I just received an email from an author hoping to drive his book to best seller status on Amazon.
This is a common question I get.. Authors learn that sales on one day can boost them to best seller status, the know that best seller on Amazon will add to their credibility and give them one more advantage in all the other promotion and marketing for their book.
Just how many books do I have to sell?
The simple answer comes from Amazon.. Sell one more book than the highest ranked book that didn’t make the list. #1 sells more than #2, which sells more that #3.
On some days, and in some categories, there are thousands of copies of a book sold. Others categories, especially over longer periods of time, result in less books sold, and the best sellers are books that continually promote.
If you book is not selling well, going to Amazon with some sales from one day will not make for a good marketing program. By itself, the rank won’t change your unseccessful book to a success.
You spend months, or years writing and getting to the point where you have a published book. Congratulations on that accomplishment. If that’s what your goal was, you should be proud that you have a published book.. most of the authors and writers I talk to are still stuggling to get to that point.
The real questions should be Why did you write the book? and What do you want to accomplish now that you’ve become an author?
If your goal is to say that you are a best seller.. Our best seller campaigns will get you that. But I suspect that when you think about it.. you really won’t be satisfied with that as your end goal. I suspect that you are like the clients I’ve worked with.. success as an author is not your primary goal life.. You want to get your message out to more people who need it, attract business leads from people you can help, and boost your career as an author.
Most authors never make money from their books.. especailly their first book. Most successful authos make more money, advance their careers and spread their message to wide audience by leveraging the process of becoming a best seller. They follow the advice of mega best seller Mark Victor Hansen of the Chicken Soup series:
“Getting the book published is 10% of the work an author does.. The other 90% is promoting the book and author”
To be a best seller, first look at book marketing and promotion as a means to an end. Getting to your real goal.
Our authors tell us that a best selling book is the best thing they ever did for their business. The payoff comes in many ways, but rarely in the form of a royalty check for books sold. The differnce is.. successful authors have a book marketing strategy
Think about your long term strategy?
Here’s a hint: If it’s “to sell as many books as possible” you may want to think beyond that. Decide what selling a lot of books would allow you to do. If that is anything other than “cash big checks and maybe write more books” you have a good chance of getting it.
Warren,
Great post! As an author with a book coming out this January, I’ve been focusing quite a bit on defining my goals prior to launch. I’ve made peace with the fact that I won’t be retiring from my royalty checks from Wiley. I truly have tried to keep my goal the same since I started this journey. And that’s to help as many small businesses as I can win the war for online attention. I figure the rest will figure itself out.
Ps. I’ve really enjoyed Twitter Revolution. Great book! I’ve already recommended it to a couple of fellow authors.
All the best,
Corey
http://www.ebootcampbook.com
[email protected]
Warren,
Great post! As an author with a book coming out this January, I’ve been focusing quite a bit on defining my goals prior to launch. I’ve made peace with the fact that I won’t be retiring from my royalty checks from Wiley. I truly have tried to keep my goal the same since I started this journey. And that’s to help as many small businesses as I can win the war for online attention. I figure the rest will figure itself out.
Ps. I’ve really enjoyed Twitter Revolution. Great book! I’ve already recommended it to a couple of fellow authors.
All the best,
Corey
http://www.ebootcampbook.com
[email protected]
Of course, you can say your book is an Amazon bestseller – for its category! It has to make the top 100 in that category. If that happens, you’ll see a comment about that appearing on your book profile page. Grabbing at straws?
Of course, you can say your book is an Amazon bestseller – for its category! It has to make the top 100 in that category. If that happens, you’ll see a comment about that appearing on your book profile page. Grabbing at straws?
I’m with you in taking the long approach to marketing. Trying to be an Amazon Bestseller is a fun exercise, but really means nothing over the long term – unless you can sustain your sales via Amazon for a significant period of time.
I’m with you in taking the long approach to marketing. Trying to be an Amazon Bestseller is a fun exercise, but really means nothing over the long term – unless you can sustain your sales via Amazon for a significant period of time.
I’ve always wondered how much weight people put on Amazon Bestseller status, anyway. When I look for a book, I look for something that I’m specifically interested in, not whether it’s a best-seller. I turn to Amazon when I can’t find the product in local bookstores in my area.
I’ve always wondered how much weight people put on Amazon Bestseller status, anyway. When I look for a book, I look for something that I’m specifically interested in, not whether it’s a best-seller. I turn to Amazon when I can’t find the product in local bookstores in my area.
