Why Authors Starting With a Niche Market will Sell More Books
So, you’ve finished your novel, and you’ve chosen to self-publish it. First off, congratulations, what you’ve done isn’t easy. I bet you’ve fought for the right cover to match the excellency on your pages. You’ve probably even edited your book so often, that you can recite it page-by-page, can’t you? Still, even with all the work you’ve just put in, does it feel like your sales aren’t generating what you expected(or even, dare I say it, prayed for)?
As I’ve said in previous articles, the world of writer’s is changing at light-speed paces. But don’t worry, I’ve been at this for about a decade, so I’ve learned a few tricks. For a writer, the concept of selling and promoting has to become more relevant with every chapter we type! So to help balance your writing time, below are three quick and easy ways to help grow your market, as well as, put few more sales up on your dashboard.
SEO’s Aren’t Dead…Yet: Every once and a while, I hear people discussing the notion of mastering SEO’s as a dying art. To that I say: what’s your sales page look like? How can anyone on Google find your book if you don’t have at least one SEO attached to it? If you don’t know what an SEO is, think of it as a keyword connected to your book so your audience can find it on Google, Amazon, and all the other outlets. Without giving your book(s) a keyword or two, you’ll drown beneath even those who barely use them. Check out your competition in your genre and see what words they might have used.
NOTE: If you use Amazon’s KDP system, you use SEO’s. That’s when you’re asked to assign keywords to help viewers find your book on their site.
Example: Let’s say you were writing steampunk books(I know, where would I get such an idea as steampunk?). If you were publishing on Amazon, you’d go to the website and type “steampunk suspense” or “steampunk romance” to find the list of books yours is up against. From there, you can tweak the keywords to better fit your niche, such as “steampunk lgbt romance.” This way, you not only have those interested in a romance, you’ve specialized your market as an “lgbt romance,” bringing in a new possible market all together! For more info on specializing keywords, click here.
Your book is a brand, so specialize in it. Ever heard of a movie known as Sharknado? Most people dislike it and swear to have never seen it, yet the films have a dedicated (and massive) fan base. How is that? It’s because they found their market early and only promoted to them. Similar to Nike, McDonalds, and every other huge corporation. The film’s creators focused all promotional attempts on the small few they knew would like it. That allowed their fans to spread the word through social media, word of mouth, or dragging their friend to the film. From there, giveaways, events, and special footage was being given away to help convince more people to see the sequels. After, their images were plastered everywhere, what blew up in popular trends next came five, comedic/horror shark-infested tornado movies. So the next time you go to blame the market, remember Sharknado, and know there is something for everybody out there, you just need to find your niche.
Collaboration Should Be A Close Friend: It is true that every other author is your competition, but how many people do you know only buy books from a single author? Exactly, no one does that. So what should you do in such a sharing market? That’ easy: grow!
Working together in “giveaway bundles,” having signings together, or even just friendly banter on social media, can get you seen by others. Share your audience with similar, like-minded scribes, and they’ll do the same. For as competitive as the writing world can be, both traditionally and independently, it’s also a friendly place to earn more money and improve your skills if you surround yourself with great authors.
Feel free to venture beyond just the writer’s realm, too! Small-time directors with films, musicians and their gigs, or artists and their demonstrations, would all be just as thankful for your support as any author. And, with their help, you also find bigger markets you’d never have thought to look for.
The market for authors and writers is thriving, it all comes down to finding where your niche is. Whether it be selling in a cafe, Instagram, or to a new medium all together, your market is there. Keep reading my articles to discover more ways on unearthing those niche readers of yours!
***Personal Experience Tip***
I recommend finding a writing mentor, even if you’ve already got a book published. To have someone with more experience guiding you through the initial publishing/promoting process puts you months to years ahead of your competition.
Kyle Newton is an author living in the frigid White Mountains of New Hampshire. He is a a #3 Daily Bestseller, “Revolution’s Reign,” and is currently the Mount Washington Cog Railway’s ‘Steampunk Author of the Year,’ twice in a row. Discover Kyle’s erotica/steampunk adventures here.
