Traction

Most indie authors struggle with sales. Sure, there are a select few who seem to sell thousands within weeks of publishing, but I think they are the exception to the rule. We all work hard, but some books just take off for whatever reason while others either don't sell at all or rise slow and steady. Of course, it all depends on genre, marketing, book covers, writing, story, etc.

What we all need, especially on Amazon, is traction. We need to figure out how to make more sales, so our books get more visibility, which results in more sales. This may take weeks, months, or even years.

In the past two weeks, I think I've started to accomplish this traction.

I published Just You and Someone Else at the end of June, 2012. I started advertising on social media around July 1, so let's go with that date. Sales were modest but steady for July. In August, they plummeted. Did some blog interviews, more marketing, and nada. September picked up a little, but still nothing to write home about. So I thought, hey, maybe I should do something about it.

On September 10, I lowered the price of Just You to $0.99 everywhere (Someone Else stayed at $2.99). Advertised again. Sales started to steadily climb with both books. Finally, about two weeks ago, I started seeing Just You in the "Customers who bought this item also bought" section, under some high-ranking books. Indies know how important those coveted spots are. Lots of people click through the "also boughts". Being there gives you visibility and increases sales. And when you get there, the $0.99 price tag makes you even more attractive.

October has been my best month yet. No, I'm not in the top 100 (not even close) but daily sales in the double-digits are better than a big fat zero. Naturally, most of the sales are on the cheaper book, but my $2.99 book has benefited too. The more people who read your work and like it, the bigger your fanbase grows, the more reviews you'll receive, and the more success you'll have on future books.

But to gain that traction, you have to experiment with different things...marketing, pricing, blurbs, covers. Take a look at the top-sellers in your genre. Find out what works. For me, it was the price adjustment. And patience. Keep in mind, it took me almost four months to see a rise in sales, and it didn't really pick up until I appeared in the "also boughts".

In order to sell your book, people have to see your book.

Want to help your favorite author gain visibility and traction on Amazon? Here are 10 quick and easy things you can do.