We live in an age of abundance. Over 1 million new books are published every year and that's just in the English language. In total more than 30 million books are available on Amazon to buy. The choice facing any reader is enormous.
How does an author or publisher make their book stand out and facilitate readers discovering them? This workshop gives a few tools and tips on how to make books more discoverable.
The slides are the omnibus version of an 8-part workshop at the Digital Book World workshop “Discovery & Discoverability – Finding and Growing an Audience” held at Hilton Midtown in New York City on Tuesday 13th January 2015.
5. 1. SEO - Search Engine Optimization
2. PR – Publicity and Content Marketing
3. Co-op Merchandising
4. Paid Advertising
All these contribute to visibility and discoverability, but
in this workshop we will not cover these strategies.
Not Covered
Part I – Introduction#dbw15 5
6. Do Ask Questions!
Interrupt at any time!
• for clarification
• for more detail
• for any other questions
Part I – Introduction#dbw15 6
9. Lets bust a few myths:
1. People go in search of what to
read next (sometimes they do,
most of the time they don’t)
2. People see, people buy
(actually impulse buys are rare)
3. Readers don’t judge a book by its
cover (well they do, all the time)
4. Google is a discovery engine
(no it’s a search engine)
9
10. What is discovery?
“Discovery is when as
readers we become
aware of a book, be it
the subject, story, plot,
title, author, characters
or just the book cover.”
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 10
stone relief, Balliol College, Oxford
11. What is discoverability?
As book marketers we are
able to reach suitable
readers directly or
indirectly (via others) and
make the readers aware
of our titles, authors,
story lines, topics or
covers.
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 11
12. Book Industry Has Changed
ecommerce
abundanceself-publishing
ebooks
65% 30%
6% 32.8 million books
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 12
13. Supply versus Demand
We live in an
Age of Abundance.
There Is No Alternative.
Almost Infinite Choice
is here to stay.
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 13
14. Marketing Funnel
Action
DesireDesire
InterestInterest
AwarenessAwareness
Step 1 – Awareness
oh, there is a new book out there,
maybe worth checking out
Step 2 – Interest
this looks like something I might
actually want to read
Step 3 – Desire
I have heard so much about it, I
should really give it a go
Step 4 – Action
decides to sample, buy, read,
review and/or share book. Hurray!
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 14
16. Real Discovery is Complex
Jellybooks
widget
Google
library
indie
Amazon
BN
Kobo
Bookbub
free
sale
bundle
promo
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
Facebook
review
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 16
17. Six Discovery Journeys
1. Serendipitous
2. Distributed
3. Social
4. Curated
5. Data-Driven
6. Incentivised
Part 2#dbw15 image: Zurich University law library
18. Serendipitous Discovery
Browsing the “stacks”.
Accidentally stumbling over
a great book.
Small percentage of books
get discovered this way, but
the emotional impact is
high. Books covers play a
large part in serendipity.
Part 2#dbw15 Bendigo book store, Victoria, Australia
19. Distributed Discovery
Picking up inspiration and
book samples in non-book
places.
Browsing images of
London for an upcoming
trip to London, may inspire
us to sample a book set in
London for example…
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 19
20. Social Discovery
Good old word of mouth, but
increasingly amplified online.
Social happens on a global
scale thanks to email,
Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter.
Aim to get covers, quotes
and emotions included in the
conversations.
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 20
Marck Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook
21. Curated Discovery
Editorial Picks
Huge Impact (i.e.: NYT,
iBooks home page, Amazon
email promo, etc.).
Immensely difficult to
influence. Often a follow-on
to other channels that
already work well.
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 21
22. Data-Driven Discovery
Traditionally:
• Best-seller list (popularity)
Now, it’s personal:
• Data-driven recommendations
(machine-learning) a la
Pandora or Netflix
Part 2#dbw15
Goodreads recommendations
23. Incentivised Discovery
Tactically using:
• Price
• Discounts
• Special sales
• Bundles
selectively to reach new
readers, preferably social
influencers
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 23
24. Search
1. Search is not discovery
When you are searching for an author or title you have, by definition already
discovered the title or author, as in already being aware of it. You are already on
the next rung of the marketing funnel: interest and/or desire
2. Discoverability
Is the focus on the step beforehand. How do we make readers aware of our
books, so that they when they search, they search for our books among the
millions of other possibilities.
