When you see another author selling 1,000 books a month, you might wonder what their secret is. What marketing tactics are they using? How can I get those results too?
Visible success is often only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface is a massive amount of work. That success is built on years of developing your craft, growing your audience, and establishing your reputation, skills, and platform.
Everything is easier when you’re famous, so being well-known helps. Sales strategies also matter, but without that hidden effort, without the hard work of writing a book that people want to read, none of your marketing will work.
I often say, “Good marketing can’t fix a bad book.” You can’t make a bad book appealing. And by “bad,” I don’t just mean poorly written. A “bad” book is one that is unappealing to readers. You must ask yourself, “Is this the kind of book they already want to read?” To answer that question, you must know what your readers already want. Part of the hard work is getting to know your target reader.
However, the strategy that worked for one author won’t necessarily work for you. Every author and audience is different, but some have more in common than others.
You’re probably thinking, “I’ve already done the work. I’ve already written a great book and built the platform. So, how do I turn that effort into visible sales?”
I asked Susan Neal, an author who consistently sells 1,000 copies of her books each month. She’s the author of nine healthy living books and the CEO of the Christian Indie Publishing Association. In our conversation, Susan shares how she does it.
How do you sell 1,000 books every month?
Thomas: How do you sell 1,000 copies every month?
Susan: It happens because there is a layering of marketing. Am I on a podcast interview? Have I written a guest blog? Is there a blogger writing about me? Have I been interviewed on a television program? Did I just win a contest, and now I can say the book is award-winning?
It’s like a snowball that you have to keep adding to so that it grows. Multiple layers of marketing will help you sell many books.
Thomas: You also have to be active. Authors often ask, “Why is the book I wrote six months ago, that I haven’t told anyone about for the last two months, not selling?” Well, maybe it’s because in the last two months you haven’t told anybody about it.
You have to tell people about your book at in-person events or via advertising. Simply existing on Amazon doesn’t get you a single sale. Publishing your book won’t get you sales. You won’t show up in search. People won’t find you because they’re not looking for you.
You must do the work to put your book in front of people and tell them about it. Just showing them the cover isn’t enough. You have to let them know why the book is interesting, and the cover helps you do that.
Susan: It sure does. When you become award-winning, you want to add the emblem to your cover and Amazon description.
Thomas: Trust badges matter. You can put one on your cover, but don’t overdo it. Pick the strongest one.
“Award-winning” is usually the least powerful. More powerful are trust badges that note various levels of “bestselling”: general bestseller, New York Times bestseller, international bestseller, and number one bestseller.
A trust badge can help boost sales but only if people actually see your cover. It won’t sell any books if your book isn’t being seen.
What tactics do you use to market your books?
Thomas: In your book, How to Sell 1,000 Books a Month: Strategies to Improve Sales (affiliate link), you offer tools to help improve sales. Which were most effective for you?
Susan: The year I went from selling 50 books to 250 to 450 and on up, was the year I committed to securing three things monthly:
- One podcast or radio interview
- One guest blog post
- One magazine article
Every month for about two years, I secured those opportunities. However, I wasn’t as consistent with the podcast and radio interviews. So, I began to focus on podcasts. Within eight months I had given interviews on 30 podcasts, and I sold 7,000 books.
Check out the Novel Marketing course called How to Get Booked as a Podcast Guest.
How did you go from a few podcasts a year to 30?
Susan: I found podcasters through associations. If your association has a directory, start there. You can also browse iTunes. When you find a podcast you like, scroll down to see a list of similar shows.
Thomas: Depending on the app, those suggestions often reflect shared audiences more than shared topics. So even if a podcast doesn’t seem genre-specific, it could still be a good fit if your readers are listening to it.
Even if there’s only one podcast for your microgenre, your readers likely follow many shows. Focus on where your readers are and not just on podcasts about your exact topic.
How do you pitch yourself as a podcast guest?
Susan: I always listen to the podcast first. I write healthy living books, and I found one show where they were doing many cussing during a diet episode. I didn’t want to be on that show.
After listening to an episode, I write an iTunes review. That’s very important. As authors, we know how meaningful reviews are. Podcast hosts take note of that. Then I research the show and send a short email. In that email, I avoid pitching topics they’ve covered in the past 12 months of episodes. I pitch three different ideas and link to my media/press kit on my website.
I booked about one in every three pitches, so I had a 33% success rate.
How do you pitch long-standing shows?