Hello,
My name is Kristine and I am the author of the new kids book Allison Marisa Burbank gets into trouble. It was very hard and long process to get my book published, but thankfully I got this far. My book is available at http://www.amazon.com, and it’s also available at it’s personal website at http://www.trafford.com/08-0707. For those who have published books, they know that marketing your book isen’t the easiest. So I have learned that by letting more and more people know about my book will make my book more successful. If no one knows about my book, then my book will never sell, you know? Anyways, I’m asking for all of you to check out my book online, and at least read it once. I’m sure you won’t regret it. Thanks!
Happy Reading,
Kristine
Hello,
My name is Kristine and I am the author of the new kids book Allison Marisa Burbank gets into trouble. It was very hard and long process to get my book published, but thankfully I got this far. My book is available at http://www.amazon.com, and it’s also available at it’s personal website at http://www.trafford.com/08-0707. For those who have published books, they know that marketing your book isen’t the easiest. So I have learned that by letting more and more people know about my book will make my book more successful. If no one knows about my book, then my book will never sell, you know? Anyways, I’m asking for all of you to check out my book online, and at least read it once. I’m sure you won’t regret it. Thanks!
Happy Reading,
Kristine
My coauthored book, “Healing Practices To Help Kids Grow Up Easier – a resource for families” as sold 3 copies since January proving the wisdom of Warren’s great article.
People who have experienced “Healing Practices To Help Kids Grow Up Easier” find it to be a very helpful. It’s available through Amazon.com. It’s open-sourced on our website http://www.growingupeasier.org. And still few people know about it yet.
I thought writing the book was difficult and exciting! Promotion and other aspects of marketing are exciting, frightening, and very bewildering most of the time. My learning curves now look like overhanging cliffs to climb. My goal of helping the greatest number of kids in my lifetime keeps me going and keeps lead me into amazing places and topics such as: The need to have school’s address current realities and preparing kids for the unknown.
Warren: thanks so much for this article..it is very helpful and encouraging.
My coauthored book, “Healing Practices To Help Kids Grow Up Easier – a resource for families” as sold 3 copies since January proving the wisdom of Warren’s great article.
People who have experienced “Healing Practices To Help Kids Grow Up Easier” find it to be a very helpful. It’s available through Amazon.com. It’s open-sourced on our website http://www.growingupeasier.org. And still few people know about it yet.
I thought writing the book was difficult and exciting! Promotion and other aspects of marketing are exciting, frightening, and very bewildering most of the time. My learning curves now look like overhanging cliffs to climb. My goal of helping the greatest number of kids in my lifetime keeps me going and keeps lead me into amazing places and topics such as: The need to have school’s address current realities and preparing kids for the unknown.
Warren: thanks so much for this article..it is very helpful and encouraging.
Correction of last post:
My coauthored book, “Healing Practices To Help Kids Grow Up Easier – a resource for families” has sold 3 copies since January, proving the wisdom of Warren’s great article for me.
People who have experienced “Healing Practices To Help Kids Grow Up Easier” find it to be a very helpful. It’s available through Amazon.com and is also open-sourced on our website http://www.growingupeasier.org. And still few people know about it yet. My work is cut out for me.
I thought writing the book was difficult and exciting! Promotion and other aspects of marketing are exciting, frightening, and very bewildering most of the time. My learning curves now look like overhanging cliffs to climb. My goal of helping the greatest number of kids in my lifetime keeps me going and keeps leading me into amazing places and topics such as: The need to have school’s address current realities and preparing kids for the unknown.
Warren: thanks so much for this article..it is very helpful and encouraging. I look forward to using your economical wisdom.
Correction of last post:
My coauthored book, “Healing Practices To Help Kids Grow Up Easier – a resource for families” has sold 3 copies since January, proving the wisdom of Warren’s great article for me.
People who have experienced “Healing Practices To Help Kids Grow Up Easier” find it to be a very helpful. It’s available through Amazon.com and is also open-sourced on our website http://www.growingupeasier.org. And still few people know about it yet. My work is cut out for me.
I thought writing the book was difficult and exciting! Promotion and other aspects of marketing are exciting, frightening, and very bewildering most of the time. My learning curves now look like overhanging cliffs to climb. My goal of helping the greatest number of kids in my lifetime keeps me going and keeps leading me into amazing places and topics such as: The need to have school’s address current realities and preparing kids for the unknown.
Warren: thanks so much for this article..it is very helpful and encouraging. I look forward to using your economical wisdom.