How Authors Can Build an Indie Empire—What Your Book Cover Looks Like Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*disclaimer. This series is about following rules. I know that Indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

What Your book Cover Looks Like Matters

1. Readers do judge a book by the cover. For $40 or less at times, you can get a professional quality stock cover. Unless you are experienced and trained as a graphic designer, do this. For $300 and up you can get a custom cover. Totally do that if you can afford it. It’s worth it.

How Authors Can Build an Indie Empire—Building Your Newsletter Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*disclaimer. This series is about following rules. I know that Indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

In part two of this series, How You Advertise Matters I explained the importance of advertising. It is vitally important. What I didn’t explain was why those sites I recommend work so well. 

How Authors Can Build an Indie Empire—How You Release Books Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*disclaimer. This series is about following rules. I know that Indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

Very few authors have a series of reader-satisfying books burning a hole in their pockets. These books have to be written and released successfully for the empire to be built. This is a particularly poignant article for me to write. I need to launch a new series. The series that has formed the foundation of my indie success has been completed. No new books are coming for it, and it has been around long enough now--almost 7 years since book 1 released!—that it has reached market saturation. So everything I write in this post is also for me. A prod to both do the job, and do it right.

How Authors Can Build An Indie Empire—How You Advertise Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*Disclaimer from Traci. This series is about following rules. I know that indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

Have you ever heard of a loss leader? The grocery store has 18 eggs for just 75 cents! Limit 3! You would never pass up that deal, even though you are clever and know it’s just a trap to get you to come into the store and buy a bunch of stuff marked up enough to make up the difference in the cost of the eggs.

This is what you have to do with your books. But how do you do it?

How Authors Can Build an Indie Empire—What You Write Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*disclaimer from Traci. This series is about following rules. I know that indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

Russell Blake taught me his guaranteed method to building an audience for your work. It starts very simply: Give readers exactly what they want.

I could end the blog there, but like me, you might need help figuring out what readers want.

What Readers Want