Thomas: One technique for older shows, like Novel Marketing, which has been around for over 10 years, is to say: “I saw you covered this topic, but that was five years ago. I have some updated insights. Would you like to revisit it?”
It doesn’t have to be a brand-new topic; it just needs to be fresh. For newer podcasts, it’s better to pitch new topics. But older shows need reminders to circle back to fundamentals.
Most bookings come from in-person relationships. I get pitched every day by people wanting to be on Novel Marketing. Most of those emails are from people who clearly haven’t listened to a single episode.
Listening to the show makes a huge difference. Most authors aren’t willing to invest that time, and that’s why they don’t get booked. Your pitch will be so much more relevant if you’re informed. In the course, I provide email templates, but the templates require you to have actually listened to an episode.
Do guest blog posts still matter?
Thomas: One of the things you mentioned was blogging. Historically, I haven’t been a big fan of guest blog interviews. But I’ve changed my mind, especially in the age of AI optimization.
When blogs talk about you and your book, it’s a great way to train AI models to recognize you. If you want ChatGPT or Grok to recommend your book, it’s not just about optimizing your own website. It’s also about having traditional media and bloggers talk about your website and your book.
How do you reach out to bloggers?
Thomas: How do you reach out to bloggers to interview you or review one of your books?
Susan: Before I pitch them, I do my homework to see if they’re writing on a healthy living topic. I put their website into Moz.com to see how their website ranks with search engines. If their website has a domain authority ranking of less than 10, you do not want to be a guest on their blog.
Thomas: You don’t really get penalized for having a link from a low-reputation site, unless Google sees it as a spam site, but it definitely doesn’t help. One link from a reputation 50 site is more valuable than 4,000 links from a reputation 1 site.
It’s not just about getting links from reputable blogs; it’s about getting links from reputable blogs. Moz.com is a great tool for finding those.
Now, many bloggers are moving to Substack, which is easier to evaluate. You can usually see how many subscribers they have, and that often correlates with their Moz rank. AI is more likely to train on a popular blog that’s getting lots of traffic and buzz.
I don’t know if Substack has any AI-blocking tools, so I’m not sure how useful it is for training AI. But at the end of the day, your goal is to reach readers. Many readers subscribe to and read Substack newsletters, and many Substack authors have tens of thousands of readers. Being featured by prominent Substackers can be really beneficial.
What mistakes do authors make when promoting their books?
Forgetting the Reader
Susan: Some writers struggle to focus on their readers. You have to shift your mindset. It’s not about you; it’s about promoting the topic within your book and helping the reader.
How can you transport readers to a fantasy world they enjoy so much they can’t wait for the next book? For nonfiction, how can you help them grow personally? How can you give them peace?
Focus on what the reader will get from reading your book.
Thomas: You must write to sell. This is the hardest feedback I give authors, and that’s why I’m saying it on the podcast rather than one-on-one. It’s hard to hear individually.
Many people contact me and say, “I just can’t figure out why my book isn’t selling.” Often, it’s because they didn’t write it for a reader. They wrote it for themselves. They wrote the book they wanted to exist in the world, and that is a luck-based strategy.
If you’re lucky, the book you wanted to write also finds an audience. And if you love the book you wrote for yourself, that’s great. It’s a successful book because it made you, the target reader, happy.
But that’s part of the reason why the ninth commandment of book marketing is, “Thou shalt not publish thy first book first.” Most people’s first book is the one they wrote for themselves. It’s the book that taught them how to write. But rarely does the first book make you a bestseller.
There’s something special about your debut book. Friends and family are more likely to back your first Kickstarter because they want to support you. If you’ve been generous, they’ll want to return the favor.
But by your third book, it’s your fans who fund it.
So don’t rush your first book.
Not Reading in Your Genre
Thomas: It takes time to build your craft, understand your readers, and study the current bestsellers in your genre. Nowhere is this truer than in Christian fantasy. People say, “I’ve read Lewis and Tolkien, and I’ve written the next classic.” I usually ask, “Can you name a single Christian fantasy author who’s published a book in the last year? Who’s the bestselling Christian fantasy author right now?”
If you can’t answer, you’re not ready to write Christian fantasy.
That applies to every genre. You must know what readers are reading right now, not just what they read 60 years ago.
Not Having Enough Book Reviews
Susan: It’s also important to get loads of reviews. They show that other people find your book valuable. A book with 1,500 reviews is far more likely to be purchased than one with one or two reviews.
