As indie authors, it’s much too easy to get caught up in our sales rankings, especially on a site such as Amazon in which an author can have a ranking in multiple categories. However, it’s vital for us to stay cognizant of the more important reason to be out there, which is exposure. Remember that we’re sharing a space with such hugely famous authors as J.K. Rowling. Moreover, hyper-focusing on sales creates pressure and stress, which can impede one’s ability to write. Instead of thinking of sales, focus on gaining exposure and growing an audience. This is another reason I believe that indie authors should keep the prices of their books as low as possible. If a customer is deciding whether to purchase a book by an unknown author or a famous author, price could well be the deciding factor. Ā I’m a firm believer in making one or more of your books permanently free (AKA perma-free). I’ve used this strategy to grow my audience and it’s been very successful.
I want to end my series on indie publishing on the same note that I began this series, by reminding everyone why we do this business of self-publishing. It’s a lot of work and not a lot of money. We expose ourselves to what can be a cruel world of scathing Internet trolls who too often write negative reviews of our books because they can’t write their own! Why then?! Because we love to write and we need to tell the world our stories that only we can tell.
This post is part of my āIndie Author Marketingā blog series.Ā Please be sure to check out my Greco Family Trilogy books, including Olive Branches Donāt Grow on Trees, Discovery of an Eagle, and The Bird that Sang in Color. These books are available from all major online book sellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.
