I sell most of my books in the summer months to the tourists I meet. Last summer, the most books I sold in one evening was 4. Last night I sold 7.

The feedback is amazing, which just lifts my confidence and I've had lots of promises of Lulu reviews, which in turn should increase winter sales.

Vistaprint has been amazing with free business cards, promotional t-shirts, magnets and pens. And every reader gets a bookmark which I made myself.

My mailing list is growing as are my fans.

I give May a huge 10/10

Way to go Karina -- and thanks for the update. I have yet to check out Vistaprint completely. Clearly it's time to get my finger out!

Great news Karina.

I believe that trying to sell without advertising would be as effective as winking at a girl in the dark.

Getting your book in front of potential customers or having your book presented where people can learn about it is is the only way for a sale to be made.

Abe

That person2person sales thing doesn't get much respect in marketing circles, but it's fun and renumerative.

I LOVE selling stuff like that. I've had several books that I sold like that, and for awhile sold jewelry/carvings almost exclusively like that.

I used to sell lots on a ferry. I'd sit there concentrating on buffing a bone carving, cool tools artlessly displayed and doing my best to ignore the people who'd get interested. Finally I'd let them DRAG me into conversation about the stuff and they would buy.

During a period when my sole source of support was sales of my slang book I used to sell on the beach, then go into a restaurant for tacos for dinner. I'd walk through the place...a favorite with young tourists...and put a book on every table, then go order, then go back and pick them up. The worse I ever did was paying for my dinner. The best I ever did was over $100.


This points up one thing I learned from a newspaper publisher I worked for (the best salesperson and rottenest human being I've ever known). She said, "Always have a copy of the paper, always have it displayed, front page out. If you're reading a book on the beach, hold it inside the paper. You're on a bus, have the paper on your lap. Lay it on you table, on the bar, LET PEOPLE SEE IT.
The object there was advertising referrals, but the same goes for books. I always have a few with me.

Because another dictum about advertising is..."Some people pay their advertising in rent." Meaning that if they're in a great location right on the boardwalk or Picadilly or Times Square or whatever, they don't need ads.

Another way of saying, "Location, location, location."

And what location could possibly be better than standing right in front of the potential customer?

I don't hard sell. I sit and chat with people, at the bar. Ask about their holiday, and then when I feel the time is right, I ask them if they like reading and what kind of books they read. I 'll show them my books, talk a little about them and then it's up to them if they want to buy. But most do.

I had a tourist come into the Dr's surgery today, where I work, and ask for one of my books as the lady by the pool keeps on raving about it. lol

If I chatted with people at the bar, I'd lose money. For every glass of Scotch, I might sell one book, and I end up running in the red.

Best of luck. Sounds like you have a winnning formula.

Malcolm

Yes, Karina, good job, you go girl!

Thanks. It's just a shame the fomular only works through the summer.