View Shopping Cart
Shopping Cart / Checkout | About Judy Cullins | Contact
Return Home Subscribe to Judy's RSS Feed
FREE Subscription: Why subscribe? | Privacy Practices
Judy Cullins

eBook Writing, Publishing, & Marketing FAQ – Ask Judy Cullins

As a book coach, I receive quite a few questions from my clients, blog readers, and social media followers. I decided to put together a list of some of the most common questions I receive about writing, publishing, and marketing non fiction books and ebooks.

Q. Do I need my own book selling website?

A. Yes!

One new client asked this question. Her Amazon sales so low, as were her own site’s sales, that she realized she needed to create a new URL for her Romance Book website, using the title as part of the name of the site.

Also, her new site would have the advantage of collecting her unique visitors’ emails (opt-ins) so she can stay in touch and promote on a regular schedule such as 1X every two weeks.

Your audience will appreciate your free samples and keep listening to you.

With the constant addition of fresh material, you make the search engines happy with your site. With our email list of website subscribers, we are able to let my audience know about upcoming teleseminars and book coaching opportunities as well as special new information they want. We built my list of 3000 opt-in into over 6000 which makes great opportunities for other sales.

Check out this handful of website tips to help you sell more books.

Q. What is the best way to go about getting my work copyrighted?

I have heard several stories. One story is that all I have to do is draw a C and put a circle around it. Another story is that I have to go to a lawyer.

Please tell me the real story.

A. It’s not enough to put a copyright sign on the page.

You also need to use the word “Copyright,” because some countries don t recognize the “C” symbol. If you want to do even more, send a copy of your manuscript to the copyright office in Washington, DC. It costs under $50 and protects you if you ever have to go to court.

Q. What’s a Great title and what’s a Bad title for an ebook?

A. A good title is one that connects with your potential buyers.

It does so on an emotional level and gets them to take the next step and look at the table of contents and/or purchase the ebook.

A bad title is one that doesn’t convey what the ebook is about. It can also be just plain dull-sounding like a textbook. Or it can use words that are hard for people to connect to, pronounce, or understand.

Discover how to write the best titles for your ebook and more!

Q. How do I know if my book is significant enough, if people will need it?

A. Use my significance test!

Over the years perfectly competent people with unique information to share in a book have come to me, so afraid their book isn’t good enough, their peers will judge it as poor, or they won’t be able to get it out to their audience.

You can test your book’s significance by asking these questions…

  1. Is it filled with action if fiction? Is it exciting?
  2. Is it fun to read? Have humor?
  3. Does it teach the readers something new or interesting? (educate)
  4. Does it present useful, original and unique information?
  5. Does it have potential to positively affect the reader’s life?
  6. Is the message said in a unique way? Does it brand you or your business?
  7. Does it answer an age-old question such as the meaning of life?
  8. Does it create a deeper understanding of human nature?
  9. Does it give skills and information to help individuals?
  10. Will the particular audience want or need its information?

Of these 10 significance tests, it takes only…

  • One for an article or blog post.
  • Two for a book.
  • Three for a top seller.
  • Five for a Pulitzer Prize.
  • Six for a literary classic.

These are just some ways for you to build your confidence and courage to share your word with the world. So be encouraged and start writing!

I’d love to hear your personal questions!

Do you have any questions? Be sure to ask them here. Leave me a comment and I will answer :)

I want this to be an ongoing Q&A, so please feel free to participate!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
About the Author, Judy Cullins

Book and Blog Coach Judy Cullins helps you gain confidence and transform your ideas into life-long money-making content. Author of 14 books for business people and authors include "Write your eBook or Other Short Book--Fast!"Judy offers free, up-to-the minute weekly publications on book and blog writing and online marketing at http://www.bookcoaching.com/help-writing-a-book.php

*You are welcome to reprint this article provided the above bio is included.


Published by Judy Cullins

Never Miss a New Post! Subscribe to our website and our RSS Feed today! :)

  • Inspiration Import

    Oh my I have written a Top Seller at least !! :) Thanks Judy, as usual you have cut to the chase. Lesley

  • kariminjoka

    Thank you, Jiudy. I love the article. It's very insightful in so many ways….

