I've been an indie author for a decade now. I've been fortunate enough to have been full time since 2018 and have sold lots of books. Some thoughts and strategies for my first ten years. Long thread incoming:
- Write great books. That’s a minimum.
- You must be professional. You’re in competition with traditional publishers and other professional indies.
- It’s not easy. There are no shortcuts or magic bullets.
- Advertising used to be a luxury. It isn’t any more – it’s a necessity.
- You must be professional. You’re in competition with traditional publishers and other professional indies.
- It’s not easy. There are no shortcuts or magic bullets.
- Advertising used to be a luxury. It isn’t any more – it’s a necessity.
- Comparing yourself to others is a fool’s errand. We’re all inherently insecure, and it’s easy to look at Author X and ask why you don’t sell as well as they do.
- You will need to invest some capital (although, comparatively, not much).
- You will need to invest some capital (although, comparatively, not much).
- You *will* need to invest a lot of time.
- UK based? Look at whether it’s worth registering for VAT early so you can claim it back. It saves me lots of money a year.
- When you can afford it, get an accountant. They are worth their weight in gold.
- UK based? Look at whether it’s worth registering for VAT early so you can claim it back. It saves me lots of money a year.
- When you can afford it, get an accountant. They are worth their weight in gold.
- Pay for expenses on a credit card that offers points. It’s free money, and, when if you become successful enough where you are spending a lot, it can amount to a tidy sum. (I use a Platinum Amex – let me know if you want a referral link!)
- Write a series with returning characters. It makes it easier to market.
- Adverting does work for kids books and non-fiction (I advertise both).
- BookTok is a thing. It works.
- Choose your platforms. It's tough to be good at all of them (and I am not).
- Adverting does work for kids books and non-fiction (I advertise both).
- BookTok is a thing. It works.
- Choose your platforms. It's tough to be good at all of them (and I am not).
- Digital adoption still has a long way to go. Most people prefer print. I think that’s good: they’ll come to the Dark Side eventually, and I’ll be waiting for them. “Jack Who? Here’s John Milton and you can enjoy his first book for a fraction of the cost.”
- Knowing the value of readthrough is critically important. A £1.99 sale might not make you £1.39 if the average reader buys three more books and makes you £5.57. You can afford to pay more for each reader if you make more, but you need to know the numbers.
- Writing to market is good (in principle) but it won’t work if you don’t love what you write. Tried that, hated it. Find the intersection between the two and plant your flag slap bang in the middle.
- Careful who you learn from. Lots of snake-oil salesmen out there. Check their books – can they sell? Telephone number ranks suggest they don’t know arse from elbow.
- Jim Rohn was right: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
- Jim Rohn was right: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
- So was Malcolm Gladwell.
- And Vilfredo Pareto.
- And Vilfredo Pareto.
- Don’t expect to be more productive when you have more time to spend on your writing business. I’ve never been more effective than in 2014 when I commuted to and from London every day.
- Your mailing list will be your single most valuable asset. Nothing else comes close.
- Organic subscribers are best. Make sure your end matter is optimised.
- Don’t trust FB marketing experts. Remember who they work for.
- Organic subscribers are best. Make sure your end matter is optimised.
- Don’t trust FB marketing experts. Remember who they work for.
- Tactics come and go. Strategies last. Build them.
- Model successful authors. Adapt what they do to suit yourself.
- Romance authors are at the cutting edge of marketing. It has always been thus.
- Model successful authors. Adapt what they do to suit yourself.
- Romance authors are at the cutting edge of marketing. It has always been thus.
- Blog tours are so 2005. I don’t think they’re worth the effort.
- Press and PR…? No thanks. Same.
- You don’t *need* an agent, but they can still be very useful. Mine does foreign deals and film and TV (and introduced me to my print publishers)
- Press and PR…? No thanks. Same.
- You don’t *need* an agent, but they can still be very useful. Mine does foreign deals and film and TV (and introduced me to my print publishers)
- You’ll make mistakes along the way. I’ve made loads.
- Difficult times can be an opportunity. How people react will help you sort your friends from the leeches and hangers-on.
- Exercise. Sitting at a desk will kill you (or, for this writer at least, his back).
- Difficult times can be an opportunity. How people react will help you sort your friends from the leeches and hangers-on.
- Exercise. Sitting at a desk will kill you (or, for this writer at least, his back).
- This is a business. Don’t be precious about writing. Be an artist in the morning and sell your ASINs in the afternoon.
- @BrainfmApp works. Or, at least, I think it works and that’s good enough for me.
- Get over your phobia of spreadsheets. You must know your numbers.
- @BrainfmApp works. Or, at least, I think it works and that’s good enough for me.
- Get over your phobia of spreadsheets. You must know your numbers.
- Be respectful. Never talk down another author’s books. It’s a small world.
- Don’t obsess over your sales. Trends are hard to spot over hours; easier over days; obvious over weeks and months.
- @BookBub still works. Don’t listen to anyone who says that it doesn’t.
- Don’t obsess over your sales. Trends are hard to spot over hours; easier over days; obvious over weeks and months.
- @BookBub still works. Don’t listen to anyone who says that it doesn’t.
- Going wide or exclusive is a matter for every author. It is personal and influenced by a multitude of factors (attitude to risk, politics, days available to learn, location of readers, etc). I’ve seen groups that demean those who are in Select. That’s foolish.
- Don't believe the naysayers: @AmazonKDP is not evil. It’s not perfect, but the Amazonians I know all love books and care about authors. They’ve given tens of thousands of writers careers they would only have dreamt of before.
- There is no one true way. Take the best bits from one author’s strategy, blend it with the best bits from another, add a little from successful entrepreneurs in other industries, and make something that is entirely yours.
- Dogma gets you nowhere.
- Multiple streams of income provide security and peace of mind.
- Sweat your IP. Once you’ve written a book, it is an asset that you need to put to work. Think how you can monetise it: audiobook; film and TV; paperback; hardback; foreign rights. Etc.
- Multiple streams of income provide security and peace of mind.
- Sweat your IP. Once you’ve written a book, it is an asset that you need to put to work. Think how you can monetise it: audiobook; film and TV; paperback; hardback; foreign rights. Etc.
- A digital backlist can earn for you: in perpetuity, with (comparatively) minimal work once your marketing machine has been established. It's a cliche, but you can earn while you sleep.
- Digital stores offer infinite shelf space.
- Digital stores offer infinite shelf space.
- Give thanks for what is possible. It's easy to forget that this was a pipe dream 20 years ago.
- We're not in competition for readers. There are more than enough to go around.
- We're not in competition for readers. There are more than enough to go around.
- Lend a helping hand to those following in your footsteps. We don't pull up the ladder once we've climbed it. The indie industry is friendly, collaborative and mutually supportive. There aren't many like it.
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