It might have taken you more months than you anticipated, more re-writes than you intended, and one more global pandemic than you expected. Nevertheless, after all the hard work you put into the process, you’ve finally done it: you’ve finished your book.
Now comes the most important part: what are you going to do with it?
There are numerous platforms available to sell eBooks, including the big players: Amazon, Google Play, and iBooks, which are all extremely popular in the US.
Kobo’s Global Presence
However, if you are looking for a global audience— especially one present in Canada, the UK, and Australia— then Kobo could be a great option for selling your book. According to Mark Lefebvre’s “Kobo Hacks for Optimizing Sales”, Kobo’s market consists of 50.68% Canadian buyers, 11.07% UK buyers, and 10.71% Australian buyers. United States retail comes in a close fourth place at 9.06%.
Kobo and Local Retailers
Like Google Play and iBooks, Kobo offers an eBook retail platform on which to sell books. However, Kobo will also take the extra step of distributing your book among local retailers, too.
This added retail distribution service is a great bonus for authors hoping to maximize sales, but the number of sales ultimately generated from this service will vary depending on the size and location of the selected stores. Considering that many of these local retailers are small, it is safe to assume that the majority of your sales from Kobo will likely come from Kobo.com. Even more specifically, most of your sales will come from Kobo.com's Canadian website.
Kobo and Audiobooks
One noticeable element on the Kobo.com Canadian website is the heavy promotion of audiobooks. When you do a little exploring on their website, you’ll find that they have an entire month dedicated primarily to audiobooks.
If you are interested in breaking into the audiobook market— whether for your book’s initial publication or as an added edition later on— then Kobo.com is a good place to start.
Kobo’s Hand-Curated Reading Lists
Another great element of the Kobo.com Canadian website is their hand-curated reading list suggestions. Their lists go beyond the simple “Best Seller” categories, which are typically computer-generated and based solely on sales and marketing data.
Instead, the Kobo staff hand-curate their selections of books with interesting topics and themes in mind. This personalized selection will give your book a much better chance of making it onto their reading list. You can also increase the odds of your book receiving personal attention by speaking to representatives from Kobo Writing Life and applying for their promotions.
These promotions can be found in Kobo Writing Life. Though there’s no way to get automatic alerts each time a new promotion becomes available, searching for the promotions yourself is still well worth your time. Not only can you increase your sales during the specific promotion you selected, but you can also prove to the Kobo team that your book should be given personal attention in the future as well.
Digital Content Creators Can Help!
It’s no secret that publishers and independent authors know the value of eBooks as part of their book marketing strategy. We produce hundreds each year.
What is less well known is that the latest trend in content consumption is that readers (especially Gen Z) are demanding a more immersive engagement with today’s content than is currently being offered by eBooks.
Digital Content Creators has developed eLearning courses for authors and publishers that expand their content with engaging and interactive participation that provides a richer and more substantial experience.
Contact us today for a free consultation and lets take your content into the 21st century.