Advice For Aspiring Kindle Authors

by GoodFE
18 replies
I feel compelled to share a story with you in the hopes of helping a few folks out.

Many people seem to come here in the hopes of a step-by-step guide on how to get rich quick. But I sense the people asking the most questions make the least amount of money.

Sure it is wise to ask your fellow marketers for tips and advice, but some people go way beyond that and want everything handed to them on a plate.

So in the hopes of helping those interested in Kindle, I want to share a story on how I found success.

I came to warrior forum in a quest for knowledge and was not disappointed. I didnt have an account at the time so I couldn't ask any questions and decided to do some research for myself.

Kindle was the method I chose and I researched it over the course of the next week. I checked what was selling well in the niche i wanted to enter and tried to figure out how I could top those people.

(Note: I didn't email them in the hopes of getting their blueprint for success)

After a week of research I found a sub-niche that I felt I could dominate and I got to work.

I thought myself how to use image-editing software and I practiced making covers. I would use popular selling book covers as a template and try to use a similar style, just to get my skills up to scratch.

I felt an immense satisfaction when I published my first book, but that feeling didn't last.

My first book sold only 2 copies in the first week making me a total of 0.70c. I wasn't deterred however, I kept going because I believed in the idea. My second was even less successful but I still believed.

My third book was a huge success and was averaging over 5 sales per day. This success dripped down, and my other books started selling well.

I released a fourth book that did pretty well and then I bundled all four together as a package.

Because the four books together were priced at $2.99, I got the 70% royalty share. This meant my readers made a saving by purchasing the bundle and I made a larger profit, a true win-win situation.

That one book has earned $500 dollars per month since and has been joined by several other successful books.

But here is the point to my story. The reason that I didn't give up in the beginning is because I truly believed in the idea. It felt like it was my own, it was something I personally researched and so had extra meaning to me.

I have no doubt in my mind that if I had read all the research I did myself on here, implemented it and only had 2 sales in 1 week, I would probably have given up. I would have been one of those people shouting from the rooftops 'Kindle doesn't work'.

The moral of the story is to do some bloody research for yourself (this isn't just in reference to Kindle either).

Stop asking for someone to baby you. Stop asking for details on EXACTLY what you should do. Just soak up the vast amounts of knowledge and advice on offer and do the rest yourself.

If you are so lazy and unmotivated that the only way you will make any effort at all is if someone hands it to you for free, then I think you are in the wrong game my friend.

Best of luck to all of you out there. I hope this helps someone and if you have any general questions on Kindle I would be delighted to help you.
#advice #aspiring #authors #kindle
  • Profile picture of the author Beverley Boorer
    there are leaders and followers. The followers need to have someone to tell them what to do. Thats why they ask, rather than becasue they are lazy and unmotivated . Making the decision on what and how to do things comes with much practice. I know, I used to be a follower and still have to fight it at times.
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    • Profile picture of the author GoodFE
      Originally Posted by Beverley Boorer View Post

      there are leaders and followers. The followers need to have someone to tell them what to do. Thats why they ask, rather than becasue they are lazy and unmotivated . Making the decision on what and how to do things comes with much practice. I know, I used to be a follower and still have to fight it at times.
      I understand what you mean Beverly and I feel there is nothing wrong with looking for advice. I mean the people that look for people to tell them exactly what to do.
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  • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
    You have exactly the right attitude. A lot of people could do well to emulate your method; pick it up and run with it, iron the creases out along the way.

    A great post - well done on your success.

    Will
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  • Profile picture of the author wfhblueprints
    A excellent post Goodfe!

    Success comes from taking solid action and not allowing paralysis by analysis to set in. By making mistakes you learn quickly and learn to become proactive in your businessn and not wait for some guru to come along to tell you whats wrong!

    Congrats!
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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    Hi,

    While I'm not a fan of people getting some limited success and then coming here positioning themselves as experts and telling everyone "how it is", I never made a decision to "use the ebook model" but I did do the same as you and research a niche, find there was a lack of books, write my own one which I believed was the best around at the time and then got cheques for over $1000 a month for a long time from it. So I know that your advice is good.

    Although I've sold thousands of copies of my books now I don't consider myself any sort of expert in authoring books so I wouldn't presume to tell anyone else how they should do it, but the generic advice to "create a better mouse trap" can apply to writing a book if you are truly passionate enough to understand the people you're trying to help with the book and are dedicated enough to ensure your book is worth adding to the existing marketplace.