3. Category Search
Is one of the few types of searches that serves a genuine discovery function, but if
your you are not on Page 1 (thanks to good SEO), you are not visible.
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 24
25. • Missing meta-data is like poison. It prevents
you from being discovered at all, because it
can render you invisible and unfindable.
• Some of the best meta-data (like ranking in
best seller lists) is not under your control, but
matters more to discoverability than almost
any other factor
• So stay calm, do your meta-data homework
and lets move on.
• This workshop is not about meta-data
Role of ONIX
• Good meta-data is essential, but not sufficient for discovery
Part 2 – Discovery Journeys#dbw15 25
26. End of Part II
for slides email vip@jellybooks.com
27. Part III#dbw15 27
Discovery &
Discoverability
Finding & Building an
Audience
Part 3
Author Platform
credit: comics.washingtonpost.com
28. Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 28
Background Reading
‘Traction’
by Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares
jbks.co/Gabriel_Weinberg
‘Let’s Get Visible’
by David Gaughran
jbks.co/David_Gaughran
29. Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 29
Lets bust a few myths:
All you need is a good book
A good book is a requirement, but
obscurity is far more likely, than
overnight success.
You need to be a geek
Anybody can get the hang of it.
The Retailer will do it
Every author/publisher has to work
on visibility for their title.
30. Every Author’s Duty
1.Get their own URL
2.Create a homepage or blog
3.Start a reader mailing list (email)
4.Be active on 2 social networks
‘HMTL & CSS’
by Jon Duckett
jbks.co/Jon_Duckett
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 30
31. Step 1
10x more professional, costs just ~ $10/year
1.Domain Registrar: Namecheap/GoDaddy
2.Make sure the URL is easy to remember & type!
3.Use Google Apps to create @{yourURL}.com
Get your own URL
http://www.{yourURL}.com
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 31
32. Step 2
Create a Tumblr
• Get started with {myURL}.tumblr.com
• Advanced option: create blog.{myURL}.com
Why Tumblr?
• Easiest to set-up and use
• Can be used as a basic homepage
• So do NOT procrastinate!
Start a Tumblr Blog
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 32
33. Step 2 XL
Homepage with Wordpress
• Hosting ca $10/month
• Wordpress theme $50-$300
• More effort, but many more
(design) options
Homepage + Blog
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 33
‘Create Your Own Website
Using Wordpress In a Weekend
by Alannah Moore
jbks.co/Alannah_Moore
34. Step 3
Set-up a professional email list
- Responsive design (reading on mobile phones)
- Opt-in button, opt-out button, analytics, etc.
Providers:
• Mailchimp (free for first 2,000 subscribers)
• Aweber, Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor,
Vertical Response, etc.
Create a Mailing list
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 34
35. Step 4
Set-up 2 social network profiles,
• Your social inbox: Facebook
• Text focused: Twitter, Goodreads
• Image Focused: Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram
• Video Focused: YouTube, Vimeo, Vine
Bulls-eye framework:
focus on channels that create engagement!
Create a Social Profile
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 35
36. Facebook Basics
1.Your Presence
• “Profile” = for personal friends (up to 5,000)
• “Page” = authors/publisher (no follower limit)
• One per pseudonym/pen name
• Do NOT create a page for each title
2.Engagement
• For many readers Facebook = Fanmail inbox
• Respond to every comment within 24 hours
3.Metrics
• conversations matter, not likes!
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 36
37. Twitter Basics
1. Create an avatar (an “egg” looks unprofessional)
2. Customize your profile!
• Don’t look boring
(boring authors/publishers = boring books)
• link to your blog or homepage in your profile
• Upload a background
3. Get a “verified” tag, if possible.
The Twitter Book
by Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein
jbks.co/The_Twitter_Book
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 37
38. Engagement Basics
Part III – Author Platform#dbw15 38
• What the book is (going to be) about
• Book Background: Why? What? For whom?
