dedication/Acknowledgement - this is your opportunity to thank people who were important is making your novel happen. The most obvious people to thank are your loved ones (who let you lock yourself away with a laptop) and your test readers (for digesting your novel in their own time before it was polished and published). If you want the support of either group for your next novel then extend them the courtesy of a public thank you at the back of your book.
3. Link to your website - this can go in the About The Author section. It is a crucial piece of signposting because you want as many readers discovering your website as possible. Social media platforms are great but your website is solely owned by you and is your HQ on the internet. Your website is a great opportunity for readers to engage with you and your projects. Therefore make sure the address is written in your paperbacks and, better yet, put the hyperlink in the e-book versions of your novel so readers can click straight through to your website if they are reading on a smartphone or tablet. You may even wish to add a link to your mailing list so readers can subscribed to your newsletter.
4. Please Write A Review - so much of self-publishing success rests of readers writing you a positive review on Amazon (as well as Goodreads, Kobo and so on). Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to ask readers for a review on the back pages of your novel. Keep the plea informal and light so they do not feel pressured but explain how much you would appreciate this.
5. Trailer for Next Book - if you have another project on the go, you can use your back pages of your book to advertise this novel. A quick trailer will be enough, such as the title, a quote from the novel to act as a teaser and an estimated release date. Keep the release date very general. Rather than an exact date or even a month, just go with a season, such as Autumn 2014. This gives you a wide window of three months. In the back of The Sheriff, I promised my next Nephos novel, The Curse of Besti Bori, would be out in Autumn 2014. I am now certainly feeling the pressure but that might be good for motivation!