Joseph C. Kunz, Jr.'s Blog (11)

Introduction

It is critical that an author have a well-established platform. But it is not imperative that it be a large platform. In today’s “new-media” world, it is not necessarily about the numbers anymore. It is now about “engagement” with the readers. Whether it is for a large niche audience, or a micro-niche audience, it does not matter. Is the author seen as the “go-to person” to that audience? Is the author making an emotional connection with them? Is the…

Introduction

The best book ideas can be developed by looking at what is currently selling well on Amazon, AND what your heart desires that you write about. Choosing your book idea based completely on one way or the other is certain to make your book a failure. But choosing your book’s subject matter based on a combination of both (marketplace needs and your heart's needs) is certain to make your book a success.

Marketplace Or…

Introduction

If you have any hopes of making money with your self-published book, you will need to become familiar with online marketing. But, if you self-published your book just for the sake of seeing your name in print, that is fine too. But if you want to share your book with the world, and make some money doing that, you will need to treat your book…

Introduction

Finally, your book is approaching the finish line. And now you may be agonizing over the book’s final title, the cover design, the acknowledgement’s page, and the dedication. And everyone has an opinion about all of that – except for the dreaded dedication. But don’t worry. With a little bit of planning, the dedication can be one of the easiest things to create. So don’t let yourself get stressed over your next dedication. Follow this helpful guide to…

What Is A Sell Sheet?

A sell sheet (sometimes called a “one-sheet” or a “tip-sheet”) is a one-sheet flyer that promotes a book and its author. It is generally single-sided, but can also be double sided. The major point of a sell sheet is to convey your book’s benefits in a short and concise manner on one or two pages of letter-sized paper. A sell sheet is a…

As an author and self-publisher it is absolutely essential that you have a presence on Amazon. And luckily for us, Amazon provides many powerful ways to connect with potential readers and buyers. Even if you use a regular book-publishing company to publish your book, you will still need to have a presence on Amazon. Especially if you expect to sell any books. Amazon is the largest book retailer in the world. Amazon has more market presence, and more marketing…

If you have any hope of having your book achieve financial and critical success, you must understand how your readers (your customers), view your book (your product) when they first see it (online or on a shelf). Once you fully understand how your readers will perceive your book when they first see it, you can adjust your book accordingly.

In order to accomplish this, you must separate yourself from your personal feelings about your book, and think like the objective buyer…

Getting a notable VIP, industry guru, or media celebrity to write the foreword for your book is a great way to jump-start bigger sales and get positive publicity for your book. If you are an unknown author, getting a notable leader in your field to write your foreword is essential if you want to get readers to take a chance on you and buy your book. Having your name associated with an industry leader will greatly enhance your credibility within your industry and…

1. Publish Ebook First: Start with an ebook (pdf and epub) first. This is the easiest and fastest way to get started. Creating an ebook first will also allow you to get some feed-back from your readers, and make adjustments to your book accordingly. After you get your ebook online and get all the kinks worked out, then add a print-on-demand paperback edition.

2. Stick To Your Niche: Your book should be directly aligned with your market niche. For many…

As a self-publisher you must understand how a potential customer will determine if your book is worth buying. Let's assume the buyer has already found your book on Amazon because they were looking for information about a subject that your book covers. They are getting ready to buy a book that they believe will help them learn something new and is worth their time and money. What must your book do to convince this person to ignore the other books and buy your book? I have outlined some…