Photo by Laura Kapfer on Unsplash
ConCarolinas starts tomorrow, and I will be at the Mothership helping sell Falstaff Books or at panels learning how to write, edit, and sell books, because I want to make a career of this crazy business. Selling, of course, is the key. I can create forever, but to be a career, I need to make money at that. And like most authors, selling isn’t my strong suit.
But John G. Hartness is great, not only at selling, but explaining how selling works. In the March 7, 2016 Magical Words post, “Making Money Mondays – Less is More”, he explains how to pitch a book when hand-selling at a convention. (URL – http://www.magicalwords.net/john-hartness-2/making-money-mondays-less-is-more/)
Most writers jump into a long description, but people at a con are there to buy and buy a lot, so they need to buy quickly and move on to the next table. One needs to remember, you aren’t TELLING them a story, you want to make them PAY for it. Elevator pitch.
For example – Honestly, a novella erotic romance between a single mother and her landlord’s son. A Stella Gets Her Grove Back moment. (Honestly by Erin Penn is available on Amazon, by the way.)
Does that sound like something you want to read. Then pick it up on Amazon. Again, the URL is: https://www.amazon.com/Honestly-Erin-Penn-ebook/dp/B00CLJCW9K.
And that is an example of SELLING the story instead of TELLING the story.
Come by ConCarolina is you are in the North Carolina area Friday or Saturday (or Sunday, though I’ll be at the post office that day, *sob*) and buy some books. We’ll love to see you.