Summary
Selling a self-published book requires more than simply putting it up for sale and announcing it once or twice—it demands deliberate, sustained effort. This article breaks down the sales process into practical steps indie authors can take to maximise their chances of success. We start off by emphasising the importance of identifying a clear target audience, explaining how to locate and understand potential readers in order to reach them effectively. From there, we explore different ways of selling both directly and indirectly, including choosing the right sales channels, pricing for international markets, and adding extra value through bonuses like e-books, workbooks, or merch. The article also encourages authors to engage with local bookstores, create video pitches to connect directly with readers, and host launch events as sales opportunities. Finally, we remind authors that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to book sales—success comes from tailoring your sales plan to fit your book, your strengths, and your audience.
Table of contents
So, about selling your own book…
Writing a book is hard, no doubt about it. But selling that book once you’ve finished it is a challenge all its own. A lot of authors we talk to struggle more with the selling than with the writing, and that makes sense–they’re writers, not salespeople. Nevertheless, we’ve found that much of the difficulty comes from self-published authors taking the wrong approach when selling their books.
What do we mean by that? In our experience, most self-published authors simply take the wrong approach to selling their books. And by “wrong approach,” we mean putting your book up for sale on a couple of platforms, tossing a few casual posts on social media, and then sitting back to wait for the sales to roll in.
They won’t. And that’s not because your book isn’t worth buying—it probably is! But there are just too many books being published every day for yours to rise above the noise without help. If you want writing to be a profitable hobby (or a full-blown career), you’re going to have to roll up those sleeves.
1. Identify your niche
Alright, this first step is really easy, because you should already have done it when developing your marketing strategy. It’s also the step everyone seems to want to skip—even though it makes every other step easier. Knowing exactly who you’re writing for is the foundation of every successful sales strategy. And yes, we’ve said this before. Repeatedly. In multiple articles. And we’ll keep saying it because it’s that important.
You can also skip ahead if you’ve already identified your target audience (good job!). If you haven’t, stay right here, we’re going to discuss how to go about it.
Why do I need a target audience? Shouldn’t I just sell my book to everyone?
The short answer to this question is that you need a target audience because you’re not a door-to-door salesman. You shouldn’t sell your book to everyone because:
- You literally can’t
- Not everyone will want your book and nobody likes a pushy salesperson, so why waste energy and water down your message by trying to please everyone, rather than finding and talking to the people who would love your book?
How do you do that?
Well, you start by doing some research to find out who might conceivably want your book, and the best way to reach them. As mentioned before, this is something you should be doing while writing your book, as part of your marketing plan. Now you might be asking yourself, hypothetically: if one had skipped this vital step—how would one find these people? Well, let’s find out!
Start by figuring out what your book offers. What kind of story does it tell? What problems does it solve? What fantasies does it indulge? What questions does it answer? If your book is a romance novel set in 18th-century Vienna, you ought to try to find people and communities interested in this combination of time period, genre, and/or place. Presumably, people in these communities have trouble finding new books to occupy themselves with. Similarly, if your book is about how to start a successful online tulip shop, you can most likely find a very interested audience among entrepreneurial florists, wherever they may congregate online.
Once you’ve figured out just whose problem you’re solving with your book, it’s time to do some sleuthing. Reddit is a great place to begin because there’s a subreddit for just about every conceivable group, interest, or philosophy. If you can’t find a community that’s specific enough (like one dedicated to entrepreneurial florists for instance), it’s not the end of the world. You can opt for a more general community instead (like r/entrepeneurs). You can also check Facebook Groups, Substack comment sections, TikTok hashtags, and even Goodreads lists.
The goal? Figure out not just who your readers are, but where they spend time, what they talk about, and what kind of language resonates with them. That way, when you pitch your book, it feels like the solution they’ve been waiting for.
Choosing your sales channels
Generally speaking, the more sales channels you have access to, the better. The reach and reputation of established book retailers like Amazon, Kobo, Apple and Google are invaluable for the discoverability of your book. This reach comes at a cost, however, as you’re going to need to fork over around 45% of your earnings per sold copy to the bookstore (something you should keep in mind when deciding on the price of your book). That’s why you should always supplement your third-party sales channels with direct selling, i.e. selling via your own website, socials, the author webshop, or the Bookmundo webshop.
This method means you get to keep the money that would otherwise have gone to the bookshop, effectively allowing you to make the same amount of money while selling half the number of books. As such, we always recommend directing people to the aforementioned sales channels whenever you have the chance. Most people are happy to use them if you make it clear that they’d be supporting you by doing so.
That’s another reason why it’s important to find your audience and build a relationship with them. Doing so will make it much easier for you to stimulate direct sales.