It took two years for my book 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates to get 50 Amazon reviews. Now, several years later, it has 1,500.
The first 50 are the hardest. You have to beg everyone, including nephews, aunts, old friends, church members, and college friends to leave reviews.
I typically have over 100 people on my book launch team, but I don’t ask for much from them. Usually, I ask them to buy the ebook, write a review, and if they feel led, post about it on social media.
I keep the email short and sweet. For my book, How to Sell 1,000 Books a Month: Strategies to Improve Sales, I had 120 people on the team and ended up with 58 book reviews.
Thomas: Launch teams are critical for those early reviews. A crowd draws a crowd. If you want a crowd around your book, you have to bring your own. In marketing terms, it’s called social proof.
To learn more about getting more reviews for your book, check out the following episodes:
- How to Get More Book Reviews With Derek Doepker
- How to Get More 5-Star Reviews With Beta Readers, Editors, and Launch Teams
- How to Get More Book Reviews with Jim Kukral
I love that you ask your launch team to buy the book. Authors often make the mistake of giving the book away to the launch team. But that doesn’t work for two reasons.
First, it attracts people who are motivated by a free $5 book. These folks often flake. They won’t leave reviews, and they might not even read the book. Second, if they didn’t buy the book, their review won’t be verified, which makes it more likely to be deleted.
Hosting Your Launch Team on Facebook
Thomas: Another mistake is organizing your launch team on Facebook. Facebook and Amazon share data. If the social proximity is too high among reviewers, their reviews can be mass deleted.
- Have the launch team members pay for the book
- Don’t organize on Facebook
- Try to get as many people as possible
In some genres, this is easier than in others. If your book is in Kindle Unlimited (KU), I’ve found it’s easier to get ratings than reviews. KU readers are more likely to leave a quick star rating.
For many shoppers, including me, the number of ratings matters more than the reviews themselves. So increasing that number is important.
Should you use Kindle Unlimited to get reviews?
Thomas: One technique, even if you publish widely, is to put your book in KU for just three months. Announce it as a limited-time offer. Say, “You can get the book now, but it’s going away in three months.”
Then build urgency. “Only 30 days left. One week left.” That countdown can bring in a new crowd of KU subscribers who wouldn’t normally buy your book. These readers have already paid for access. If your book is available in KU, they’ll read it.
You don’t have to stay in KU forever, but many novelists make a lot of money there.
For nonfiction, KU may not be as effective, but it’s still worth testing.
Thomas: Are your nonfiction books on Kindle Unlimited? Do you get many page reads?
Susan: They are. I do get a significant amount of page reads, but I’ve also found that many people end up purchasing the print book because there’s so much information in my healthy living books. They want a physical copy to refer back to. Readers often purchase the book twice.
Thomas: That’s unique to nonfiction, where the print version is really appealing. It’s easier to highlight, reference a passage, and skip between chapters in a physical book. It’s possible with a digital copy, but it’s more of a hassle. With a paper book, they can use a bookmark or flip to the section they remember. For nonfiction, the paper version is often more attractive.
Don’t undervalue the paper version. Some of your ebook readers will end up becoming print book readers.
What other marketing tactics do you use?
Play to Your Strengths
Susan: In my book How to Sell 1,000 Books a Month: Strategies to Improve Sales (affiliate link), I talk about marketing based on your personality. I’m an extrovert. I love being on podcasts, radio shows, and TV. But an introvert might be petrified by that. They don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of others. For them, guest blogging, writing on their own Substack, or being published in magazines might be a better fit.
Thomas: Interestingly, the best public speakers are often introverted. It’s scarier for them, and that fear can push them to work harder and prepare more. I remember watching an extroverted pastor who was super friendly and personable, but not a great preacher. I realized it was because he wasn’t scared enough to take the preparation seriously.
Fear can become energy that drives excellence. So don’t use your personality as an excuse. That said, I totally agree you should play to your strengths. But you can also develop strengths.
Maybe you’re not well-spoken and say “um” or “and” too often. With practice, you can fix that. Go to Toastmasters, practice, or have a friend snap a rubber band at you every time you say “um.” It works. But you won’t know what your strengths are until you try.
Fear just means you haven’t learned something yet.
Leverage a Press Release
Susan: Another tactic that many authors miss is writing a press release and sending it to local and regional newspapers. It’s a great idea. Let me show you one of mine—it was written for the faith section of the paper. The headline was “Local Author Publishes Another Award-Winning Health Book.”
