How self-published authors can sell more books this Christmas
Do you want to make sure your books are lost in the Christmas rush? Follow these tips for maximum visibility, with or without budget.
Christmas is coming! I know it’s early, but it’s never too early for an author to begin preparing for the most competitive period of book marketing.
The Christmas season is one of the biggest book-buying moments of the year, but it’s very easy for your books to get lost in the gift guides. You’re not just up against other authors and publishers for attention; you’re also competing with every business that has something to sell to the ‘gifting’ market.
From Super Thursday in October (the publishing industry’s biggest hardback release day) through Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November, right up to the last-minute Christmas scramble in December, everyone is fighting for visibility.
As a result, advertising costs rise, click-through rates drop, and organic reach is tougher than ever. But there is good news: with a smart plan and some early prep, you can still carve out space for your book(s) online, with or without a budget. But you need to be strategic and realistic.
If you’re an author or publisher aiming to maximise Q4 sales, the key is to focus on the tactics that actually work at this time of year, and not just recycle what did well in spring or summer.
Below are the strategies that I’ve used as a professional book marketer to help clients’ books shine in the festive rush, with little to no stress or spend. And if you want an easy-to-follow guide as to what to do and when to truly optimise your book’s performance, you can download my 12 Month Seasonal Marketing Guide for just £7.99 now.
Optimise your Amazon page(s)
Your Amazon page is your book’s shop window, and it needs to be immaculate to stand out at Christmas.
A well-optimised page will lead to increased discoverability on Amazon, a longer hold time (the time a person spends on the page) and an increasing likelihood that a consumer will go from browsing to buying. Make sure you do the following: