These days, it isn't enough to write a book.

You have to sell it, too.

Unfortunately, most of us writers aren't marketers.  We sit for long hours in front of the computer, immersed in our own worlds, only emerging to blink, owl-like, at the moving forms beyond our study windows.

Writers aren't supposed to figure out what makes people buy books.  That's what agents and publishers are for.

Except, of course, that no publisher today will pick up a book that isn't a sure sell.

So who must convince the publisher that the book will sell?

The author.

One of the most difficult parts of any book proposal (to me, at least) is the market research.  An author must explain to the publisher who will buy the book, why they'll buy that book rather than another, and what lengths the author is prepared to go to sell it.

For someone who isn't naturally sociable - and many authors aren't - this is terrifying.

So what can you do right now to position yourself favorably for the sale of your future book?

Join Toastmasters?  Audition for a reality TV program?  Date somebody famous?

Relax...  It's easier than that.

1. Target Online Sales

Mark Joyner, author of The Rise of the Author, figures that there's a narrow technological window that exists right now, enabling anyone to become a best-selling author.

I've been part of the very same phenomenon Joyner talks about.  Over the past few years, I've been invited to take part in book launches that pushed their authors to best-seller status on Amazon.com.  These authors harnessed the power of internet marketing to get people buying books.  First, they emailed anyone and everyone who had a newsletter list with members who might be interested in what that author had to say.  Then, they created a web page offering hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of digital bonuses to anyone who purchased their book via their link.

On launch day, a mass of people bombarded Amazon.com with book orders, pushing that book to the top of the sales charts.

There's no better way to establish credibility than to call yourself the author of a best-selling book, and YOU can become a best-selling author tomorrow ... if you're willing to do a little social networking.

2. Develop Your Online Presence

I've noticed a trend in my favorite publishing house.  Increasingly, they're publishing books by first-time authors who have one and only one thing to recommend them: websites with thousands of readers.

Social networking in the internet age has become one of the most powerful forces in popular culture, able to turn mere nobodies into globally-recognized stars.  (Just ask Justin Bieber.)

So, if you have a blog, website, Facebook profile, or Twitter account that's read by a faithful audience of fans, you'll have an easier time convincing a publisher that people will buy your books on name recognition alone.

Having a name that people recognize is the best way to get yourself a publishing contract.  It used to be that you had to be extremely talented or famous or win a big award to get your name out there, but these days the internet has made fame accessible to everyone.

One word of warning, though:

Avoid using pseudonyms online.

I know that many people are worried about their privacy online, but not using your real name will defeat the purpose.

Will a potential employer be able to find your site? Yes.
Will a potential fan be able to find your site?  Yes.

Which matters more?

3. Be Good to Your Fans

When I was a kid, you used to be able to write in and join a celebrity's fan club.  You'd get a welcome pack in the mail, sometimes monthly newsletters, and sometimes invites to a screening of their show.

These days, fan clubs have moved online, but fans still expect to be rewarded for their loyalty.

It doesn't cost much to create an author website, and it doesn't take much time to whip out a monthly newsletter.  Every email address you collect is like money in the bank.  Those are people who will be waiting with baited breath to find out when your next book comes out, and they'd adore each and every personal detail you let slip about your life and how you write.

Now, if you're anything like me, you may feel a bit silly creating a fan club for yourself.  After all, your work stands on its own, doesn't it?  You're not some hero for people to worship; you just happen to write books that some people happen to like to read.

That sort of attitude won't help the publisher sell books.

Your job is to make it easy for the publisher.  You can do that by having an official website and an online newsletter.  It's not egotism; it's business.

So get over yourself, get out there, and connect with your fans!  Nothing is more important to a writer than the people who buy his/her books.