I’m glad it was helpful, Jan. Many, many authors just aren’t in a position to do everything that’s recommended around the publication date because they have full-time jobs or other obligations. It’s time to lose the guilt over not marketing “enough” and do what you can, when you can. You just have to be smart about what you do, focusing on what will reach your ideal readers rather than simply copying what someone in your writers group is doing.

Good luck!

Sandy

I completely understand the Amazon best-seller concept and the limited rewards. But it’s a temporary bump in sales that doesn’t reflect the book’s potential in the marketplace. And sure, it helps if you started building your platform early, but all hope is not lost if you didn’t! Find what makes your book different from those perennial sellers that you compete with and use that to your advantage. I’m going to guess that you are well-positioned to speak to a younger audience on their terms as a peer, so leverage that! Good luck!

Sandy

Thanks, Lee Ann. I love that you’re noticing a pattern here (and that you’re smart enough to pay attention). It can be a slow build, but what you want to accomplish is exactly what you’re seeing: more sales over time.

It says a lot that you can sell books from your site, too, and I think that IS built on a your relationship with your audience. Good for you!

Sandy

I am delighted to hear there’s still hope. The books that compete with mine are permanent on the best-sellers list even though they were published 20+ and 15+ years ago.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Sandy. You made my day!

The only thing I can attribute the gradual increase to is word of mouth, but it works. Even though I have everything at Amazon and other book retailers, I sell quite a few books directly from my website, too — probably due to my readers having built a trust relationship with me.

Thank you for all your articles, Sandra. They are inspiring and so helpful!