Your book cover is the first thing a potential buyer sees, whether online or in the book store. So it is critical that you make it attractive. Here are five tips to help you design a book cover to sell more books.
1. Consider your target market.
There is a huge difference in the look of a book for one target market versus another. So you need to look in a bookstore to see what appeals to buyers like the ones who will buy your book.
For example, you may find that books for entrepreneurs are generally paperbacks, in the 5.5 x 8.5 size, with read and yellow as predominant colors and an average of 150 pages.
On the other hand, books for corporate executives are hard bound, in full 6 x 9 size, with blue and gray paper covers and an average of 200 pages or more.
2. Your front cover is the first impression.
When browsing online, the first thing that people see is the front cover. So you want to make it jump out at them, either with a 
Self-Publishing Your New Book Is The Way To Go
By · CommentsSo you have an idea for a book or your book is already finished. Congratulations! You are about to enter the ranks of published authors.
But which way do you want to publish your book? Should you get an agent and send them to New York to peddle your manuscript? Or should you go the route of self-publishing your book?
If this is your first book, there is no doubt. Self-publish it. As a new author you are an unproven quantity. A large publisher doesn’t know whether or not your book will sell. Therefore publishing your book is a big risk to them. Even if they agree, chances are your royalty rate will be low and a cash advance non-existent.
But when you self-publish, you actually avoid all of these concerns:
Did they make an offer?
By · CommentsOne of the things I am always amazed about is when people are surprised that someone offering a ton of free information on a webinar then makes an offer so that you can learn more.
Here’s the reality: If you are offering free webinars without making an offer, then you’re not making any money.
Contrary to popular myth, you will not get rich by giving away your information. In fact, that will actually work against you because people assume your information is not valuable – or you wouldn’t be giving it away.
Yes, you can share some quality information with your target market. Yes, you can offer valuable free reports. And yes, you can do some teleseminars and webinars just for the sake of building your list.
But understand this: you must be paid for your time, effort and expertise – now or in the future. Otherwise, this is just a hobby, not a money-making venture (aka Business).
You may be paid with names and emails, as in an optin page. The same applies with a complimentary teleseminar or webinar.
But eventually you need to be asking for the sale. That’s why you should ALWAYS assume that a free webinar will make an offer. After all, they can’t teach you everything you need to know about the topic in a single hour. That’s why many people WANT to buy the product.
Now if that product is not for you, no problem. Just end the webinar and be grateful for the information you received. As a presenter, I know that many people will not take advantage of the information – and I wouldn’t want them to if it’s not right for them at this time.
But please don’t criticize someone for giving you an hour of excellent content, sharing their ideas, setting up the logistics for you and creating an offer that is perfect for those wanting more. That’s their BUSINESS and they are doing it well.
What’s The Minimum You Can Do?
By · CommentsWe talk a lot about the “possibilities” online – how you can become rich and famous practically overnight. Yes, a lot of it is Hype – but you know what I mean. Everyone is trying to get you to achieve at your top level.
Under ideal circumstances we all WANT to be the best we can be – but what if you just can’t do it all right now? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else address this, so I wanted to give you what I consider the “minimum” you can do online and still keep up.
Here are the things you MUST do every week to be sure you are still participating.
How To Build An Email List: Technology And Tactics
By · CommentsMarketing a product or service online is a combination of many factors: marketing tactics, technology, and strategy. That’s why many people run into issues when it comes to building an email list. What technology do you need? How many lists do you need to build? How do you use your lists? Let’s look at each of these areas individually.
The Technology To Build An Email List
In order to build a list you need an autoresponder service. There are many quality services available so it’s just a matter of finding a service that is easy to use and affordable.
Once you have contracted with the service you will set up a list. This list has
Membership Site Success
By · CommentsMembership sites are a great way to make recurring income online. If you’re thinking of starting your own site or you already have one going, here are a few quick tips for success with your membership site. They will help you simplify your content creation process, get affiliates to promote your site and get new members.
1. Outsource content creation
Your membership site’s success depends on the new content that you deliver each month, every month. If you want to cut down on your content creation time, consider hiring a ghostwriter to provide your site with articles, reports and blog posts. When you use a ghostwriter you’ll be able to concentrate on your strengths (like promotion) rather than struggling with the writing. When you outsource, you don’t have to worry about being a good writer or knowing a lot about your topic. You can have professional content that gives the site value without writing it yourself.
2. Get professional graphics
Studies have shown that outstanding graphics can compensate for average content. Of course, this isn’t an excuse to produce lackluster content. But if your site looks good, people will want to be part of it! Your site’s graphics don’t have to be overly fancy, but they do need to look good. If you’re not a pro at graphics, you should find a website designer to give you the professional look that you need to draw in customers. You may be able to barter with a designer for free graphics by offering a free membership to your site.
3. Have two or more levels of membership
Creating two levels of membership or more can help you draw in a wider customer base. You can help people join the site who might not be able to if the price is higher, but you still have the opportunity to get a higher monthly fee from those who want the added benefits of being in the top tier. To encourage more sign ups, you can have a free membership level, a silver level and a gold level.
4. Use a blog to promote your membership site
Create and maintain a blog outside of the gates of your membership site in order to build traffic and increase your presence within the niche. You can maintain your blog as part of your main website or create it on a completely different domain. Blog about popular topics in the membership site’s forum and give teasers about the content that members are receiving. When you give quality content and mix in references to your membership site, you’ll create credibility and get new members for your sites.
5. Add video to your membership site for major impact
Video marketing is the next evolutionary step on the Internet. You can be part of this growing movement by adding video to your membership site. Most anything that can be expressed in writing can be made into a video. Whether you use traditional video where you talk in front of the camera or screen capture video technology, you can offer top quality content for your members through this media.
By using these 5 tips you’ll raise the level of your membership site and add more content your members will enjoy. For more ways to expand your membership site check out this simple membership site creation plan.
Five Ways to Build Your Credibility
By · Comments
Credibility is defined as “The quality, capability, or power to elicit belief.” No place is credibility more important than online.
After all, when you visit a website you don’t know anything about the person behind the site. Are they honest? Do they provide quality information? Will they deliver what they promise?
Obvious credibility takes on added importance when you make your living as an expert. You must assure your site visitors that you *are* an expert – and that you are *the* expert with whom they want to do business.
So how do you assure the site visitor that you are credible – that they can believe what you say? That you are the expert they seek? Here are five ways to get started.
1. Publish articles in your area of expertise. Not only should these article appear on your website, but they should also be on others’ sites. That means you want to distribute them via article sites, such as EzineArticles.com Articles are an easy way to display your expertise – and build your credibility.
2. Provide questions and answers on your site. People love to get advice from an expert. Not only do your prospects return to read your advice, but the search engines do too!
3. Host teleseminars and webinars. By serving as the host you can tailor the content to your target audience’s needs. You can invite the guests your prospects want to hear from – and you’ll automatically gain credibility by being associated with these guests.
4. Offer an online course. Whether it’s via email, teleseminar, webinar or an online learning system, a course puts you into the role of instructor – and expert. Your credibility automatically rises.
5. Write a book. Polls reveal that one of the professions held in high esteem is “author.” When you introduce yourself as an author, there is an automatic rise in your credibility.
Start today to implement these five steps – and watch your credibility climb.
