by Barb Drozdowich
Hi there and welcome. I come to the publishing world from the realm of technical training, not from a creative mindset. I look at the author world, the world of books, differently than many authors. Because of this, I see common errors that indie authors make which can result in loss of sales. Today, we are going to cover 5 common mistakes and easy fixes for each.
Indie Author Mistake #1: Failure to Think Globally
The first error we will talk about is the assumption by many authors that their audience is a local one. From setting up a table at a local market to sell books, to relying on readings at local coffee shops or bookstores, many authors focus their attentions at only local readers.
To be fair, they are relying on common time-honored activities that have existed in the book world for decades. Gathering some friends to celebrate a book launch is wonderful, but if this leads to the author having a only a local focus, they will miss out on “talking” to their actual audience.
Very few books are only suitable for a local audience. An example would be a detailed guide to local hiking trails. One would assume that the audience for that sort of book would primarily be a local one.
Most books are sold to an international audience. An author who focuses on their audience being an international one will look to a social media platform, a website and perhaps a newsletter to market their books. They may also consider using Facebook/Instagram ads or Amazon ads in their marketing efforts. An author focused locally might not consider these options.
I regularly sell books to readers in Canada, US, UK, Germany, Spain, India, Australia, and Japan as well as many other countries. What countries do your books sell in?
Indie Author Mistake #2: Dependence on Amazon
The second error to consider is indie authors who focus their efforts solely on Amazon.
There are a lot of “experts” out there who try to convince authors they can make a million dollars by selling a book on Amazon – and it is SO easy.
My antennae always go up when someone tells me making a lot of money is easy!
Are there authors who are successful solely on Amazon – yes – but this should be a reasoned choice. Amazon offers authors the ability to enter their books into KDP Select.
Pros and Cons of KDP Select for an Indie Author
For those of you unfamiliar with KDP Select, it is the ability to sell e-book versions of a book only via Amazon. (Amazon doesn’t care where you sell paperbacks.) Entering a book into KDP Select allows access to some promotional tools that aren’t available to other authors. It also offers a few other bells and whistles. Many books do very well when enrolled in KDP Select and sold only to an Amazon audience.
However just like children, all books are different. Don’t assume that just because a friend’s books do well in KDP Select, that your books will also.
Amazon Roadblocks
Going back to the idea that book sales are international, focusing on Amazon presents some roadblocks. There are geographical restrictions to Amazon sales.
Amazon doesn’t service all countries. There are readers in quite a few countries that cannot purchase from Amazon.
Many people have a negative opinion of Amazon. I have had authors actually refuse to list their books on Amazon. Their comments make it clear that they feel Amazon is the anti-Christ. Some readers also have a negative opinion of Amazon. There are readers who would never purchase a book from Amazon.
Paper books can be published through IngramSpark, many different primary & secondary retailers as well as distributors like Draft2Digital to widen the availability of a book and offer more choice to readers.
Are your books only available on Amazon or have you dipped your toes in other waters?
Indie Author Mistake #3: Reliance on Bookstore Tours
The third error I commonly see is indie authors who focus on only selling books via bookstores. In my local area, I see authors driving hundreds of miles, going from bookstore to bookstore in person. They try to convince the manager of each store to carry some copies of their book. In some cases, authors are successful in leaving copies. Some bookstores will agree to copies for consignments sales.
Most bookstores – especially the smaller ones – stay in business because they know their customers. They carry books they know will sell – that their customers will like. Books without an audience – by authors without a track record – don’t contribute to the bottom line of a bookstore.
Not only is driving from bookstore to bookstore using valuable writing time, authors need to look at the ROI of this activity.
- How much does the gas cost?
- What about the wear and tear on a vehicle?
- How much is an author’s time worth?
All great questions to ask. How does going from bookstore to bookstore address the pursuit of international sales? I always suggest that authors spend their valuable time pursuing a wider audience, than traveling from bookstore to bookstore pursuing a narrow audience.
Honestly, I often get pushback from authors when I try to discourage them from personally going from bookstore to bookstore. The strongest reaction comes from authors who grew up with their only source of books being bookstores. Many don’t consider online purchases to be a potential significant source of sales.
All things in moderation. Visiting your local bookstore and ask about doing a book launch or having some copies of your book on the “local author” shelf is fine as long as that is not your only marketing focus.
Indie Author Mistake #4: Failure to Hire a Qualified Editor
Error number four – indie authors who hesitate (or don’t) spend money on qualified editing. A qualified editor is not a high school English teacher or someone who “knows grammar.” A qualified editor is someone who knows the genre you write in; who is immersed in your genre. Also, a qualified editor is someone who can help you understand how to make your book better, more saleable. Someone who can teach you.
