How I Sold 40,000 Books
"If your book fails to sell, you did not know your market."
- Dan Poynter, The Self-Publishing Manual
You probably have at least one really great idea for a book, and maybe you’ve already started writing it. But how do you know for sure whether you’re creating a book that will be relevant and valuable to your target audience? Throughout all stages of the production and promotion of your book, keep in mind your answers to the following questions:
- Who is my target audience?
- What specific need or void am I filling with this book?
- How is my book different from others on the same subject?
- In what ways am I specially suited to writing this book?
- How can I make this a book that only I can write?
You'll notice in the story outlined below that I worked closely with my target audience for years as I was developing, writing, and releasing my bestseller. The book was a quick-start guide to natural health and diet, which very effectively filled a void in the market at that time. Purchase my newest quick-start guide, Self-Publishing Revolution, and discover how quickly you can achieve success as a self-publisher!
The Story of My Bestseller
- 2004, Spring: Worked part-time with members of my target audience (in the natural health market). Wrote first draft from their suggestions.
- 2004, Summer: Worked full-time for the #1 online retailer that serviced my niche market. Became familiar with all other related books.
- 2004, Fall: Refined and added to book content based on new connections with target audience. Got an endorsement from my favorite author!
- 2005, Winter: Paid for a cover design; uploaded the First Edition to Lulu; started selling on Amazon.com. Purchased printed copies from Lulu to resell to my employer and other retailers in southern California.
- 2005, Spring: Book hit #1 on the topic on Amazon.com; it would stay there for at least two years. Hit #1 on Lulu and stayed there until I removed it from my storefront to replace it with the Second Edition.
- 2005, Summer: Through my job, I was contacted by a specialty distributor who wanted to carry my book. (Since Lulu owned the ISBN, he would not have been able to reach me had I not had such a job.)
- 2005, Fall: Took out a loan to finance the first printing of books (5,500 at $1 each) from a traditional printing company, which required me to create a Second Edition and purchase my own set of ten ISBNs.
- 2006, Winter: Received my first bulk printing of books; 500 were drop-shipped directly to the distributor who had contacted me. Uploaded the Second Edition book files to my Lulu storefront, under my own ISBN.
- 2006, Spring: Started selling to two other specialty distributors.
- 2007, Spring: Ordered the second bulk printing of books (3,300).
- 2007, Summer: Did book signings and taught classes in Carlsbad, Palm Springs, and Idyllwild, California. A well-known author plugged my book to thousands of people in her e-newsletter, causing a boost in sales.
- 2007, Fall: Rented a booth at a niche market festival in Sedona, Arizona.
- 2008, Spring: Ordered the third bulk printing of books (3,300).
- 2008, Summer: Transferred my titles from Lulu to CreateSpace. Sold books at a major niche market event in Fort Bragg, California.
- 2009, Winter: Created an expanded Third Edition, in honor of the book’s fifth anniversary, to be released in the Spring.
- 2009, Spring: Ran out of money for another bulk printing. Started having books drop-shipped from CreateSpace directly to my distributors.
- 2009, Summer: Book sales reached 30,000.
- 2011, Summer: Book sales reached 40,000 (half online/half in 3-D).
A Different Timeline
Self-publishers who start with little or no resources are on a completely different time track than what has been expected in the publishing industry. In fact, assuming your book has hit its mark and says something of value to your target audience, there’s no reason your book won’t continue to sell as long as you put energy and resources into promoting it. Of course, for a non-fiction book, that includes keeping it updated.
The following graph charts the sales pattern of my non-fiction bestseller, which I updated and expanded in 2009, by year and venue type.
(Click graph to view enlargement.)
Meet your public...
Book signings need not be scary or intimidating; your audience wants to know about only two things: your book and you. They want enough information to figure out whether your book is for them, and they want to know about you personally and why you wrote the book. Beyond that, just answer their questions as best you can. With the personal touch that only meeting you can give them, they want the emotional satisfaction of supporting you directly and a personalized signature to boot!
Book signings come in all shapes and sizes, and they can happen in your town or in a town far, far away. There are many types of venues for book signings, including retail bookstores, universities, community centers, outdoor festivals, and quiet, casual meeting spaces.
See Chapter 15 for a list of questions you should ask before committing to an event.
Interview tips...
There’s an adage in book publicity: No one interviews a book. Books are not good guests. People, on the other hand, can be engaging, informative and interesting interviews. A good guest can hold the attention of a host and listeners, and sell a lot of books in the process.
Becoming a great radio guest isn’t hard, literally anyone can do it. Here are 10 tips that can make the difference between listeners changing stations during an interview and immediately ordering a book.
1. Practice the art of the “soft sell” The “soft sell” is basically letting opportunities to plug your book come to you, naturally, within the flow and context of an interview. There’s nothing wrong with saying “as I say in my book” occasionally, or directing listeners to your website … just don’t go overboard. Remember, the vast majority of talk show hosts will gladly and freely plug your book, both during and at the conclusion of an interview. If you run into a host who doesn’t do this, then do it yourself.
- Dan Smith, sellingbooks.com