It draws nigh—a day of incredible savings and equally incredible waiting lines. As a self-published author, how do you take advantage of Black Friday to expand your audience and sell your work? We’ve got you covered.
- Discount your book
This is the obvious one, but it bears repeating—mark down your book’s price enough to make it irresistible to buyers looking for a deal. Are you selling a $1.99 eBook? Mark it down to $0.99. Do you have some shorter, very cheap pieces? Make them free for the day. You won’t be making a whole lot of money this way, but you’ll most definitely snag some readers who are drawn to the incredibly low pries you’re offering. And if they like what they read, they’re more likely to buy more of your work at full price later on.
- Do book bundles
The only thing more enticing than a discounted book is a discounted book with something else attached. If you’re selling eBooks, you can make it a two-for-one sale. If you’re selling physical copies you can do the same, or you can take it a step further and bundle your book with some other sort of bonus item. What that item is depends on you—a stuffed animal, some soap, your side band’s EP. Go nuts!
- Do a communal sale with other authors
If you know other self-published authors, join forces to maximize your sale coverage. Advertise each other’s work on your social media; bundle your books together at a discount price; give buyers an extra discount off your book if they buy one of your partner’s; etc. etc. It’s a wonderful way to expose your work to new readers and to foster a greater sense of literary community.
- Take advantage of the eBook format
Pretty much all of us who love Black Friday deals also hate braving the crowds to wait in line. Fortunately, you can use this to your advantage. Customers can buy your eBook without ever having to leave their couch, and they’ll spend way less money doing that than they would buying physical books at the mall. Appealing to the inherent laziness of humanity is never a bad idea—not only will you make yourself more money, you’ll save your buyers the drama and danger of standing in a crowd in the freezing wind.
- Stage a social media ad blitz.
Social media marketing is probably the most powerful tool in your Black Friday arsenal. You don’t want to go overboard and appear obnoxious, but you definitely want to push your work harder at this time of year than you otherwise would. Let your followers know that deals are coming; make your cover photo a banner ad with links to your discounted items; etc. The more you post, the more you’ll raise awareness that irresistible prices await.
Have any Black Friday tips of your own? Let us know below!
If you have a blog (you do, don’t you, fellow writer?) you could post a story from an anthology or the opening chapter of your novel–with sales links, of course.