A new self-published author wrote into my website inquiring about advertising services for her debut novel, a romance. She wanted to hire me to create an advertising plan, back when I consulted on those sorts of things.

She wrote, “I expect to sell a million copies of this book.”

That single statement was all it took for me to politely decline the job.

To sell a million copies of a book, or anything really, you need an ad budget that is at least six figures. And, that doesn’t even take into account advertising in a highly competitive genre like romance.

Her statement told me she had not even looked at the market in which she was about to do battle. She had no plan, and no realistic expectations for sales.

Authors often write a book first, and then later try to shoehorn that book into a specific market segment. They think to themselves, “After all, it’s on Amazon. At least some of the millions of customers flocking there every day will buy it, right?”

Wrong. That approach never, ever works.

The better strategy is to first look at the genre you want to enter, make notes on where the competition is weak, and then write a stronger book. (Or, better yet, a stronger series of books.)

In trying to understand your book’s market, ask yourself the following questions:

1.) Who is the target audience for my book?

2.) What is the price of my competitors’ books?

3.) Where does my book fit in terms of genre or category?

4.) How can I make a cover that is equal to, or better than, my competitors’ book covers?

5.) Why is my book different than all the competing books?

You don’t need to sell a million books to be a successful author. I mean, sure, it is nice to sell a million copies. But all you really need to do is sell your books consistently.

Take Away Points:

1. Research the competition.
2. Think about target audience, competitors’ prices, genre/category, competing covers, and why your book is different.

 

 RELATED

• “My book is on Amazon so it MUST be selling, right?”
• Brutal Honesty, Because You Asked! Why YOUR Book Isn’t Selling – by Angela Hoy
• Book Genres That Are Selling GREAT Right Now
• Building a Successful Book Selling Model Isn’t Complicated or Mystical. (Psssttt! Here’s the secret…) by Richard Hoy, BoostABook.com
• Identify Best-selling Trends BEFORE Writing Your Next Book by Kristin James

Why Should I Listen to Richard?

That’s a darn good question. Why should you listen to Richard?

 Richard is the rarely-heard-from co-founder of BookLocker.com. He’s been in the self-publishing industry since 1999. Four years before that, he started his career in online marketing (just as it was becoming a formal profession). You can read the whole story of Richard’s career at JoeGrape.com. When he isn’t shelling out online marketing help, he is planning off-road motorcycle trips.

 Richard has more blunt self-publishing advice for WritersWeekly.com readers in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?

Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.

ASK ANGELA!