Tip #1: Tweak Cover Design Conventions—But Don’t Discard Them Entirely
Business books don’t look like self-help books don’t look like fiction. This may seem obvious to some, but it is a common problem I see when we’re evaluating new books for publication or distribution. When consumers want to buy a business book, for example, they expect certain imagery, fonts, colors, and layout styles, whether they realize it or not. The best-selling business books often use large, simple fonts and bright colors to keep the focus on the title.
If your book cover or layout doesn’t make sense for its genre, it could hurt your sales. That means that it might be a better idea not to make the cover of a book about investing neon pink with pictures of your dog, no matter what your artistic sensibilities are. Now that’s not to discourage innovation—there is always a new and better way to do things. The mold can be broken, but for new authors this can pose a risk (although sometimes ugly covers work). Whatever the case, choosing a genre-appropriate cover will signal credibility and familiarity to customers, which can translate into more sales.
A quick way to get some ideas is to go to Amazon or your local bookstore to check out titles similar to yours that are selling well. Notice the styling of other books, what imagery they use, and what that conveys to you as the reader. If you like what you see, figure out a way to adapt those principles to your cause. A book can stand out to buyers by employing creative cover art and a well-thought-out interior while staying within the bounds of the genre.
Tip #2: Get the price right.
Oh, the headache of self-publishing. You want to realize your dream and publish your book, but you have The Industry to contend with, you have the cost of production, and you have to worry about wholesalers and distributors, and Amazon . . . and the list goes on. After all that time, energy, and money, it seems only natural that you’d want to earn back your costs through the price of your book. $22.95 sounds like a fair price for your paperback fiction after all you’ve put into this book, right?
Sorry, but wrong. If your ultimate goal is national distribution and book sales, you have to consider the price point as a standardized range that every author and publisher must work within. National buyers will have a hard time considering your book if, as a new author, you are charging $5 or $6 more for your book than the big names are charging for comparable titles. Also, a higher-than-average price point can drastically affect your sales. While you can charge whatever price you deem worthy, paperbacks are usually priced below $19.95 and hardbacks are usually below $24.95. There are all kinds of exceptions to this rule of thumb, based on genre, the size of the book, and the inclusion of photos and illustrations, but those numbers are a rough estimate for fiction and non-fiction like self-help, health, business, finance, and religious titles. Visiting a local bookstore, Amazon.com, or Indiebound.com for reference is an unbeatable way to see how similar titles are priced and keep yourself competitive. Remember: raising your price doesn’t necessarily raise your bottom line.
Katie Steigman reviews Greenleaf’s submissions for market viability and helps determine what books to take on as projects at GBG. She reads everything—the good, the bad, the ugly, and all genres from personal finance to cookbooks. To get the rest of the Submit and Get Noticed Tips and other book industry insight, become a regular visitor to the Big Bad Book Blog.
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