How to Market a Book Series

Market book 1. Almost every reader starts there, so book 1 is the door to your whole series. Each later book should send readers back to it and on to the next one. Below: what changes when book 2 comes out, how to price book 1, which book gets a deal, the series page, and how to tell it is working.

Where I say “my advice”, it comes from my own series and bundles. Where I give a rule, it comes from a KDP page, linked in the sentence.

Why do I market book 1 and not the newest book?

A new reader picks up the first book, because that is where the story begins. A reader who starts in the middle may like the book, but many will go back, and some will simply buy something else. So the money you spend on ads, newsletters and promotions works hardest on book 1. Readers who finish it find the next book waiting.

My advice: judge every piece of marketing by one question. Does it bring a new reader to book 1, or does it carry a book 1 reader on to book 2? If it does neither, it can wait.

What changes when book 2 comes out?

Three things, and each is a small job.

1. Update the back of book 1. The end of book 1 should name book 2 and link to it. If book 1 has no link to book 2, a reader who loved it has to go looking. KDP allows updates to a published book, so this is fixable the week book 2 goes live. Check KDP’s link rules before you add one.
2. Make sure both books are on one series page. KDP’s help says a series page appears within 72 hours of a live title. How to set it up is in my post on publishing a novella series.
3. Point book 2 back to book 1. Book 2’s description can say it is book 2 of a series, so a reader who lands on it first sees where to start.

Should book 1 cost less than the rest, and for how long?

Many authors price book 1 lower, as a way in. KDP does not tell you to, and gives no price to aim for, so I will not give you a number either. You can change an ebook’s list price at any time if it is on the 70% royalty option (KDP royalty options), which on Amazon.com now runs from $2.99 to $12.99 (since 07-Jul-26).

My advice: treat a lower price on book 1 as a test with an end date, not a permanent state. Write down the date you changed it and what you expect to see, then check the reports a few weeks later. If readers go on to book 2, the lower price is doing its job. If they do not, the price is not the problem.

Which book gets the deal or the promotion?

Only books in KDP Select can use KDP’s own deals. For a Countdown Deal, the book must have been in KDP Select for at least 30 days, the price must stay the same for 30 days before and 14 days after the deal, and a deal runs from 1 hour up to 7 days (KDP Countdown Deals). A free promotion can run for up to 5 days in each 90-day enrollment period (KDP free book promotions). Check both pages on the day you plan one, because KDP changes them.

My advice: put the deal on book 1, because that is where a new reader starts. The exception is a new release, where a short deal on the newest book can help it find readers while it is fresh. If the series is wide, KDP Select’s deals are not open to you at all, so use your own list price and your newsletter instead.

What about the series page and “buy the series”?

The series page lists your books in order and lets a reader buy the whole run in one go. KDP says it has no option to offer a discounted price for the full series. Readers can buy all the books through 1-Click ordering, and “the series price compiles the prices of each individual book”. It also says 1-Click ordering is not available for titles enrolled in KDP Select (KDP: Can I offer discounts to books in my series?). If a series price looks odd to you, ask KDP support.

My advice: if you want a discounted way in, a box set is the usual route. Is it better to write one book or a trilogy? covers how bundles work.

How do I know the series marketing is working?

Look at whether readers of book 1 go on to book 2. That is called read-through. The number does not need to be exact. What matters is whether it rises or falls after you change something. If you changed the back of book 1 and book 2 sales rose a few weeks later, that change worked. Wait a few weeks after any change, because readers finish book 1 at different speeds.

How much does the release schedule matter?

It matters, because a series with a book coming soon is easier to market than one that stopped. How many books should I self-publish? covers release timing and pre-orders.

Want help working through a series?

A series changes with every release, so the right move for book 3 is not the move for book 2. In my group coaching we work through a series release by release: what to change on the earlier books, what to run on the new one, and what to measure.

More on marketing a series

If book 1 has not sold yet, start with should I write book 2 if book 1 didn’t sell. If you are still choosing what to write, read should I write to market.

To see whether your series is working, read what read-through is and how to work it out.