Are you ready to increase your book sales, and hit the bestseller list consistently? Welcome to the Book Marketing Show, where in this weekly podcast Dave Chesson will not only show you some of the best book sales tactics but also bring on top-notch guests to show how each tactic taught here was a game changer for their books and how it can be for yours as well. Having created one of the largest websites on book marketing, Kindlepreneur.com, he’s also been a book-marketing consultant for top NYT Bestselling authors in both Fiction and Non-fiction as well as helping big name publishing companies increase their sales. He’s been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and a multitude of book related websites across the net. So, tune in as you learn for free about the art to book marketing and how others are using these tactics to improve their sales and how you can too!
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This episode features author Amy Lyle, who details her unique journey with 'The Book of Failures.' She explains how an entertainment attorney's advice inspired her, leading to an extravagant book launch that generated massive initial sales. Amy further discusses her strategies for sustaining momentum through consistent promotion, navigating Amazon Ads, and overcoming a significant formatting error. Her inspiring story culminates in landing a BookBub deal and, ultimately, a movie adaptation for her book, offering invaluable lessons on persistence and effective marketing for authors.
Author Anna David discusses the harsh realities of traditional publishing, from her early “orphaned” book deal to the lack of marketing support even with significant advances. She stresses the paramount importance of authors owning their audience and marketing their own work. Inspired by these frustrations, Anna founded Light Hustle Publishing to help entrepreneurs establish credibility through books, offering comprehensive publishing services.
Dave Chesson explores the best writing software for authors, examining the strengths and weaknesses of Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener. While Word is familiar and Google Docs offers excellent free collaboration, Scrivener is presented as the ultimate tool designed specifically for writers, offering advanced features for organizing, character development, project management, and editor collaboration. The episode encourages authors to learn Scrivener to significantly benefit their writing process.
This episode reveals the business perspective of publishing companies, outlining key factors they consider when evaluating authors, such as trending topics, sales history, and online following. Dave Chesson explains how upfront payments indicate a publisher's marketing commitment and distinguishes between major, vanity, and small presses. Authors learn essential strategies for negotiating deals, handling rejection, and building marketing skills to maximize their publishing success.
Dave Chesson and Facebook expert Audrey Huey discuss how authors can navigate Facebook for marketing without being "salesy." They delve into the crucial distinction between personal and author profiles, offering strategies to maintain boundaries. The conversation highlights the evolution of Facebook's algorithms, urging authors to prioritize quality, audience-centric content over direct sales, and to utilize features like polls for market research, ultimately building lifelong fans.
Discover how ghostwriting can significantly supplement author income and even lead to a full-time writing career. Host Dave Chesson interviews Matthew Thrush, a six-figure ghostwriter, who reveals his process for setting financial goals, acquiring clients through platforms like Upwork, and managing demanding writing schedules. Matthew also discusses overcoming the ego of not receiving credit, learning from challenging client experiences, and the importance of an abundant mindset in building a sustainable ghostwriting business. This episode offers valuable insights for writers looking to expand their income and hone their craft.
Stuart Thaman details his unconventional path in publishing, starting with a failed thriller and a pivot to fantasy. He emphasizes the importance of immersing oneself in book marketing, learning genre tropes, and the "failing forward" philosophy. The episode showcases how strategic cover design, blurbs, and targeted advertising, particularly AMS ads, transformed his struggling books and led him to become a successful marketer for publishing companies, culminating in a case study of reviving a five-year-dead novel.
Writing a children’s book is not something to go into lightly. Sure, it may sound like less work because they’re typically fewer words, but there are things to think about you may not be prepared for. But if you have ever thought about it, it’s a great market to get into. About 40 million children’s books are sold online every year. Eevi Jones has written more than a dozen children’s books of her own and uses her knowledge to teach others the skills needed to write, publish and market their own ...
This episode features author Michael Knight, who shares his journey from modest book sales to substantial growth after implementing Dave Chesson's free AMS course and KDP Rocket. The discussion covers optimizing ACoS, the broader impact of AMS on organic sales, and the necessity of continuous testing. Dave also offers advanced keyword strategies, encouraging authors to think laterally for niche targeting.
This episode features Derek Doepker, who discusses a unique CreateSpace pricing hack he discovered. Authors can set a higher price in CreateSpace, receive higher royalties, while Amazon continues to sell the book at a lower price due to expanded distribution and price matching delays. The discussion emphasizes ethical application, ensuring Amazon and other retailers still profit, and warns authors about price change delays when planning promotions.
This episode explores the critical importance of book titles, demonstrating how a strong title can significantly impact sales, citing historical examples. It guides authors through creative, data-backed methods, starting with market research to identify best-selling title patterns and applying these templates. The discussion then moves to leveraging modern book title generators and specialized tools like Lulu's Title Score and PicFu.com for evaluating and testing potential titles for maximum reader appeal.
Dave Chesson and Derek Murphy discuss book cover mastery, stressing that covers are primarily sales tools, not just artistic expressions. They explore the benefits of pre-made covers, the pitfalls of author over-attachment, and how to use data from platforms like AMS ads to test and improve cover performance. The episode also highlights the importance of a symbiotic marketing package, aligning covers with keywords, titles, and descriptions to effectively attract readers.
Dave Chesson and Jesse Lakes from Geniuslink delve into Amazon's link structure, explaining why attempts to "trick" Amazon with complex URLs are ineffective and potentially harmful. They emphasize using bare ASIN URLs and discuss the challenges of geo-fragmentation across international Amazon markets. The episode highlights how universal linking tools like Geniuslink can help authors connect with global readers and boost sales by correctly directing them to their local storefronts. It also touches on leveraging analytics and the Amazon Associates program for better market understanding and revenue.
Dave Chesson dissects the book marketing service industry, explaining why Kindlepreneur doesn't offer such services by detailing two contrasting models: one focused on author results (rare and resource-intensive, akin to a publisher) and another driven purely by profit (dishonorable and common). He reveals critical red flags like accepting all books, making absolute guarantees, and offering generic marketing. Authors learn how to identify trustworthy services by looking for screening processes, transparent communication, and tailored pricing, ultimately emphasizing self-empowerment in book marketing.
My response to a recent guest post on Kindlepreneur from John Pinedo about creating a hardcover version of your book and having it sold on Amazon. John used Lulu to create a hardcover version of his book and wrote about it in his guest post, but there are other options for doing this. There are two guests for this week’s episode, John and Eevi Jones. Eevi, who has also written a guest post on Kindlepreneur, used IngramSpark to create hardcover versions of her children’s books. In the two intervi...
Dave Chesson shares tactics for authors on a tight budget to obtain high-quality book covers using Fiverr. He emphasizes providing precise instructions by compiling examples of desired design elements. The episode also guides listeners on how to wisely select a Fiverr designer and highlights the importance of securing usage rights and appropriate file types for their covers.
This episode explores the transformative power of author conferences, featuring Dave Chesson and Craig Martelle. They highlight how attending these events builds strong relationships, facilitates valuable networking for cross-promotion, and provides immense motivation by connecting authors with their peers. Key discussions include practical tips for attendees, such as being prepared and embracing the introvert-friendly environment, alongside insights into the future growth of indie author communities.
In this case study, author Ethan Jones recounts his experience reviving his first published book, "Arctic War Games," which initially sold only five copies. After years of improving his writing and marketing skills, he undertook a complete rewrite, republishing the book as a fresh title to shed outdated reviews. He details his successful pre-launch strategy, combining an extensive email list, paid promotions, and author networking, which dramatically boosted sales compared to the original release.
Allison Garcia shares her journey of using Facebook to market her books, detailing her initial struggles with ineffective ads and inconsistent posting. She explains how joining a reader attraction challenge helped her develop a systematic content strategy, leading to significant growth in reader engagement and book sales. Allison emphasizes the importance of providing relevant content, engaging with readers, and leveraging in-person events to build a loyal following and make marketing enjoyable.
This episode features an in-depth conversation with professional proofreader Caitlin Pyle about the crucial difference between editing and proofreading for authors. She shares strategies for budget-conscious writers to ensure their books are polished and highlights how proofreading can serve as a valuable networking tool and a means to enhance one's own writing skills. Caitlin also recounts her journey into the proofreading business and offers insights on identifying a natural aptitude for the craft, making it an excellent guide for authors and aspiring proofreaders alike.
