One Tiny Change That Can Make a Huge Difference in Book Sales

Jackie King sent an email to a few on her mailing list announcing her new book with no response. She made one tiny change to her letter and sent it to a few more and immediately sold two books.

Here’s what her first email looked like:

Dear Friends and Readers: My latest book, THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE, is now available in bookstores, online, or from AWOC.COM Publishing. The story begins with this paragraph: “Grace Cassidy stared at the stranger’s body. He was about sixty, pot-bellied, naked, and very dead. She knew he was dead because his skin was the color of concrete. Worst of all, he was lying smack dab in the middle of her bed.” The story in a nutshell: …No credit cards, no cash, no resources, no job skills. Fleeced and abandoned by her husband, Grace Cassidy learns she is the prime suspect in a bizarre murder. What is being said about The Inconvenient Corpse: "A naked corpse in her bed is only the first surprise for our heroine in Jackie King’s charming bed-and-breakfast mystery. Cozy readers will be happy guests among these lively characters." Marcia Preston, winner of the 2004 Mary Higgins Clark Award "If you like bed and breakfast settings, friendly cats, delightful, quirky characters and a little tea thrown in with your murder, you’ll love The Inconvenient Corpse." Bob Avey, Author of Beneath a Buried House and Twisted Perception Free postage for a limited time from: sales@awoc.com Or order direct from AWOC.COM, P.O. Box 2819, Denton TX 76202, Phone 1-940-395-2836 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-940-395-2836      end_of_the_skype_highlighting $15.95 Also available from: www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com

This is a really good sales letter – it tells me everything I need to know to make a decision to buy the book. It even has a couple of really good endorsements and tells me where I can purchase the book. Plus, since I am receiving this email, I’m probably on Jackie’s email list because I’m interested in hearing when her next book is coming out.

No one bought the book… at least she couldn’t tell if anyone did. Why?

For one thing, the most desirable place to buy the book is AWOC Books… but there is no link for someone to buy it immediately online.

There are links to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but these links just go to the main websites. Once you are there, you have to do a search to find the book.

In other words, Jackie didn’t include the link(s) to the book’s landing page.

Make it easy for people to buy your book and they will.

Here’s what the last part of Jackie’s letter looked like after she made the changes.

Free postage for a limited time from AWOCBooks.com: http://www.awocbooks.com/book.cfm?b=66 Or order direct from AWOC.COM, P.O. Box 2819, Denton TX 76202, Phone 1-940-395-2836 $15.95 Also available from: Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0937660531?tag=wwwjacqkingco-20 Barnes & Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Inconvenient-Corpse/Jackie-King/e/9780937660539/?itm=1

After Jackie tested this email with a few on her list and saw that it would work, she was ready to send it out to the rest of the list. Make it easy for someone to buy your book. In any sales literature, business cards, bookmarks, emails, or ads, include the URL to your book’s landing page. You’ll see a significant jump in sales.

For more on landing pages see the post: The Landing Page: Why You Need One to Promote Your Book on the Internet

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