Yeah, this is definitely a shameless plug for MY autographed paperback books, which you can order HERE, but it’s also a GOOD IDEA for your own blog.

Say what now?

 

Yeah. Why don’t you offer signed copies of your books on your blog?

People would like to get one as a gift for Christmas or Hannukah or whatever; why make them wait until your next signing event (which for most authors, is never).

 

Uh, well, gee… Hmm

 

Right. You don’t know how.

 

Thank god I was here.

 

First, you create a PAGE (not a post) on your WordPress blog. That page will say, Get autographed books or BUY autographed books. Something like that.

Create a page by clicking My Site on your blog. See that blue arrow?

Writing the content for the page is just like writing it for your blog. Tell people, “Here’s my book. Here’s the cost. Here’s the shipping and handling.” Like that.

Then set up a way to pay, like, “Send the money to my email account at PayPal” or WordPress can even collect the money if you set that up.

Just list out the steps like I did:

 

Then, add an order form, which is a click on a WordPress Page setup. Literally a click.

 

put in the words you want the form to say…

Then add the page to the menu on your site. (Follow the screen shots.)

 

I’m not saying you’ll sell lots of signed books; you may not sell any. But you’ll have the ABILITY to, and when people meet you out and about and want one, you can hand them your card (or write down your blog address) and say:

“Order it right from my site! There’s a tab in the menu that says Buy Autographed Books!”

 

What could be simpler?

Now, you’ll have to have a few books on hand, but you’re gonna order some anyway for an event or when you decide to give everyone copies at Christmas, etc., so order a few  more and keep your shipping cost down, and have them ready.

 

A few tips:

 

You’ll need padded envelopes, and they cost about a dollar each.

You’ll need to add the cost of shipping. BOOKS ARE EXPENSIVE TO MAIL. Heavy things usually are, but there’s a special way to do it called media mail that allows you to save a TON on shipping. First class might cost $7.25 to send a book that retails for $7.99; Media Mail will cost closer to $3.50 for that book.

So TELL your people they are paying the SAME price as the Amazon site,

But it’s gonna be autographed by you (you can personalize it if you want)

BUT They have to pay shipping and “handling” – fancy talk for “envelope.”

And tell them, that’s media mail of about $3.50 and an envelope for about a dollar.

Tax may or may not apply in your state.

 

Media Mail is kinda slow, so TELL your peeps it’s gonna be 10-14 business days before their signed copy arrives.

 

That’s it. Get to it. And while you’re at it, order a signed copy of An Angel On Her Shoulder or The Zombunny from me!

   

Click HERE to do that.