This piece provides insights into the journey of an indie author and the lessons learned from publishing three suspense-thriller novels. The author emphasizes the importance of patience and persistence in the world of self-publishing. An initial lack of book sales can be disheartening, but it doesn’t mean that the book is a failure. The author’s experience shows that subsequent books can drive interest and sales to earlier works, as readers who find later books may go back and purchase the first ones.
The author also highlights the importance of strategic online categorization for books. Choosing a broad category, such as “Thrillers & Suspense,” can lead to increased competition and less visibility. However, selecting a more specific niche, like “Psychological Thrillers,” can improve a book’s ranking and visibility. Such small adjustments in metadata, keywords, and book descriptions can help a book reach its ideal audience.
The author also mentions the value of Amazon’s free promotion days for Kindle books. Despite initial hesitations about giving away a book for free, the author discovered that this can have a positive impact. In one instance, a free promotion led to a friend hosting a book club discussion about the book, thus increasing its exposure and potential audience. This experience