8 Lessons I Learned from My First Ebook: A Recap

$8.28

I blinked my eyes and stared at the screen.

Then, I took a second look at the Book Baby dashboard to ensure that I was reading the numbers right.  My total earnings for sales in December would cover the ingredients for a batch of cookies.  Or a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll at “The Thinking Cup” in downtown Boston.   At first I’m tempted to groan.

“I guess I won’t be writing home about my big ebook success,” I said out loud with a big grin on my face.

The groan changed into a smile because honestly- even though it wasn’t a financial success, writing and publishing an ebook was a blast.  I highly recommend it.

I wouldn’t take back the experience, not from the financial crunch in putting it together (go bootstrapping!) to the weird way an editor got a copy of it (and subsequently vomited editor-ese all over it.  No hard feelings.  It was hard to hear but I can take it and make a better book!)

Now that the dust has settled, I wanted to share what I learned about my first ebook, “Christmas in the Kitchen:  A Modern Girl’s Guide through the Holidays One Batch of Cookies at a Time.”

Maybe some of you are thinking about writing a book, a novel or a how-to-raise-chickens-in-your-backyard-style how to book.  Here are a few tips that might help your book launch off with a little more flair (and profit) than my first one.

1.  Ebooks are rule in the digital age but lots of people still enjoy a physical book.

Despite the popularity of eBooks, people like to see a real book.  When I shared I had written a book, people wanted to see it.  And, while it is a lot more acceptable to self-publish than ever before, publishing an ebook has a less-than-credible ring to it.

As a first time author, it would have been beneficial to have physical books on hand.  With DIY companies such as Amazon’s Create Space, the process and cost for fulfilling orders is reasonable.  Plus, Create Space allows authors to order small quantities of books (so one doesn’t have crazy Christmas books spilling out from under their bed well into July).

1. Having an audience who is interested in the product is crucial!!!

My friends and family are fabulous, but when it comes down to it, one needs a lot, lot, lot more people who are anticipating and interested in the book.

After reflecting on the process, a facilitator in a DIY publishing group noted that I should have done 25-50 guest posts on blogs whose audiences would be interested in my product.  I had written 2 guest blog posts.  He made an excellent point and I will seek out more writing opportunities with the 2^nd book.

1.  Building relationships with your peeps is not just when you want to sell the book.  It needs to happen all the time.  In fact, if you have people interested in what you are writing about- so much the better!

Getting to know people, sharing information and being generous with what I have to offer needs to be an around-the-year event.  There will be times of more intense interaction but essentially the New Economy we are in is all about relationships – whether you write a book for students, peers in your profession or people who share the same interests as you.

1. Getting reviews posted your site within the first two weeks is crucial- especially if your book is seasonal (such as mine).

The way Google and Amazon rank books and subject is very reflective of what the general population is trending towards.  The more reviews you have, the higher up Amazon will place your book.  Once it gets buried, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

1. Book baby, while adding convenience, doesn’t allow you to track your sales- ouch.

I couldn’t figure out if the book was selling or not because Book Baby doesn’t get their results for 45 to 60 days after the book release.  I had a grasp on how Amazon words but again, there isn’t a way for authors to clearly see how they are selling.  I don’t know how to fix this in the future but it is something to think about (as I make a batch of cookies).

1. Marketing is a heck of a lot of work.   Writing the book really is the easy part.

It’s a good thing I love connecting the right people with the right product at the right time (the essence of effective marketing).  Marketing is building relationships, moving your message from your head to the street.  I wasn’t clear about my message – and that made it hard to define what exactly the book was about and who it was geared for.

If you don’t already have a network to help promote your book, blogs to guest post on, etc. start to build one.   Like yesterday.

1. Making money is a lot harder than I discovered.

In fact, I’ve changed my mindset about making a living by selling books.

I think there is money to be made, but there are more important things books can do for you.  More on this in the future.

1. Writing and publishing is a lot of fun!

There has never been an easier time to write and publish a book.  Plus, there are lots of people to help you.  If you have the resources, there are many editors who edit manuscripts and help you make your book better.

Seeing your product online and up for sale is fun- it feels like the finish to a project.  Even though this was a money loss, I’m so glad I went through the process of writing, editing and publishing the book.  It had been a 2012 goal and for better or worse, I checked it off.

Next time:  My Unexpected Run In with an Editor and the lessons learned about online privacy (um, there is none).

Tomorrow:  21 Different Ways to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

For a more intensive look into lessons learned from my first ebook, subscribe to my PRINT newsletter LYCL.  Send me your contact info (name, mailing address and email address to confirm) and I will get the next issue out to you J  Go to launchyourcreativelife.com/contact