Wednesday’s book marketing tip for authors

Once again, Seth Godin has pointed the way for authors to increase book sales and attract more speaking opportunities. Seth’s “big idea” is startlingly simple and practical: to sell more books, make it easier for website visitors and your blog readers to sign-up to receive future blog posts via e-mail!

Lots of authors already offer e-mail delivery of their blog posts. But, few make it as easy or as obvious as Seth has done. Instead of the typical, introverted, “Sign up for e-mail delivery” text and form, Seth makes his offer of blog posts delivered via e-mail in a visual and user-friendly way.

It starts on the home page (above)
At the lower left of his home page, Seth has added an eye-catching graphic link that invites visitors to sign up to receive updates and blog posts via e-mail. (There’s also a link to the e-mail subscription form in the horizontal navigation bar at the top of the page.)

When clicked, the link takes you to a large and easy-to-fill-out form that restates the offer (shown at left).

The sign-up form projects a pleasant, “open” feeling, created by white space and the light yellow fill.

The lower-case subscribe!, set in a stylized, lower case, typeface projects an urgency, enhanced by the call to action set in contrasting, upper-case type.

---

Question. Blogging success requires more than just creating consistent and relevant blog posts. To sell more books and and attract more speaking opportunities, your blog posts have to be distributed as far and wide as possible. For many, e-mail distribution is the best option. But, do you make it as easy as Seth does for your readers and “tribe” to sign-up for e-mail delivery of your blog posts?

---