Why Your Self-Published Book Isn’t Selling (And How to Fix It)
3 Steps to Turning Around Your Books Sales
One of the self-published authors' biggest frustrations is a lack of book sales.
You’ve put in months—maybe even years—of hard work writing, editing, and publishing your book, only to see disappointing results.
The truth is, simply publishing a book isn’t enough.
For consistent sales, you need a strategy that includes audience building, optimized book metadata, and strategic promotions.
Build Your Audience Before You Launch
Most self-published authors make the mistake of marketing their book after it’s published. But the best time to start marketing is months (or even years) before your book hits the shelves.
How to Build an Audience:
Grow an Email List – Offer a freebie (like a short story, sample chapters, or a guide) in exchange for email signups. Tools like ConvertKit or MailerLite can help you manage this.
Engage on Social Media – Share behind-the-scenes content, progress updates, and valuable insights about your book’s topic or genre.
Create a Blog or YouTube Channel – Consistently publishing content around your book’s themes helps attract readers before your launch.
By the time your book is published, you’ll have an audience ready to buy. But you don’t have to do all this work first. If you have a book out, break your book down into bite-sized pieces and share it with your email, socials, and blog.
Substack is great for this with sending to your email and sharing on Notes!
Optimize Your Book Metadata
Your book’s metadata—its title, subtitle, keywords, and categories—determines how easily readers can find it. Many authors overlook this, but optimizing metadata can significantly boost visibility.
How to Improve Your Metadata:
Choose a Compelling Title & Subtitle – Your title should be catchy, and your subtitle should clarify the book’s benefit or genre.
Use the Right Keywords – Research Amazon’s search terms using Publisher Rocket or by analyzing bestselling books in your genre.
Select the Best Categories – Instead of broad categories, choose niche ones where your book can rank higher.
When your book is easy to find, sales will follow. And guess what, if you need to make changes, you can make changes on your keywords and categories. So don’t stress too much if your changes don’t pick up right away.
Run Strategic Promotions
Even the best books need a marketing push. Running targeted promotions helps get your book in front of new readers and builds momentum.
Effective Book Promotion Strategies:
Leverage Amazon Ads – Run cost-effective ads targeting specific keywords and competitor books.
Offer Limited-Time Discounts – Lowering your ebook price quickly can boost rankings and visibility.
Use Promo Sites – BookBub, Freebooksy, and Bargain Booksy help promote discounted or free books to large audiences.
Encourage Reviews – More reviews improve credibility and increase conversions. Ask early readers to leave honest feedback.
It is in these different promotional activities that you can jumpstart book sales, get reviews, and start seeing sales on a consistent basis again.
Final Thoughts on Fixing Your Book Sales
A lack of sales isn’t a sign your book isn’t good—it’s usually a sign that people don’t know about it.
You can turn a slow start into consistent book sales by building your audience before launch, optimizing your book’s metadata, and running strategic promotions.
The key is persistence. Marketing is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Keep testing different strategies, stay engaged with your audience, and never stop learning.
What’s one marketing strategy you’re struggling with? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
My name is J.R. Heimbigner and I am a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon with 18 self-published books. I have something I want to share with you:
Also, this post may contain sales or affiliate links, so I might get a little kickback if you purchase anything. Thank you in advance!
Great tips, J.R., thanks very much.