This document provides tips for authors to improve their Amazon author pages in order to sell more books. It summarizes best practices identified from reviewing top authors' pages, including adding an engaging bio that emphasizes benefits to readers, listing media references, including a call to action, using a distinctive author photo, thoroughly listing all books, and adding an author update with a blog or video. The document offers services to review an author's page, write book descriptions and bios, or assist with advertising and PR to help authors implement these strategies.
4. Many authors don’t use Author
Page Properly
Lost sales
Due to lower trust
5. Amazon helps you build trust with
Author Pages
You can build credibility with:
Your bio
Your picture
Your books
and much, much more -- which many people don’t even consider
6. Methodology
Let’s look at best-selling authors and see what they do
Take lessons from the best
Copy their strategies and personalize those ideas for your needs
13. Methodology
I reviewed 25 author pages on Amazon of authors who
were well known for their expertise in marketing.
I figured if anyone has thought of getting an edge on the
competition, it would be them!
Surprisingly, most authors followed the standard format
and offered no differentiating from one another.
They simply filled out the form and didn’t do anything
creative, or anything to stretch the edge of the envelope.
14. News you can use
However we did find a few glorious exceptions that are
well advised to follow as best practices.
This report examines 10 factors that allowed an author to
stand out from the crowd.
16. 1. Use the Amazon Author Page!
It’s amazin’ how many authors DO NOT use this free tool to build
credibility and publicity you need to convince people to buy your
books!
Didn’t know it was available
Didn’t know how to use it
Thought their publisher would take care of it.
17. 2. Add your bio
Duh. Of course you’d add you bio. The question is, what kind of bio?
I’ve seen several variations on a theme:
Educational –stresses educational accomplishments and teaching
Accomplishment – shows what the author achieved
Credentialed – lists the top places where they’ve worked or who their
clients are. You’ve heard these bios on webinars – long and boring with
no benefit to the reader.
Benefit oriented to the reader – how this book will help you; and how
the author has helped people like you. This one is very rare. This is
best I’ve seen in Marcus Buckingham’s bio which promotes the problem
he solves, not his bio:
18. In a world where efficiency and competency rule the workplace, where do personal
strengths fit in?
It's a complex question, one that intrigued Cambridge-educated Marcus
Buckingham so greatly, he set out to answer it by challenging years of social theory
and utilizing his nearly two decades of research experience as a Sr. Researcher at
The Gallup Organization to break through the preconceptions about achievement
and get to the core of what drives success.
The result of his persistence, and arguably the definitive answer to the strengths
question, can be found in Buckingham's trio of best-selling books, First, Break All
the Rules (coauthored with Curt Coffman, Simon & Schuster, 1999); Now, Discover
Your Strengths (coauthored with Donald O. Clifton, The Free Press, 2001); and The
One Thing You Need to Know (The Free Press, 2005), in which the author gives
important insights to maximizing strengths, understanding the crucial differences
between leadership and management, and fulfilling the quest for long-lasting
personal success.
19. 3. Media References
As part of the regular bio, many authors included reference to where they have
been quoted in the media. Robert Cialdini provided a way to make the media
references stand out by using easy-to-read bullet points of his list of major media
appearances:
Media coverage of Dr. Cialdini and his research include
* Dateline NBC
* CNBC
* CNN
* ABC
* Washington Post
20. 4. Call to Action and Next Steps
Not all bios used this tool. I think adding a call to action is a great best practice. Here are a few examples:
Jeffrey Hayzlett
Follow Jeffrey on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Jeffrey.Hayzlett) and connect with him on Twitter
@JeffreyHayzlett.
Michael Port
download chapters, links to website
Sam Horn
link to website
David Newman
starts with promo and link to website:
FREE marketing resources, templates, and tools are waiting for you online at www.doitmarketing.com/book.
Uses a video on his blog roll.
Video has high production values.
21. David Meerman Scott
Check out my blog at www.WebInkNow.com
Marshall Goldsmith
Includes complete contact info:
To reach Marshall:P.O. Box 9710 * 16770 Via de los Rosales
* Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067-9710
Marshall@MarshallGoldsmith.com *
www.MarshallGoldsmith.comPhone: (858) 759-0950 *
Fax: (858) 759-0550
22. 5. Pictures!
Of course you would include a picture - but what kind of
picture should you use?
Most people have standard head shots.
Here are a few authors who use a creative picture that
shows their personalities.
29. 6. Books
List all your books.
Amazon does that for you automatically.
It would be a good idea to double check their displays and
also ensure that the latest editions are shown and older
versions (possibly with different titles) are not displayed.
If you were part of anthology, it could be listed first. Set it
in the right place.
30.
31. 7. Author update
Link your blog here.
You can post a video here as well.
Most authors don’t include a video, but Amazon allows it.
If you use a video you’ll stand out.
See Daniel Goleman, Alex Goldfayn and Perry Marshall.
Videos ranged from excerpts of speaking engagements, to
direct talking to the consumer to book trailers with music.
32. 8. Amazon “Follow Button”
Some authors have it, but some don’t.
That means it is not automatic.
You must ask Amazon to include it.
35. So why are you here today?
You know Amazon can help you increase sales online, but you are not
sure how to make it work.
You want more people to read your book page and buy your book!
After all you worked hard on that book!
You’re looking for more ways to create exposure for your business
and you know Amazon can be a viable solution if you just figure it out.
36. Do you see how valuable Amazon is for
your business - when done right?
37. You have two options
1. Keep on doing the same things the same way and
getting the same results
38. You have two options
1. Keep on doing the same things the same way and
getting the same results
2 Learn what’s working right now and model these proven
strategies -- with me by your side every step of the way
40. How can I help you?
1. I can review your Amazon page and list suggestions for
improvement so you can sell more books!
Review
Book summary
Editorial reviews
Author page (separate page linked to book page)
About the author (on the book page)
Amazon categories
Reader reviews
41. I Can Help You with an
Amazon Review
Only $495
Turnaround: 1 week
You’ll receive a video report with screen shots and audio commentary
and on what is right, what is wrong and how to improve
To order, click here LINK TO COME
42. Second offering:
I write your book description and
bio
A boring blurb won’t sell books
Summaries must be exciting, emotion and get people to buy - now!
Author bios can build your credibility so you can sell more books - as
well as more consulting, coaching and speaking
Investment: $995
To order LINK TO COME
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I help you with PR and Ads
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Use the reprints as branding boosters
PressReleaseSender.com
Media databases
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Dan@PRLEADS.com 952-380-9844
44. Bonus
You’ll receive by email:
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She’s offering a free, 20-minute consulting session to find out what you’ve done,
what’s holding you back and what you need to do to take your book to the next
level.
Perfect for people who are
Planning their book and need a marketing plan
Have written their book and don’t know how to sell it
Have books and want to breathe new life into them.