Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Selling thousands, or even millions of books, isn’t just luck — it’s the result of smart book advertising strategies. Smart self-published authors are proving that it’s possible to not just pack a local library with eager buyers, but also turn a 99-cent eBook into a seven-figure payday. Here’s how they did it:
Table of Contents:
• Old-school hustle packs a library
• Free content that launched a bestseller
• Social media ads fuel a $7 million deal
• Mike Omer’s Prime Day win
• Great marketing won’t replace great writing
Old-school hustle packs a library
First-time author Doak Turner shattered expectations for his book signing. His hometown library typically only drew a handful of attendees for book signings, but Turner’s event was “standing-room only.” That means four times the usual crowd and dozens of immediate sales.
How did he do it?
In his own words, “Old-fashioned marketing know-how.” Having a background in sales and marketing, Turner rallied his community and spread the word constantly. Facebook became one of his main promotional channels. By engaging with his personal network both online and offline, he created enough buzz that people started coming out in droves. Not only did he sell hundreds of books as a result, but he established an avid fan base right from the start.
If you’re considering drumming up local interest in your self-published book, why not let the experts at BookBaby help with high-quality bookmarks or posters that you can give away at your events? They’re a great way to build buzz and are designed with the same crisp color and attention to detail that we give all of our authors!
Free content that launched a bestseller
Science fiction author Andy Weir initially couldn’t find a publisher for his book The Martian, so he started giving it away. He posted chapters for free on his personal website, where reader feedback and word-of-mouth began to ripple out. Next, he released a Kindle edition for just 99 cents, making it an easy buy for fans.
The strategy worked.
The Martian climbed the Kindle charts and became so popular that Crown Publishing offered Weir a $100,000 traditional book deal in 2013. His DIY marketing — essentially content marketing by serializing his novel for free — created a built-in audience who later paid for the book and recommended it to others.
The Martian phenomenon went on to movie adaptation and became an international bestseller, but it all started as a clear and clever “freemium” campaign: hook readers with free chapters, then convert them to paying customers with an affordable eBook. From eBook cover designs to editing and file conversion, BookBaby has you covered.
Social media ads fuel a $7 million deal
Romance author Meredith Wild turned smart online advertising into a multimillion-dollar success story. She self-published her risqué Hacker series and promoted it consistently through social media and digital ads.
By targeting the massive amount of romance readers on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, her first four books sold so well that New York publishers took notice. In fact, she inked a $7 million dollar traditional publishing deal and went on to sell 1.2 million ebooks (plus 200,000 print-on-demand paperbacks). All of that from indie marketing!
Wild essentially treated her books like a brand — she used blog tours, email newsletters, and targeted Facebook ads to connect with romance fans. She engaged audiences on social media with steamy teasers and ran giveaways to help drum up excitement. She then reinvested her earnings into more advertising, creating an ongoing loop of feedback and sales.
With book marketing services like BookBaby’s Facebook and Instagram Ads for Authors, you can help increase visibility and exposure of your book quickly and easily on two of the world’s largest social networks, where readers of nearly every imaginable genre hang out.
We handle the creative design, the copywriting, and more — you set the budget and pay a small monthly fee to keep your ads going. You can also check your sales in real time by driving traffic to your BookBaby Bookshop page.
Mike Omer’s Prime Day win
Sometimes the best advertisement is being in the right place at the right time on the right platform. Mystery/thriller writer Mike Omer proved that an indie author can outsell household names on Amazon with smart positioning. He self-published a suspense series and gained a strong following — enough to attract Amazon’s own publishing group. Their Thomas & Mercer imprint signed him for wider distribution, and when Amazon Prime Day came around, they heavily promoted his newly released thriller, A Killer’s Mind.
On Prime Day alone, this relatively unknown author sold more books than J.K. Rowling, James Patterson, or Stephen King on Amazon. Omer now earns more from writing than he ever did in his former job as a software engineer.
His story fully illustrates how indie authors can make a big impact on major platforms like Amazon. Even if you’re new to the world of Amazon book publishing, BookBaby can help you get started. We provide dedicated Print On Demand services so that you can sell your physical book directly on Amazon, as well as Barnes & Noble, libraries, and more, all with zero commission from your Amazon book sales.
We can also help you get started in the captivating world of eReaders by making your eBook available on Amazon Kindle (including the Kindle eBook reader), Kindle Fire, and many other devices.
Great marketing won’t replace great writing
Each of the authors profiled here combined a good book with a clear and powerful advertising approach. With BookBaby, you have these same tools at your disposal. Study these examples, launch your campaign, and remember that you have a team of experts in your corner who are here to help you get up and running and keep the momentum going long after the ink has dried. With a little grit and a little strategy, you could very well find your name on the next BookBaby success list. Happy marketing and happy publishing!
