Saturday, March 22, 2014

How I Became an Amazon Bestseller


I released my book today, and it has skyrocketed up the charts to reach best seller status in its respective genre. While I do believe luck has some role to play in the success of authors, I'm going to let you in on a few things that you can control and are imperative to the success of your work.

Have a Game Plan

There is no professional, be it football players or actors, that expects to walk out on opening night to win without having a strategy. If you work hard enough to create a product to introduce to the public, you owe it to yourself to invest in marketing.

In today's social media enviornment, it has become easier than ever before to become noticed, but you must identify how to get there. Here are some examples:

  1. Ask people who've already established an audience to promote or review your product. This doesn't have to be a formal letter, and it can be as simple as saying "Hey, will you review/promote this?" Many people with audiences will want to know why your product is interesting so they don't insult their audience by putting some old thing up.
  2. Build your own following. This is self explanatory, but you can do this in many different ways. Invite people, host events, pay Facebook to advertise your content, etc.
  3. Get involved with local media. News people are always looking for stories, and if you have a success story, no matter how small, they may be interested in reviewing it. If they say yes, then it will drive the sales of your product, make your more successful, and garner an audience.


Have Great Content

Most products that are crap don't sell well, unless they have an astounding marketing plan, but don't rely on any one factor to get you success. All those millionaire overnight stories are incredibly improbable, and you shouldn't have your success hinge upon chance. So create something great, or at least as great as you can make it.

If you get satisfied customers for a great product, ask for some testimonials. People feel more comfortable buying something when other people are saying positive things about it. However, seek critiques, for they will make your product all the better.

Invest in the Long-Term

Any sort of on-going sale is a perpetual effort, and you shouldn't feel discouraged if your product doesn't just take off. Promote all the more, or review who your promotions are targeting. People who want to buy guns won't buy a product that isn't about guns. Be smart in who you target.

Ever hear of "You have to spend money to make money"? Well that is mostly true, but you shouldn't go for broke on one product. Set a budget and work with it accordingly. 

Produce More Products

If someone has a lot of things to offer, they have a wider range of people they can appeal to, and can even convert them to be interested in their other products. They key thing is building yourself as a reputable figure, and if you have a lot of quality material, then people will not only take you more seriously, but they will remember your name better. Don't let one success or failure stop you- keep pushing!

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