So, whether you’ve won an award, released a new book, or have something else significant going on, write a press release and send it out. The worst that can happen is they say no. If they say yes, you’ll be in the newspaper.
Thomas: And you might wonder, “Who reads local media?” Well, bots do. If you want ChatGPT to recommend your book, this kind of content helps train the models.
To learn more, check out the following episodes:
I love this strategy as a way to leverage awards. Readers may not care much about the phrase “award-winning author,” but it can help tip the scale when they’re first deciding whether to take a chance on you. It can also help you get into the newspaper, which is a huge asset.
Learn more about press releases, check out the following tools and episodes.
When I’m researching for my show Author Update, I often ask different companies for a press release, but few of them send one, and they miss out on free publicity.
Now, if you’re using a press release service to carpet-bomb random journalists, that goes to spam. But a targeted message to a specific journalist for the faith section of your local paper is far more effective.
Create a Lead Magnet
Susan: New authors often overlook the importance of developing a lead magnet for their website. You have little control over your communication with followers on social media, and those platforms can kick you off at any time. But when someone signs up for your email list, you can contact them whenever you want. That’s a much better way to market.
Having 1,000 people on your email list is more valuable than a much larger audience you don’t control. Develop a lead magnet early in your career. Have a pop-up on your website. Use a custom domain name.
For example, one of my healthy living books is called Solving the Gluten Puzzle. It’s about gluten sensitivity. So if your listeners want to find out if they have a gluten sensitivity, they can go to GlutenIntoleranceQuiz.com and find out.
Thomas: I love this strategy. I own about a hundred domains specifically for this purpose. So if you want to learn about my Patron Toolbox, you just go to PatronToolbox.com. If you want the Podcast Host Directory, go to PodcastHostDirectory.com. Want my course called Obscure No More? Visit ObscureNoMore.com.
Before I name something, I typically check to see if the .com is available. That way, I can send someone directly to patrontoolbox.com instead of saying, “Go to authormedia.com, then click on Resources, then find Patron Toolbox.” I want to send them straight to the one page they care about.
Using custom domains works well for sharing your website on audio formats like radio, podcasts, or in conversations. If you’re at a mixer and someone is interested, they can write that domain on the back of a card or your business card. Now they have your card and a direct link to the exact thing you were talking about.
Offer a Newsletter
Susan: You don’t want to ghost people after they sign up. Once they’ve been added to your list, you need to email them. Start with either a monthly newsletter or an automated sequence at least twice a month for a year.
That might sound daunting, but it’s doable.
I wrote four emails to cover two months, then I put a reminder on my calendar. Two months later, I spent another half day and wrote four more emails. I did that every two months for ten months and finished my automated sequence in one year.
This journey of being an author can be overwhelming, and you must understand that you can’t do everything at once. Choose what you’ll focus on this year. One year, I focused on my lead magnet and email marketing. The next year, it was podcast marketing. Don’t get overwhelmed. Go slowly and enjoy the journey.
Thomas: I love that. Focusing on doing one thing well really helps. If you concentrate on one area, you’ll improve faster, and eventually, it becomes easier.
Thomas: I have a bunch of Patron Toolbox tools to help you create a reader magnet.
The Reader Magnet Brainstormer will generate dozens of reader magnet ideas. Don’t make them all; just pick your favorite to begin. Eventually, you can have more than one.
Sometimes it’s helpful to have specific reader magnets for specific audiences. You may want a reader magnet attached to any speech you give, especially if you give it more than once. At the end of a presentation, you can show a big slide with a QR code. People can scan it to get the worksheet, the tip sheet, the short story, or whatever you’re offering.
The Drip Email Sequencer can help you write a rough draft of your first four onboarding emails.
What if I feel overwhelmed by marketing?
Thomas: One of the best ways to keep marketing from feeling overwhelming is to have a plan.
If you’re looking for a plan, check out Susan’s book How to Sell 1,000 Books a Month: Strategies to Improve Sales (affiliate link).
Featured Patrons
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This is so good. I took notes.
Could I send you my last email newsletter to see what you think? I have a small list- 276 people, a 38-40% average open rate and a 1.5-2-7 click rate.
This was a very helpful post/podcast. I am almost done with your “How to get Booked as a Podcast Guest” course. It takes a lot of time to sift through possible podcasts, but I feel that is one thing that might help me the most.
Blessed,
Bonnie Lacy