You have to look past the selling platforms to connect with your readers. Today I’m going to provide you with a template to do just that.
Make sure you go to Life of Fiction and use the links provided for this episode:
https://www.lifeoffiction.com/p/s2-e29-your-sales-strategy-outside-amazon
In today’s episode, we will go over how I interact with readers, and why. If you want to exist outside the ‘norm’ of Amazon, there’s a mindset authors need to make for selling stories.
Use the tools / platforms available (free is best / 1st option).
If you don’t own the tools and/or platforms, they can change or vanish.
Continue to build an independent system of ‘plug & play’.
Make sure to build direct connections with readers.
Teach readers, over time, how to find you…incase others get in the way.
You cannot guarantee success, but you can increase the chances of success by strategically planted ‘seeds’.
Links We Talked About
Here are the direct links to learn more about the products and services we discussed. None of these are affiliate links, but FYI — I do use each and everyone one of these personally — at least at the time of publishing this episode:
https://scanse.io/blog/ebooks-vs-printed-books-statistics-sales-trends/
Creating your supplies (publications):
For digital creation & pdf’s for print, I use: Scrivener, Vellum (Mac only), and Atticus
For paperback, I use: Amazon KDP
For hardback (but they make paperbacks also), I use: Ingram Spark
For audiobooks, I use Garageband to make (on Mac), and use: Soundwise (to host/sell)
My backup plan to publish and sell around the world, is a wonderful company, called Vervante.
Setting up my own real estate:
If you only build your business on someone else’s property, they can always make you leave. Here’s what I’ve done:
WantedHero.com - built on an account I have with WorldAnvil.com. This is my home base, where I’m training readers to come for everything. This is my everything hub - end all, be all - all sales links, art, characters & eye-candy.
LifeOfFiction.com - is my flagship with Substack. This is 100% free for creators, which allows me to write, sell, and market…through articles, artwork, video and podcasts! What I love best is staying focused on my readers and catering to them through LoF, and some of them in return, support my efforts through monthly subscriptions of $7/mo.
Setting up your other shops and selling platforms:
I mentioned using Ko-fi as the main selling platform, primarily because there’s the option for people to buy you a ‘coffee’ (tip you), and this has worked for me. But there are other options you should include.
Jaime’s Ko-fi - functions much like a Patreon but more pliable (pay attention to how I’ve been using the platform to give you ideas) free to use and they take a 5% cut. You can upgrade to ‘Gold’ for $99/yr to remove the 5% cut.
Jaime’s Payhip - My second favorite platform to use for selling is, because the marketing tools are POWERFUL. Again, free to use and they take a 5% cut.
Draft2Digital.com - Aggregator that sends your publications to other storefronts. Draft2Digital takes a 10% fee of the retail price of any book you sell. The greatest part of D2D is their universal links & distribution:
Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Kobo (including Kobo Plus)
Tolino
OverDrive
Bibliotheca
Scribd
Baker & Taylor
Hoopla
Vivlio
BorrowBox
Jaime’s Spring Store - because eventually, as your story grows, readers will want merch. Spring is available in both the USA and Europe, which means you can sell around the world.
If YOU have questions, comments or suggestions, you can send them to hello@lifeoffiction.com and we will answer them for you on the podcast.
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S2 Episode #29: Setting Up Your Own Independent Sales Strategy, Outside Amazon.