Selling books with email without being pushy

Authors hate selling, and truth be told, asking something to buy your book in every email doesn’t really work for most readers. So, learning how to sell books with email, without being pushy, is important.

Most subscribers to a fiction author’s newsletter either:

• Already have your book(s)
• Are waiting for your next book
• Downloaded your reader magnet and are still deciding whether your book is worth reading

I have to tell you that this is one area where non-fiction authors tend to have an advantage, because they can teach, share relevant information, and lead people to buy coaching, courses, and lectures, in addition to their current or next book.

Still, in the case of fiction or non-fiction, selling books with email, without being pushy, is a skill.

If you send an email every two weeks (the minimum, in my opinion), it doesn’t make sense to sell, sell, sell.

If you do, they will unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe.

The solution is easy, and comes with two steps.

1. Find relevant things to share that are not your books.
2. Add a Super Signature to the bottom of every email.

For #1, share things that your ideal reader would love.

I repeat, your ideal reader.

Here are a few ideas:

Books — Other author’s books that are just like yours. I know I know, yours is unique, but it’s not. And, if you wrote a book that’s that unique, you wrote a book that won’t sell many copies. The best selling books are like comfort food.

Progress — If your next book is coming along, share your progress, your research, and interesting articles (that you do not write) related to your next book.

Fun stuff — Yes, fun things like character bios or sketches, artwork, maps, etc.

Keep them short, or short-ish.

For #2, add a Super Signature at the bottom of each email

A Super Signature is not my idea, I just find it the easiest way to sell books, courses, coaching, or get followers on social media, all without really having to keep asking.

AKA, not being pushy.

At its most simple, a Super Signature is merely a list of 2-4 items that you have to give, offer, or sell, tacked on to the bottom of your email, right after your signoff or the PS.

I use the same one almost every time, and only change it up when there’s something timely like a new book or an event coming up.

Here’s a screenshot of my current one.

Here’s a real one in a recent email.

Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the email and you’ll see the links and the other parts of my super signature.

Super Signature notes:

• Try to have at least one free, no barrier link, like listening to you on a podcast, downloading something that doesn’t require an email address (they’re already on your list, remember), or a blog post or article they can read.
• Next up is something like following you on social media. It’s a bit of a commitment, since you’ll see them follow you, and people don’t always like to do that, because unfollowing is awkward.
• Finally, add the bigger commitments, like buying something or asking them to sign up for a consult.

Three to four options, all of which either promote you and your books or give your reader some value.

Because several of them are free and/or a low commitment, this makes for happy subscribers.

Ones who’ll buy your book when they’re ready.

And you don’t even have to ask.

If you want to start selling books with email, without being pushy, then a Super Signature is a great way to get started.

Talk soon,

Roland