If you are just getting started with self-publishing, then you want to know the answer to the question, do self published books sell? This is a little bit tricky but we'll answer that very question that most beginners have in mind.
Today's question has three answers and the third answer will tell you exactly what makes the difference between the winners and losers. Whether you're selling or not going to be able to sell so many books.
The question that was asked today is, do self published books sell? This is an excellent question. If you're going to start publishing or writing books and you want to know should I go the traditional route or should I go the self-published route?
Well, if self-published books do not sell, then clearly this will be a terrible idea to go in this direction. But the answer is a little bit tricky on this one, it's not so straightforward.
But before we get into the answers, check out my free Self-Publishing Secrets Checklist to help you get started or to help you improve your self-publishing. So, do self published books sell?
Let me tell you a little bit about my own story. When I first started self-publishing, I started writing a book about a thousand words a day. So everything was fine there.
I choose a subject for which I was excited about. I was dealing with achieving goals and how exactly to go about doing that. Breaking things down and figuring out what you wish to achieve and how to go about getting that doing a thousand words a day.
I put the book together using some tools that I had found. I paid some people to do it and it didn't work out so well. But you know trial and error, then I finally got the book onto the market with the cover and everything.
Following all the strategies that I had been exposed to at the time, and what did I find? Well, I was making a sale now and then. And that was from my standpoint, it was exciting initially.
I found that the money that I was making off of my very first book was people are reading it around the world. Now, of course, every day there are probably hundreds of people reading the 170 plus books that I've put out onto the market.
In fact, I still get comments back and I go back and forth with people from books that I wrote five years ago. It's exciting that they're able to help people even today. But the thing I discovered was that I was only making sales now and then.
Did they sell for me? Yes, they sold but not so much. Because I was making a lot of mistakes that I would later find the answers to in the answer area, I will explore those.
Easier To Find Your Books
So, do self published books sell? Now, let's get into the answers. So the answer is yes, they do, they definitely sell.
Let me tell you they sell and sell a lot if your books are optimized properly. And this is the mistake that most self-publishing authors do. That results in them only making a thousand dollars a year which is the average according to the guardian on Amazon.
So let's get into it. Number two what is it exactly that makes the difference? The answer is you need to make sure that your books are being written into a hungry market.
That is a market where there are not enough books on the subjects that you're writing about or the type of books if it's a novel. But at the same time, there are tons of people who are buying the few books that exist in that market.
Check out this related article: How To Self Publish A Novel?
Now, our goal is not to try to create a new market. Writing a book on a subject that nobody cares about, so this is not what we want to do.
The next thing is the title of the book is incredibly important. Because unless you're already famous in which case why are you watching this video? Because it won't make a difference for you.
But if you're already famous, none of this matters. But if you aren't, then people need to find your books. That means the title needs to be good, you need to have a good cover and you need to have the correct keywords.
You also need to have a description, the content of the book needs to be good and you need to get reviews on this book to get sales. If all of those are in place then you can expect to see a lot of sales coming through on the book.
Then that gives you money to move on to your next book project. So we go from book to book to book as we continue to slowly progress across here as we're making more and more money. And it starts to snowball and build up over time.
Like even my very first books are still selling. I see regular sales coming through on them. And there is one other issue which would be the ads against it and having the right keywords on those ads that we're running as well.
For me, I found several tools that I've discussed previously that work really well with all of this. And pulling it all together to make sure that the format is correct and we're pushing the books on multiple platforms.
Making it very easy for people to find our books. Maybe even doing translations of the books to get them on as many markets as possible and in as many formats as possible.
To ensure that we're going to maximize the number of sales for the work that went into creating the book and the cover.
You Can Start Free
The beauty is using a tool like Jutoh which I use for formatting, you're able to pull all of this material together. Put it into the different formats without having to pay more for each of the formats.
Because we need different formats when we're putting it out into in the different distribution channels that we're using for our books.
But the secret of today that gets into the issue of how do I go about doing this, it's very overwhelming. When you first get started and you realize there are too many things to pay attention to, and it is that you don't need perfection.
Just make small improvements as you learn the process. Our goal is not to burn you out or to burn through and make all of the money that you have in the world.
Rather, you can start free on every one of these areas. Then slowly buy the tools that you're going to need to improve the sales that you're making. Use the money that comes in from the very first sales to pay for the process.
Check out this related article: Is Self Publishing On Kindle Profitable?
And also the progress we're going to need on future sales. So we're not looking for perfection, just the small improvements regularly. You look at what you're doing and saying "what can I do to be better?".
The best way to do this is to take courses that will tell you to join communities that are discussing how exactly what you're doing is not as optimal as it could be.
Staying aware of the news within the self-publishing industry. Where we discuss the latest strategies around how exactly to go about doing that.
I'm continually watching the latest changes, greatest news in the self-publishing industry, and then slowly make the changes. We do not want to burn out but at the same time, we do not want to slowly allow our sales to drop.
Because we're just not paying attention to the latest things. So, do self published books sell? What have you found? Go and let me know below in the comments, I respond to every comment that comes in.
I'm very eager to hear if you found things that make a difference to whether your books are selling or maybe you found your books aren't selling. You need a little bit of help.
You can also let me know that below in the comments. And check out my other blogs and videos and you'll see other answers to your self-publishing questions.