The ROI on qualified editing is significant. It will impact sales and will help you ward off those critical reviews. In today’s world of online reviews, the last thing you want is a string of reviews that comment on the need for editing.
For those of you who really lack the money for editing, take a step back before publishing. Save the money for an editor; start a ‘Go Fund Me’ type of fund raising. There are many ways to get some help from an editor that don’t need to cost thousands of dollars. If this is something you are interested in, reach out and I can offer some suggestions.
(And for info on how to connect with the right editor, see editor Jodie Renner’s post for us last month–Anne)
Indie Author Mistake #5: Focus on Paperback Books
This one is a common one in my neck of the woods. Don’t focus on only selling paperback books.
In my local area there are several self-publishing companies who actively discourage authors from “bothering” with “that e-book fad” as “it is dying anyways.” In fact, focusing solely on only one format is not helpful.
Most authors – especially new authors – have always wanted to see their words in print. They picture holding their book in their hands, seeing their book on bookstore shelves. That being said, most multi-published authors – especially fiction authors – will tell you that the vast majority of their sales are from electronic copies, not paper ones.
There are many reasons for this. Let’s look at 1) cost, 2) ease of use and 3) impatience.
- E-books are cheaper and easier to access in many areas of the world. Postage can be very expensive in many countries. I am in Canada and when trying to fit my need to read in my existing budget, I can fit a lot more e-books that I can paperbacks. I live in the country and the closest bookstore is quite a drive.
- My mom – like many older adults – has arthritis in her hands. Holding a book open to read it can be a painful experience. She may not be very comfortable with technology ☺ but she can read on her kindle app on her tablet. When she travels, she no longer packs the paperback books she wants to read. She just puts her tablet in her purse.
- In our world of instantaneous gratification, delivery of an e-book to a Kindle within seconds of purchase is very gratifying! No more waiting for the postman to deliver a book.
Generalities can be made. Children’s books, some non-fiction and glossy coffee table books are often more popular in paperback. Genre fiction is often more popular in e-book format and audiobooks are a fast growing format which is popular across the genres.
I challenge the multi-published authors in this audience – what percentage of your sales are from what formats. I write non-fiction and the majority of my online sales are paperback.
by Barb Drozdowich (@sugarbeatbc) October 10, 2021
What about you, readers? What other common errors do you see indie authors make? Since you are reading Anne’s blog, I’m sure you have read about other errors that have been written about over the years. Share your thoughts in the comments. Let’s help those beginner authors not make some easy to avoid mistakes!
***
Barb Drozdowich maintains this website. She lives in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada and now that her daughter drives, she doesn’t get to leave the house. ☺
Barb spends most days with the princess puppy helping authors not waste time they could be spent writing their next book.
She has published 27 books – most are non-fiction focused on the needs of authors. She teaches regularly and has several online courses focused at the needs of beginner authors.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Barb’s LATEST RELEASE! Available from Amazon
You’ve finally figured out how to create a website to promote your book —great! But once you set it up, how will people find you? What are readers looking for anyway? How do you fix it if something looks off?
The answers are easier than you think.
In “Website Tips & Tricks,” you’ll gain access to a ton of useful skills to build upon the foundation you already have and maintain your site throughout the years. It’s designed for authors who have very little technical knowledge, and you can implement what you learn right away.
Just a few of the topics include:
- The three pages your website absolutely must have
- Choosing your theme and plugins
- Creating Content that is reader- friendly and highlights your books
- Setting up your website so it loads faster
- Improving your website’s visibility in searches.
Most importantly, you’ll become comfortable playing around with your website.
Thanks, Barb.
The eBook “fad” is here to stay. I have a few paperbacks that would keep me occupied during a global apocalypse, but I prefer the ease of a digital reader.
Need to find a definition? One click brings up the results. Forget who in the blazes Mrs. McNabb is? Use the search function to find all mentions of her in the current book — or in your entire library, if warranted. Want to read the next book in a series? Download it within seconds.
Writers who ignore digital editions are losing a huge market.
Hi Kathy,
I sing off the same song sheet that you do 🙂
I’m a voracious reader and because authors can’t write fast enough 🙂 I read books from hundreds of different authors. That search function is handy from my point of view.
Especially when you’re reading a book by someone who uses unfamiliar words on just about every page. 🙂 I won’t mention any names, because I love her books, but …
hehehe…..:)
Barb—A+++++ Thank you for contributing such helpful, knowledgable info.
