Easy Book Selling

Okay, that title might be a little reversed - what I actually want to say is writers, you need to make it easy for readers to buy your books.  And make your bookselling chore a little easier.

Things are a lot different these days as we rush forward into the digital age.

Many writers could well think, "I AM making it easy, I tweet, I have a facebook page, I have an author's page on Amazon and my book is published there in addition to Barnes and Noble and Smashwords...."  and on and on. 

No doubt all of that has been done.  Writers are generally an industrious and informed lot.

But the devil is in the details as the old saying goes. As a writer you may think you're making it easy to purchase your books when in actuality you aren't.

Now don't get insulted.  It can be tricky.

Here's the thing. You have to make it not just 'easy' but super easy.  Hardly anyone these days has time to play detective.  Have a social site where you have a promo for your book? - something like, "for a great read get..." and then there's a one click link to the Amazon product page - good job so far, but that's not where to stop. 

Amazon is a giant, true, but it isn't the be all/end all. Don't stop there and sell yourself short. What if your readers, your audience is hanging out at Barnes & Noble with a Nook?

There are other places out there.  Nook lovers buy from Barnes & Noble. Then there's the Smashwords pages where you can find many great books in a number of formats. Don't get too scattered about it, but hit the big ones for sure. Amazon, B & N and Smashwords.

Give your reading audience links to them all, maybe not all at once, but in different places at different times - or all at once if you have the space to do it. Keep the promo going.  A person with a Nook who sees a book available on Kindle will probably move on and not do the 'research' to discover it really is available on Nook as well.  You don't want that! Let them know! Give them links.

Make it easy for readers to buy your book.

Here's another thing.  If you have a facebook page and put your cover up to promote your book don't forget a link to where your reading fans can buy it!  Again, your readers are going to be totally turned off if you expect them to be detectives and unearth the information to buy your book themselves. Use social media to inform your followers of your books.  Don't try to cram it down their throats with over the top promotion, but don't make it hard for them either. Tweet a link to your book, sometimes the Amazon link, sometimes another.  Keep your website up to date and make sure a link to buy your book either directly or from the sales site is listed, prominently displayed and active. . Facebook?  Don't forget the link!  Goodreads? Set up your author page and keep the information flowing.

Think of it from the reader's side - no doubt you're an avid reader if you are a writer.  Would YOU want to waste a lot of time rummaging around the net trying to find a link to purchase a book who's cover just caught your fancy?  doubtful.  You'd move on, right? 

Don't let that happen to YOU, the writer.  Make it easy for readers to buy your published or self-published book. 

And don't forget iPad folks.

So, here's my book, Stormrider at Barnes & Noble, Kindle, Smashwords and iBooks 

Now, wasn't that easy?