Is
Becoming an Amazon.com Bestseller Worth Anything?
by
Kathleen Gage
The
Street Smarts Speaker and Author
Recently, I held a free
teleseminar to teach authors how to become an
Amazon.com bestseller.
Not only have I achieved bestseller status on
Amazon.com, I have
helped several clients do the same.
I was amazed at how many people registered for my free call.
Between this one and another I hosted a few weeks ago, I had
over 1,750 people who registered.
I held the calls to educate authors and soon to be authors on
what it takes to rise on the charts of Amazon. The information
comes from my own success as an author and having coordinated
numerous campaigns for clients.
Every time I coordinated a campaign I received multiple
inquiries from authors who wanted a similar outcome as the
client I had just worked with.
Although every campaign I have coordinated has been successful
and my clients have reached #1 in various categories on Amazon,
the reality is that for many authors my fees are prohibitive.
Also, I feel for most authors I offering a better service for
their particular needs by teaching them how to coordinate their
own campaign. You see, many authors have no idea where to begin
when it comes to marketing their book.
I believe that almost anyone can become a best-selling author
regardless of genre. It’s simply a matter of how much you
want this and if you are willing to do what it takes. It
takes vision, planning, time and effort.
Rising on the Amazon charts is not a get rich quick deal, nor is
it an end all be all. It’s a means to an end and a very
strategic marketing process that creates amazing opportunities
for you as an author, consultant, public speaker or
entrepreneur.
It’s not the bestseller status that’s going to bring you more
business and more money; it’s what you do with the status that
will make all of the difference.
Here are a few outcomes you can achieve by becoming a visible
author; something an Amazon campaign can do for you.
Speakers
As a speaker you can not only get paid for a speaking
engagement, you can also sell your book(s) back of the room. I
know many authors who have sold hundreds, thousands and tens of
thousands of dollars worth of books at just one engagement. One
colleague of mine sold $23,000 worth of books after a 35 minute
presentation.
If a company does not have a budget to pay a speaker you may be
able to negotiate with a meeting planner that the company or
organization purchase a book for every person in attendance. The
money might come out of the educational budget rather than a
training budget. After all, books are educational.
With the economy forcing many companies to forego any type of
training, you can host your own speaking engagement and require
each person who attends to purchase a book. If pre-selling is
not what you want to do you can make your books available for
purchase at your event.
Coaches and/or Coach
As a bestselling author you are perceived as more of an expert.
This is a great way to gain visibility and credibility during a
time when there are countless other coaches and consultants
vying for the same business you are.
Imagine how much easier it would be to secure top notch business
when you are viewed as a credible expert. A book (and a
bestseller) can do this for you. That is, if you know how to
position this status.
Long-term vision
To optimize rising on the charts of Amazon.com you need to look
at this with a long term view. If you have a plan in place you
can open up a world of opportunity like never before. It’s
simply a matter of knowing what you want and taking action on
this.
Kathleen Gage, The Street Smarts Marketer™, is an Internet
marketing advisor who works with spiritually aware speakers,
authors, coaches and consultants who are ready to turn the
knowledge into money-making products and services. Visit
http://www.kathleengage.com for free resources to build your
online presence and credibility.
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