I don't claim to know all the ways to get readers hooked, but I know some I can share with you.
1. Get a Fantastic Cover. That's not so easy. One approach might be to study the covers of bestselling authors in your genre, and determine if those covers have anything in common with each other. Or, if an author you happen to know has a cover you really like, ask who designed it.
2. Start Each Book With A Hook. In this fast-paced world, an author has to grab the reader immediately. This may sound obvious, but it can be the most difficult to do. One way to accomplish this is to begin the first paragraph in the middle of an action sequence to pique the reader's curiosity about what's going on and what'll happen next. Or, pose a question. If it's a good one, the reader will want to know the answer.
3. Write a Series. If readers like your character(s), or a certain locale, they're more likely to come back for more, kind of like watching a TV series.
4. Do Giveaways. If you sell e-books through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing, you're in luck, since they offer more than one way for you to promote an e-book through Giveaways, or a Price Countdown. If your e-book isn't with Amazon, you can still do a Giveaway through your newsletter, blog, or website. You can also do one on Smashwords, for a limited time, or all the time.
5. Make One of Your E-books Permafree. Click Here to get my permafree thriller, Two Wrongs. If your ebook is free at another venue, Amazon will match that free price and keep it free,even if it's not part of KDP Select, for as long as it's remains free at the other venue. A free sample, especially one in a series, can lure a reader to read more of your work.
6. Try For Followers on Your Amazon Author Page. Include the Follow button at the end of your books, also in links on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Google Plus. If you get enough followers,(last I heard the magic number was fifty), when you release a new book, your followers will be notified by Amazon. Every bit of publicity helps. That said, I'm trolling for followers, so if you're so inclined, please click Here to get to my Amazon Author Page. The Follow Button is on the left, under the Hailey's Chance cover there. For those who do so, I thank you.
7. Get a Mailing List Going and Send Out a Newsletter. Put a signup on your blog, also mention it on Twitter, or any egroups you belong to. Two popular sites with templates and other newsletter information, which can help you get started are ConstantContact.com and MailChimp.com.
I hope my suggestions have been helpful for you. Does anyone else have an idea on how to get readers hooked? Or, maybe you'd like to share how an author got you hooked.
1. Get a Fantastic Cover. That's not so easy. One approach might be to study the covers of bestselling authors in your genre, and determine if those covers have anything in common with each other. Or, if an author you happen to know has a cover you really like, ask who designed it.
2. Start Each Book With A Hook. In this fast-paced world, an author has to grab the reader immediately. This may sound obvious, but it can be the most difficult to do. One way to accomplish this is to begin the first paragraph in the middle of an action sequence to pique the reader's curiosity about what's going on and what'll happen next. Or, pose a question. If it's a good one, the reader will want to know the answer.
3. Write a Series. If readers like your character(s), or a certain locale, they're more likely to come back for more, kind of like watching a TV series.
4. Do Giveaways. If you sell e-books through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing, you're in luck, since they offer more than one way for you to promote an e-book through Giveaways, or a Price Countdown. If your e-book isn't with Amazon, you can still do a Giveaway through your newsletter, blog, or website. You can also do one on Smashwords, for a limited time, or all the time.
6. Try For Followers on Your Amazon Author Page. Include the Follow button at the end of your books, also in links on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Google Plus. If you get enough followers,(last I heard the magic number was fifty), when you release a new book, your followers will be notified by Amazon. Every bit of publicity helps. That said, I'm trolling for followers, so if you're so inclined, please click Here to get to my Amazon Author Page. The Follow Button is on the left, under the Hailey's Chance cover there. For those who do so, I thank you.
7. Get a Mailing List Going and Send Out a Newsletter. Put a signup on your blog, also mention it on Twitter, or any egroups you belong to. Two popular sites with templates and other newsletter information, which can help you get started are ConstantContact.com and MailChimp.com.
I hope my suggestions have been helpful for you. Does anyone else have an idea on how to get readers hooked? Or, maybe you'd like to share how an author got you hooked.
 |
Experience Morgan Mandel's diversity and versatility. Check Out Her Standalone Romantic Comedy, Girl of My Dreams, the romantic comedy series, Her Handyman, and A Perfect Angel. For Mystery/Suspense, try Killer Career or Two Wrongs. For the small town of Deerview series: Hailey's Chance: Will Baby Make 3? and Christmas Carol.Websites:Morgan Mandel.Com Morgan Does Chick Lit.Com. Twitter:@MorganMandel
|
Great post! Thanks for sharing the "fruits" of your experience. I've bookmarked this post to keep it close. :) I've also followed you and downloaded Two Wrongs and can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteSandy, I'm glad I could be of help to you.
ReplyDeleteAll good ideas, Morgan. I've tried begging, too ... but found it to be demeaning and somewhat counter productive.
ReplyDeleteEven dropping hints sometimes feels like begging.
DeleteI'm curious how Amazon handles the "free" on other sites issue. They try to discourage "free" books on their site. Though I know they will price match.
ReplyDeleteWell, I reported my book as free on other sites, and had a few friends also do that, and that's I got to have Two Wrongs permafree.
DeleteGreat post. I'm not sure how the Follow button works. I have Follow on my author page, but I'm not sure about Facebook and Twitter. So much to learn all the time.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Polly. There's never an end to the learning process. And, then the remembering process. lol
DeleteYou're right on, Morgan!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marilyn!
DeleteGood post, Morgan. And congratulations on your new website--very handsome.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan!
DeleteGreat suggestions and cool author page, Morgan. :-)
ReplyDelete