• Post quotes (look at Amazon Public Notes)
• Wet the appetite of future readers
• Don’t post salesy messages
TIP: Curiosity is a powerful motivational driver
39. End of Part III
for slides email vip@jellybooks.com
41. Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 41
Background Reading
‘The Tipping Point’
by Malcolm Gladwell
jbks.co/1eaXyvE
‘Contagious’
by Jonah Berger
jbks.co/1lYQ5Tw
‘Six Degrees’
by Duncan J. Watts
jbks.co/19WIr6O
‘Everything is Obvious’
by Duncan J. Watts
jbks.co/19VZSHO
42. Lets bust a few myths:
You need a social media guru.
Author should engage with readers.
Basic rules are fast and easy to learn.
Social Marketing is a silver bullet.
It’s hard work and time consuming,
but it’s (mostly) free.
Authors can outsource to publisher.
Readers want to engage with authors.
Publishers are coaches & assistants.
Need to cover every social network.
Focus on those you actually enjoy. Do
not create and then abandon profiles.
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 42
43. STEPPS to Social Success
1. Social Currency
• We share things that make us look good.
2. Triggers
• Top of mind, tip of tongue.
3. Ease for emotion
• When we care, we share.
4. Public
• Monkey sees, monkey does.
5. Practical Value
• News you can use.
6. Stories
• Information travels disguised as gossip.
‘Contagious’
by Jonah Berger
jbks.co/1lYQ5Tw
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 43
44. What goes viral?
1. It’s inherently un-predictable
• Social networks are “chaotic”.
2. Influencers
• They matter, but they are not
gatekeepers. Anybody can be the trigger.
3. Small Worlds
• Its easier to go viral in a small, hyper-
connected world.
4. Thresholds & Cascades
• Virality depends on a critical mass for the
trend not to die out.
‘Six Degrees’
by Duncan J. Watts
jbks.co/19WIr6O
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 44
45. Email
1. Email is a social network in its own right
• Many a joke or story still goes viral via email
2. Highest reliability for reaching recipients
• follow basic rules of not triggering spam filters
• test your subject lines
3. Messages are less likely to be overlooked
• It might be ignored, but at least it’s seen
4. High conversion ratios
• Superior to Facebook, Twitter and others
5. Easily forwarded
• But pay attention to the STEPPS rules
6. Email is more “private”
Email – the “secret” weapon!
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 45
46. Email
How to build an email list? (I)
1. Sign-up button
• Put a sign-up button on your
blog, website, email, etc.
2. Use freebies, extras, competitions to get sign ups
• Offer free novellas or short stories that spin-off from the book
• Distribute free tickets to author readings
• Hold competitions for free books, Amazon gift cards etc.
source: www.hughhowey.com
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 46
47. Email
How to build an email list? (II)
3. Manage churn by not sending too much/boring email
• A list will only grow if more people join than leave
• Some people will always leave, don’t be annoyed, it’s life
3. Put an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email
• In many countries this is a legal requirement
• Readers are less likely to recommend you, if they feel trapped
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 47
48. Email use
1. Don’t be a used car salesman
2. Special occasions
• Cover reveals or
• Outstanding reviews (but sparingly)
• TV appearances (and share the video thereafter)
3. Remember the STEPPS rules!
• You can use 3rd party services to test subject lines
4. Analytics
• Carefully monitor what causes subscribers to:
• Open emails, click on links, forward, unsubscribe
author Stephen King
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 48
49. Email mobile first!
Over 50% of email is now read on tablets
and smartphones, not PCs!
