Sell Your Books

Marketing Without the Hype

Most book marketing advice is written by people who never marketed a book

BUY FROM INGRAMSPARK AMAZON KOBO READ THE INTRODUCTION TABLE OF CONTENTS

660 pages · Paperback ISBN 978-1-972810-34-7 · ebook ISBN 978-1-972810-35-4

660Pages

4Parts

36Chapters

2013Went full time

Most book marketing advice is written by people who never marketed a book

Gurus who decided book marketing was a niche they could dominate. Bloggers recycling advice from other bloggers who recycled it from somebody else. Consultants who have never published a book and somehow believe they are qualified to tell you how to sell yours.

I have been in the indie publishing trenches for over a decade. Published across multiple genres. Run thousands of dollars in ads. Built email lists. Launched books that worked and books that failed spectacularly.

I am not a marketing guru. I am an author who worked out how to market books by doing it badly until I got better at it.

This exists because the indie space is drowning in bad advice. Authors get told to write more books as though that were a strategy, and to build a platform with no explanation of what that means or how.

What is inside

Strategy

What you are trying to build, in plain terms
Identifying your reader before you write to them
An author platform that generates leads
Pricing and positioning for your actual market

Tactics

Covers, descriptions and listings
Advertising that can be measured
Email lists that are worth having
Launches, and what they do and do not achieve

Specific problems

Large catalogs
Books that will not sell
Marketing with ADHD
Avoiding the scams aimed at authors

Revenue

Wide distribution against Kindle Unlimited
Audio, translation and rights
Direct sales
Income past the first launch

Who this is for

Worth your time if

You would rather be writing and accept that marketing is the job
You have published and the sales did not come
You are running ads and cannot tell whether they work
You want real numbers rather than bestseller secrets

Not for you if

You want a guaranteed bestseller method
You want to be told it happens on its own
You are looking for a shortcut rather than a system
You have marketing that already works

Why me

Richard Lowe, the Writing King

In 2013 I quit as Director of Computer Operations at Trader Joe’s, moved to Florida and decided to make it as a writer with no idea what I was doing. My first book sold about a dozen copies because I had written a decent book and done nothing to put it in front of anyone. Over a decade later I have 113+ books under my own name, thousands of dollars of ads behind me, and launches that worked alongside launches that did not.

Questions people ask

How is this different from other book marketing guides?

Most guides are written by people who have marketed courses about marketing books, not books themselves. This one is written by someone who ran thousands of dollars in ads, had a platform terminated without explanation, and watched the Amazon advertising landscape become dramatically less profitable over five years. It includes what worked, what failed, what used to work and doesn’t anymore, and realistic numbers, not “here’s how I made $10,000 a month” success porn.

Do I need to read all 660 pages?

No. The four parts are designed to be used as reference. Part I is strategic foundation, read it first regardless of where you are. Part II covers tactics, use it as a buffet, take what applies to your situation. Part III addresses specific problems: large catalogs, books that won’t sell, marketing with ADHD, avoiding scams. Part IV covers revenue expansion beyond the basics. Go directly to what you need.

Does this cover wide distribution vs. Kindle Unlimited?

Yes, in detail. The wide vs. KU decision is one of the most consequential choices an indie author makes, and the right answer depends on your genre, your catalog, your marketing approach, and what you’re trying to build. The book covers the economics of both sides, the platform policies, and what working authors in different genres have found to be true in practice.

Is this for first-time authors or experienced authors?

Both, at different parts. The strategic foundation in Part I is essential for anyone who hasn’t made explicit decisions about what they’re trying to build. The tactics in Part II are useful at any level. Parts III and IV are aimed at authors who have moved past the basics and need to address specific situations or expand their revenue model. The book is designed to be used at multiple stages of a publishing career.

Also in The Publishing Series

The Day Your Website Died

Optimizing for AI Search

The Ghostwriting Advantage

How to Get Your Book Written for You

Publish Your Book

The Complete Self-Publishing Guide

Make a Living as a Self-Published Author

Build the Business Behind the Books

Marketing is going to find the readers

A decent book with real marketing beats a great book with none, every single time.

BUY FROM INGRAMSPARK AMAZON KOBO READ THE INTRODUCTION TABLE OF CONTENTS

Paperback and ebook.

Filed underBook Marketing Marketing Self-Publishing Promotion

Introduction

Sell Your Books

They’re marketing gurus who decided “book marketing” was a niche they could dominate. They’re bloggers who regurgitate advice from other bloggers who regurgitated it from someone else. They’re consultants who’ve never published a book but somehow think they’re qualified to tell you how to sell yours.