Writers, In a world drowning in BS, here’s useful, reliable info you can depend on. Barb *knows* what she’s talking about. Pay attention!
Morning Ruth!
Thank you for your kind words 🙂 Just trying to insert some technical trainer thoughts into the creative world 🙂
I’m not an indie author, but I can attest that my books are sold in many countries and have been translated into other languages. Readers are everywhere.
I’m also one of those who never purchase books from Amazon. If it’s not in iTunes, I’m just not reading it.
Five excellent tips, Barb!
Morning Alex!
You are not alone! There are lots of anti-Amazon authors and anti-Amazon readers. I live in Canada, and I think that Kobo is more popular than Amazon here for ebooks. Would be interesting to do a survey of that 🙂
Barb
This is fantastic advice and I am on board for all of it. I changed from “only Amazon” to going wide with my book that will soon be published. I got that advice from someone “in the know” as well. This post should help many indie authors who are not aware of the ramifications of some of their decisions. Thank you so much.
Morning Patricia,
Thank you for your kind words. I hope that lots of other authors consider “going wide” also. After some experiment they may decide to only focus on Amazon, but that should be a choice in my opinion 🙂
Awesome post, Barb! I have a hard time getting my mind around not making our books available in digital. That’s all my parents (in their 80s) read, as well as my kids (16 and 22). From an objective standpoint, I have 7 books out and my digital sales are absolutely higher than print.
Which isn’t to say print isn’t an option – of course it is! Anyone who considers ebooks/digital a fad needs to learn about this wonderful newfangled thing called a computer LOL
Hehehe Rachel! I am the same – teenager who wouldn’t be caught dead with a paperback. Mom would prefer to read paperbacks, but with her arthritis, she spends more time on her iPad than trying to hold a book open. And when I go camping, I can take hundreds of books with me on my iPad and read by campfirelight 🙂
Thanks for all of this Barb, great advice. I’ll add a kudo for e-book reading and maybe embroider your list of advantages a bit. I use the Kindle as often as I can both for reading and narration work:
1) I never lose a book- my entire library is in the same place
2) Eye strain and glare are not nearly the problem they used to be. You can adjust the lighting at night, and even change to white-on-black which I gather is less strain.
3) It’s also not hard to leave a note, or highlight a passage in Kindle. And if you trust the Big Digital Boys enough, when you’re done reading the book and head over to leave a review on Goodreads, boom! There are all the notes you made, ready to use.
Hi Will!
I totally agree! Thanks for adding to the list of advantages of using electronic sources for reading. I prefer to read on my Kindle App but also have a Kobo app that allows for a similar set of functions.
Barb
This is a great article. In 2022, I will be publishing for the first time from January 2022, launching 4-5 books depending on timings and my editors. Yes, I am getting all my books professionally edited (and professionally designed). I decided two years ago that I would go the Indie road than the trade publishing. I started saving a bit from my wage each pay to invest in my books. I also knew I would be making a loss at first. I will be marketing across all avenues to increase my exposure as an author, my brand and my books and to do this internationally. Yes, I will be offering my books internationally. At this stage, I have decided to go Amazon exclusive as I build my brand, as I start to publish more books, I will move earlier ones to go wide. My aim is to find my ideal reader—I know it’s not a sprint but a (long) marathon but I am certain with more learning, trial and error, I will get there.
Hi Valerie!
I like your attitude! You have thought this through! It is a marathon, not a sprint. I wish you good luck on your publishing journey!
Adding another voice in favour of a global focus. I write my blog on a remote island off Canada’s west coast. Readers of my blog are from the United States and Canada and Russia and Argentina and Germany and France and the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom and… I long to travel so extensively. Sharing our writing with the world not only helps us the authors but also helps build bridges of understanding throughout the world.
Thank you for your article, Barb.
Hi Leanne!
I’m in the lower mainland and I agree with you. i started a book blog in 2010 and right from the get go the primary audience was India. I have one book who’s primary point of sale is India. I don’t have any idea of how either of those happened. In terms of book sales, I, like many authors sell books in many countries. Even though i’m Canadian, my primary point of sale has never been Canada. I have a map in my office on the wall with pushpins indicating points of sale…..great way to teach little kids geography 🙂
Oh, I really like the idea of a map. I imagine it would be thrilling to see where your readers live.
