Today I got an email from an indie author wanting help with marketing. Here’s what I told him:
I can give you some basic advice, and you can find more if you look on our blog under marketing tips. There’s a formula that many indie authors are using to make tons of money on ebooks, and here it is:
1. Write a series, the longer the better. Write them fast, or at least put them out fast, if possible. Make sure your editing and cover art are top notch.
2. Make the first book in the series permanently free.
3. Promote that first book like mad, ideally on BookBub or Ereader News Today, or similar.
4. Capture the email addresses of your fans on your website using a freebie in exchange for signup. Perhaps this is a prequel to Book 1, or perhaps a short story or novella. Put the notice of that carrot at the beginning of every ebook you have.
5. Let your newsletter list know when you’re going to put out a new book, and communicate with them at least every month or two on subjects that would interest them.
Hope that is helpful to you.
Pam Halter says
Great advice! I just read Randy Ingermanson’s newsletter and he talked about marketing. As much fun as Facebook and all are, they aren’t the best way to market. We need an email list for newsletters. I’m working on that with my website upgrade. It will add more time for me, but will give me more exposure and add another dimension to my marketing. So one of the things I’ll be focusing on in 2017 is being better organized with my time. Which means less lunches with friends. Ha!
Phyllis Wheeler says
Way to go, Pam!