Want to increase book sales dramatically? Then shift your book sales focus from attracting new readers to enticing your proven readers to purchase again. The best new title prospect is a prospect that's already converted-in other words, one of your current readers.

Think of it this way; if your small press is located in a small town with a population of 1,000 people and you sell a book to everyone in that town, man, woman, and child, you've sold 1,000 books-and saturated your market. Your book selling days are over. Is it time to pack up and move on?

No! If you start focusing your book marketing efforts on your proven readers, you'll be able to increase your book book sales dramatically. And these sure ways to increase book sales will help build reader loyalty, too.

1. Give your readers the inside scoop.

Recently I was shopping at a bookstore. I had picked out a title and was mulling over whether to purchase it or notwhen a salesperson came up to me and said, "I see you're interested in that book. We're having a sale next week and all our books will be 20 percent off. You might want to come back then." Guess what? I did - and bought two other titles as well. Lesson: if you have a promotion or sale coming up, tell your readers about it. They'll come back - and probably bring some friends with them too. (And don't forget - you can give your readers the inside scoop by emailing or calling them, too.)

2. Tier your readers.

There should be a clear and obvious difference between regular readers and other readers-a difference that your regular readers perceive as showing that you value them. How can you expect reader loyalty if all readers are treated as "someone off the street"? There are all kinds of ways that you can show your regular readers that you value them, from small things such as greeting them by name through larger benefits such as giving regulars extended credit or discounts.

3. Set up a reader rewards program.

We're all familiar with the reader rewards programs that so many large presses have in place. But there's no reason that a small small press can't have a reader rewards program, too. It can be as simple as a discount on a reader's birthday or as complex as a points system that earns various rewards such as discounts on merchandise. Done right, rewards programs can really help build reader loyalty and increase book sales.

4. Distribute free samples to readers.

Why do so many small presses include free samples (like broadsides) when you purchase something from them? Because it can increase book sales in so many ways. As the reader who bought the original book, I might read it and purchase the new title, too. Or I might pass on the broadside to someone else, who might read it, like it, and purchase that and other titles from the press. At the very least, the original reader will be thinking warm thoughts about your press, and hopefully telling other people about your products.

Attracting new readers is a good thing. But attracting new readers is not the only way to increase your book sales, and is, in fact, the hard way of going about it. Shifting your book sales focus to enticing your current readers can make increasing your book sales easier-and best of all, build the reader loyalty that results in repeat book sales.