Book Promotion: How did this real life author create Amazon bestseller status for her new book?
Welcome to the Annie Jennings PR Real Stories of Success Podcast Series. Annie Jennings is the creator of the most powerful radio interview talk show campaign in the US where authors are booked on high impact, high listenership major radio shows in big cities. Annie Jennings PR is also well-known for the famous pay for placement National TV, Print and Online Media program. Authors, experts and speakers love these programs as they offer guarantees of delivery, unlimited media training and that they are not asked for high monthly PR retainers.
Annie Jennings is also the creator of JenningsWire Online Magazine – a special community of bloggers and podcasters that is capturing the heart of America.
Book promotion podcast below on creating an Amazon bestseller
Today we are sharing another real story of success with guest Angelique Cooper McGlotten, author of Living Backward: The Gift of Hindsight in Building a Truly Significant Life which hit Amazon bestseller status. Through Annie Jennings PR, Angelique appeared on nearly 40 radio stations including big media brands CBS Radio, iHeart Media, SiriusXM and ABC Radio in Los Angeles, NY, Atlanta, DC and more.
However, prior to working with Annie for her radio campaign, Angelique worked hard to make her book an Amazon book launch bestseller. Would you like to know how she did it? In this podcast, Angelique tells how she put together her Amazon bestseller strategy.
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Angelique answers the following questions on how she achieved her #5 Amazon bestseller status.
How much time did you put in before your book promotion launch to make a push for Amazon best seller status?
Several months of preparation and hard work went into the process. I did not have a team to help me with day-to-day tasks. However, I did have a professional quarterback, if you will, who guided me through every step of the process. Her knowledge and guidance were invaluable. She created the majority of the visuals that I used in all of my social media campaigns, including Facebook and Twitter. The daughter I’m blessed with was also instrumental in creating some of these visuals. I also enlisted the services of a professional web site designer to create my web site and a visual/graphic artist to create the trailer for Living Backward.
Does the quality of the book matter for optimal promotion in terms of appearance, topic and content?
First, I had to have an excellent product, an independently published book that could stand up to any book published by a major house. It’s important to do things the right way and not cut corners. Also, I had to have in place a dynamic, user-friendly web site with plenty of engaging content; a professionally designed logo, a “following” of people who represented my target audience; a team of ambassadors willing to help me get the word out about Living Backward; connections with key influencers, a captivating book trailer; a subscription form for subscribers; a free ebook for give away; a free or missing chapter from the book to pique people’s interest.
Importantly, how did you develop your social media communities?
With a lot of time and plenty of hard work. Facebook and Twitter were the two platforms where I chose to concentrate most of my efforts. When I got serious about using Twitter to get the message of Living Backward out, I had about 30 followers. My goal was to have 3,500 followers by the book launch. I hit this goal a full week ahead of schedule. So I grew my following from 30 to 3500 in about three and a half months.
Initially, I spent roughly two to three hours a day on Twitter both connecting and engaging with people who would resonate with the message of Living Backward. But here’s the thing. When a regular person first gets on Twitter, no one knows you’re there. It takes time to find your voice so that others know who you are and what you’re about. One of the best ways to do this is to engage with people whose message you are aligned with. In other words, retweet their tweets, comment on profiles that make an impression on you, add to the conversation. I thanked people for following me and for retweeting me. I encouraged folks, commented on interesting profiles, and thanked them for adding to the conversation.
Regarding your overall book promotion Amazon bestseller strategy, was a revamped, modern website important to the outcome?
Absolutely. Everything on the site had to be congruent with who I am as well as the message of Living Backward. Visuals are important – book launch countdown
What was your greatest learning lesson in how to create an Amazon bestseller?
According to Angelique, if you learn from something, then it’s not really a mistake. I like to think of such lessons as learning experiences instead of mistakes. My greatest learning experience would be not asking for more help from those who might have been willing to help me in certain areas. Yet at the same time, people generally are very busy and involved with their own lives.
What was THE most important part of your Amazon bestseller book promotion strategy?
SHEER DETERMINATION and HARD WORK. Angelique says that on average I put in 14 hour days for weeks and weeks leading up to the book launch. If you are passionate about what you are doing and what you have to offer, that will drive you to put in the tireless hours.
You can learn more about Angelique and her book, Living Backward: The Gift of Hindsight in Building a Truly Significant Life www.LivingBackward.com
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This podcast is presented by Annie Jennings, of the National Publicity Firm, Annie Jennings PR and the creator of JenningsWire online magazine. For more information on how you can experience National Media success and guaranteed deliverables, please visit www.anniejenningspr.com
