Everyone loves a deal. You can increase sales by providing something special for people who order your book before it launches, or buy your book during launch week, or buy it during any special promotional period you might designate. (In advertising, that’s known as “creating a sense of urgency” — giving people a good reason to buy now rather than later.)

Here are some ideas for non-fiction:

1. Offer free access to your ebook for people who buy a print edition.
2. Provide a free download of your earlier ebook (ideally, on a related topic).
3. Offer a workbook or other supplemental materials.

For fiction, consider:

1. Deleted scenes or chapters.
2. A separate, special-event chapter (e.g., how your characters celebrated Christmas).
3. Character background and development notes.
4. A mini-prequel or backstory.
5. A sequel chapter (which of course leads into your next book).
6. An alternate ending.
7. Downloadable images relating to your book — Sketches of characters? Historical photos? Scans of letters or other documents you turned up while researching your story?

Of course, you can also use special pricing to encourage sales:

1. Offer a discount for purchases made during launch week, or during any other period of time you designate.
2. Offer a discount if customers buy multiple copies of your book.
3. Offer a discount if customers buy your book along with another book (yours or another author’s).
4. Offer to donate some of the proceeds of your book’s sales to a charity or other promotional partner (ideally one related to the subject of your book).

Next: Send out Advance Review Copies.

Back to Pre-launch Communications. Back to Prepare your presentation.