Once again, online options level the playing field for authors.

Yes, your book has be meet some basic requirements like having an ISBN number; and must be approved by Apple.  But this next wave of hand held phones and readers are about to give authors a way to reach the masses easily.

Read the full story here at:

Apple opens iBookstore to independent authors

Since I work with many authors on their websites and book promotions, I often find them asking advice about what they can do to better promote the sale of their books.  As an author, I understand how disappointing it is when your book doesn’t sell the way you thought it would.  I often compare being an author with the actors in Hollywood.  In order to ‘make it’, they need one part talent, one part persistence and one part luck – not all in equal amounts. ….We’ve all heard about the ‘overnight’ success stories – when in fact, the actor has been persistent with their craft for years and years before they had their break thru to fame and fortune.

There ARE things that you can do to earn some money with online methods that can drive traffic to your websites and ultimately increase your book and products sales NOW.  The method I am about to discuss would also be perfect for small business owners to help educate their potential customers about who they are and what they have to offer, leading to much larger ticket items once people know and trust them.

I have noticed a growing trend towards the purchase of short reports online – 1 to 15 page ebooks that provide a short blast of information on a subject – and they are selling for $7-10.  Make sure that these reports contain a small bio on who you are, and how they can reach you (website, telephone number, mailing address, email address, etc).

Stumped about what to write about?   Join forums in your area of interest and find out what people are talking about. If there is a topic that generates a lot of interest and maybe some signs of misunderstanding, you may have found your first report topic.

Article directories are also a great place to look at their most viewed articles, as the readers of these articles are your potential customers.

Yahoo Buzz is also a great website is great to find out what people are talking about.

By packaging these small reports and selling them online at a lower price than typical ebooks, your clients learn more about what you have to offer while you are earning some income over and beyond traditional book sales.  It’s also a great way to start building your tribe!