Bonus Material

When you buy something, do you appreciate it when you get more than you expect?

Well, it depends:

• If it’s something that you want.
• If you don’t feel like you paid extra for it.

If you buy a product, you think the price is great, and you discover that it not only came with the product you wanted, but it also came with a second product that you also wanted.

That would be a great value, right?

Well, that’s the effect we strive for when we include bonus material in a book.

Most front matter and back matter aren’t bonuses. Some are clutter. Some are advertising (e.g. the first chapter of another book, or your about the author page). These things don’t make your book seem like a better value.

But let’s say that you had a free, complete short story or poem at the end of your book. As long as it’s something that the reader values, it’s bonus material.

I’ve watched some animated movies in the theater to find that a short cartoon at the beginning was even better than the movie itself. That was a sweet bonus.

I see some authors chopping their books up into pieces or selling Kindle “books” that just have a few pages. Well, I don’t know if any of these are selling. I cross my fingers that most of these won’t, that word will spread, and more authors will adopt a “more is more” strategy.

As you may know, I’m releasing a boxed set of four of my self-publishing books. The Kindle edition is presently available for pre-order and a mammoth paperback edition is on its way.

I’ve been putting together some bonus material.

I started by combing through my blog for helpful posts. The book has 780 pages to begin with and I’m looking to add another 100 pages with blog articles.

Yes, the articles are free here at my blog, but they are mixed in with hundreds of others. My hope is that having several of my most helpful articles conveniently organized at the end of the book will be helpful to some.

Plus, a couple of my books refer to specific articles on my blog. By having the article in the book, instead of referring the reader to my blog, I can just include a hyperlink to the article in the book itself.

Below is a list of articles that I picked from my blog.

If you can think of an article that I’ve overlooked, please let me know.

Tell me what you think about this list. (Please.)

Formatting

• Microsoft Word’s Styles
• Page Numbering in Word 2010
• Kerning in Microsoft Word
• Kindle Kids’ Book Creator
• Sideload to Kindle

Marketing

• Marketing: Why Isn’t it Working?
• Most Valuable Marketing for Self-Published Authors
• Marketing Children’s Books
• Kindle Preorders
• Kindle Promotions
• Is Kindle MatchBook Working for You?

Publishing

• Which Fonts Can You Use?
• How to Find and Hire a Cover Artist
• Who Wants to Read Your Self-Published Book?
• Self-Publishing Expenses
• Selling Books Directly
• Book Blurb
• Where Are Your CreateSpace Sales?
• Indie Publishing Is Dynamic
• Should You Publish with an Imprint?
• What to Do When Sales S-T-I-N-K
• Is a Book Worth More than a Greeting Card?

Comical Relief

• Once Upon a Time
• Which Part of a Book Is Best?
• When Amazon Buys Heaven

Chris McMullen

Copyright © 2014 Chris McMullen, Author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers

• Volume 1 on formatting and publishing
• Volume 2 on marketability and marketing
• Boxed set (of 4 books) now available for Kindle pre-order

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