For arguably the majority of writers, the ultimate goal is being able to pull in a full-time income from our works. But in today’s market—where attention is more valuable than gold and readers have more things to pay attention to than ever before—how is it possible to sell that many books in the first place?
We have six ways you can try to sell more books this year.
Option 1: Run Ads
This is the one no author wants to hear, we know. None of the ad platforms are terribly user friendly, and they all require you to spend money to make money. Not to mention that it’s not exactly a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. In order to run ads, you also need captivating ad copy and enticing images, and they have to meet the platform’s guidelines—no matter how inconvenient or silly they may sound.
But once you’ve survived the A/B testing and the algorithm training, ads will get the right eyeballs on your books, and that is exactly what you want. It’s just going to take you time and money to get there.
Option 2: Promotions
“Promos” come in many forms. You have your author-led group promos like those found on BookFunnel and Story Origin, then you have those package deals from PR companies, and email blasts like those from BookBub and Fussy Librarian. Not every kind will work well for every genre, so it’ll take lots of research and even some experimentation for you to find what works for your books—and that means you’re throwing time and money at it.
Option 3: Anthologies
Joining anthology ventures can be a great way to network with other authors in your subgenre or niche, and they offer a way to introduce yourself to new readers. After all, people buy from those they know, like, and trust. If they see your name in an anthology with a favorite author of theirs, they may be more likely to check out your work the next time your name pops up.
Like it or not, though, not every reader picks up an anthology with the intention of reading every story in it, so this is not a guaranteed way to bring in scores of new readers.
Option 4: Go Viral
That’s the dream, isn’t it? Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee or even predict virality. You can do everything the experts suggest—post high quality content at the most opportune times, take advantage of trends, use all a given app’s latest features, and so on—but a lot of it will come down to luck. Obviously, success always has an element of luck to it, but you certainly don’t want to rely on luck for book sales!
Option 5: Newsletter Swaps
When approached strategically, newsletters swaps—where you mention an author’s book in your email newsletter in exchange for them mentioning your book in theirs—are great for authors looking for new readers to hook. They’re a way to “borrow” new-to-you yet similar audiences provided you only swap with authors whose readers have similar taste to yours.
However, if you miscalculate, you risk confusing readers, and a confused reader will not click that buy button!
Option 6: Build a Fandom
This is what we all strive for—loyal readers who’ll pick up every book and ride the waves of your writing career with you. They’re the read-or-die fans, if you will. They’ll talk about you to their bookish friends, join your ARC and street teams, and create content around your books because they love them that much.
And if you’re looking to build a fandom, you need look no further than #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Kandi Steiner’s later workshop.
Join us and Kandi on Thursday, February 22 at 6 PM EST to learn her secrets, tips, and tricks for cultivating a loyal fanbase that will help your writing career grow and sustain. You’ll also learn how to have the confidence to build your brand’s relatability, navigate the best avenues to hone your audience, and how to keep readers coming back for more.
This class will have an hour and a half of valuable insights and actionable steps you can take to build a devoted following followed by thirty minutes for Q&A with Kandi.
Seeing this after the workshop has taken place? Don’t worry—by registering, you’ll also get replay access, and you’ll be joining our supportive, close-knit online community of like-minded writers.
For the best experience, register using your laptop or desktop. Already in our online community? Log in and use this link!
