Whether you’re an award-winning writer or just beginning your career as an author, opening an online bookstore is an excellent way to reach your audience. According to Dr. Merriel M. Chase — a San Antonio, TX, author and operator of her own internet bookstore — having your work carried in large chain stores is a great way to make sales, but an online bookstore offers several advantages that brick-and-mortar stores don’t deliver.

If you’re an author, here are five reasons you should open an online bookstore:

• Exposure: Selling your books online will give you exposure to people all over the world — not just those who happen to come across your book at a neighborhood store. Additionally, people may discover your books through internet searches, which opens a whole new avenue of potential readers that you wouldn’t have at a store.
• Convenience: Shopping at an online bookstore is much more convenient, as people won’t have to waste time browsing the shelves for the book they want. Additionally, many people enjoy the benefit of having their book delivered right to their door rather than finding the time in their busy schedules to go pick it up.
• Price: When you open a bookstore online, you can offer better prices to your customers. Large chain bookstores mark up the prices of the books they sell to make a greater profit. Customers will appreciate a better deal and may purchase several copies of your work if it is priced more affordably.
• Reviews: A great advantage of opening an online bookstore is your readers can leave reviews of your work. If other buyers have seen your book’s praise, they’ll be more likely to purchase it. At a traditional bookstore, customers can’t read reviews of books they’re considering buying.
• E-Books: With modern technology, many people enjoy digital versions of books, called e-books. You can make e-books available on your website, which your customers can download immediately to their mobile device or e-readers.

If you need an effective platform to sell your books, open an online bookstore, just like Dr. Merriel M. Chase has done. You can browse her website for inspiration and shop her latest books, including Steps Ordered and Esmerelda, The Gifted, Volume 1. For more information, call her at (210) 862-6754.