When trying to get self-publishing up and going, there are many signs that you pass by without noticing. Check out these 3 steps to winning with self-publishing signs.
I was driving in my car the other day here in Norway this past weekend and noticed a sign on the side of the road. I have wondered previously what exactly this sign means. Though, since I am always driving when passing by, I have never had the time to Google it.
When I got home, I finally looked it up and found out that it means: Crossroads with priority.
This particular sign wasn't that important since I would see it from the major road and would always watch the smaller crossroad when passing by. Though I still had never bothered to look it up.
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Imagine if the sign had been important and could have caused an accident for me one day.
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Some of these self-publishing signs may be harmless enough and others could cost you your entire business. At any given time, there are people trying many different tactics in order to get their books to sell. Some of these methods work and others fail.
One method that people have tried is using Google Translate to convert their books into different languages. The problem is that the quality of the end result is below Amazon's standards for quality content.
This choice resulted in these people having all of the books on their accounts getting banned.
There was nowhere on Amazon's website that it stated you couldn't use Google Translate. However, once Amazon took action against a self-publisher, it was time to see the sign and take heed.
There are 3 steps to making sure you are responding correctly to the signs.
The first step is making sure you are in a community where you hear about what is happening. This can be positive things like a new strategy to increase sales. It can also mean being in touch when things go wrong for some people. It is better to learn from other people's experiences than having to make all of the same mistakes. So, that's one of the 3 steps to winning with self-publishing signs.
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2. Follow Signs Created By Other People's Actions
When making any decisions about what to do or not do, let other people who have gone before you be the deciding factor. The decisions positive or negative that they have made serve as markers that you can follow. Let other people make mistakes or discover what works and that's another one of the 3 steps to winning with self-publishing signs.
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3. React Quickly To New Signs
Finally, the last one of the 3 steps to winning at self-publishing signs. When a new sign is created on your journey, react quickly. If you see there is a risk associated with something that was safe previously, you need to make a course correction at once. Too many people underestimate the consequences of waiting. The delay can cost you both positively and negatively.
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While I may not have gotten into trouble after a decade of not knowing what a sign means, that choice could have cost me dearly. Whether in a car or in running my business, I am always looking for answers to what the different self-publishing signs mean and how I need to change what I am doing accordingly.
~ Chris Baird
P.S. What signs have you ignored and had to pay the price for?