Tools for Authors
HOW DO I MAKE A LIVING AS AN AUTHOR?
It is extremely difficult to make a living as a writer. Wow! What an opening, right? Stay with me now- there’s more. Yes, people are doing it, so what’s the secret?
First things first: there are no secrets. I know we see ads all the time on how we can be a New York Times bestseller. All we have to do is purchase this or that service, and you will be on your way.
How about these quotes?
“There is no substitute for hard work.” -Thomas Edison
“To succeed, work hard, never give up and above all, cherish a magnificent obsession.” -Walt Disney
"But remember this—if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much.” II Corinthians 9:6
Honestly, the best way to increase your chances of attaining every author's dream is to write, write, and write some more. The more books you have the better.
IS FREE A GOOD IDEA?
There are several answers to that question. Some authors give their books away. I don’t. You worked hard writing and rewriting, paying for editing and cover design. Why give it away? I understand the premise. You want your book in the hands of as many readers as possible. A limited free promotion is fine to get the ball rolling, but free means different things to different people. Your work has worth.
Many free books do not get read. Readers sometimes download a dozen free offers at a time. There is a good chance you will get buried in the pile. You have heard stories like, "I got 5,000 downloads in one week!" I have received 3,500 downloads several times, from a free promotion but little came from it.
Price your book to sell, and promote, promote, promote!
WRITE A SERIES
Writing a series is a great way to sell books. I have a 9 book series out right now. In my case, pricing book one at $0.99 makes sense. I am confident that once a reader begins the series, they will continue the journey through all nine books. Selling 500 books at 99 cents won't pay the bills, but selling 8 books at the regular price will.
GIVE YOUR BOOK A FACE LIFT
ATTRACT READERS WITH A GREAT BOOK SALES DESCRIPTION
Most novels have a hook in the headline; something that makes the reader intrigued and want to know more. It is called a hook for good reason. It needs to be genre-specific targeting the reader in your particular niche. For example, the first line of book 9 of Hidden Thrones, “On the Edge of Time involves the human heart’s earnest search for heaven in the midst of Hell come to Earth.”
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CATEGORIES & KEYWORDS FOR YOUR BOOK
The category/genre gives readers specific expectations. If you don't meet those expectations, they will be disappointed, which could lead to damaging reviews. It's extremely important to match reader expectations and the promise of what your book delivers with what your book is actually about.
A keyword is a word or phrase that is associated with your book. It's based on the words that people use to search online, and this is a crucial aspect of getting found. Often, the language you use is not the language that your readers might use. Select keywords that your target audience would use.
PRICING YOUR BOOK TO SELL & SCHEDULING SPECIAL PROMOTIONS
We all like to receive large royalty checks, but from a reader's perspective, it is risky to try a new author when it's so much easier to pick up the next John Grisham or James Patterson novel. Everyone loves a sale and that gets you new followers and much-needed reviews.
Advertising & Promoting Your Book
Once your book has been optimized for best performance, it is time to get out of the stack.
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS A REASONABLE BUDGET?
As I said before it’s best to start slow. We all get excited when it comes to launching day. I know I do. However, spending thousands of dollars and expecting to make the New York Times bestseller list is overdoing it, to say the least (and yes, people do this!).
You will end up disappointed and it will leave a big hole in your pocket as well. You might be thinking, "Man, Russ. You are a major downer!" No, I'm merely wiser than I was a few years ago. You must prepare for a marathon. Here is my advice:
CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Advertising costs money - there is no doubt about that. Unless you have money to burn, it is better to have a plan that you can sustain.
UNDERSTANDING AMAZON RANKINGS
Amazon updates their rankings every two hours, so your book could be #42 in Christian Fiction and the next time you look it might be #32 or #62. Your book's overall ranking directly affects your Top 100 Bestseller rank. So, what is a good overall number? A ranking of 80,000 means you are selling approximately 3 books
per day. Staying around 100,000 to 130,000 usually means you’re in the game. Keep in mind there are 6 million books in the stack!
WILL I BECOME AN AMAZON BESTSELLER IN MY GENRE?
Part of the process of optimizing your book is finding the best genre path for success, but the fact is some genres are very difficult to break into. For example, an overall Amazon ranking of 200,000 will get you in the Top 50 in a very specific category like
"Crafts > Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Pottery & Ceramics" but it would take an overall Amazon ranking of 1,610 in a broader genre like "Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction."
THE BOTTOM LINE IS ALWAYS THE SAME
Whatever fuels your passion for writing, your book must be interesting enough to grab the reader’s attention. My personal opinion is, plan to promote consistently for at least one full year. I have promoted my books every month for the past 5 years. Consistency breeds success.
Relaunching Your Book
Pumping new life into a book you released 3-5 years ago is not only doable, but wise.
Remember you are in this for the long haul! A big book launch sounds enticing, but ask yourself... if I put everything on the line for one big push, will I have enough resources to continue my campaign for months to come? The last thing you want is to watch your book fall into the stack never to be heard from again.
Coca-Cola spent 193 million U.S. dollars in 2021 on advertising its flagship beverage. Why in the world would they do that? Everybody already knows what Coke is. The answer is simple: by continually advertising, they keep their brand on top of the stack and in everyone’s mind, so when they introduce
a new product, their customers will buy it.
Slow and steady wins the race. Building momentum will not only give you a constant royalty flow, but will allow you to build up needed reviews. So what to do?
NEW COVER
I have updated my book covers several times over the years. A facelift can work wonders. A new book cover can garner more attention. Major publishers do it all the time because it works.
REDO YOUR METADATA
Revisit your categories and keywords, because Amazon adds more categories all the time. For example, literary fiction used to be one category and now has multiple levels below that, and you will rank better and be more discoverable in a more specific category. Amazon has thousands of categories. Finding the right one is key.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
This the simplest way to improve your chances of success. The first few lines are critical. I can’t emphasize this enough. Your cover and the description of your book is your first impression. And you know what they say about first impressions.