An open letter to my brother in Tucson

Dear Bro,

Well, this is how it works...Amazon is the biggest name in book sales. My promotional efforts will, of course, be centered on Web sales through Amazon.

The Wheatmark Book Store is another place where the book can be purchased online, but it will be at the full price. Amazon cuts that price by a bunch. Wheatmark pays me a 40% royalty while Amazon only pays me a 20% royalty, but that is how Amazon sells for less. Well, that and volume.

Now for those who cannot buy online because they don't have a credit card. The book will be available at some brick and mortar stores and I am sure it will be full price. I think Barnes & Noble and some others that follow Wheatmark will carry the book.

I receive 20 Author Copies and if I want more I have to buy them at 40% off the retail price. I could do that; pick them up in Tucson, thus saving shipping costs and sell them to friends who cannot go online. This would only be viable to Tucson friends and would sell for somewhat higher than Amazon, but lower that retail.

This time the focus has to be on sales. The chances of an unknown, newbie author becoming a best seller is like winning the lotto. Selling 2000 copies is a huge thing. It is at that point that Wheatmark takes over financially for future promotions. Only a handful of their published authors have made that level. I intend on being one those authors through hard work and smart promoting! Free is a bad word...buy is a good word.

To sweeten the pot, I intend on giving each person who buys Evil in the Mirror in Tucson a copy of Why I Ride Harleys and Stop Smoking Guardian Angel for free. Through research, I have learned that book signing parties at brick and mortar stores do not sell books, thus I have narrowed this kind of promotion. They are good for ego and vanity, but those two things only hinder sales! I plan one signing at this year’s high school reunion in August, and one in Sedona at the Worm book store. The owner of the Worm was the only guy who wanted to help me with my first self-published books last year. I think he deserves to get some traffic from Evil. I know enough people in Sedona to make it worthwhile in exposure, if not sales.

There you have it in a nutshell...please follow my blog and see if your friends will do the same.

Love,

Mittster