Post: #1

Well, I've always wanted to get into business, and I guess there is no better place to start than your senior year of high school.

Long story short, my dad is an author who writes books that take a Christian perspective on medical issues, as well as updating the language of the old, Puritan writers and publishing those.

Now for the past year and a half, he knows that I've been interested in entrepreneurship and business, and also that I've been reading a lot on it. So, out of the blue this morning, he asks me "Hey, here's a good opportunity for you. How about you manage my self-publishing business so you can get some practical experience in business." I didn't want to say no to such an amazing learning experience, so I agreed immediately. He initially offered me 25% of all the revenue generated, I negotiated him up to 50% and an up front payment of $100.

A little on the state of his business so far: for someone who puts 0 effort into marketing other than keeping a blog and facebook, he's not doing bad, making about 100 bucks a month, or about 25 books sold a month.

His blog gets most traffic from his facebook friends as well as having been regularly linked to by a rather prominent blogger in reformed Christian circles.

Right now I'm just really at a loss of what I should do. If you want more specific information, I can give it to you via PM. I just really need advice and suggestions on what to do to increase sales and start running this place like a business.

Post: #2

(08-02-2014 08:31 AM)Krusyos Wrote:  Well, I've always wanted to get into business, and I guess there is no better place to start than your senior year of high school.

Long story short, my dad is an author who writes books that take a Christian perspective on medical issues, as well as updating the language of the old, Puritan writers and publishing those.

Now for the past year and a half, he knows that I've been interested in entrepreneurship and business, and also that I've been reading a lot on it. So, out of the blue this morning, he asks me "Hey, here's a good opportunity for you. How about you manage my self-publishing business so you can get some practical experience in business." I didn't want to say no to such an amazing learning experience, so I agreed immediately. He initially offered me 25% of all the revenue generated, I negotiated him up to 50% and an up front payment of $100.

A little on the state of his business so far: for someone who puts 0 effort into marketing other than keeping a blog and facebook, he's not doing bad, making about 100 bucks a month, or about 25 books sold a month.

His blog gets most traffic from his facebook friends as well as having been regularly linked to by a rather prominent blogger in reformed Christian circles.

Right now I'm just really at a loss of what I should do. If you want more specific information, I can give it to you via PM. I just really need advice and suggestions on what to do to increase sales and start running this place like a business.

Nice! No specific business advice, other than minimize expenses and market more. Get some advice on being in a family business as well. How will this work after you graduate?

Post: #3

(08-02-2014 08:52 AM)Engineer Wrote:  

(08-02-2014 08:31 AM)Krusyos Wrote:  Well, I've always wanted to get into business, and I guess there is no better place to start than your senior year of high school.

Long story short, my dad is an author who writes books that take a Christian perspective on medical issues, as well as updating the language of the old, Puritan writers and publishing those.

Now for the past year and a half, he knows that I've been interested in entrepreneurship and business, and also that I've been reading a lot on it. So, out of the blue this morning, he asks me "Hey, here's a good opportunity for you. How about you manage my self-publishing business so you can get some practical experience in business." I didn't want to say no to such an amazing learning experience, so I agreed immediately. He initially offered me 25% of all the revenue generated, I negotiated him up to 50% and an up front payment of $100.

A little on the state of his business so far: for someone who puts 0 effort into marketing other than keeping a blog and facebook, he's not doing bad, making about 100 bucks a month, or about 25 books sold a month.

His blog gets most traffic from his facebook friends as well as having been regularly linked to by a rather prominent blogger in reformed Christian circles.

Right now I'm just really at a loss of what I should do. If you want more specific information, I can give it to you via PM. I just really need advice and suggestions on what to do to increase sales and start running this place like a business.

Nice! No specific business advice, other than minimize expenses and market more. Get some advice on being in a family business as well. How will this work after you graduate?

After I graduate high school, I'll probably still be helping him out, but trying to get him to take full reins on the business so I can focus on my own individual endeavors (and my college, of course).

As for a marketing strategy, I believe that it is very important to firmly brand his books and his company. As I said, I want to redesign most of his book covers and give them a more professional, eye-catching look that will separate him from the other Indie Christian authors.

Post: #4

What other sites can you promote his books on? Look at what Roosh does, when he releases a book, he gives free copies to tons of bloggers, they write a review and link to Roosh's book.