  • http://www.eldonreed.com Eldon Reed

    What's the best way to get book reviewers to review a novel? Where do I find the reviewers?

  • http://www.beingwellwithin.com Loren Gelberg-Goff

    Great answers, Judy… It's good to know that I have done many things right along the way, and now I can tweak everything to help my my book sales soar…
    Do you have any suggestions for getting more book signings? I've contacted book stores, followed up (not too often to become annoying) and still no takers… It's hard to believe that the bookstores wouldn't want local authors, local professionals, etc. to bring more traffic to their stores… We've had one really successful signing in a gift shop and her sales soared that day… Would love to hear some of your ideas. Thank you.

  • Peter Sowatskey

    I've been writing seriously for the past 12 years, meeting with a group weekly and always presenting new material. I have 5 novels on Kindle and several more finished.
    This observation from my experience is, I would have had better sales it I had spent half my time writing and the other half getting known as an author.
    So, get known. And read John Locke's book on how he sells ebooks.
    One further point I've learned. Do not agonize over your first book. Do the best you can. Most of your readers won't have the educational level you have. They are not looking for Euclid #2. Then go on to your second book etc. You'll get better. You can't help but get better. Believe me, I lived it. Then take a week's vacation and sit down and write a book. I've not made it in a week, but in two months I can write a 100,000 word book. Don't let the faintest sliver of doubt creep in. Just do it. Peter

  • http://www.insidepower.in Ashok Gupta

    How can I find ebook publisher who e publishes and gives royalty.

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Aashok, I don't recommend these because the author wins much more if he publishes himself and sells from his own website with a sales letter and social media to get his audience to his gems. If you browse around my site you'll see how this works!

    What's your title?

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Peter, thanks for your ideas. We do get better through practice. Like me and others here, you love to write more than market.I can add this big tip–Don't write more books before you market one full on for 2 years.

    When you subscribe here, you will get my free weekly complete answers. One blog addresses this comment in full.

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Loren, thanks for your comments. You should also try libraries who have speakers. I used to sell there.I stopped doing signings–they don't pull my audience well. Better is to give how to tips in your talk. It's a slow, hard way to sell books.

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Go to Amazon ebook reviewers. Just Google novel book reviewers. But I would do it differently. Have you read my report on "How to Get Testimonials from the Rich and Famous?" Get them from selected readers who have influence.

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Glad you got it! Come back and tell me more.

  • Carol Upton

    Hi Judy – here is a question for you, as I know so little about audio books. Would you weigh the importance of adding an Audio book to the print and ebook portfolio? My first thought is it's on the low end of importance, but with an aging population and to reach those with special needs, it also makes sense. What do you and followers think?

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Carol, I can tell you that my own ebooks and print books sell far better than my audios. Maybe you dan create a short MP3 audio book that runs less than an hour. see how that goes.

    I recommend you solve one problem per audio if it's a self help book. I'm greatful for my great vision and prefer print books myself as a mature consumer. I do use audio books for car travel.

  • http://www.dreamsaloud.ca Carol Upton

    Thanks so much for your insightful answer, Judy! It's very helpful! Warm wishes, Carol

  • Amanda

    Dear Judy,

    How often do you think a writer should spend writing every day to steadily improve his or her skills? Does it vary from person to person?

    And what do you think is the biggest mistake writers make that prevents them from being published?

    Thanks,
    -Amanda

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    Hi Amanda, How much time to invest in writing? First, make sure it's purposeful and you are writing what your audience wants. It took me a few years to polish my writing and strategic writing skills such as content marketing. That means blogs and email promotions, Most writter don't know how to do this. So practice and get some coaching.

    what I do–Write my High Level Activities (HLA)in my organizer daily ahead of time, so I'm ready to rock and roll when each day comes up. You can see samples here: http://bookcoaching.com/wp/what-writing-actions-a…

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    You are so welcome, Carol. I do love ebooks for learning a skills or how to do something.

  • http://www.bookcoaching.com Judy Cullins

    That's me. I cut to the chase in my coaching and each of my 14 books to help authors. I give pracical action steps most others don't.

Solution Graphics