Dave Chesson and Derek Murphy discuss the critical role of font choice in book cover design. They highlight how fonts clearly communicate a book's genre and the importance of balancing text elements like title, author name, and subtitle for optimal reader engagement. The episode also covers where to find appropriate fonts, the balance between genre conformity and uniqueness, proper text spacing, and the pitfalls of using unprofessional text effects, alongside crucial advice on font licensing.
Authors often have a biased view of their book's market appeal. This episode highlights the importance of A/B testing book covers, titles, and descriptions with your target audience using platforms like Facebook groups or dedicated services like PickFu. Guests share compelling examples, including Tim Ferriss's title selection, demonstrating how market feedback is crucial for discovering what truly resonates with readers, leading to better sales and avoiding costly mistakes. The discussion also covers best practices for interpreting feedback and optimizing your testing approach.
Dave Chesson discusses the common reasons authors' keywords might not be working, such as targeting irrelevant terms or failing to rank effectively. He then offers three core solutions: systematically changing keywords based on data, actively improving book rankings, and critically aligning book covers, titles, and descriptions with target keywords to attract the right readers. This comprehensive guide helps authors optimize their discoverability and sales on Amazon.
Dave Chesson and Derek Doepker discuss the booming audiobook industry, highlighting how authors can leverage audio to reach new readers, enhance credibility, and boost sales. They cover the benefits of author narration for nonfiction, practical production methods including hiring or DIY, and the significant financial potential of Audible bounties. This session provides actionable advice for authors considering expanding into the audiobook market.
Dave Chesson and Craig Tuch discuss Amazon's complex and often frustrating review system. They theorize how Amazon's algorithms detect potentially fake or policy-violating reviews, focusing on factors like review frequency, social media links, shared personal data, and specific URL types. The episode highlights the success of appealing review removals through a dedicated Amazon email, emphasizing that despite algorithmic flaws, human intervention can restore legitimate reviews.
This episode delves into the world of book press releases, explaining their traditional and modern applications for authors. Host Dave Chesson and PR expert Dan Janal clarify that while press releases build author authority and improve search visibility, direct sales are typically only driven by genuinely newsworthy content or strategic 'newsjacking.' They offer practical advice on targeting local media, utilizing editorial calendars, and discerning when to invest in professional services versus executing a DIY press strategy.
Dave Chesson explores Playster, a growing subscription service offering unlimited access to books, audiobooks, and other media. He details its attractive customer benefits, particularly for audiobook enthusiasts, and then dives into its unique author payment model, which rewards authors for 20% reads. Joined by Kevin Tumlinson from Draft2Digital, the discussion emphasizes the strategic importance for authors to diversify beyond Amazon, leveraging new markets like Playster to foster competition and gain greater control over their intellectual property.
Dave Chesson and Emeka Ossai discuss the surprising non-monetary benefits of writing books, from fostering personal growth and professional opportunities to inspiring readers. They share anecdotes of personal achievements, like working with favorite authors or impacting public figures, and highlight how books can be powerful tools for differentiation and branding, as seen in a lawyer's strategic use of his book for client acquisition and referrals. The episode also delves into creative ways to extend a book's presence, from display art to character merchandise, emphasizing the motivational and promotional value beyond direct sales.
Dave Chesson and guest Craig Tuch demystify Amazon's evolving book review policies, particularly the nuances of offering free books for reviews. They clarify how authors can legitimately obtain advance review copies, differentiating between acceptable practices and prohibited incentivization. The discussion includes real-world examples, highlighting compliant strategies like Andy Weir's pre-order campaign, and warns against common pitfalls, emphasizing the importance of ethical review generation and the surprising value of authentic, even mixed, feedback.
One subject that has come up a lot in this podcast is the advice of not putting all your eggs in one basket. Amazon may be at the top when it comes to the book market, but newer platforms for people to sell their books on are emerging and making your book available on those platforms can increase your sales. Amazon has started cracking down on authors and publishing companies who are practicing deceiving tactics when it comes to increasing their sales, and Amazon has begun cracking down on these...
