How do I join?
|
 |
The most frequently asked questions are bulleted |
How can Autographed By Author help me?
Autographed By Author can increase traffic to your Web site.
We attract book buyers by offering things that self-publishers normally offer, but no bookstore can: autographs, personalized inscriptions, author contact, and extra value at no extra cost.
We rank high in many search engines because we are the largest gathering of autographing authors on the internet.
As guests play on the "Party" page, they deliver themselves to Web sites of authors they'll enjoy reading. Will they buy? That's up to you.
We deliver visitors who want to buy books like yours. Your site sells your book to them. Make sure your Web site gives guests plenty of reasons and opportunities to buy your book.
All authors at Autographed By Author:
1. Sell bookstore quality books from their Web site. (We require a sample copy of each title.)
2. Give us the address of a page or bookmark that features the title the guest is interested in.
3. Encourage visitors to request autographs (and preferably inscriptions) on the books they purchase.
4. Provide a link back to http://AutographedByAuthor.com (This can be added after the sample book is approved.)
5. Allow buyers to order immediately on-line. (New policy March 2001)
6. Contribute 10% of the proceeds from the referred sales after the end of each month.
Q. What is a "bookstore quality" book?
A. A book that you might find in a large bookstore. They're professionally written and produced, and competitively priced. We don't accept pamphlets, chapbooks, pornography, hate literature, or "teasers."
A "teaser" is a book that leads the buyer to believe they'll get answers to a topic, only to discover they are being up-sold to something else, like an expensive "special report."
Q. What's a "Teaser" book, and why don't you accept them?
A. A visitor to an author's Web site might expect the book to provide certain information. If they discover, after buying and reading the book, that they need to purchase additional material or services to fulfill their expectations, we call the book a "teaser."
If a visitor to Autographed By Author purchases a teaser book, they might suspect that other titles we list have critical information missing. To protect our existing authors, we decline to list teaser books.
Q. Buyers must prepay by check for my book. Why can't I list it here?
A. Autographed By Author used to accept sites which required prepayment by check. They rarely reported sales.
Our shoppers have told us with their purchases that they won't buy if they have to prepay by check.
We would like to include your site, but only if buyers can purchase autographed books on-line, immediately and safely. Internet shoppers expect that.
Most authors offer a credit card payment option using a secure server. Some send a bill with the book, like the book clubs. We welcome either method.
Q. I sell my book for more than list price. Why can't I list it here?
A. Autographed By Author promises buyers "Extra value at no extra cost." If you charge more than list price, you prevent us from honoring our promise.
If you move the excess amount into your shipping charge, make sure your shipping charge remains lower than Amazon's for your book. A large shipping charge is also an extra cost.
A good percentage of our authors sell their books for list price with free shipping.
Q. Can a publisher list a title for an author?
A. Please do not register any titles that you didn't author. We promise visitors that they will purchase their books directly from the author.
We can only list titles that are sold from the author's own Web site, by the author.
Our agreement is with the author, not the publisher or marketing agent.
Q. What if I don't have a Web site?
A. Visit our "Webbing it" page for specific instructions on free and low cost hosts, site building, and ways to accept payment. It shows how to set up a site that accepts credit card payment without setup or monthly fees.
A. A feature page concentrates on and effectively sells your book, then sends the buyer to an order page that encourages them to request autographs.
Learn feature page strategies by clicking here. The page will come up in a new frame. You can minimize it for careful reading later without loosing this page.
We can accept a "feature bookmark" instead of a feature page as long as there is an order button or link separating the end of the featured book's description from the rest of the page.
We can only accept feature pages which permit visitors to use their browser's "Back" button to return to Autographed By Author.
Q. I can't give you an address to a page that features the book I'd like to register. Should I register it?
A. Please register with a URL that gets us close to where your feature page will be. After the URL, please include the date you expect the page to be working. We'll check it after that date.
Q. My order page doesn't encourage guests to request autographs. Should I register my books with Autographed By Author?
A. If you know when your order page will offer autographs, please register and include that date after your URL address. We will check your site after that date.
Q. How do I encourage visitors to request autographs?
A. One line on the order page is sufficient. It can say "All books ordered from the author will be autographed [with a personal inscription] if requested."