Selling your book internationally
Depending on where your audience research takes you, you may want to consider selling your book internationally. If your book is in English, you have a massive advantage when doing so, as it’s a widely read language pretty much all over the world. At Bookmundo, selling your book internationally is as simple as ticking a few boxes.
Obviously, selling internationally broadens your reach significantly. However, if you don’t have a target audience abroad, it makes little sense. Furthermore, you ought to keep in mind that book prices tend to vary between countries. Books tend to be cheaper in Portugal than they are in Germany for instance. As such, you should either be prepared to price your book in a way that aligns with as many national averages as possible, or make a separate edition of your book for each country you’d like to sell in, and then adjust the price of each edition to match the country you sell it in.
These are just a handful of reasons why it’s so important to research your target audience before publishing. But once you’ve established the presence of your book in the minds of your audience, it’s time to show them why they should spend their hard-earned money on your particular solution, i.e. your book. How you may ask?
2. Offer extras
We all know how hard it can be to resist freebies and 2-for-1 deals. People just love a good bonus, to the point that it might make them consider trying something they wouldn’t have been interested in otherwise.
Here are a few ideas to get your sales juices flowing:
Fiction writers: Offer a short story set in the same world, alternate POV scenes, deleted chapters, or a printable map.
Nonfiction writers: Create a workbook, checklist, mini course, or email challenge that complements the book.
Everyone: Include a free eBook version with the print edition. Add a personal note or signature. Send a themed bookmark. Record a short thank-you video for buyers.
These add-ons don’t need to be expensive or complicated. They just need to feel thoughtful—and relevant to your audience. If you’ve researched your target audience well enough, you ought to be able to come up with some kind of deal-sweetener for future readers. A little value goes a long way when you’re trying to build reader loyalty.
3. Approach local bookstores
Independent bookstores can be surprisingly receptive to local authors—especially if you make it easy for them to say yes.
Here’s what to do:
Prepare a one-page pitch with your bio, book blurb, ISBN, price, and contact info.
- Reach out to local independent bookstores, with your pitch attached and a summary in the body of the email
Offer to consign the book or sell at a steep discount.
Be friendly, flexible, and brief—you’re not the only person pitching them.
Even if they don’t agree to stock your book immediately, they may offer shelf space if customer demand grows or you plan a launch event in their space.
4. Record a video pitch
If you’re the type of person who is comfortable talking on video, then this is a sort of modern version of the bookstore pitch. Of course, instead of trying to convince some skeptical bookstore owner, this method brings you directly to the screens of your future readers. This has the advantage of putting you directly in touch with your actual target group, which means that you are making more money per sold copy than if you were to sell via a bookstore.
So, why are we bothering with a video? Well, let’s preface this by saying that if you’re not very confident as a presenter, then you actually shouldn’t. A nervous, faltering sales pitch in a video will definitely do more harm than good. If you’re confident in your rhetorical capabilities, however, this method can provide great value.
Your pitch doesn’t need to be flashy—just sincere. Talk about:
Once you have your video pitch, upload it (or share a link to it) in the places where your previously researched target audience will see it. Ask them to share it if possible – having some ambassadors is always a great help when it comes to marketing and selling your book.
5. Host a book release party
A book launch is more than a celebration—it’s a marketing and sales opportunity rolled into one. A birthday party for your book. Whether it’s in-person or online, a launch event gives people a reason to buy now instead of someday.
Ideas for your event:
Read a short excerpt
Run a Q&A session
Give away prizes or signed copies
Invite a fellow author or expert to join
Set up a “pay what you want” table or donation-based sales
Also, make sure to have a decent supply of snacks and drinks at hand, to get a good buzz going. You want to get your guests in a good, generous mood–drinks and snacks will go a long way here. We have a checklist for book launches that you can use to prepare.
Simply put, make your release party fun, engaging, and memorable. And most importantly, make it easy for people to buy your book on the spot.
6. Think about how to sell your book—not just a book
The ideas we’ve covered so far aren’t a checklist. They’re individual tools in a larger a toolbox. And like any toolbox, the tools you use should vary depending on the job at hand.
Some tactics work better for memoirs than fantasy novels. Some ideas are free to implement, while others require a bit of a budget. The right mix depends on your genre, goals, resources, and personal style.
So don’t be afraid to remix. Test different strategies. Ditch what doesn’t feel right. Add what does. Selling your book isn’t about following a formula—it’s about understanding your audience, knowing your value, and being brave enough to show up.
Now go sell out!
Alright, if things have gone according to plan, this article has given you some useful pointers for selling your book. Use the tips and tools outlined in this article to craft a sales strategy uniquely suited to your book.
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