1. Use a responsive design for email
2. Use a service like Litmus to test how your
emails will look like on different devices
3. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is always a
great strategy
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 49
50. Email
Jellybooks Case Study (iPhone)
Example: single column responsive design for smartphones with bullet proof buttons
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 50
51. Email
Jellybooks Case Study (iPad)
Example: two column responsive design with bullet proof buttons for tablets
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 51
52. Part III – Social Discovery#dbw14 52
Pinterest
A Book Browser’s Paradise
1. 3rd largest social network after Facebook & Twitter
• 70 million users
2. Ideal reading demographic
• >65% female
• Mostly 35-55 years old
3. Persistent visibility
1. Pinterest: days - weeks
2. Facebook: 30 minutes to 2 days
3. Twitter: 5-10 minutes
4. Great for engagement
1. Many users will re-pin a book tot their “books I want to read board
53. Pinterest
Author Examples
• Jody Hedlund → http://www.pinterest.com/jodyhedlund
• Elizabeth Gilbert http://www.pinterest.com/lizgilbertpins
• Hugh Howey http://www.pinterest.com/hughhowey
• Laurie Halse Anderson http://www.pinterest.com/halseanderson
• Ami McKay http://www.pinterest.com/sideshowami
• Random House (USA) http://www.pinterest.com/randomhouse
Publisher Examples
Elizabeth Gilbert of
‘East, Pray, Love’
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 53
54. Pinterest
What is Pinterest
• image heavy network: great covers perform better
• Books should only be 10% of what you post
• Great opportunity to post images that pull readers
deeper into the “world” (cities, scenes, landscapes)
• Make use of community boards, they’re super-viral
• Have boards dedicated to your own reading
showing your side as a “reader”, not just as an
author/publishers
• General bookish stuff
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 54
55. Pinterest
Community Boards
Make use of community boards, as they are super-viral
• Readers can contribute
• Community board appears on member’s profile
• New users following board on their profile, also
become your followers → very fast way to add
followers
• Contributions can provide great inspiration for your
other boards and help you engage with readers
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 55
57. Pinterest
‘Enhanced Pins’
When you click on a pin,
you’re taken to the website
from which it was pinned.
That is true for both pins
on the left, but which pin
got more click-troughs?
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 57
58. Pinterest
‘Enhanced Pins’
Adding a green sample button made visitors of the
Pinterest board 4x more likely to click on cover:
→ 4x more users downloading a sample
Sample on their eReader or tablet = a critical step
to get them hooked (and constant reminder of the
book not yet bought)
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 58
59. Case Study No. 2
Create a caption that captures attention
instead of just pinning a synopsis.
In this case, we noticed that readers loved
sharing the opening line of the book:
“My name is Elizabeth Hawksmith, and my age is
three hundred and eighty-four years. If you will listen, I
will tale you a tale of witches...”
Pinterest optimize captions
TIP: Check out Kindle Public Pages or quotes shared on
Twitter and Pinterest to find out what captures readers
imagination and use in your own social marketing.
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 59
60. Case Study No. 2
Pinterest - Look what Amazon is doing!
Amazon old
Amazon new
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 60
61. Twitter
Every publisher’s favourite network
1. Immensely popular with publishing insiders
2. Twitters is not a top network for readers sharing books
3. Great for sharing timely news as links
• Author readings
• Appearances on radio, TV etc.
• Any mention in news articles etc.
• Avoid being a used sales man and shouting “buy, buy, buy”
4. Include sample links to you book when appropriate
5. Stimulate conversations around your book
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 61
62. Twitter
Author Examples
1. Neil Gaiman @Neilhimself
2. Margaret Atwood @MargaretAtwood
3. Teju Cole @tejucole
4. Michael Rosen @MichaelRosenYES
5. R.L. Stine @RL_Stine Neil Gaiman
author and Twitter “celebrity”’
TIP: Twitter can be a colossal time sink for people who like
writing. Allocate a dedicated time slot every day, i.e. ½
hour in the morning and ½ hour in the evening for Twitter.
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 62
63. Twitter
Twitter Cards
URL with correct
mark-up activates a
“Twitter Card”
Twitter Cards:
• Title of book
• Mini synopsis
• Cover
• Link to more
→ a huge boost to
discoverability. Readers 3x
more likely to click on link.
