How Sarah Went From $0 to $10k/Month Selling Books

Sarah published 3 books. Made $127 total. Then changed ONE thing...

The Struggle Era

For 8 months, Sarah struggled to sell her books. She had published three novels on Amazon, but the sales were dismal. She made a total of $127, which averaged out to about $15 per month. The breakdown of her sales was: | Month | Sales | | --- | --- | | Jan | $10 | | Feb | $12 | | Mar | $15 | | Apr | $20 | | May | $18 | | Jun | $12 | | Jul | $15 | | Aug | $25 |

She had tried various marketing tactics, including social media advertising, email marketing, and even running a few promotions on Amazon. However, nothing seemed to be working.

The "WTF Am I Doing Wrong?" Moment

The breaking point came when Sarah realized she had spent more money on marketing than she had made in sales. She had spent over $500 on advertising and promotions, but her books were still not selling. She felt frustrated, defeated, and unsure of what to do next.

The Strategy Shift

Sarah decided to change her approach. She started by building her own website and email list. She used AuthorKit to create a professional-looking website and started collecting email addresses from her readers. She also began to focus on building a community around her books, rather than just trying to sell them.

She started offering multiple formats of her books, including ebooks, print books, and audiobooks. She also started selling bundles and boxes, which included exclusive content and swag. The prices of her products were:

• Ebook: $4.99
• Print book: $14.99
• Audiobook: $19.99
• Bundle: $29.99

She started using specific marketing channels and tactics, such as:

• Email marketing: She sent regular newsletters to her email list, with updates about her books, promotions, and exclusive content.
• Social media: She used social media platforms to connect with her readers, share updates, and promote her books.
• Content marketing: She started a blog and YouTube channel, where she shared writing tips, book reviews, and industry insights.

The Results

The results of Sarah's new strategy were impressive. Her sales started to grow, and she began to build a loyal community of readers. Here's a breakdown of her sales over the next 6 months: | Month | Sales | | --- | --- | | Sep | $500 | | Oct | $1,000 | | Nov | $2,000 | | Dec | $3,500 | | Jan | $5,000 | | Feb | $10,000 |

The Lessons

Looking back, Sarah realized that she had been focusing on the wrong things. She had been trying to sell her books on Amazon, without building a relationship with her readers. She had been trying to market her books, without building a community around them.

She learned that the key to success was to own her platform, build her audience, and offer multiple formats and recurring revenue streams. She learned that she needed to focus on building a business, not just selling books.

The Direct Sales Framework

The Direct Sales Framework is a strategy for building a successful author business. It includes:

• Own your platform: Build your own website and email list, rather than relying on Amazon or other platforms.
• Build your audience: Focus on building a community of readers, rather than just trying to sell books.
• Multiple formats: Offer multiple formats of your books, including ebooks, print books, and audiobooks.
• Recurring revenue: Offer recurring revenue streams, such as memberships or courses, to generate consistent income.

AuthorKit enables each part of this framework, by providing tools for building a website, collecting email addresses, and selling books in multiple formats.

Conclusion

The book is the beginning, not the business. Sarah's story shows that building a successful author business takes time, effort, and a willingness to learn and adapt. By focusing on building a community, offering multiple formats, and generating recurring revenue, authors can build a sustainable business that will last for years to come.

Want to build your author business?

Start with AuthorKit - the all-in-one platform for indie authors:

• Write, publish, print, and sell books
• Keep 85% of every sale (not 30-40%)
• Replace $2,000-10,000/year in disconnected tools
• Free to start, pay when you sell

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