    I don't agree with the idea some people seem to have of just regurgitating the same information which is already out there in books, just so that you have something to sell, but I do think there's a lot of scope for the right people to add value in that way.

    Andy
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    nothing to see here.

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    • Profile picture of the author wfhblueprints
      Originally Posted by Andyhenry View Post

      I don't agree with the idea some people seem to have of just regurgitating the same information which is already out there in books, just so that you have something to sell, but I do think there's a lot of scope for the right people to add value in that way.

      Andy
      Andy,

      That particular phase is why you've had some success. The process is about giving people value. Something that makes them sit up and think "aha" so that's what it's all about...


      Regards

      Chris
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    • Profile picture of the author GoodFE
      Originally Posted by Andyhenry View Post

      Hi,

      While I'm not a fan of people getting some limited success and then coming here positioning themselves as experts and telling everyone "how it is".
      Never positioned myself as an expert in any way, I merely offered advice. In fact I clearly said this is advice for people just starting, which I feel I am more than qualified to advise on considering I made it a full-time occupation in a matter of months.
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  • Profile picture of the author msu
    Excellent post & advice.

    Having confidence in what you're doing is much easier if you've done some good pre-writing research, so that you know there's a buying market.

    That way, if you launch a book and it doesn't sell as well you hoped, you know the original idea is rock solid - you just need experiment with your marketing methods.
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  • Profile picture of the author cashcow
    Originally Posted by GoodFE View Post


    But here is the point to my story. The reason that I didn't give up in the beginning is because I truly believed in the idea. It felt like it was my own, it was something I personally researched and so had extra meaning to me.
    Everyone should read this ^^^^ I think a big reason why a lot of people fail is that they don't believe in what they are doing so they give up too soon. This is great advice, not just for kindle books, but for anything.
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    Gone Fishing
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    • Profile picture of the author iSoftware
      Great advice.As you mature as a writer, focus on building your OWN AUTHOR PLATFORM. Because as empowering as Amazon is for indie authors, relying simply on one source of sales (amazon) is like relying on one source of traffic (google).

      Build an audience that you can follow up with, where you can keep 100% of the profits and who you can have a back and forth dialogue with.

      Good job!
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  • Profile picture of the author webmarket
    Starting from scratch and making money online is not easy these days but one model has always stood the test of time.

    1. Do you research and find a gap in the market which you can fill.

    2. Set yourself realistic targets and come up with a plan to achieve them.

    3. Stick with it until you achieve success.

    For 99% percent of people it is part 3 of the model which is their downfall and they simply give up too quickly. The road will be bumpy and you may take a long time to start seeing results, but those results will come if you simply stick with it for long enough.

    This is an excellent example of someone who did nothing special but simply recognized the model and followed it to its logical conclusion.

    Thank you for sharing your experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author wordpro
    Thank you for this post. I am about to publish my first Kindle book on a topic that I believe I am an expert in (making money from writing online), so this post will give me the motivation to keep going if I too only get 2 sales on my first book!
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  • Profile picture of the author TimothyTorrents
    Great post! I guess the key is to never give up. I like how even though your first book only sold 2 copies you started working on another book and didn't give up on your plan. I am sure a lot of people would have given up if their first book was not a success.
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Persistence pays off...good job!
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      Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

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  • Profile picture of the author TycoonRob
    Anyone can make money with Kindle if you go about it the right way - trying to create a valuable product that readers will love. If you throw up crap, that's exactly what you'll get back.
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    Doubt everything you believe.

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  • Profile picture of the author LillySage
    I've written several non-fiction books for Kindle under pen names, but have recently published my first fiction book...a vampire book called Sanctuary. It's selling pretty well in the couple weeks that it's been out and I'm hard at work on the second one in the series (I plan on writing a trilogy). I'm very interested in the power of bundling! Thanks for this post...
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    • Profile picture of the author cashcow
      Originally Posted by LillySage View Post

      I've written several non-fiction books for Kindle under pen names, but have recently published my first fiction book...a vampire book called Sanctuary. It's selling pretty well in the couple weeks that it's been out and I'm hard at work on the second one in the series (I plan on writing a trilogy). I'm very interested in the power of bundling! Thanks for this post...
      Awesome - it can grow very easily if you tell a good story and work at acquiring and pleasing your fans.

      I love your cover and author picture.
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      • Profile picture of the author Marhelper
        Originally Posted by cashcow View Post


        I love your cover and author picture.
        Agreed. That cover made me pull the sheets up a little higher. Great job.
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