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 63
64. Twitter
Hashtags
1.Post sample of your books on:
• Fridays for #Fridayreads
• Sundays for #SampleSunday
2. Seek out other hashtags related to your book
3. Measure engagement with bit.ly (or jbks.co) links
TIP: track links you put on Twitter to see what is creating click-
troughs, RTs/Likes are a poor measure of engagement
(you can use Bitly for link tracking)
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 64
65. Twitter
Gain followers
• Follow authors similar to yourself (same [sub]genre, etc.)
• Follow their reader, many may follow you back, but
don’t make the mistake of DM-ing them
• Do not DM people to say “thanks for following”
• Avoid “selling” and focus on engaging
• Don’t be afraid to talk about topics you are passionate
about even, if they do not relate to your book.
• Post when events happen to which readers relate
• When in doubt, 5 p.m. is best time for getting retweets
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 65
66. Facebook
World largest social network
1. No Facebook profile = not accessible to most readers
2. Use as “inbox” for fans and readers to contact you
3. Marketing effectiveness has dramatically declined since
introduction of Edgerank (85% of posts not displayed)
4. Number of likes does not matter at all (vanity number). What
matters are conversations.
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 66
67. Facebook
How to use
1. Focus on engaging with your “super fans”
2. It is your most loyal readers who will spread
the word, make them care, make them
passionate
3. Readers are more chat focused on Facebook
than on Twitter or Pinterest. On Facebook
it’s about conversations.
‘The Facebook Marketing Book’
by Dan & Allison Zarella
jbks.co/16r6hqg
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 67
68. Facebook
Competitions
The great strength of Facebook are competitions.
• For example hold a competition for a $100 Amazon
gift card (or BN, Kobo, Indiebound, if they prefer –
be flexible) in exchange for readers joining your
mailing list, etc.
• A “fan gate” (= “like to enter” is a waste of time,
because likes don’t matter, you want shares)
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 68
69. Facebook
Engaging
1. Facebook is a also a great place to promote and post
pictures and videos of author readings, conferences, etc.
2. Encourage fans to post book-related pictures
3. Share fun bookish stuff, even if it is not directly related
to you own book, but don’t get too personal (think of
Facebook as being public)
4. Promote books you like from fellow authors/publishers:
• It makes you look selfless
• Readers appreciate great recommendations
• authors/publishers you recommend may reciprocate
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 69
70. Other Social Networks
Only sign-up for what you will use
Fiction Focused
1. Goodreads
2. Wattpad
3. Library Thing
4. Google+
5. Reddit
6. Instagram
etc.
Non-fiction Focused
1. Goodreads
2. Quora
3. Google+
4. Linked-In
5. Slideshare
6. Disqus
etc.
Tip: check availability of usernames with namechk.com
Part IV – Social Discovery#dbw15 70
71. End of Part IV
for slides email vip@jellybooks.com
72. Part V – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 72
Discovery &
Discoverability
Finding & Building an
Audience
Part 5
Distributed Discovery Cook & Book, Brussels (Belgium)
73. Lets bust a few myths:
1. Book Covers are obsolete
great cover art is very important for
online ebook discovery.
2. Great meta-data and you’re done
Meta-data is a necessity, but does not
contribute much to discoverability.
3. Categories are for librarians
Category search is probably the top
search for users to discover new books.
4. People will just go to Amazon
Path form discovery to purchase needs
to be as frictionless as possible.
Part V – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 73
74. Distributed Discovery
• Book blogs
• Traditional news sites
• Lifestyle sites
• Special interest sites
• wherever books are mentioned online
TIP: This can be fuelled with great PR, one of the traditional
strengths of publishers. Good publicity work has lost none
of its stellar value (but you already knew that).
Books can be discovered in many contexts
Part V – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 74
75. Frictionless Discovery
Discover
(online)
Sample
(click link)
Buy
(download)
Read
(and finish!)
Share
(recommend)
Frictionless discovery
aids reader from point of
discovery to sample with
a simple click of the
mouse.
Sample links are usually
preferable to buy links.
Guide the reader in
stages.
Free is always an easier
action to take than
something that involves
payment.
