New Authors Face Near-impossible Odds

FORT SMITH, Ark. - June 18, 2013 - PRLog -- You've written a book, and everyone who's seen your manuscript has told you that it's one of the best they've ever had the pleasure of reading. Following the latest trend among authors, you work hard to get it formatted for eBook publication, proudly announce to all of your friends and family that you're a published author, spread the word among your Facebook friends, and wait for the royalties to roll in.

Unfortunately, as all new authors do, you discover that the real work is only beginning, because getting your book published does nothing to generate sales. For that, you must find ways to get your book noticed by those who might want to read it, and merely having it in Amazon or Barnes and Noble is not enough.

While there was a time when a publisher would buy the right to a book and spend money to promote it, the times have changed. Because so many authors have opted to self-publish, the big publishing houses are more cautious than ever about the books they choose, so for the majority who go the eBook route, the only marketing they'll get is what they do themselves.

Or there is the option to pay for advertising, but few authors have the money to spend, or the expertise to write ads that will generate sales. This leaves them back at square one, spending hours each day at their computer keyboards, working on cover art, composing notices, posting updates and sending tweets. The goal is to make their books noticeable, which might result in good reviews.

Reviews are critical, since they give a potential reader an idea of what the book is about and how enjoyable it might be, and they are usually posted directly on the web pages where the eBooks are sold. A book with several good reviews will sell many times more often than one with no reviews. Likewise, an exciting and attractive cover image is important, since most readers will see that before they ever notice the book's title or author or subject.

Another option is a specialized eBook promotion service, such as www.EbookOnFire.com. This company offers both copy and content editing, proofreading, formatting assistance and high-quality cover art for authors who are just getting ready for publication. For those whose books are already published, they offer professional book reviews, on-site and newsletter eBook promotion, and even an online radio program dedicated to spreading the word about the wonderful new books that are falling through the cracks and going unnoticed.

Services like these can be costly, but some are inexpensive, often consisting of only a small monthly membership fee that allows an author to come back over and over to take advantage of its services. And websites like www.ebookonfire.com publish free email newsletters that tell subscribed readers about their "Daily Hot Picks", special discounted eBooks, and which books are getting the rave reviews.

Some authors enjoy the marketing, and are qualified by experience or ability to do the work themselves; nevertheless, the road for any author has become one that is filled with rocks and pitfalls, and far too many of them will see their books languish in obscurity.