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ShaneJeffery
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Hi there. Since I've gone from someone drunkenly scouring these boards in search of a solution to making money at writing, to someone who now makes it (for however brief a time it is) here are some pointers I picked up that were good, and some pointers that were terrible.
Top 5 Tips
1. Research Best Seller Lists
This is how you find out what sells. This might sound cheap but if what you want to write hasn't already been done in some variation, you haven't a hope of selling well. View Best Seller Lists as a guide to your writing.
2. Accept your opinion doesn't matter
Yep. Your opinion means nothing. You're going to get terrible reviews (and be pleased you're getting them vs not being read) and every single one of them is going to drain your lifeblood. The thing is, those people on your product page, slamming you, telling you you're the worst writer ever, they have a point. If you're like me, you hate those people, and wish they were all dead, and not even in a play fantasy way. Actually dead.
But the fact is, that's your readership. So listen up, bud. They're giving you the holy grail.
3. Find a good cover artist
Steal him or her from someone else who is always selling. If you're doing your own covers chances are they suck. Here's 2 things I know - One, having a great covers can get you more people looking at your work. Two, having bad covers doesn't mean people won't click on it.
Just because you have sales with your bad cover art, doesn't mean it's good. Every day on kboards there's a 'what do you think of this cover thread'. 2 things - If you don't know if the cover is good or not, you need to seriously learn that pronto. Number 2 - If you designed it yourself and didn't pay a lot of money for it, then it sucks. Sorry. It just does.
4. Price stupidly low
Roll everything in KU and price at .99 cents. That's maximum exposure. If your'e new, then pricing at 2.99 or not being in KU just creates barriers. Pricing at higher than 2.99 for anything other than a collection is unnecessary hindrance.
5. Your hero / heroine makes or breaks your story
Make sure your hero / heroine isn't a weirdo. Make sure they are the most normal and good person you can find. Don't write heroes or heroines who are corrupt or have temptations or flaws or have mental problems. Write the kind of character Jesus Christ would be proud of.
Top 5 Myths
1. Write Novels
If you can sell 25k for 2.99 then you shouldn't write a 100k story for the same price. But 2.99 is pretty much the highest a new author's book is going to sell for without ... you know... magic stuff...
2. Permafree works
It doesn't. The longer your book, the more niche your book, the less the sell through.
KU killed sales and it also killed free. From what I've seen.
3. You must hire an editor / formatter
That stuff costs money a new writer doesn't have. The longer amount of time you spend on a book, the less books you can produce. The less books you can produce, the less money you can make.
4. You can sell at other stores apart from Amazon
Did you just have a book bub? No? Well, forget about the other stores. Maybe....... For some people. They can debut on all platforms and sell well. I haven't seen it. You would think after all this time, Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Google would have done stuff to level the playing level with amazon.
They haven't. It's UGLY out there.
5. Writing should be for love, not money.
Yeah, right.
If you're not making money - who are you impressing? Life myth - money isn't important. Money means everything when you don't have it, and it means nothing when you do.
The worst thing about this myth is that it gears you further in the direction of writing what you love instead of writing for money.
You can be 100 percent focused on making money and spend years at it and get nowhere or not very far.
BUT it is way worse to be focused on love and keep going in the wrong direction like a headless chicken not making money.
The guy chasing money is going to get there faster than the guy chasing his heart.
And the guy who has money is going to be able to afford the time and space to focus on his heart once it's in place. Because everyone deserves a lottery ticket. Even though the winner never collects.
OK - So post your top 5 tips and myths!
Top 5 Tips
1. Research Best Seller Lists
This is how you find out what sells. This might sound cheap but if what you want to write hasn't already been done in some variation, you haven't a hope of selling well. View Best Seller Lists as a guide to your writing.
2. Accept your opinion doesn't matter
Yep. Your opinion means nothing. You're going to get terrible reviews (and be pleased you're getting them vs not being read) and every single one of them is going to drain your lifeblood. The thing is, those people on your product page, slamming you, telling you you're the worst writer ever, they have a point. If you're like me, you hate those people, and wish they were all dead, and not even in a play fantasy way. Actually dead.
But the fact is, that's your readership. So listen up, bud. They're giving you the holy grail.
3. Find a good cover artist
Steal him or her from someone else who is always selling. If you're doing your own covers chances are they suck. Here's 2 things I know - One, having a great covers can get you more people looking at your work. Two, having bad covers doesn't mean people won't click on it.
Just because you have sales with your bad cover art, doesn't mean it's good. Every day on kboards there's a 'what do you think of this cover thread'. 2 things - If you don't know if the cover is good or not, you need to seriously learn that pronto. Number 2 - If you designed it yourself and didn't pay a lot of money for it, then it sucks. Sorry. It just does.
4. Price stupidly low
Roll everything in KU and price at .99 cents. That's maximum exposure. If your'e new, then pricing at 2.99 or not being in KU just creates barriers. Pricing at higher than 2.99 for anything other than a collection is unnecessary hindrance.
5. Your hero / heroine makes or breaks your story
Make sure your hero / heroine isn't a weirdo. Make sure they are the most normal and good person you can find. Don't write heroes or heroines who are corrupt or have temptations or flaws or have mental problems. Write the kind of character Jesus Christ would be proud of.
Top 5 Myths
1. Write Novels
If you can sell 25k for 2.99 then you shouldn't write a 100k story for the same price. But 2.99 is pretty much the highest a new author's book is going to sell for without ... you know... magic stuff...
2. Permafree works
It doesn't. The longer your book, the more niche your book, the less the sell through.
KU killed sales and it also killed free. From what I've seen.
3. You must hire an editor / formatter
That stuff costs money a new writer doesn't have. The longer amount of time you spend on a book, the less books you can produce. The less books you can produce, the less money you can make.
4. You can sell at other stores apart from Amazon
Did you just have a book bub? No? Well, forget about the other stores. Maybe....... For some people. They can debut on all platforms and sell well. I haven't seen it. You would think after all this time, Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Google would have done stuff to level the playing level with amazon.
They haven't. It's UGLY out there.
5. Writing should be for love, not money.
Yeah, right.
If you're not making money - who are you impressing? Life myth - money isn't important. Money means everything when you don't have it, and it means nothing when you do.
The worst thing about this myth is that it gears you further in the direction of writing what you love instead of writing for money.
You can be 100 percent focused on making money and spend years at it and get nowhere or not very far.
BUT it is way worse to be focused on love and keep going in the wrong direction like a headless chicken not making money.
The guy chasing money is going to get there faster than the guy chasing his heart.
And the guy who has money is going to be able to afford the time and space to focus on his heart once it's in place. Because everyone deserves a lottery ticket. Even though the winner never collects.
OK - So post your top 5 tips and myths!