Fantastic facts from Barb. I’m grateful for my Kindle, especially for travel because of weight restrictions. But all nonfiction and any writing resources, I must have in paperback for referring back. I don’t enjoy doing that digitally. Also, when a Kindle book is getting up there in double digits, I buy the paperback instead. And I wanted to add that Barb’s tips on editors was well explained. I especially agree with her saying ‘we learn from editors’. I absolutely learned a lot from mine who is great at explaining too. Her tips surely brought down the cost on my 2nd book. The more we edit, the less work for them, equals paying less. Great post. 🙂
Thanks for your kind words! I have learned SO much from editors! Writers tend to view writing courses as something to spend money on, yet hesitate to spend money on editing. I see them as different parts of the same skill.
I agree. Writing courses don’t eliminate the need for editors. Even editors need editors. 🙂
Hear, hear, on all 5 points, Barb, with a late Sunday nod to Anne & Ruth. I think an indie is crazy to be exclusive on Amazon and this comes from someone who certainly knows what it’s like to be crazy.
I “went wide” in April 2020 and since have had tens of thousands of ebook downloads on various platforms. Amazon is +/- 75% of dollar sales, but Kobo kicks the Zon’s butt when it comes to global distribution. I’ve sold ebooks on Kobo in 68 different countries while AZ has presence in 13 (I think). Nook doesn’t do much for me, and I’ve recently uploaded a series to Apple which is just starting to gain traction.
Happy Turkey Day for tomorrow! (American friends – we Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in early October. It’s so cold up here in the winter that our turkeys hibernate so if we don’t get a fresh one in October we don’t see them again until July when the ice melts.)
Hi Garry! Happy Thanksgiving to you also! I have a turkey in the fridge for tomorrow. My most favorite meal! I like how you phrased your distribution of sales. i agree. In many ways, focusing on Amazon is limiting in terms of access. I love looking at sales reports to see what countries my books sell in. I’ll be curious to hear about your thoughts on Apple. I was slow to get traction on GooglePlay, but that has picked up this year. So many choices!
I was late coming to the table with eBook versions of my most popular books. My flagship book “How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free” (now over 425,000 copies sold in all editions) still earns me the most money in its print form. But I am glad that I finally decided to bring out the eBooks in December 2012. Since then, I have sold 43.385 eBooks (Kindle, iBook, and Kobo formats) that have earned almost $325,000 CAN.
Moreover, I almost discounted audio books totally. Early this month I received a check in the sum of $1,101.21 US ($1,375 CAN) for the first 6 months in 2021 sales of the audio edition of “How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free.” This all started in 2012 when Brilliance Audio contacted me and wanted to do the book in audio form. They offered me a $500 US advance. I didn’t have to do anything else like narrate the audio edition. They would hire someone else to do it.
Because I am lazy, and because I thought that after paying income tax I would likely wind up with $300, I took some time to agree. When I finally received the advance, it turned out to be only $497.50 CAN because the Canadian dollar at that time was worth more than the US dollar. I figured that would be all I would ever receive. But the audio book earned out the advance and then I received a check for $275.83 and then more checks. The audio book has now earned $10,297 US or $13,457 CAN. What’s cool is that this latest check for $1,101.21 US is the largest check I have received for any 6 month period.
The lesson here is that in this business one never knows how well a book may do over a long period of time. The same applies in the music industry. I particularly like the story about the “Bat Out of Hell” album by Meatloaf (one of my favorite albums ever) brought out in 1977 that some people didn’t think would do so well. Apparently it still sells around 500,000 copies a year. Now if I could get “How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free” to sell that many copies, even for just one year.
As an aside, why is the spell check here highlighting “audio” as an error wherever I used it? Oh well, I was never one for getting everything perfect. My signature book “The Joy of Not Working” had over 150 errors in its first few printings until I discovered the errors using a spell check. No problem, however. The book had sold over 30,000 copies by that time and now has ended up selling over 315,000 copies. The lesson is that if you have great content, the vast majority of people won’t see those errors.
Morning! It looks like you are the poster child for what I was writing about. Offer as many formats as possible and see where the chips fall. I get a lot of pushback on audio from clients, but those who (often reluctantly) agree, reap the benefits. Thanks so much for sharing actual numbers so folks can see what is possible!
Barb
Satisfying to see that I haven’t made those mistakes ???? Points #1 & #3 personally don’t apply as I write fairy tale/fantasy, and I’ve never contemplated doing a bookshop tour.
When I first started, I thought Amazon was the only place for self-published novels then happily discovered Draft2Digital, so have my e-books & paperbacks listed elsewhere too. As for a professional editor, ever since I started working with mine, I’ve never looked back and felt so strongly about it, I even blogged about it. But now my next manuscript is stuck in limbo, as it were, as I refuse to publish it without her having looked at it first but, for now, can’t afford it. Good exercise in patience, I guess? ????
