Anatomy of an Ebook Launch

By Marnie Pehrson
Posted Friday, October 29, 2004

Getting your ebook the exposure it needs to generate sales can be a time consuming process and it does take some repeat exposure before lookers turn into buyers. Here are a few ideas for promoting your ebook online using one of my client's ebooks as an example: AbundantLivesMinistry.org's God's Blueprint for a Healed and Restored Marriage.

First of all, it's easier to market an ebook that reaches a very defined market. In this example our audience is very specific: Christian couples struggling in their marriages or who have recently gone through a separation or divorce. Once you've clearly defined your typical buyer, you're ready to start your promotion.

Create a Newsletter (Ezine) That Reaches Your Market

Start building an ezine subscriber list for an ezine that would interest your typical buyer. In this client's case, she has a newsletter that offers tips, articles and interactive prayer requests each month. Click here to see a sample issue. Notice how the ebook is featured prominently within the ezine. It does you no good to have an ezine if you don't promote your own site and products within it! But do it tastefully. Here are some typical ways to build your ezine's subscriber base:

Have a page on your site for people to subscribe. Click here for an example. Put a pop-under subscription box on the home page of your site. As annoying as they may seem to many, they work! Click here to go directly to the one that pops under on AbundantLivesMinistry.org. Get your newsletter listed on group subscription forms. An example of this is the pop under subscription forms that appear on the home pages of IdeaMarketers, SheLovesGod, PowerOfLearning, and LocateACoach. Click here for an example. Get your newsletter listed on the inside pages of high traffic Web sites. In this client's case, look at the subscription box on the left-hand side of the inside pages of SheLovesGod.com and the right-hand side of IdeaMarketers.com Sign up for a free Publisher account at IdeaMarketers and list your newsletter in the directory.

Promote Your Ebook Prominently on Your Site

Don't just list your ebook as one of many items on an order form. Devote a whole page or set of pages within your site to your ebook. Click here for an example. Feature excerpts from your ebook on the site so people can read and get a taste of what your book is about. Make it easy for people to find information on your ebook at your site. Feature it prominently on your home page and/or navigation bar. Include information about yourself as the author. People buy from people, not from companies. The more personable you can be, the more you build trust. Be sure to include a picture of yourself so that you become a real person in the minds of your prospective buyers. Give people multiple ways to buy from you. Offer Visa/Mastercard and American Express card processing via secure order form and also give people a PayPal option. You might also include a postal address for the handful of people who wish to mail a check or money order.

Run Targeted Ezine Ads

Besides advertising your ebook in your own newsletter, look into purchasing or trading for advertising in ezines that reach your target audience. First, run a few low-cost test ads to make sure your ad is effective. Then start running the ads that work in targeted ezine ads or text ads on Web sites. Click here for a sample ezine ad for this product. You can purchase targeted text ads and ezine ads for very reasonable rates at OurAdNetwork.

These are just a few ways to promote your ebook online. There are many more, but this is enough to get you started.

Marnie Pehrson helps talented professionals deliver their messages to the online world. Stop by her site, (http://www.BuildEbooks.com) and find tips and tools for creating & launching your profitable ebook venture.

About the Author

Marnie Pehrson is an author, creator of IdeaMarketers, LocateACoach, BuildEbooks and more. She helps talented professionals deliver their messages to the online world. She also helps people earn money from home using the phone and the Internet. For more information on her projects, visit (http://www.pwgroup.com).