Being an author can be a challenging occupation, particularly if you’re self-published, as a lot of the responsibility for for the “back of house” tasks like cover design, marketing, social media updates, finding an editor, and running a newsletter for your fans can all fall on your own shoulders.
Like most skills however, a lot of the information that can make the process easier is out there; you just need to know where to look for it.
We’ve compiled a list of our very favorite books for authors and writers who are looking at self-published as an option, and want to improve both their craft as an author, their skills as a marketer, and their abilities as someone who is (essentially) running their own small business.
Happy reading and writing!
Marketing a book is difficult for most authors. It takes an incredible lot of time, and often for no measurable results in sales. Some of you may have spent hours, days, weeks, even months, writing blogs, getting active on Facebook and Twitter in order to promote your book. Then you look at your sales figures for the last weeks or months, and your heart sinks. Why isn’t this working?
So, have you ever wondered how other books seem to come out of nowhere and become Best Sellers? Ever suspected that there are some tricks you don’t know about that others are using to promote their book? Well, you would be right.
This book answers the greatest challenge facing authors: getting discovered on Amazon.
“Fantastic guide with simple and yet great ideas.”
“I now have answers and the tools needed to get a book promoted.”
“I’ve worked in Internet marketing for years. He really rips the lid off.”
Write to Market by Chris Fox
With dozens of books to his name (including a multitude of non-fiction on the subject of publishing) Chris Fox is a well known name in the writing industry.
With Write to Market, Chris delivers a book that focuses on what makes one book or one genre of books more profictable than another, and shows you how to discover what books are likely to show the best results for a writer.
Help! My Facebook Ads Suck by Michael Cooper
Considered by many to be the best book for authors on the subject of Facebook advertising, Help! My Facebook Ads Suck by Michael Cooper does an excellent job of breaking down the often daunting world of Facebook advertising.
With detailed workthroughs of what sort of ads work best for authors, as well as what styles of copy you should employ, and how to target the right audience for your books, Help! My Facebook Ads Suck is an absolute wealth of information for both the aspiring and established author alike.
Prosperity for Writers by Honoree Corder
Honoree is a prolific author (with over a dozen books to her name) as well as a writing and business coach, a mum, and a public speaker.
Focusing on the author mindset that’s required to succeed (and to allow yourself to succeed), Prosperity for Writers covers a whole swathe of concepts important for progress an an author, including a 100-day plan of action and daily practices.
A great read for experienced authors and those just starting out alike.
Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle
A prolific author focusing mainly on science fiction, Craig Martelle is fast approaching 100 titles to his name, and well over two and a half million words published.
His book Become a Successful Indie Author: Work Toward Your Writing Dream is a no-nonsense manual for the aspiring and established author alike.
With plenty of information about how to tell your story and make it the best that it can be, there is alose a lot of focus on the business-side of being an author, including tracking your sales data, expenses and revenue, managing your taxes, and strategies for marketing and advertising.
Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque
Modern consensus among authors is that a newsletter for your fans is not just helpful, it’s absolutely required.
Newsletter Ninja is an excellent book that will help you grow your mailing list or re-invigorate your current subscribers.
Tammi also delves into some cutting-edge concepts for engaging with your readers in ways that can help to significantly boost your open and click-through rates.
How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis by Bryan Cohen
It doesn’t matter how good a book you’ve written; if the synopsis isn’t exciting and engaging, you’ll have a lot of trouble convincing people to read it.
That’s where How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis by Bryan Cohen comes in.
Bryan is one of the most experienced description specialised in the industry, with literally hundreds of authors using his skills to craft a synopsis for their books. If you’ve ever struggled with writing a blurb, this is the book for you.
Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran
A prolific author in his own right, David Gaughran is also a strong advocate for transparency and honesty in the publishing industry.
His book Let’s Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should is filled with practical advice on starting (or continuing) your self publishing journey.
With expert perspective on how to build a following of fans, finding an editor that is right for you, and designing covers and taglines, Let’s Get Digital is a fantastic author resource.
Mastering Amazon Ads by Brian Meeks
Considered to be THE book on utilizing Amazon advertising to promote your books, Mastering Amazon Ads takes an in-depth look not only at the metrics, prices, and numbers of Amazon advertising, but also deals with the formats that advertising can appear in, as well as the artistic side of crafting an eye catching ad.
A must read for any author who’d like to promote their books directly on the Amazon platform.
How to Make a Living with Your Writing by Joanna Penn
One of best examples of how to be a successful full time author, Joanna Penn has been in the industry as an author, blogger, and host of the popular The Creative Penn podcast series.
Her book How To Make A Living With Your Writing is fulled with excellent advice from someone who’s already established herself as one of the most consistently successful self published authors.
Though aimed primarily at people just starting their publishing journey, there is plenty of information that even a seasoned veteran of publishing will find helpful.