Lily Amis
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
But reaching my readers is hard. Why? Because traditional bookshops don’t support Independent Authors like me and don’t even stock titles on a trial basis. So what is your advice? How can an Independent Author with a good product in all kinds of genres become a bestselling Author and reach the target audience/reader? Many thanks in advance and warm regards, Lily
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Lily,
Yes, getting in bookstores is difficult for indie authors, but to be honest, it's not really a big deal these days. For instance, I am in the bookstores but the majority of my sales come from digital copies. When you consider my print/ebook sales the breakdown is 32% print and 68% ebook. When you add audio into the mix it's even more diluted 42% ebook, 42% audio and 16% print. So success is not predicated around being in bookstores.
You mentioned you have books "in all kinds of genres" - that may actually be hurting you. I would try concentrating in one particular area - and if possible to write a series. What you want to do is build "brand loyalty" such that overbite a new book of yours comes out, your core readers rush to get their copy. If you are writing one-off books and a bunch of different genres it's hard to build momentum.
There is no short cut to building an audience. It comes from releasing books at a steady pace, and writing books that people love so much to tell others about them. In the early years, you literally build your audience one reader at a time. Reach out to people you see that are reading books similar to yours and offer a complimentary copy in the hopes of getting a review. Early on, almost all your readers come from someone who you personally interacted with. But, if your work is good, those personal outreaches will act like priming a pump. You get the ball rolling and if the work is well received, the word will spread.
I wish you great success. Don't get discouraged. Each new book is a new opportunity to be discovered.
Yes, getting in bookstores is difficult for indie authors, but to be honest, it's not really a big deal these days. For instance, I am in the bookstores but the majority of my sales come from digital copies. When you consider my print/ebook sales the breakdown is 32% print and 68% ebook. When you add audio into the mix it's even more diluted 42% ebook, 42% audio and 16% print. So success is not predicated around being in bookstores.
You mentioned you have books "in all kinds of genres" - that may actually be hurting you. I would try concentrating in one particular area - and if possible to write a series. What you want to do is build "brand loyalty" such that overbite a new book of yours comes out, your core readers rush to get their copy. If you are writing one-off books and a bunch of different genres it's hard to build momentum.
There is no short cut to building an audience. It comes from releasing books at a steady pace, and writing books that people love so much to tell others about them. In the early years, you literally build your audience one reader at a time. Reach out to people you see that are reading books similar to yours and offer a complimentary copy in the hopes of getting a review. Early on, almost all your readers come from someone who you personally interacted with. But, if your work is good, those personal outreaches will act like priming a pump. You get the ball rolling and if the work is well received, the word will spread.
I wish you great success. Don't get discouraged. Each new book is a new opportunity to be discovered.
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Before jumping into Age of War, I'm re-reading Age of Swords to make sure I have a fresh memory of what happened in the last book (not that I could forget the ending, I just about cried). But there is something I wanted to ask regarding Roan. She's the ex-slave of Iver. She's the only slave that is mentioned in the village. Were people just okay with Iver owning another person? How prevalent was slavery to the Rhunes?
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Have you ever read any of Michael Moorcock's works? If so, what did you think of them?
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