If your book isn’t selling, this may be why
Many titles fail, and that’s just how the business works. Let’s consider self-publishing authors’ biggest mistakes. There is a right and wrong way to publish books; many authors just don’t get it. Self-publishing is challenging work that requires commitment but can be done successfully. I see self-published authors every day who sell a healthy number of books in print or digitally. You can be among them if you are willing to walk the walk.
Checklist of self-publishing authors’ biggest mistakes
- Rushing to publish
- Neglecting to build a platform
- Poor formatting, editing, and design
- No marketing plan
- Ignoring reader feedback
- Lack of professionalism and failure to understand the business
Long Before You’re Ready to Write or Publish
Long before you publish, it makes sense to become visible, doesn’t it? Develop a following online, in your community, on social media. Consider building a website that showcases your opinions or your personality., Think about an e-commerce site on a micro business platform where you can sell products. Many self-published authors discover too late that if you write a book but it’s invisible, sales are not going to happen. Buying an audience or building a list of followers who aren’t engaged wastes your time.
For example, many social media groups exist only for members to hawk their books. Does it make sense to you that posting a blurb in a group of 40,000 strangers who have no interest in your topic or plot will spur sales? It’s unlikely that people focused on expanding their own audience will hire you or support your side hustle. The theory is “a follow for a follow.” In other words, if you click “follow” or “like” on my page, I’ll reciprocate. You may get 100 followers a day with that model, but no sales or conversions will result. A large number of those people will unfollow you within seven days.
When you hit that “publish” button for the book you’ve labored over, having an established social media following is the ticket.
Self-publishing authors’ biggest mistakes: Social media disconnect
It takes months to grow social media audience enough to fuel sales. Meanwhile, you’ll establish your niche so readers learn where your expertise is.
Open one or two social media accounts, or supercharge those you have. You’ll establish relationships. It’s fun to open conversations with people by posting interesting questions. If you write romantic fiction, offer tips for sustaining relationships. Post memes and jokes about romance. Repost experts’ comments about romance, and add what you know from experience. People will respond with their experiences. If you write about fishing, then fishing can be your focus.
Do you watch who reads your posts or answers them? Follow and engage with people who interest you.
Social media trendsetters follow the 10:4:1 ratio. Plan 15 posts. Create 10 posts around other experts’ ideas. Four should come from your original ideas; only one should promote your work with a strong call to action. This strategy ensures content variety to attract followers without annoying them. However, changing the ratio to half your own ideas and half other experts’ advice makes sense if you are particularly skilled at content development.
Another of self-published authors’ biggest mistakes is ignoring the real world. There are opportunities at parties, school events, or work. Introduce yourself. Share your business card. Print bookmarks with your social media, website, or the title of your coming book. Handing out treats to your kid’s class? Stick a bookmark in the goodie bag. You’re a mile ahead of most people if you can get testimonials or pre-publication reviews.
Creating your book or project
The next step is to find the right launching platform for your needs. Follow their directions to the letter. Work carefully and cut no corners. Whatever you create, do it flawlessly. Your book must be well-designed, outstandingly written and drafted with no typos, clumsy language, and no badly spelled or used words. A compelling cover design is essential. If you publish digital downloads like coloring books or greeting cards, make them clean and perfect. You will have a better opportunity for success if your end-user experience is A++.
Price your book or project competitively for the marketplace. We all want to make money quickly, but a high price does not guarantee profit. Basic research can identify the price point that makes your book a great value. You’ll notice pricing trends when you browse bookstores and bookseller websites and pay attention to your niche. Well-known authors command a higher price than burgeoning writers might get. One effective strategy is to price a new release on the low end and increase the price as the book gains traction.
Self-published authors’ biggest mistakes: No marketing strategy
If you know nothing about marketing, bite the bullet and get professional help. It’s possible to find an affordable ethical marketing professional or marketing student to help you write a marketing plan. We’ve worked with authors who asked an AI platform like Chat GPT to write a marketing plan for a project. One expert offers a free marketing cheat sheet for subscribers to his newsletter.
As your book gains traction, write another book or create another project. Often, self-published authors’ biggest mistakes involve launching a project and stopping. Even with the best marketing plan on earth, as Shark Tank tells us, you have to scale your business. Think about companion products or promotions that can draw attention to your book. If you want to make money as a writer, keep writing. No manufacturer would survive if the company produced one kick-ass product, made one production run, and stopped.
“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” -Jack Welch.
The value of readers or end-users
It’s normal to read a negative review about work we’ve labored over and want to throttle the reviewer. But wait! There is more benefit to being open to constructive criticism and using feedback to improve future works. An author told me a story:
“Someone reviewed my book on a reader website. She complained about two crummy typos, but worse, she said one character was too flat, whatever that means. And she thought my book was slow, but she admitted the genre wasn’t one she usually reads, and in fact, she avoids it. So isn’t that on her? Why would she read something she knew she’d hate and then tell everyone she hated it?”
I’ll admit, if that review was about my work, I’d bristle. But I know I’d settle down and reread the review, objectively paying attention to what the reader was saying. Typos? No excuse. That’s part of rushing to publication without scrutinizing craftsmanship. Characters? I’d revisit parts of the book to see if any character could have been fleshed out. Pacing? We can all improve how we move the story along. Even if 1000 reviews are five stars, the most valuable might be the one three-star review.
If that reader took the time to buy my book, something attracted her. If she took the time to review it, something caused her to react. I can learn from that and make myself a more robust author. Every reader is valuable.
Your bottom line
There is no such thing as a free lunch. We all have to work, plan, and pay our dues. If you are lucky enough to write a million-seller that flies off the shelf and makes you rich, God bless you. Enjoy it. The rest of us will continue to move ever forward, one step at a time, because we love what we do. If I were as rich as Warren Buffet, I would still be writing and experimenting with side hustles because I love doing those things. It might be time to begin a new journey if you’re doing something that doesn’t make you feel that way. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone.
If you’re like me, keep going. Write that book. Complete whatever project is on your desk, and make it perfect. Map out your strategy so you can make some effective noise. Enjoy the freedom of working for yourself.
Finally, if you want to avoid self-published authors’ biggest mistakes and achieve success as you live your dream, consider this:
“Overnight success is almost always a myth. Half of this industry is luck, and half is the refusal to quit.” Victoria Schwab
Learn more
40 Best Free Online Marketing Classes
Make Your Content Attract Paid Subscribers
10 Best Self-publishing Platforms
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