Recently I had the privilege of speaking with Alan Woods, the author of Kindle Domination: 25 Strategies to Sell More Books on Amazon. What I especially appreciate about Alan is his strong leadership ability. I once heard it said, “There are two types of leaders, those who generate energy and those who consume energy.” Alan radiates energy! A brief phone conversation was all it took for Alan to inspire me to take my own leadership to the next level.
First, a little bit about Alan. Alan has been writing since the age of six. He has authored over thirty books–though not all of them are currently available for purchase. During our interview, I asked Alan what makes his books unique. Amazon is a crowded marketplace, and there are a number of authors writing books on Amazon’s marketing strategies.
Alan stated that his books stand out because the principles he writes about are all tools that he has tested personally. Indeed, Kindle Domination goes well beyond simple theory. As an author myself, many of the ideas I read in Alan’s book were not new. However, what was unique was the attention to detail. Prior to reading Alan’s book, I had known that I should run Amazon keyword searches in order to narrow down a book title that would resonate well with others. Yet, after reading a number of books telling me that I should do this, I still didn’t understand how to accomplish this. Kindle Domination is different. Within a matter of minutes, I had a specific formula for narrowing down the right keywords for my books.
The process isn’t easy–and requires some basic math–but Alan walks readers through the process step by step. The best leaders lead by example. And leadership by example is certainly present in Alan’s books.
Next, I asked Alan, “What one piece of advice would you give to new authors?” I received the following feedback:
1. Write a great book.
2. Design a high-quality cover.
3. Do everything you legally can to gain as much exposure as possible.
Leaders are givers. Instead of providing only one piece of advice, I got three. In addition to being an established author himself, Alan has years of experience connecting with successful writers. Alan is passionate about helping authors succeed.
Another thing that impressed me about Alan is his ability to quickly amass reviews of his book. In the publishing world, reviews are golden. Yet, they are not easy to get. In Kindle Domination, Alan writes about using his personal connection as a means of gaining honest reviews. Alan talked about connecting with over 1,000 people over the past few weeks. I found his honesty incredibly motivating. Drawing attention to the two books that I have written has been just as much work as writing the books. I discovered that my next step is to keep pressing forward and continue working hard each day.
Kindle Domination is honest. It is not for those who would like to read a book, quickly apply a principle or two, and then sit back and watch the magic happen. Unless you are a well-established author with a large platform, the world simply does not work this way. Sharing one’s message with the world is hard work. During my conversation with Alan, I was inspired to work harder. Alan’s books are successful because he works at what he does. If you and I are going to share our message with the world, then hard work is a must! Alan suggested these three resources for author promotions:
• Buck Books
• Book Deals Daily
• Choosey Book Worm
In addition, I’d add the Author’s Marketing Club to the list. It’s a list of 25 promotional sites with a quick link to the book submission page (which means no more clicking around trying to figure out exactly where to submit your book).
By now, I’m sure you can tell that I’m a fan of Alan and his work.
Finally, I wanted to conclude this post by giving you a taste of three of my favorite Kindle Domination inspirational quotes.
“Write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens.”
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always.” -Kindle Domination
“Readers do not expect perfection. They simply expect a useful product that will solve their problem.”
Wishing you an incredible week!