If you are using a shopping cart with limited flexibility, you might want to send buyers to a new page in your Web before sending them to your cart. It can be a form that collects autographing, inscribing, and referral information. The "send" button sends them to the cart as it sends the information to you by e-mail. An example is at http://heirloomstories.com/Order.htm
Q. Why won't you list good books with ineffective Web sites?
A. Because it wouldn't do any good. If the site doesn't make the guest want to buy, it doesn't matter how many people visit it.
Our visitors want to visit sites that convince them to buy books. When your site is convincing, please register it at Autographed By Author.
Q. What is an "effective Web site?"
A. An effective Web site concentrates on converting interested visitors into buyers.
Effective sites tersely suggest many reasons why the visitor might need, want, or benefit from the book. They leave out anything that doesn't focus on the goal of selling the book.
Effective sites make it easy for the visitor to buy the book.
For examples, visit some bookselling sites linked to the Party page.
Q. I don't see an appropriate category for my title. Should I register?
A. Yes! When you register, you will suggest categories for your book. We may start a new category to accommodate your title.
We also add categories when current categories grow too large. When that happens, your title may move to a different, hopefully more appropriate, category.
Q. Can I list my title in more than one category?
A. We offer each title a listing in one category at no charge. We may list it in a category you suggest, or another appropriate category.
Once titles are accepted into the program, authors may upgrade their accounts to include listings in additional categories at reasonable fees.
Q. Why would I want my title to be listed as a gift book?
A. We make special efforts to attract gift-buying visitors through our domain, http://GreatBirthdayGiftIdeas.com If your title qualifies as a gift book, we will be able to list it in the "Great Gifts Catalog" at no cost to you.
Traffic from your title's listing at that site may draw more traffic than your listing at http://AutographedByAuthor.com
Q. What qualifies a title to be listed as a gift book?
A. All titles in the Gift Books Catalog are sold for less than $20, delivered anywhere in the U.S. Their Web sites allow the buyer to suggest an inscription before requiring personal information.
Q. How can I "snag" the maximum number of shoppers?
A. Write a great description.
Shoppers will see the description you enter onto the registration form. It's what entices them to click on the link to your Web page. We call it a description, but it's really a tease.
You've got 200 characters (not words) to sizzle, flaunt, intrigue, or otherwise arouse our visitors. Be shameless! ( …but honest)
If you think of a better description later, you'll be able to change it one time at no charge. Because database modifications require programming time, we normally charge $5 for changes.
Q. When should I send the sample copy of my book?
A. After we view your Web site.
Shortly after receiving your registration information, we'll visit your site. If it fits into our program, we'll request a sample book.
Q. Why do you need a sample copy of my book?
A. The first reason is to confirm that it exists. Some people try strange things to increase their Web traffic.
Second: We need to convince ourselves the book is really as good as the Web site says it is. We check for bookstore quality.
Third: We want to determine if a buyer might experience any negative surprises upon receipt of the book. If so, we request that the author disclose them on the Web site before we link to it.
Fourth: To determine if it's appropriate for our site. We don't list hate literature, X-rated materials, or Teasers.
Fifth: Some of our listed books get reviewed and distributed in our newsletter and press releases.
Sixth: As long as books are listed at Autographed By Author, We need access to them. At first, for their initial placement in their categories. Later, as the categories grow and divide, to determine their new categories.
Q. Why do I have to provide the book's physical description?
A. The book's physical description helps visitors determine its value. If an author sends a smaller book than the buyer expects, the buyer feels cheated. That hurts our reputation - and future sales of the other authors.
Make sure to include the page count and cover dimensions on your book's feature page and/or order page.
Q. Will my sample copy be reviewed?
A. Maybe. That's the best answer we can give you. While gifts are appreciated, they won't change the chances of having your title reviewed.
We look for well-written, professionally produced books with Web sites that convince guests to buy.
The reviews will be offered to webmasters and e-zine editors as free articles, but their real purpose is to lure readers to Autographed By Author.
We'd love to review your book. Just produce a great one with an irresistible Web site.
Q. Where do I send the sample copy of my book?
A. After confirming that your Web site will integrate with ours, we will request you to send a sample copy of your book to:
Autographed By Author attn: Rick Kamen
3474 Elsinore Place #203
San Diego, CA 92117
Q. Will you return my sample book to me?
A. If we accept your title into our program we need to keep your sample copy.
If we don't accept your title, we may give it away or donate it, but we won't do either for at least 30 days after notifying you that we can't list your title. During that period, if we receive a self-addressed shipping envelope from you, we will return it to you with your sample book inside.
Q. How do I determine my monthly contribution to Autographed By Author?
A. We ask for 10% of the proceeds from our referrals during the previous month, excluding taxes and shipping. This includes sales of all items from all pages accessible to the guest.
The amount the author contributes is determined by the author. We offer suggestions in the following paragraphs of ways to determine 10% of sales.
Q. What is the most accurate way to determine referrals?
A. You can use your Web site's log files to "track" visitors and sales at the end of every month.
Log files contain information about each visitor to your site. For each page view, the log records the time, previous URL, and IP number (a number that identifies the visitor.)
Most web hosts allow you to download the log files for your site. Find the visitors we sent by searching the log with your word processor's "find" tool for "autographedbyauthor" (and "greatbirthdaygiftideas" if your title is listed in the Great Gifts Catalog.)
Compare the IP numbers of the visitors we referred with the IP numbers from your sales. IP numbers are also saved by shopping carts, on-line forms and e-mailers. If the IP number match, we referred the buyer.
You may be able to guess an order came from us if your log file shows one of our referrals went to your order page and you received an order shortly afterwards. You may want to change your order page slightly to include a "submit" button. Pressing that will send their IP number to you along with the order-identifying information you requested above the button.
Q. Can I track referrals with a special entry page?
A. This would be a copy of your book's feature page that only Autographed By Author uses. The feature page convinces the guest to buy the book they came to see.
When the visitor presses the order button, you can have an e-mail sent to you with the visitor's IP number, date, time, and a subject line like "Autographed by Author referral."
The e-mail will alert you that the next order may be from an Autographed By Author referral. Compare the IP numbers to be sure.
Q. Can I track referrals with a special offer?
A. It would be nice to bribe our referrals to click or mention "Autographed By Author" when ordering so you know where they came from. If you do that, make sure you give them the special offer before asking for personal information.
If the offer is a discount or free shipping, make sure your site sends them to an item in your shopping cart which charges them correctly.
If you're going to give them something extra with their order, like a report or consultation, make sure the item's description in, or before, the cart makes that clear.
The easiest way to do either of these is with a special entry page. If you had a special item in your cart for our buyers you wouldn't need the e-mail feature described in the last question.
If the offer is only described at Autographed By Author, and not in your site's description of the item, the buyer will not be sure you'll honor the offer. That could kill the sale. If they buy anyway and you don't honor the offer, Autographed By Author would look dishonest.
Q. Can I track referrals from Autographed By Author by asking the guest for their referral source?
A. A large percentage of visitors ignore those type of questions, so the default answer's count becomes inflated.
We think it's fine to track that way as long as the default answer is "Autographed By Author." :-)
Q. How can I use a mirror site to track sales?
A. Publish a copy of your site at an address that you give to no one but Autographed By Author. All sales made through that site will be to our referrals.
Q. Can I track sales with an affiliate program?
A. That may be the easiest way. If your shopping cart offers that option, set it up to give referring sites 10% of sales and we'll be your first affiliate. The affiliate program will allow you to offer 10% commissions to an unlimited number of referrers.
Your shopping cart host will tell you whenever one of your affiliates sent you a buyer. They may also send a copy of the order to the affiliate so they know to expect a commission.
The only problem you may discover is that most affiliate programs pay substantially more than 10%. You may not be able to find anyone other than us to work for such a low commission.
Q. Can I participate if my book is sold through BookZone?
A. Yes. But you need to set up a way of determining which sales were a result of our referrals. This information is available in Bookzone's site logs.
One way around this is to create a mirror site (see above Q&A) with your feature page information on it. When the visitor presses the order button, they can transfer to your Bookzone order page.
If the mirror site was active just before a Bookzone sale was made, that order was probably our referral.
Q. How do I make my monthly contribution?
A. We will send you an e-mail after the end of every month with a link to our contribution page. The form will ask about your sales and give you the opportunity to purchase additional category listings.
Q. What if I make no sales one month?
A. We'll do everything we can to prevent that. If it happens, visit us anyway after receiving your monthly e-mail. Enter $0 for your sales, but press the button that sends us the completed form. That way we know you want to maintain your membership.
Q. What determines which titles are listed near the beginning of each category?
A. The guests decide which titles are listed first. The titles they buy most have the highest contributions remitted. Those are displayed closer to the top of their categories during the next month.
Authors who remit their contributions early in the month receive the greatest benefit from their sales figure.
Q. Are newly listed books penalized for having no sales the previous month?
A. Newly listed books will be near the bottom of their categories for the first few weeks, but they will be near the top of the "New Arrivals" category.
The "New Arrivals" category is popular because it is the first one displayed. It will send visitors to your feature page if your description and special offer are exciting. Hopefully, your feature page will turn those visitors into buyers.
This extra exposure for new listings gives them a better chance to report sales and climb to the top of the other categories they are listed in.
Q. Why should I make a special offer?
A. It makes you look generous.
It's also an easy way of tracking referrals. Branson's Best Daytrips tracks with the offer "Mention Autographed By Author and get a 20% discount, AND we'll pay shipping. Total price $11.96."
You don't have to be this generous to assure a response, but don't count on motivating anyone with an offer of a free bookmark.
Q. Why should I consider "Free Shipping" as a special offer?
A. It makes you look generous.
It's also fair to the buyers. They can buy your book from their local bookstore and not pay shipping. You're earning several times the profit when they buy directly from you. They're doing you a favor by ordering directly from you; why make them pay more?
On-line book buyers are used to paying $3.95 for shipping, although no one likes it. Book rate postage anywhere in the U.S. is only $1.42 for most books. If you pay the $1.42, it looks like you're giving a $3.95 discount.
I allow buyers of my book to upgrade to First Class or Priority anywhere in the U.S. or Canada for $2. It sounds generous, but it covers the cost.
Autographed By Author will have special "Free Shipping Sales" periodically. They will be advertised on-line and to our visitor invitation list. Be included in that category by offering free shipping as a special offer.
Q. How often can I change a special offer?
A. Changing the special offer or description requires us to modify our database and republish it. While we can do it as often as an author wants, we charge $5 per change.
If you can wait until the last quarter of the year, you can change for free. We offer "free change" weeks before and after the holiday buying season. Watch your Autographed By Author MemberLetter for the dates.
Q. Can I make a time-limited special offer?
A. If you do, it indicates the offer will be changed in the future. We require prepayment of both $5 change fees before we will list a time-limited special offer.
Before your offer expires, be sure to contact us with the text of your new special offer. Otherwise, we will change it to a blank offer on expiration.
Changing a blank offer to another special offer will incur another $5 change fee.
Q. What is the registration fee?
A. After reviewing an author's Web site and sample book, we may invite them to join Autographed By Author. With the invitation letter, we ask for the registration fee of $29.95.
There is no fee for submitting registration forms, or having us review a Web site or sample book. We activate the author's listing shortly after receiving the registration fee.
Q. Is there a discount for registering more than one book at a time?
A. Yes. Additional titles registered at the same time are only $19.95 per title. The first title is still $29.95. Each title receives its own listing at Autographed By Author. When visitors click on the title of any of your books, they transfer to the page in your site that features the book they clicked on. You'll need separate feature pages in your site for each title you list.
Q. Can I register my series of books as one title?
A. Yes. The registration fee for a series is only $29.95. The series will be listed as one title at Autographed By Author. When visitors click on the series title, they'll transfer to a page in your site that features the series.
A. This is the agreement. If you foresee a potential problem, please contact us about it. If we need to formulate a policy, we'll add it to this agreement, and inform the rest of the members at the next monthly e-mail.
Q. What is the length of our agreement?
A. The agreement starts when you pay your registration fee. We will notify you by e-mail shortly afterwards, when your title is listed on our site.
The agreement can be terminated by either of us at any time with e-mail notification. No explanations are required.
If the agreement is terminated we will refund your registration fee, reduced by $5 per month, or portion thereof, your title was listed.
Q. This sounds like an offer I can't refuse. How do I sign up?
Copyright © 1999 Autographed By Author. All rights reserved.
Revised: May 25, 2007.