Written by: Melissa Desveaux, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Could I do it? Did I have it in me? I doubted myself...
I’ve been a contributor to two books that made it to a bestseller on Amazon, so I had an idea of the process.
I held two of my own collaborations, but they didn’t make it. I was missing something, and I didn’t know what it was.
For my new book “Letters of Love,” released 1 February 2021, I knew without a doubt that this book would be special. From the moment I had the idea to create another anthology, it was full steam ahead!
I gathered 11 people to join me on this journey, and we made it happen. We went through the many struggles of getting it together. Believe me, writing and publishing a book isn’t an easy feat, but after all the organization and the amazing teamwork from my fellow authors, we pulled it off! We hit No.1 bestseller in Australia and Germany and No.2 in the USA. We even made it on the Hot New Release list in multiple categories and multiple countries!
I’ve had many people ask me HOW so I’ll give you a little insight.
There is A LOT of preparation and research to get a book to No 1. I was the backbone of it all, but I still needed help.
It was my team that pushed it, and we marketed from the very beginning. We gave clues that a new book was coming out. We did a cover reveal. We used our email lists, and we were on social media every day sharing pieces of the book and getting our audiences prepared!
Marketing is a KEY factor to hitting the bestseller mark, but not the only one. Categories and keywords need to be in order. You really do need to select them carefully so you can outrank your competitors. Be sure to ask for 10 categories on Amazon. It’s a little deceiving at first because they only allow two when you upload your files. But when you’re in the game and seek insider information, you get to know the little tips and tricks some marketers don’t tell you!
Truly though, having a team of people behind you if you want to write and publish a book is going to get you to stand out in the crowd. Especially with the number of channels we can use to share to.
Set yourself up long before you decide to launch, and don’t waste time. Start researching those categories and keywords ahead of launch day, get your audience inside a launch party, and make it fun! We actually pulled it off from start to finish in four months!
And lastly… Do networking with people in the know your buddies - if you can get into any form of media outlet, such as TV, podcasts, interviews, writing articles in magazines, anything… Just do it!
Letters of Love is on sale in all major online stores.
You can find Melissa through Facebook or her websites melissadesveauxconsulting.com and melissadesveaux.com
Melissa Desveaux, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Melissa Desveaux lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two boys. She struggled through three miscarriages and had a stillborn baby in 2007, and after her sons were born, she published her memoir My Life Of Loss. Melissa has compiled and published two books written by women who have experienced pregnancy struggles and contributed to three anthologies. Melissa was nominated and awarded an Australia Day Award in 2017 for her dedication and contribution in helping families through pregnancy loss. In 2019 Melissa became an ambassador for the Pink Elephants Support Network, supporting mothers who have experienced miscarriage. She has also started a business helping influencers write and publish their own personal stories so they can change the world.