Part V – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 75
76. Links, Links, Links…
Convert browsers to samplers
Encourage bloggers, reviewers, journalists etc. to
include links to place links or other calls-to action
Sample links are superior to buy links
Few browsers are instantly converted
Not everybody wants to link to a single retailer
Make your links trackable
Part IV – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 76
77. Links, Links, Links…
Solution 1: Amazon links
• Cannot link to Kindle sample directly, only product
page (bit too salesy for some)
• Not everybody wants to link exclusively to Amazon
• ebook users are locked into the Kindle ecosystem
Part IV – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 77
78. Links, Links, Links…
Solution 2: Sample link on your own homepage
Encourage bloggers, reviewers, journalists etc. to use dedicated sample link
Make sure that:
• Have suitably formatted sample links (mark-up)
• Host the samples in the cloud for ease of download
• have buy links to a selection of shop destinations
• track inbound links (Google Analytics will do)
• create affiliate rewards for each link, to track
conversion from sampling to buying
Part IV – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 78
79. Links, Links, Links…
“Like book?
Download sample now,
and reader in peace later.”
• Caters to user’s “collector’s instinct” without
requiring a major time commitment
• Free and provides the reader with first 10%
• Functionally works like a ‘tweet’ or ‘like’ button
• Don’t take user away from site they are reading
(making them much more attractive to site
owner, than links)
Solution 3: Widgets
Part V – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 79
80. Links, Links, Links…
Part IV – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 80
Solution 3: Widgets
6 different sizes with
and without cover
copy & paste
for professional users
81. Links, Links, Links…
Solution 3: Widgets
Discover
(online)
Sample
(downloaded)
Buy
(hooked)
Read
(and finish!)
Share
(recommend)
last page of sample…
Link to buy
Part V – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 81
82. Combining the physical and digital
• Low cost, but physical
• Straight-to-mobile with QR codes
• Can be handed out as digital samples at book launches, author
readings, include them in publicity packs, etc. (and trackable!)
Widgets-on-a-card
Part V – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 82
83. Service Providers
Other Solution providers:
• Book2Look http://www.book2look.com
• Bookbuzzr http://www.bookbuzzr.com
• Bowkr http://www.myidentifiers.com
Cost:
• Jellybooks is free (with VIP invite – just ask!)
• Others from $50-120 per title
Solution 3: Widgets
Part V – Distributed Discovery#dbw15 83
84. End of Part V
for slides email vip@jellybooks.com
90. Pinterest does it, too
http://www.pinterest.com/louisesblooms/books-i-want-to-read
Covers allow for easy browsing
Part VI – Visual Discovery#dbw15 90
91. Great Cover Design
Some simple ONLINE rules
• Less text (title & author already displayed as caption)
• Have strong focal colour
• Try to the “tell a story with the cover”
• Avoid overly stereotypical images
• High resolution!!! (the age of tiny thumbnails is over)
• Online and physical covers do not need to be the
same, but should be recognizably similar
Part VI – Visual Discovery#dbw15 91
92. Great Cover Design
Pull You In
‘101 Whiskies to Try before you Die’
by Ian Buxton
‘The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.’
by Adelle Waldman
‘The Lavender Keeper’
by Fiona McIntosh
Part VI – Visual Discovery#dbw15 92
93. Great Cover Design
Strong Focus Colour
‘The Witch’s Daughter’
by Paul Brackston
‘The Art of Immersion’
by Frank Rose
‘A House Without Mirrors’
by Marten Sanden
Part VI – Visual Discovery#dbw15 93
94. Great Cover Design
Tells a Story
‘Moonwalking With Einstein’
by Joshua Foer
‘Department of Speculation’
by Jenny Offill
‘Letters from Everest’
by Marten Sanden
Part VI – Visual Discovery#dbw15 94
95. Cover Design Pitfalls
Part VI – Visual Discovery#dbw15 95
Hardcover Trade paperback
Left cover works
very well online
and on social
media
Right cover is
not even
recognizably the
same and almost
only text #fail
96. Not So Great Cover Design
Great in print, but not online
‘The Bug’
by Ellen Ullman
‘The social citizen’
by Betsy Sinclair
‘Smarter Than You Think’
by Clive Thompson
Part VI – Visual Discovery#dbw15 96
97. End of Part VI
for slides email vip@jellybooks.com
99. Lets bust a few myths:
1. Amazon is the problem
It’s more a matter of careful channel
and price management.