You could try the same, get in touch with bloggers in the same field and offer them the book for free in exchange for a review and a link.

Post: #5

1) Are the books printed as they are purchased or do you have a stack of them already printed or are they ebook?
2) Repeat after me - "Aggregators and Influencers" - find those who are already in tight with the community you are trying to reach. Check into the eyeballs they get and costs, maybe they do free reviews. Are the books any good?
3) There are a lot of places I imagine you can post on different forums etc and get some trickle flow - but I'd look for people who cover religious books and see what their reach is.

Good luck

Post: #6

(08-02-2014 08:31 AM)Krusyos Wrote:  Well, I've always wanted to get into business, and I guess there is no better place to start than your senior year of high school.

Long story short, my dad is an author who writes books that take a Christian perspective on medical issues, as well as updating the language of the old, Puritan writers and publishing those.

Now for the past year and a half, he knows that I've been interested in entrepreneurship and business, and also that I've been reading a lot on it. So, out of the blue this morning, he asks me "Hey, here's a good opportunity for you. How about you manage my self-publishing business so you can get some practical experience in business." I didn't want to say no to such an amazing learning experience, so I agreed immediately. He initially offered me 25% of all the revenue generated, I negotiated him up to 50% and an up front payment of $100.

A little on the state of his business so far: for someone who puts 0 effort into marketing other than keeping a blog and facebook, he's not doing bad, making about 100 bucks a month, or about 25 books sold a month.

His blog gets most traffic from his facebook friends as well as having been regularly linked to by a rather prominent blogger in reformed Christian circles.

Right now I'm just really at a loss of what I should do. If you want more specific information, I can give it to you via PM. I just really need advice and suggestions on what to do to increase sales and start running this place like a business.

If I was you, I would try marketing it through the new age and "alternative" channels. That is a big community there and will generate extra profits, I know this would do well in big cities and in Western Europe.

Post: #7

(08-02-2014 12:47 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  1) Are the books printed as they are purchased or do you have a stack of them already printed or are they ebook?
2) Repeat after me - "Aggregators and Influencers" - find those who are already in tight with the community you are trying to reach. Check into the eyeballs they get and costs, maybe they do free reviews. Are the books any good?
3) There are a lot of places I imagine you can post on different forums etc and get some trickle flow - but I'd look for people who cover religious books and see what their reach is.

Good luck

1) He currently uses Create A Space (where they are printed on order), but he also has like 20 books of each in stock. He does not have e-books either.
2) This is definitely the route I'm looking into the most.
3) A decent idea, however, I think it might turn out to be busywork. But I'm still on Summer Break, so I got plenty of time to kill.

Post: #8

Hmm... if the business is only making $100/month, I'd probably advise just starting your own one which is 100% yours and yours forever.

Post: #9

$100 a month in sales isn't a business, that is a hobby.

Check out Matt Forney's article on How to Create Your Own Online Bookstore

Advice in this thread is pretty good... set up ebooks, redesign cover to look more interesting/appealing, give out free review copies to well known bloggers and book reviewers.

Post: #10

(08-04-2014 05:15 AM)username Wrote:  $100 a month in sales isn't a business, that is a hobby.

Check out Matt Forney's article on How to Create Your Own Online Bookstore

Advice in this thread is pretty good... set up ebooks, redesign cover to look more interesting/appealing, give out free review copies to well known bloggers and book reviewers.

Thanks for the article.

Post: #11

Update: After buying a domain name and applying it to the blog, traffic has increased by almost 300%. I'm now working on transforming all of his books into ebook format and selling them through amazon. I'm going to start pricing at $3.99 and see how that works. If I need to, I can always bump the price down later. I'll offer the books for free to several prominent bloggers in the "Christosphere" in exchange for reviews and linkbacks and thereby increase traffic and sales.

Post: #12

Any updates on the business, Krusyos? I'm curious if offering free copies helped traffic and sales.

Post: #13

I'm curious too.

Post: #14

1) Google adwords
2) connect with bloggers
3) Facebook Page with daily posts to build a following

Post: #15

Asking something like this on a forum is a good way to get lost. Take any advice from someone who hasn't run a self-publishing biz themselves with a huge grain of salt - your father is counting on you.

If I were you, I'd buy a stack of books written by people who've actually done what you want to do and start taking notes. "Write. Publish. Repeat." is a good place to start.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling