Do you have to have a whole series of books before you can make money as an author? Keep reading to find out…
A lot of book sale advice is geared toward people who have a series of books. Intuitively, this makes sense; when readers love one book of yours, they’ll be eager to buy others! And they can’t do that if you don’t have a series of books, or at least a significant catalog, to offer them.
But what if you’ve just published your first book? Is making money off that book a lost cause, or can you still make a living? Read on to find out.
Consider Writing Another Book
If you’ve only written one book, it can be helpful to get back to your computer and start working on your next one right away. That way, you’ll soon have something else to offer readers, and once you do, you can change your back matter in Book 1 to send readers off to buy the sequel or second standalone novel.
Some writers wait to publish their first book until they have three or four others in reserve so that they can rapidly release an entire series of books and get more readers that way, so if you haven’t published yet, you may want to consider this strategy.
Advertising Can Still Help
Even if you only have one book out currently, advertising can still help you make sales. It might not be as effective as it is for people who have a series for sale, though.
You will get SOME readers through ads on Amazon, but you won’t get the benefit of readthrough, since you only have one book. This is especially true if your book is on Kindle Unlimited, as KU readers often binge-read several books by an author they like, and obviously they won’t be able to do that if you only have one book.
Try Newsletter Swaps Too
If advertising your standalone novel isn’t making you a profit, consider newsletter swaps through services like Story Origin or Bookfunnel. This strategy involves someone else sharing your book in their author newsletter while you share theirs in yours.
If you are able to swap with someone who has a significant following and writes in your genre, you might hit a gold mine of readers who are interested in your book!
These strategies can help you sell more even when you only have one book for sale at the moment. Let us know what you tried and what worked for you. And if you’d like help with your book marketing strategy, you don’t have to do it alone. Best Page Forward is here for you.
Ready to sell more books? You need our Top 10 Amazon Advertising tips!.