Gary Sturgis is BookLocker‘s current best selling author, earning thousands per month in royalties. Learn how he does it! EPISODE 45: How to Earn Thousands Per Month in Book Royalties – PART 1 of 2

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People sometimes ask me how I grew such a large social media following, and I think they expect me to have some secret formula involving algorithms, hashtags, posting schedules, or whatever the latest social media experts say we’re supposed to be doing.

I don’t.

When I started writing about grief, I wasn’t trying to build a following. I was trying to connect with people. I experienced the death of my spouse, and I knew how lonely grief could be. I started sharing honestly about what I experienced, what I was learning, and sometimes what I was still struggling to understand. Somewhere along the way, people began showing up.

People can tell when you’re talking to them instead of trying to market to them.

If I’ve learned anything about growing an audience organically, it’s that authenticity matters more than perfection. Some of my most successful posts weren’t the ones I spent hours carefully crafting. They were the ones where I said something people had been feeling but hadn’t been able to put into words themselves. When someone reads something and thinks, “Yes! That’s exactly how I feel,” they comment. They share it. They come back.

And coming back matters.

Consistency has probably been as important to my growth as anything else. I show up regularly. Not every post is going to be a home run, and believe me, I’ve had plenty that landed with a thud. You can’t let that determine what you write next. Social media numbers can tell you what resonated, but they shouldn’t become the reason you’re writing.

I also pay attention to the comments. In fact, some of my best ideas come directly from the people who follow me. If twenty people mention loneliness, I know we need to talk about loneliness. If people keep mentioning guilt, anger, exhaustion, or feeling forgotten, I listen. Your audience will tell you what they need if you stop talking long enough to hear them.

Most importantly, I don’t think of the people following me as a “following.” I think of them as a community. There’s a big difference. A following watches you. A community participates with you.

So, if you’re trying to organically grow your social media presence, my advice is pretty simple:

Stop worrying so much about growing it. Show up consistently. Be useful. Be human. Pay attention. And, write something worth sharing.

Then, give people a reason to want to come back tomorrow.

RELATED

• EPISODE 45: How to Earn Thousands Per Month in Book Royalties – PART 1 of 2 – In this episode, international bestselling BookLocker.com author, Gary Sturgis, shares his secrets for book selling success!
• EPISODE 46: How to Earn Thousands Per Month in Book Royalties – PART 2 of 2 – In PART 2, international bestselling BookLocker.com author, Gary Sturgis, shares more of his book marketing secrets!
• What’s a Flagship Book? And How Can You Use It to Sell Your Other Books? – by Gary Sturgis – International Bestselling Author of SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year
• The Book Wasn’t the Product. The Community Was. – by Gary Sturgis
• The Importance of Finding YOUR Author Community Online – by Gary Sturgis – Bestselling Author of: SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year
• Why Authors Should Cheer Each Other On (And Mean It) By Gary Sturgis – Bestselling author of: SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year
• When Trolls Show Up, You’re Doing Something Right! – by Gary Sturgis, Bestselling author of: SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year
• Reel in Book Buyers! How a Hook Can Boost Sales for Your Self-Published Book By Gary Sturgis
• Building a New Career from Your Book By Gary Sturgis

Gary Sturgis survived the greatest loss of his life and now works as a Grief Specialist, Bereavement Facilitator and Speaker, guiding and supporting others in their struggle with grief. He finds it an honor to help those that are grieving a loss navigate their way through the maze of grief in a very personal and meaningful way. He lives by the ocean in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Contact Gary directly RIGHT HERE. Gary’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SurvivingGriefGarySturgis

CONTACT GARY:

• The Surviving Grief Community on Facebook. Grief and Healing – A Facebook community facilitated by Gary Sturgis, the International Bestselling Author of: SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year. “A gentle companion for the days you don’t know how to get through.” – NY Times
• Gary Sturgis’ website

GARY’S OTHER BOOKS:

• The SURVIVING GRIEF Workbook: Exercises For Working Through Grief – This is the companion workbook for SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year
• SURVIVING: Finding Your Way from Grief to Healing
• GRIEF: Hope in the Aftermath
• WHAT FEEDS YOUR SOUL?: Finding Light in the Shadow of Grief
• SURVIVING GRIEF During the Holidays
• SURVIVING GRIEF: A Group Companion for Grief Group Facilitators & Those Sitting in the Circle
• A Life Ring for Katie: Finding Hope After Goodbye

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