With the sheer number of tools available on the internet, self-publishing a book and getting it into the hands of readers is just a matter of uploading a document and clicking a few buttons. However, the ease of being able to self-publish also means it's incredibly easy for writers to make mistakes that hurt their sales. Here are the top two issues that plague self-published authors and how you can avoid them.
Typos…Typos Everywhere
Perhaps the biggest and most common mistake self-published writers make is not hiring an editor or proofreader to review their work before they put it on the market. This is particularly true with high-volume writers who essentially hit publish the moment they type the last word of their stories.
Editing and proofreading services cost money; writers may not be sure they will earn that money back in sales after publishing their books. Therefore, it's understandable why they may be reticent about investing that kind of money upfront. However, bypassing this important step almost always leads to predictable results: a book riddled with typos, grammar mistakes, and plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon.
Misspelled and misused words can make it extremely difficult for your audience to get into your story and cause you to look like an amateur. Additionally, these types of errors in your book's description will lead some buyers to bypass your offering and check out other writers. The readers who do purchase your first book won't return for the second because they will assume they're only in for more of the same tortuous writing.
Even if you don't want to pay for the full suite of editing services, at minimum you should have a proofreader look over your manuscript to catch basic mistakes like spelling and grammar errors. While it won't turn your book into Pulitzer material, it will make it easier to read and give the book a fighting chance in the market.
Boring Book Description
Writers spend weeks and months crafting their novels, but they often shoot themselves in the foot by not taking time to carefully develop their book descriptions. As a result, they end up with boring blurbs that make readers yawn rather than click the buy button.
According to a report by Bowker, over 1 million books were published in 2009, and that number has likely only increased as self-publishing becomes easier and more cost effective. It's also an unfortunate truth that many book categories are already saturated with content, making it exceedingly difficult for new works to stand out.
Thus, you can't afford to throw away your opportunity to make a good first impression with potential readers by scribbling a few sentences telling readers what your book is about. Your book description must hook the readers' attention and motivate them to buy it because they absolutely must get your advice or experience the world you've created.
If you have no experience writing copy, it may be worth the cost to have a professional copywriter develop your book's description for you. However, you can also find quite a bit of good advice on writing good book blurbs online, and you can study the descriptions of best-selling books to see what works. Taking the time to master this skill will result in better conversions and help you sell more of your work to hungry readers.
There are many other ways self-published writers hurt themselves when developing their works and putting them on the market. It's a good idea to learn as much as you can about the industry before wading into it to avoid making career-ending mistakes.
For more information about writing or to hire a proofreader to look over your work, contact a company that offers document proofreading services.
For years, I was always complaining about my lifestyle. I didn't feel like I had enough money or as much of a purpose as I wanted, which is why I began thinking more seriously about going back to school. I wanted to create an excellent life for myself, so I began talking with different school counselors about programs that might fit my lifestyle. It was a lot of work, but before I knew it, I was on the right track. Check out this great website for tips that might help you each and every day to become something better than you are now.