Thanks for the post, Barb, I always find it helpful to check in with this sort of thing.
Morning Joy! So glad you enjoyed my thoughts! Good luck on your books! I hear you about editing. I have a strong relationship with my editor also and would not go elsewhere at this point.
Thanks. Barb, for your great in.sight, ideas, and sharing of your experience. I think we have to talk soon about all this!
Ian Kent
Sounds good Ian!
Barb,
As a new author, I loved everything you said. Believe it or not, my heart was palpitating while reading your blog. Your comments on Book Launches resonated with me–I recall that I was seeking out all the local indie stores for book signings but eventually realized it was not a good use of time or money. My ego had been sated. There just had to be a better way. Here’s what I’m struggling with now–I published a book on Amazon and the following year had it translated to Spanish. I believe Amazon is carried in Spain and shows up as Amazon.es. I was in Madrid a few months ago and took time to promote my book but book store owners drew a blank. Some asked if I was associated with IngramSpark (I am). One bookstore in Madrid (where my book absolutely belongs) told me to mail them 5 copies in Spanish and 2 in English with a pro-forma invoice. The shipping alone was almost equal to the value of the 7 books! Then I’m running around trying to find an invoice template in Spanish and learn how to fill it out. In the meantime, I paid a promoter to feature my Spanish book at the Guadalajara International Book Fair in late November. Honestly, I don’t know if this is the best way to go in order to market the book internationally. Any thoughts? Great blog!
Ken
Hi Ken,
If your book is available through IngramSpark, the bookstore in Spain can order copies. My antenna went up when you said they want you to ship and invoice. They can get copies much cheaper by ordering from Ingram themselves I suspect. Most authors focus on generating an audience – using social media, newsletters, paid promotions, putting their book on sale and using advertising vehicles and so on. It is a tough row even if you have an existing audience. Readers are a hard sell. They tend to spend less thought buying a $6.00 latte than spending $4 on an ebook. My advice is to continually focus on building an audience – finding like minded folks where ever they are. Advertise your book to new audiences by either literally putting a book on sale using the KDP Select features or grouping together with authors from a similar genre to do a group promotion. Continually interact with readers until your next book is ready. Eventually you will develop a fan base, but it does take time, and it typically takes more than one book.
Hope this helps. Keep writing and keep communicating with your growing audience.
Barb
Thank you for the words of wisdom!
Ken
Thanks for the great tips, and for your offer to offer additional suggestions re: “ways to get some help from an editor that don’t need to cost thousands of dollars.” I’m asking, please–what are these ways?
Hi Thea,
Editing is ultimately based on the amount of time that is spent on the project. i focus on two strategies:
1) Look to reduce the time an editor has to spend.
2) Look to raise money in advance to pay the editing bill.
1) Try entering contests where your work is critiqued by a professional as a prize. Try joining a critique group or find some beta readers and get as much advice as possible before bringing in a professional. Sign up for blue pencil events at conferences and festivals. Pay for an overall evaluation before focusing on editing. You likely (as I did) will get a lot of information to set you on the path you need to be on. All of these activities may reduce the work by an editor.
2) Many authors look to GoFundme types of fundraising to pay for the professionals needed including editing. Depending on your personality, this may be enjoyable or not. Look to the idea of grants. I’m Canadian and arts grants are very common both from government sources as well as non-profits. I subscribe to a weekly newsletter created by Hope Clark. You can sign up at http://fundsforwriters.com. Each Friday she sends out a note with lists of contests and grants. The newsletter is free and excellent!
These ideas should get you started. I view hiring an editor as part and parcel of the ‘learning to write” process. Make sure you find someone who is immersed in the genre you write and can help you make your project fit the market 🙂
Thea–I second Barb’s recommendation of Funds for Writers. Hope’s weekly lists of contests and grants really helped me boost my career.
Awesome advice! Thank you so much, Barb and Anne!
Great post, Barb. Thanks for mentioning IngramSpark and Draft2Digital as alternatives the insect-infested, swampy jungle. (Also, editors. Yes to editors!) 🙂
Hi Sarah, Thanks for your kind words!
Very helpful article! A couple of times I found myself wondering if some of the advice applied more to self-published authors than authors with independent publishers (traditional but not big 4).. Do you see any relevant distinctions in terms of your advice?
Carolyn–I’ve been with several small publishers, as well as self-publishing some of my books. I find my marketing duties are pretty similar, so I address them both under the umbrella of “indie.” But of course every small press is different. Some help authors with marketing more than others. If they’re well-capitalized and established, they’ll have much more money to allot for publicity.