2. Piracy is the problem
No evidence for that. Competitive price
promotions are depressing prices.
3. Everybody pays the same price
Value is relative. It is what somebody
is willing to pay.
4. Creators deserve to be paid
One finds readers and wins them over.
One does not ‘deserve’ them.
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 99
100. Background Reading
‘Pricing on Purpose’
by Ronal J. Baker
jbks.co/1bSssGD
‘Free’
by Chris Anderson
jbks.co/1gUGoVU
‘The Curve’
by Nicholas Lovell
jbks.co/1dXKUCv
‘Predictably Irrational’
by Dan Ariely
jbks.co/1lYkL7p
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 100
101. Future of Book Pricing
1. Games have set an example
• Free is how you build an audience. Loyalty
comes first, monetization after.
2. Bertrand Competition
• Price converges to nil when marginal
production and distribution cost are zero.
3. Superfans
• In the future creators will earn 80% of
their revenues form 20% of their readers.
4. Importance of Emotions
• Emotional appeal matters most
• Importance of worlds and characters
‘The Curve’
by Nicholas Lovell
jbks.co/1dXKUCv
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 101
102. Pricing
• Benchmark against title in your genre/category, pricing
is becoming highly category dependent
• Who are your readers? What is their price sensitivity?
Benchmark
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 102
<$1 impulse buy
$1- $3 “cheap” buy
$3 - $5 “Value” buy
$5 - $10 “I need to think about this” buy
>$10 “I need this for work” buy
103. Price Promotions
• Best-seller list is one of the top ways of being
discovered
• How to break in:
• Heavy PR or hyper-viral social success
• Price promotions
• STEPPS – Readers love to share deals
• Avoid too many/frequent deals or readers go “meh”
• Vicious effect of Bertrand competition
103
104. Price Promotions
Cracking Amazon
‘Lets get Visible’
by David Gaughran
jbks.co/Kay8ow
Introduction to:
• Amazon’ sales ranking algorithm
• Amazon’s popularity ranking algorithm
• Not every sale is weighted equally
• How to “play the game”
Warning:
Beware that algorithm change. Todays “recipe”
or “hack” may not work tomorrow
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 104
105. Price Promotions
• Keep deal durations short (max 72 hours), deals expiring
soon more likely to be shared (sense of urgency)
• Use discount codes:
• make recipients feel special (exclusivity)
• trackable codes (reveal how readers found the deal)
• Use for price discrimination
• Can be linked to getting email address in return
Tip: Some promotions best executed direct-to-consumer
When and how
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 105
106. Price Promotions
• “flock to unlock” = discount code only sent out when a
minimum number of followers retweet the deal
(a form of social group buying)
• “enter email to get discount” – allows you send new
releases and other news to recipient (beware the use of
“throw-away” emails)
• “buy one, gift one”
Tip: Analyse the success of each campaign. Some things
work, some don’t. Success can be very variable.
Social Deals
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 106
107. Price Promotions
• Typically 50% or more, else readers don’t care and
as result don’t share
• Never advertise absolute savings: for products
costing less than $100, percentage savings are
psychologically more powerful
• Bundles of multiple books at magical price points:
$5, $10 etc.; use one or two “safe” titles as the
bundle draw
How much?
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 107
108. Beware the Book Hoarders
• When books drop below a certain
price point, readers start hoarding
• Unread books:
• are not reviewed
• are not recommended
• Are less likely to be shared
• Don’t build loyalty
Danger: We loose many of the discoverability benefits !
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 108
109. Book Fetish
The printed book will never
die, but its role may well
morph to a product for true
fans.
It’s not about “content” but the emotional
and intangible appeal of the product.
