Yesterday, we enjoyed exploring Aerio during Bublish’s “Lunch & Learn” Webinar with Aerio’s Business Development Manager Caitlin Churchill. One of the key benefits of this direct-to-consumer book selling platform from Ingram is that it allows authors to sell other authors’ books out of the Ingram catalog. Both the author who sold the book and the author who wrote the book that was sold are compensated for the sale. It’s a win-win situation. When I first saw this feature, I instantly thought about opportunities for collaboration. (If you didn’t register for the webinar, you can watch the replay HERE.)
Some of the top authors in the world collaborate with other authors. Just look at James Patterson’s recent collaboration with former President Bill Clinton on The President Is Missing. This novel pairing (pun intended) gave the two authors a boatload of national press and the book immediately soared to the top of the charts. Patterson is one of the savviest marketers in the business and, as a result, also one of the wealthiest. He collaborates often.
You might not want to co-write a book (though don’t rule it out), but what might collaboration look like for you as an indie author? Here are a few ideas:
Cross promotion of content—organize a group of authors in your genre who commit to sharing each other’s blogs, social posts, announcements, etc. It’s a great way to get more exposure.
Joint discounting and merchandising—with a tool like Aerio, authors can create book collections and run group specials around special events or themes, resulting in more sales.
Content bundling—this collaborative technique has been widely used by indie authors (especially in the romance genre) to grow their audience. You can create group samplers, box sets, anthologies, etc. as giveaways or to sell. The giveaways are a great way to grow your email list.
Group events—hosting a Facebook launch party or blog tour with fellow authors can get your book in front of more readers and create larger, more energized launch event.
Is it worth the time and effort to collaborate? You decide. Here are just a few of the benefits of collaborating with other authors:
- Increased exposure
- Marketing partners (you won’t be alone in your marketing efforts!)
- Audience development
- Email list growth
- Extended social reach
- More book sales
- More fun!
If any of these benefits sound worthwhile to you, then go forth and collaborate!
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