There are millions of self-published books, The competition is fierce. If you want to sell books, you should ask yourself these questions: Do you have an eye-catching cover that competes in your genre? Is your book professionally edited and formatted? Do you have an intriguing blurb with a hook? Do you have a plan in order to promote your book?
There is no set starting price, but 2.99 for an ebook and 5.99 for a paperback, and 20.99 for a hardcover seems to be the average.
Publishing via KDP gets the book on Kindle and registering with Kindle Select makes the book exclusive to Kindle Unlimited for three months. Best to start there because KU readers are most likely to give a new author a chance.
Is it possible to change something in a book that is already live on Amazon? Just upload the updated version of your manuscript and it will replace the current one. If you make major changes (I believe more than 10%, then you need to publish it as a new edition with a new ISBN. You can also change your cover by going to your bookshelf, and clicking on the ellipsis by the right side of the book you want to change.
ARCs are copies you give free to people who review your book
Use hashtags when you post on social media. E. g. Those of you who read my newsletter, did you agree with my #sapphic Best Books of 2022? Which titles would you have added? Spread #lesfic and #WLW love around!
Go to the Marketing tab. · In the Run a Price Promotion, select Kindle Countdown Deals. · Click. You must be in the kdp program to get your 5 free days, then it is very easy . But kdp is limited to Amazon only but I believe 85% of book sales are thru Amazon . Not sure about that percentage it might be more . Once you set your free days you can also use promotion or newsletters ( paid) to promote your free days
What kind of books? Did you have them professionally edited, and pay for a high-quality cover? Are you using the right keywords? Did you choose the right categories?
What are you doing to market them? Are you paying for Amazon of FB ads?
Do you have an author page on FB? Instagram? Twitter? Tiktok? YouTube?
Have you talked to local stores and asked them to sell copies for you?
Have you talked to local media (newspaper, radio, tv) and asked to be interviewed? Have you reached out to podcasters and bloggers to be interviewed?
Do you have an email list of potential customers? Do you have a website? If you do, do you have a “member only” page? Where do they sign up with their email and in return, you give added features?
Or did you create books, throw them on KDP with the 12 million other books (and 1000-2000 more added every day), and just assume people will find the books, and then buy them?
KU you make .04 cents for every page read or half a penny
Thank you Readers who gave my debut novel an honest review on Amazon.
I’m nearing the coveted 100 reviews. IF you read my book, please consider taking some of your precious time to review it.
Don’t sweat it. What you write doesn’t have to be long. Plus, no worries: as a general rule, I don’t read reviews. Reviews are to help potential readers make decisions about where to invest their time and money
If you get 15 reviews you are on your way
If you get 25 reviews Amazon puts you book in almost bought you might like list
If you get 75 reviews Amazon highlights it a customer email letter
Read your book out loud
Learn about Ingram Spark
Given the reality of millions of books, I would ask: 1) Do you have a ‘killer’ cover that competes in your genre? Is your book professionally edited and formatted? 3) Do you have a catchy blurb with a hook? And finally, what have you done to promote your book?
promote primarily on TikTok booktok and I also have a Facebook reader group and Instagram.
Most professional bios are in third person (just like blurbs), but I am starting to see first-person bios (and blurbs) in certain genres and they sound more personal
Amazon have a separate service called ACX. It’s essentially KDP but did audiobooks. There’s various ways to do it from finding someone to pay to do it, doing it yourself, or finding someone to collaborate with. I went for that option and with that there’s no upfront costs but royalties are split 50/50 between me and the narrator / producer.
Tell everyone about pre ordering your book. The publish date for Amazon takes a few hours or can take up to a week. Or you can set your own release day a week-10 days ahead to give arc readers a chance to read and prepare reviews for your book
Don’t forget to buy your own book via CJ’s account to get the sales rolling! One purchase by you in each format counts towards your ranking but any more than that don’t.
- KDP example
- ASIN : B09X55LH9W
- Publisher : Independently published (April 3, 2022)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 396 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-8445446255
- Item Weight : 1.29 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
KU plan last 90 days then you can opt to take your book out.
BE sure you have free days first, then consider using two of your Amazon free days to give away your ebook through Freebooksy, or at a very reduced cost with Fussy Librarian or Bargainbooksy. They all have a cost, but will bring your book some attention.
Hire Social media Marketing manager …maybe, maybe not.
Have many book ARCs reviews before publishing e.g sapphic book review
Do amazon publishing, not Facebook publishing
No need to have a series in Lesbian Fiction Stand alones do better but using the same characters are fine
I have to advertise using Facebook ads and Amazon ads but I would recommend taking a course on how to use them as they can lose money if you’re not careful. There is no magic wand and marketing is relentless and at the end of the day, people have to enjoy what you write
1. Facebook Ad ($10)
2. When book sales slowed, I would use a free Amazon giveaway. It spiked interest again.
3. Find book reading groups that allow promotion on Facebook. This was HUGE! Post on everything that asked for a recommendation of memoirs, interesting stories…etc. “The Book Hangout Spot” is awesome! They have thousands and thousands of people asking for new authors/books.
4. Post the title/link at least in 3-4 different groups DAILY. This only takes about ten minutes.
5. Carry on conversations with those posts and comments.
6. I have discussed my book in two podcasts so far.
7. I have a book signing at a local restaurant tomorrow.
8. We had an internationally-recognized story. Our five-year-old was accidentally shot by police while he was fishing with my dad at our family-owned pond.
9. Don’t be afraid to talk about the book often in daily conversations.
10. Post on author page AND main profile page.
11. I am a teacher, so I donated to our library. Students feel “cool” to have the teacher’s book.
12. Be Real—Laugh, cry, and show emotion in posts. Tell them how amazing they are when they purchase books.
13. Think of fundraisers we all did in school. How did we make sales back in the day to win that free “Walkman”? Never give up! Push and find a way.
