[Glaucoides]

Hey authors! As some of you know, I'm completely new to book marketing, just starting out this winter marketing my mom's debut novel while she writes her second. I have had some success boosting sales with Amazon ads, and discount promos on promo sites. But I'm not sure what the long-term strategy looks like. What should I be doing repeatedly or continuously to keep the sales flowing?

Thanks everyone!

-- Noah in frigid wet Northern California

 

[scottdouglas]

Writing more books. Growing your mailing list.

 

[Carol (was Dara)]

Writing more books that are closely connected to one another and, as mentioned above, building an email newsletter where you can share the news each time your mom releases another book. It's very difficult not to lose money on ads or discount promos on a single book, until you have multiple books available in a tightly connected series. Or even if they're not in a series, try to show a consistent branding across all of them (similar type of book, similar style of covers). The less obviously connected they are (for example, if they're in different genres) the harder it is to retain readers. Also, publish frequently. That alone doesn't guarantee anything, but it's very difficult to build momentum without publishing several books per year. So...

• Publish lots.
• Make them connected to one another.
• Collect newsletter subscribers.
• Ads and promos for the first book, in hopes it will sell the rest, making it possible to break even on ad expenses as the catalog grows and, eventually, maybe reach a profit.
• Expect the process to be long.

 

[Patty Jansen]

Once you have some books, make sure you keep them up to date and bring them out in different new formats and in different ways as those things become available or easier to do, or make financial sense.
Realise that the more books you have, the less chasing your tail with writing more books, more books, MOAR BOOKS becomes the answer, but the more it is about the way you bring in and retain readers. And that if you bring a book out in another format, this also adds to your audience without adding extra work (i.e. writing another book).
Basically: make sure you always maximise your income from stuff you've already written.