This book is different. I’ve been in the indie publishing trenches for over a decade. I’ve published books across multiple genres. I’ve run thousands of dollars in ads. I’ve built email lists. I’ve launched books that succeeded and books that flopped spectacularly. I’ve made every mistake in this book and learned from most of them.

I’m not a marketing guru. I’m an author who figured out how to market books by doing it badly until I got better at it.

This book exists because the indie publishing space is drowning in bad advice. Authors are told to “just write more books” as if that’s a marketing strategy. They’re told to “build a platform” without any explanation of what that means or how to do it. They’re told success is just around the corner if they follow this one weird trick.

Marketing is work. It’s not sexy. It’s not a shortcut. It’s running ads, writing descriptions, building email lists, analyzing data, testing strategies, failing, adjusting, and trying again. It’s boring, repetitive, and necessary if you want to make money from your books.

This book is for indie authors serious about treating publishing like a business. You’re not a hobbyist. You’re not writing for the joy of it (though I hope you enjoy writing). You’re writing because you want to make money, build a career, and maybe eventually quit your day job.

This book is not gentle. I’m not going to coddle you or tell you marketing is easy or you’ll be successful if you just believe in yourself. Marketing is hard. Many fail. Most books don’t sell. That’s reality.

But the authors who do succeed aren’t special. They’re not more talented. They’re just willing to do the work everyone else won’t do. They market their books. They learn what works. They keep going when it’s hard.

Sell Your Books

Preface: Why This Book Exists
Introduction: The Wall of Marketing
What You’ll Find Here
Who This Book Is For
A Quick Note on Humor
Let’s Get Started
Where to Start
Part I: Strategy
Chapter 1: Before You Begin: What Are You Actually Building?
Chapter 2: Understanding the Game
Chapter 3: Know Your Reader (They’re Not Everyone)
Chapter 4: Building Your Author Platform
Chapter 5: Pricing and Positioning
Part II: Tactics
Chapter 6: Your Cover Is Your First Sale
Chapter 7: Your Book Description Sells (Or Doesn’t)
Chapter 8: Building Your Launch Team
Chapter 9: Launch Parties (Online and In-Person)
Chapter 10: Reviews (Getting Them and Surviving Them)
Chapter 11: Social Media That Doesn’t Suck
Chapter 12: Amazon Advertising Demystified
Chapter 13: Newsletter Magic
Chapter 14: Podcast Tours and Media Appearances
Chapter 15: Speaking and Workshop Opportunities
Chapter 16: Publishing Platforms: Pros, Cons, and What to Watch
Chapter 17: Wide vs. KU: The Most Important Decision You Will Make
Chapter 18: IngramSpark: The Distribution Backbone
Chapter 19: ISBNs: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Matter
Chapter 20: Beyond Amazon
Chapter 21: Getting Your Books Into Libraries
Chapter 22: Getting Your Books Into Bookstores
Chapter 23: Traditional and Hybrid Publishing
Part III: Special Considerations
Chapter 24: Marketing for Authors with ADHD
Chapter 25: What to Do When You’ve Got a Portfolio of Many Books
Chapter 26: What to Do When It Simply Will Not Sell
Chapter 27: When to Write the Next Book Instead
Chapter 28: The Small Things That Add Up
Chapter 29: AI Tools for Book Marketing
Chapter 30: Scams and Cons to Watch Out For
Chapter 31: In-Person Marketing
Chapter 32: Facebook and Meta Advertising
Part IV: Expanding Your Revenue
Chapter 33: Audiobooks
Chapter 34: Selling Direct
Chapter 35: Special Editions and Kickstarter
Chapter 36: BookBub and Promotional Tools
Conclusion: Now Go Sell Some Books
Appendix: Setting Up Direct Sales: A Step-by-Step Case Study
What You Need Before You Start
Part One: Setting Up Lulu Direct for Paperback Fulfillment
Part Two: Setting Up BookFunnel for ebook Delivery with Email Watermarking
The Complete Customer Experience
Pricing Your Products
Ongoing Maintenance
Glossary
Index

Sell Your Books

Most book marketing advice is written by people who never marketed a book

What is inside

Who this is for

Why me

Questions people ask

Also in The Publishing Series

Marketing is going to find the readers

Introduction

Sell Your Books

Table of contents

Sell Your Books

Books & Reviews

Services

Resources

Get In Touch

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