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 109
110. Go Premium
1. Limited edition super-premium hardbacks
• Target the super fans (5-20% of readership = Pareto rule)
• Key is no cost of materials, but emotional appeal
• For shelf in living room or as (status) present to friends
• Create multiple price-tiers
2. Reduce risk by using crowd-funding
• Kickstarter
• Indiegogo
• Unbound
3. You need a loyal readership/following!
• A crowd-funding campaign requires existing audience
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 110
111. Exclusivity Incentive
• Remembers STEPPS? (E = Emotion)
• Strong Tribal appeal = belonging to the “in-crowd”
• Increasing prices might improve discoverability:
• stands out = something to talk about
• appeal to your fan’s emotions (incl. “snob appeal”)
• Your most loyal fans are also your biggest promoters
• There is some ephemeral beyond “just the content”
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 111
112. Crowd-funding
• Crowd funding does not substitute for an advance
unless you are writing the desperately awaited
conclusion to an established series
• Think of crowd-funding as a low-risk way to upsell to
your most loyal readers
• You have to be prepared to sell direct:
don’t make the specials available through Amazon –
exclusivity, uniqueness & emotional appeal are critical
Part VII – Incentivised Discovery#dbw15 112
113. End of Part VII
for slides email vip@jellybooks.com
115. Part VIII – Social Discovery#dbw15 115
Background Reading
‘Tribes’
by Seth Godin
jbks.co/1cFS7FY
‘Lean Analytics’
by A. Croll & B. Yoskovitz
jbks.co/13hkqnz
‘Influence’
by Robert B Cialdini
jbks.co/1lZ40c8
116. Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 116
Lets Bust a Few Myths:
It ends with the Book Launch
maybe for the publicist, but not for
the author or marketing dept.
Analytics is for Geeks
every author/publisher should
master at least basic analytics
Old books are forgotten
dedicated readers will always keep
recommending your books
117. Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 117
Lifecycle Marketing
The conversation never stops
Continue engaging with readers
and they will continue to share and
recommend your book leading to
sales and new readers
Understand your readers
Spend time understanding who
your readers are. At this stage
analytics becomes paramount.
Audience means there is data.
118. Write more…
The best lifecycle discoverability tool is
to write more books:
• It is easier to sell a new book to
your existing 10,000 readers than
find another 10,000 readers for
your existing book.
• The more (good) books you have
written, the more strategic
options you have.
Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 118
119. Grow The Mailing Lost
• CTA (Call-To-Action) buttons at the end of every
book to joining the mailing list
• Start segmenting the mailing list:
– High frequency: “street gang” and super-fans
– Low Frequency: loyal, low-engagement readers
– VIP List: Influencers, high impact bloggers/reviewers
Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 119
120. Perma-free
The Power of Free
• Perma-free = permanently free
• Consider making the first book in a series free.
• A free book is 10x - 100x more likely to be
downloaded than one costing $0.10.
• If you only have one book, then consider spinning
out a free short story or novella as an “introduction”
for new readers.
Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 120
121. Bundles
Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 121
Tip: Bundles will have to be single
file (SKU) for most retailers
• Series Bundle
• Book Bundles with other authors
allows for cross-promotion to
related audiences
122. Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 122
Analytics
Google Analytics
Positive:
• It’s free
• It’s powerful
• Where is traffic coming from ?
• Geographic distribution of your readers?
• Helps you understand engagement levels
across social networks
Negative:
• Challenging user interface
123. Analytics
Amazon Data
Positive:
• Use Vendor Central/KDP dashboard
• Correlate sales with marketing activities
• Use Amazon affiliate tracking codes
Negative:
• Separate for each country
• Limited data export options
buy
Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 123
124. Analytics
Kindle Public Pages
Positive:
• Understand how people read your books
• What sections they highlight
• Do they finish the book?
Negative:
• Difficult to export
read
Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 124
125. Data, Analytics & Algorithms
Our afternoon workshop with presentations by:
Perseus Book Group: social media monitoring
Netgalley: influencer marketing
Vook: sales analytics
Idea Logical: SEO
Jellybooks: ebook & reader analytics
Part VIII – Lifecycle Marketing#dbw15 125
126. End of Part VIII
for slides email vip@jellybooks.com