It was very exciting last week when my contemporary suspense
novel, DROP OUT hit #5 on the paid Amazon best seller list. I was thrilled to
have Nicholas Sparks as my #4 competitor. How I got to this list is no secret.
I booked promotional spots on high-traffic websites and spent the days leading
up to the spots marketing and promoting my a*s off. I stayed at that #5 position
for an entire 36 hours before slowly slipping back into the 100’s; about where
I am now.
Did I ever in my dreams imagine that as an independent
writer I would ever achieve such heights… honestly, never. My point is, that
every writer has an equal chance of hitting the list. Sure, you have to write a
great book, have a great cover, and an even greater blurb, but it is possible.
I am living proof.
I’ve chronicle the last five years of my journey as an
independent writer on this blog. There have been many dizzying
highs and terrifying lows along my journey to get my books read, but with
perseverance and a never-give-up attitude, I feel as if I’ve finally “made it”
and all the lonesome hours writing and all the sacrifices have now been worth
the struggle. There is no greater feeling then having dozens of friends and fans
messaging me their congratulations at hitting the top 5. It is a high better
than any ingestibale substance on Earth.
If you’re a writer and can’t understand why no one is buying
your book it may not be that the book is not good, it may be you just don’t
know how to market and promote the story. My advice is to check out the Alexa
ranking of any site you’re interested in advertising on before you invest your
cold, hard cash. Join Facebook groups, join online writer’s and reader’s clubs,
post discussions, anything to get your name out there and get your book
noticed.
Getting your book on the best seller list can happen but it
won’t happen without effort. I hated the hours upon hours of promoting along
with most writers, but as with any art form it is necessary to achieve
recognition. Check out my blog for the list of sites that helped me achieve #5
in the country. And never give up the dream!!
