Thursday, March 7, 2013

Selling eBooks - How to get lucky


SELLING eBOOKS

Is it all about luck?
And if so, how to get lucky!







During March, the month of four-leaf-clovers and little green leprechauns, we celebrate the luck of the Irish. We’re all Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and we can all have that luck! The word luck, beaten and bastardized, gets tossed around like a day-old doughnut whenever we discuss our success (or lack thereof) in selling our books.
            The first time I took advantage of KDP’s Select promotion and placed my suspense eBook, She’s Not There, free on Amazon, I only had 8,202 downloads at the end of the two days, compared to a friend’s 26,000 downloads using the same promotion. She told me, for her, there had been a lot of luck involved, and it was due to the fact that a popular eBook site noticed her promotion and highlighted it for their readers. I know firsthand her success is not all due to luck. She’s a devoted marketer, and spends every available moment maintaining her book’s sales’ momentum. Me, I’m addicted to things like Spider Solitaire, playing bridge and watching The Young and the Restless; my marketing ethic is not nearly as fierce!
Luck is more likely to happen to those who go after it.
How to get lucky:
1. Expect the Best
Lucky people believe they will be successful. Research shows that if you believe you’ll succeed, your odds of hitting a lucky streak go up. There’s no magic involved—expectancy is a real driver of behavior. Expecting something as opposed to wanting or hoping for it, will affect your decision-making and you’ll put in more of an effort than you may normally have.
 Writers—find ways to stay positive and expect success—it works!
2.    Notice What Others Miss
Lucky people are more open to random opportunities. They notice chance situations and act on them. Lucky people are flexible in their thinking, and it’s that relaxed, open attitude that allows them to see what other don’t.
         Keep your eyes open for opportunities—they’re out there!
3.    Say “Yes”
 Lucky people do not remain passive. Instead, they seize opportunities as they come without endless second-guessing.
   When chance encounters occur, don’t overthink them, act on them.
4.    Switch Things Up
Lucky people increase their chances of getting opportunities by meeting new people and trying new things. Luck won’t come looking for you or knock at your door.
      The more you put yourself out there, the more likely it is you will find luck.
5.    Practice Bouncing Back
Lucky people don’t let one failure sidetrack their road to success. When you let a bad break get you down, you close the door on new situations that could lead to a lucky break. Closely linked to the first trait, expecting the best, bouncing back means you will have a greater chance of success with each failure, because you’ll be trying more often.
     Regard every bad break as an opportunity to find the right course for you!
           
Dear readers,
            Although I didn’t spell out detailed ways these traits apply to the self-published author, I’m sure their relevance is obvious. So many of us, myself included, wait for that magical “break,” that will mean success for our novels. You know what magical thinking does, it delays success. Practice the habits of lucky people; they work!
Have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day,
Marla

21 comments:

  1. Great post. I'll try to think I'm more lucky in future! :) And good luck with your e-book sales!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Laura,
      Things like this are always easy in theory and tough to practice. Try jotting down a couple you
      think you'd do, and put them on a card next to your computer. It helps to be reminded! We are
      all so darn busy, it's had to recall tips that pertain to us.
      Thanks for stopping in,
      Marla

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  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Writer Dave Here,
    I do believe in these points.
    I'm constantly meeting new people through Literary Lunches.
    I promote my writing at all functions and I've gotten some good ideas too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, you weren't my first responder and I haven't even got my twitter posts up for this blog!
      I know you actively promote your writing. You might want to try more social networking too.
      I prefer Twitter myself. Facebook confuses me!
      Thanks for your comments,
      Marla

      Delete
  4. Wonderful, what a blog it is! This website provides useful data to us, keep it
    up.

    Stop by my site ... acheter followers

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think you're right, Marla, we have to be positive to be lucky. The law of attraction, I guess.
    I sometimes have loads of downloads on KDP Select and other times almost nothing even though I might have done the same promotion. It's a puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Jill,
      Good to hear from you! It's a mystery to me, too. Nothing seems to be consistent when it comes to marketing. The smaller promotion sites don't seem to pay off, and the big ones don't get dependable results, either. KDP Select free days still get one's book the most attention and it's looking like even that is changing rapidly. Hard to know what to do to get noticed, and hard to stay positive, for sure.
      Hang in there, you have lots of company,
      Marla

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  6. Excellent post, and it's all so right. Nice one, Marla!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Terry,
      Nice to have you visit! Glad you liked this blog.
      Have a nice weekend,
      Marla

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping in, Ab! Hope some of it is useful for you.
      Happy St. Patrick's Day,
      Marla

      Delete
  8. Yep, right on! love it..and enjoy your blog..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice to meet you here, Annie!
      So happy you liked the blog. Wishing you the best of luck for 2013!
      Marla

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    ReplyDelete
  10. I try to add a post every week, but don't always make it. Yes, it is time consuming, but not too bad. Maybe 2 hours a week once you get it going. Blogspot is fairly easy to use, but the first time I set it up I had a friend who had already done one, come over and help me get it started.
    Good luck with that!
    Marla

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a great blog post Marla. Very inspiring.
    Wishing you every success with your book sales.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi John-Paul,
      So happy to have you stop in. Glad to hear you enjoyed this blog.
      Thanks for the well-wishes!
      Have a wonderful Easter,
      Marla

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  12. Marla, Absolutely spot on post! Keeping yourself open to new opportunities is so very important and what very many people avoid. With so much going on, it's tempted to wonder why someone should take even more on, but it's crucial to the process! And, yes, always expect the best!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,
      So nice to see you here! Glad you enjoyed this one. I need to follow my own advice; so easy to get lazy. And easy to fall into negativity.
      Wishing you the most "luck" with all of your books!
      Marla

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