Authors & Reviewers discussion

Unfortunately I'm in largely the same boat as I just launched my first novel a few weeks ago, so don't have answers to most of your questions.

As for things like the appropriate marketing budget, I suspect that is impossible for anyone but you to say. It all comes down to what you can afford to spend and what your profit margin is per book.

The same applies to optimal book price. That's going to depend on so many factors such as type of book, quality of the book, size of the book, format of the book, etc. You need to survey books in your market to see what they are priced at, but also factor in what your royalty rate is and what you can accept.

I wish you good luck and will be interested to hear comments by authors who have been doing this longer and have been successful.

If you answer all of those questions with as much candor and rigor as you've applied to your other work, I think you've got a best seller.

Like everything else in life, all of your problems can be solved with money. You can advertise, chase rank and see if the surge in visibility produces a sustainable momentum.

Often changing the packaging can make a product more appealing. Look at the covers of all the books ranking in your categories. Make a cover better than theirs. Then make three. Market them all aggressively. I wish I could do that.

Or build your network slowly, one by one, with faith in the strength of your writing. This is good for them. They should read this. They'll be better people if they do. This will transform their lives. You have to believe. No one will believe if you don't.

Keep pushing in the right direction. Don't give up. The good thing is that any action you take at all to put your book in someone's hands is helpful. With thousands of attempts like these, your tree will bear fruit. No one can say how much.

The five big publishers throw fifty books a year each on shelves across the country. The percentage of those that earn well is small. The books that don't earn their keep end up on the discard pile soon enough.

And you're competing with them for readers. It's a tough proposition being an indie author. Your readers are out there. You have to go and find them. So I've been told.

Keep writing. I loved your post of questions. Thank you. I post because I want to show my gratitude. Not because I think I'm right. No one else thinks I am.