There are numerous opportunities to sell your own books online these days. You can create your own eCommerce website, create shops online through social media platforms and create videos about your books with links to buy them directly in the description. You should be doing most of these things weather you are a traditionally published or indie published author. As a person who would like to connect to the public and share their craft you will absolutely need a website. I do not say this because I provide website design services on my own website (Southern Dragon Publishing), on UpWork and on Fiverr as a freelance artists but as an avid reader. I look for my favorite authors online as well as when I am considering a new author. I read a wide variety of genres and enjoy the usual and unusual tropes within them. I read a lot of non-fiction. I even go so far as to create my own books when I cannot find one I like.
https://bookstore.jolenesbooksandmore.com/product/authors-how-to-brand-you-and-your-books-epub/
Having a social media presence is also critical to your author digital marketing plan. You can engage with your current readers as well as your potential new readers within a wider audience on the various social media platforms. Do you need to be on ALL of them? Honestly, no you really do not need to create a profile on each and every social media world out there. Each has their own quirks, benefits and problems. Their use and popularity changes over time anyway. You will need to find at least two that you like and commit to providing consistent, fun and informative content to each of them as well as keeping your website/newsletter subscribers up-to-date. The great thing is with a website of you very own you can connect to the social media platforms and share your posts between them all.
Social Media Online Shop Ideas
- Facebook business pages allows you to create an online shop of physical goods. That might be a way to sell your books to the public. You will have to connect your banking information to the site and when you get a sale you will need to mail it off yourself. You can integrate an online store onto Facebook like through WooCommerce or you can Individually post products to their shop area. ***Facebook does not really allow digital products to be sold in their online shops and may deny your eBooks***
- Pinterest is now allowing those with eCommerce sites such as WooCommerce (on a WordPress site) to integrate their entire catalogue of products on their site and they will show it to their entire subscribers base. That can be tricky to set up and usually takes a couple of days before you know if everything is working correctly.
- TikTok is also looking to integrate peoples online stores like Etsy, Shopify and even WooCommerce to their feed. This is in the beginning stages and they have not worked out all of the kinks yet. However, it is a ground-floor opportunity and may be something to look into if you are on that platform already.
You will have to explore each of the platforms yourself to determine which one you would like to pursue further. Their services change over time, their layout, the way they present your page to the public, etc. It is a constant learning experience. Remember that not all the advice you receive about how to use these sites effectively will work for you. Heck, no one, including me, can guarantee that what we advise you to try will work for you. But to not do anything will keep you right where you are today. Little known author struggling to gain new readers and sell more books.
If you would like to get your own website up and running and perhaps like to create your own eCommerce store please check out my services on my Southern Dragon Publishing website (I provide publishing services for a fee not publishing your books for royalities), or use my CONTACT US form for more information.
