Nathan Barry, author of Authority, claims, “THE IDEA THAT AUTHORS CAN’T MAKE MONEY IS BULL****. And no, you don’t have to be famous or have a huge online following.”

I’m not sure if I agree 100% with Nathan, especially after writing my controversial post: Do Authors Make Money? Here’s the Truth.

One way Nathan Barry recommends making more money is by using Gumroad to sell your e-books directly on your site. You get 95% of each sale, instead of the usual 70% with KDP (Kindle)

• GUMROAD. also enables you to collect your readers’ e-mail addresses. It’s a great way to stay in touch with your readers, and to ask them how they like the book, and to keep in touch for selling future products. The reader gets to download the e-book as soon as he pays for it on your site. (According to Nathan.)
• SCRIVENER.  Nathan mentioned  how he uses Scrivener to write his books and keep his thoughts and blog posts organized. Once again, I have not used Scrivener, but know a few authors who swear by it.

Social Media

• Twitter and Facebook are NOT MEANT TO SELL YOUR BOOKS, but only to interact with others
• E-mails ARE THE BEST WAY TO SELL YOUR BOOKS, so develop your e-mail list
• Twitter and Facebook are meant to get subscribers, not to sell your books
• Social Media should be used to give VALUE TO YOUR READERS
• The best way to get readers is to offer giveaways and offer value to your readers
• Always think of ways to keep your readers interested. For example, tell them, “Here’s what I’m working on. Use Instagram with a photo of you writing in a coffee shop for example.
• Readers are curious about the process of you writing your story, so show them your work, then they will be interested in your next book
• Is there anything you can share right NOW, about what you’re doing TODAY?
• Take photos of you while writing, or doing a Webinar.
• SHARE ANYTHING YOU’RE STRUGGLING WITH. READERS LOVE THAT.

 Fiction Writers

• Just like non-fiction writers, you need to get subscribers, so offer something to your readers. For example, you could write a 3-page story as a giveaway, and if it’s great, make people sign up on your website to receive the rest of the story. Capturing e-mails is crucial for sales, and connecting with your readers.
• You want people to BE A FAN OF YOU as a person, not just be a fan of your characters.

I know many indie authors who are struggling to sell more books. It’s the start of a New Year, and we want to become successful. I think our main focus should be on :

How do I focus on getting READERS and not just on my circle of WRITER friends?

(COME BACK to READ my article on Thursday, January  15th.)