Store It

Well, it’s happened. November is very nearly over, and we’re down to the final topic in our series. It’s so strange to me, that the year is already almost gone. It’s been an interesting year, a fun year, and a difficult year… but I’m not sure I’d say I’m ready to let it go. To that end, next month’s topic will be a lot of fun. I already have my topic figured out, my schedule determined. I think you’ll really like it.

For today, let’s talk about one last thing you can do to make sure your books are seen by the highest number of people, and that you are noticed as the amazing writer you are. One last question I want you to answer. One last thing I want you to think about.

How many stores are you in?

Remember, it’s not just about Barnes & Noble. Though BN is the biggest (actual) bookstore that’s left in the country, it’s not the only one where people shop. In fact, I know a lot of people who primarily shop at small bookstores, locally owned or independent bookstores, places where money is going to go to help the economy of their city rather than lining the pockets of yet another millionaire.

In order to be seen by those people, to be seen by as many people as possible, you need to be in the most stores possible.

Consignment is not the enemy. I know some of you are thinking that you’d rather be making a full profit than having to deal with consignment rates, having to work with stores that might not have the best records possible, but the thing is, there are people shopping in those stores. Even if you’re not making as much money off the books as you could be, you’re still getting your book into people’s hands. Local people will see it. They’ll see that you’re an author based out of their city, their state, and that’s something really cool. People like to support locals, no matter where in the States they’re from. New Mexicans support New Mexicans. Alabamans support Alabamans. That’s just how it goes.

What you have to do is make sure you’re in the line of sight of as many of those people as possible. So, don’t just get your book onto Amazon and into Barnes & Noble and call it good. Get into the local stores. Put your books on the shelves of the little shops downtown. Get into places where your books can be seen by people's eyes, touched by their hands, where people you might not be able to reach any other way will finally see your book and realize how great an author you are.

There are millions of potential readers out there. All you have to do is get your book in their sights.

So do that, in as many possible ways you can.

Get seen. Be read.

That’s what we’re all going for, in the end.

[love]

{Rani D.}

In Review

Hey everybody! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and got some of your holiday shopping out of the way. Me, I’m pretty much done with my shopping—and I’m under budget! Seriously, online shopping is amazing. Cyber Monday deals saved me a ton. But I’m not here to be a commercial.

I’m here to talk to you about things we could be doing better, to get more people interested in us and our work.

Here’s a question for you:

How many reviews do you have?

This one’s actually been really hard for me. I’ve had a bunch of people tell me how much they loved my books, I’ve spoken to dozens and dozens of people at events, all of whom say they couldn’t put my books down, but trying to get them to leave reviews on Goodreads or Amazon has been like pulling teeth. It just hasn’t been working.

But reviews are a big part of sales. If you hadn’t noticed that, then you probably haven’t been in the game very long.

For starters, it’s important to make sure everyone you know, your friends and family, read the book and leave reviews. That’ll at least give you a nice springboard start on reviews. Ask those people, the people you love, to leave only four and five star reviews. If they didn’t like it, ask them not to review it. There’s nothing wrong with that, even if Amazon tries to tell you there is. You can’t pay people for reviews, no, but you can talk to people you know about leaving them.

Unfortunately, sometimes that’s not so easy either. So, then what do we do?

Well, then we have to rely on other people who have purchased and read the book. There are possibilities. You could run contests, where anyone who leaves (or has left) a review will be entered to win something special from you. Or, put a little note in the back of the book to ask your customers to leave a review once they’ve finished reading.

The two primary places where you should be getting reviews is Amazon and Goodreads—and yes, they’re technically the same company. But they’re also where the most people go to find reviews on books. It’s where we turn to find out what books we might like to read next. So, put little incentives on these places. Maybe try different contests for different places where reviews are left, or start sending out responses to every review that is left on your books. You could also try to contact everyone who’s purchased the book, and thank them for their support. This one is, of course, a little more difficult to manage if you’re only selling eBooks, but you get my point.

Do something to incentivize. Get people interested. Be involved with them. Because even if your work is some of the most amazing work known to mankind, if people aren’t leaving reviews, other people will never know how good the books are.

That’s just the way it is, unfortunately. Let's work on it together, shall we?

[love]

{Rani Divine}

P.S. If you have read one of my books and loved it, I would so appreciate you leaving me a review on one of these sites! Send me a message here or on Facebook if you do—I'd love to hear from you :)

Thankful

It’s Thanksgiving!

And rather than take up your time with things that you could be doing to better your presence and get yourself a bigger following online… I thought we should just focus on the holiday.

I’ll be real honest with you, guys, I wrote this post a few days ago. I didn’t want to have to get online on Thanksgiving, break away from my day with my family, and I won’t blame you if you do the same. I don’t generally even check my computer, when it’s a holiday. And I usually disappear for a little bit, around Christmas.

But what I wanted to do today, this Thanksgiving, is very simple.

You know that “game,” where everyone says something they’re thankful for, after eating dinner on Thanksgiving Day?

Well, I’d like to tell you what I’m thankful for. A top five, really, because I’m thankful for a whole lot of things.

I’m thankful for you

All of you, the people reading this blog for the first time and those who’ve been reading me since the beginning. I’m thankful that you enjoy the words I write, that you find interest in seeing what I’m up to and that you listen to the things I have to say (whether you agree with them or not). I’m thankful that you’re a part of Too Many Books to Count, and that you’re reading this, right now. Whether you’re reading it on Thanksgiving or two years later, on Easter.

I’m thankful for RAD Writing

They’re the company I work for, yes, but they’re more than that. They’re my family, in a way. They’re the ones who stand behind me and every work I’ve released, the ones who’ve pushed me to keep publishing my books even when I feel like editing another word might make me go bonkers. I’m thankful for them, for believing in me, and for trusting me with so many new responsibilities this year.

I’m thankful for Telekinetic

It’s the book that started it all, the novel I wrote in an English class in college, the novel that sparked from a dream I had about a boy I had a crush on at the time. And even though I don’t really like the book, even though I personally feel that the story needs some tweaking to really make it something special, I’m still thankful for it. If I hadn’t published it, way back when, I probably wouldn’t have published anything at all.

I’m thankful for my family and friends

They’re my biggest fans. Karen, Ali, Anthony, Julie, Christy, Nicole, Tammy, Dave, Devon, Andrew, Casey, Faye, David, Melissa, Ashley, Fred, Eric, and all the ones I’m not thinking straight enough to write the names of… they’re awesome people, and a great encouragement to me. We're all for each other, no matter what else might be going on around us. They’re all a huge part of my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m thankful for stories

Of course I am, right? But it’s true. I’m so thankful for stories, for the ideas that pop into my head on a moment’s notice and take me spiraling down the rabbit hole into a new world, a new way of life. I’m thankful that the stories have never stopped coming, and that they never will.

Most of all though, I’m thankful that I have the honor of sharing my stories with all of you. It’s been an honor. Truly.

[love and thanks]

{Rani Divine}