by Anita Stratos, Proof Positive Editor
Your book is edited, polished, published, and out there for the world to enjoy. You’ve got it listed on Amazon, its beautiful cover (that you agonized over getting just right) beckoning readers with its siren call, “You want me!”
Is that enough? No, it’s just the beginning.
You need to write a good come-hither summary for your Amazon listing. Something that whets readers’ appetites for your story, a real teaser that shows them your characters are interesting and your story is one they just must read.
And while a good summary is important, people also want to know something about the writer behind the words. Too many authors miss this prime opportunity to connect with potential readers. They forget about Amazon’s Author Pages, a great way to introduce yourself to your readers. It doesn’t need to be a lengthy life story – nor should it be – just enough information relative to you as an author.
If you want, you can also include a short paragraph at the end about your next work in 
progress, but remember to update that part when the work in progress becomes a published book. Make sure to include a good picture of yourself with your bio, one that suits the types of books you write.
With both the summary and your bio, double check, triple check, and quadruple check for errors. You can lose lots of sales if readers see obvious mistakes; they’ll naturally figure the book will be poorly written too. And we’ve read endless accounts, from blogs all the way up to the New York Times, about how much readers hate seeing too many typos, misspellings, and other mistakes, not to mention plot and character inconsistencies and other errors. In fact, many books have been returned to Amazon with complaints about numerous errors – and Amazon has refunded the buyers’ money. Don’t be that author.
On the other hand, books that have been well proofread are noticed and appreciated. In a review of book Proof Positive proofread, the reviewer wrote, “I appreciate that she gave her readers clean spelling and punctuation.”
Reviews are important to sales on Amazon, so ask for them from friends, family members, and readers who are willing to write reviews in exchange for a free copy of your book.
Go the extra mile and you may be rewarded with extra sales!
come out of the house, since his living alarms had all gone off and were making more of a racket than Fourth of July fireworks.
I’ve had a passion for writing since the age of 8 when I wrote my first short story. During my sophomore year in high school, I wrote my first full-length novel, a science fiction romance. I wrote my second novel during my senior year, a fantasy romance. Needless to say, English and Creative Writing were always my favorite subjects. Yes, I’m a total grammar geek! In between caring for six children (7 counting my husband), I manage to carve out time to indulge in my writing obsession, with varying degrees of success, although I write most often late at night instead of sleeping. And yes, all of my heroes are patterned after my husband of 21 years, who continues to prove that there really is a happily ever after.
