One of the wonderful advantages of self-publishing and print-on-demand is that you don’t have to have a large stock of your book taking up space in your home. Nevertheless, indie authors should definitely have some copies on hand for a variety of uses. Neglecting to do so could cause you to miss out on many sales opportunities. Here are 11 reasons why you should buy your own book.
For Giveaways
Give your book as a prize for contests on social media. This is a great marketing tactic; your cost is low and everyone loves to win a prize or even just have a chance to win something.
Personal Dedication
Many books are dedicated to the people who inspired the book or those who were instrumental in writing it. If you’d like to give a copy to a particular person, you can do a single printing featuring a dedication to them.
For Reviews
Getting reviews for your book is a critical part of your marketing strategy, and reviewers will often expect you to send them a copy. Having a few copies on hand makes it easy and convenient to ship one as soon as someone agrees to review your book, with no time lost.
To Sell
Direct selling your book at local stores, festivals, and expos is an opportunity you should definitely take advantage of. You’ll need to have several copies of your book on hand to make this a success.
For Book Clubs
Getting your book in front of book clubs is such a boon to your success as an author. If you get a group to pick your book for book club, you can do a printing with discussion questions right in the book. If you keep a stock of your book, you can give it to the book club organizer to look through and see if they’re interested.
To Sign
Book signings after a speaking engagement are perfect for promoting your book, and you’ll need plenty of copies available to sign for customers.
To Have on Your Shelf
You’ve written and published a book; you should have a copy on your own shelves. Be proud of your accomplishment!
As Promotional Material
You can take photographs or have professional pictures taken, to use in all your marketing efforts. Readers want to see your book before they buy, and if they’re not shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, they need to get an accurate view of the cover and the size. Your author website and your accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X, formerly known as Twitter, should all have high-quality, beautiful photographs of your book.
To Donate to Libraries
If a library is hesitant to stock your book, donating a copy is a way to get in the door. It’s available to the patrons, and if there is demand for it, then the library can purchase enough to meet demand, and they may want the ebook version as well. Anything you can do to make life easy for your local librarians will increase your chances of getting picked up.
As a Thank You
Editors, beta readers, proofreaders, and others are invaluable to the process of getting your book published. They are likely thrilled to see the finished product, and a copy of your book can be a thoughtful thank-you gift.
PR Copy
Similar to sending your book for reviews, the media outlets you employ to promote your book would appreciate a copy to familiarize themselves with it ahead of time. At least you should have a copy that they can hold and show in any videos or pictures.
Buying your own book from IngramSpark is easy, and you’re not paying the fee that anyone else has to pay when ordering your book, so all the profit goes to you.
With so many reasons to keep a supply of your book on hand, why not put in an order today?
