When I released my freelance writing guide back in October it was always my intention to publish a Kindle version. If you’ve been following my Kindle publishing strategy to date then you will know that I pivoted sharply away from my original plans to publish an abridged version of the book on Amazon for $10 and decided instead to create a series of $3 mini eBooks that each tackled a specific topic relating to freelance writing.
Well, with three published Kindle books under my belt I thought the time was right to let you know about my progress to date and what I have planned for the future. One thing is for sure — my experiences to date have definitely changed my perspective on how to make the most of the Kindle publishing platform.
My Progress So Far
I had no real expectations going into “phase two” of my Kindle publishing strategy — my plan was to publish all of the books then take stock. I originally planned to release nine books although that increased to ten with the release of my guest posting guide.
If you’ve been keeping up to date with my income reports then you will know that I have made just over $200 so far from my Kindle eBooks — not anything to write home about but not disastrous either. Last week I made a total of $37.34 on Amazon.com (i.e. excluding international sites such as Amazon.co.uk) which equates to just over $160 per month. I’m not complaining but I hope and expect for those numbers to rise.
There’s just one issue with my planned approach — my heart isn’t in it. Publishing ten books is a huge commitment and as I have dug into my work I have found that my phase two plan wasn’t perhaps as practical as I first thought. With that in mind I have decided to pivot and adjust my strategy once more.
My New Strategy
At this point I plan to publish just two more Kindle books. I do this for two reasons:
- As I just mentioned, my heart’s not really in Kindle publishing. I need to take the core of what I have and demonstrate its potential before pouring more effort into the process.
- In reality some of the mini eBooks I had planned simply aren’t justified in terms of the quantity of content I am practically able to provide.
This is the thing: I have discovered that success in Kindle publishing is all about the market. In the same way that you have to pick a decent keyword to succeed in niche site publishing, you have to pick a decent market in order to succeed in Kindle. And while my loyal readership of freelance writing enthusiasts have helped to get my first few books off the ground they are not likely to start selling by the shedload any time soon. As such I don’t want to pour huge amounts of time into an endeavour that may not offer a suitable return.
My new strategy can be split up into three stages. Once I have completed those stages I will step back, analyse the results and decide how to proceed.
Stage 1: Finish Publishing
The first thing I want to do is finish the last two books in my series on freelance writing and publish them on Amazon. The two titles are:
- Freelance Blogging Success: How to Find Clients that Will Pay You $100+ Per Article
- Freelance Writing: How to Set and Negotiate Rates Confidently
These will complement the already published books on writing great blog posts and creating a blog for freelance writing success. Although there is more that you should know about becoming a successful freelance writer, these are the “sexy” topics that are likely to be most successful.
As per usual, each newly published book will be made available free of charge to those who subscribe to my Kindle email list. You can subscribe by entering your email address in the box below and hitting “Subscribe”:
Stage 2: Cross Promote
This second step forms the crux of what I believe to be a winning approach in Kindle publish — cross promotion.
By this point I will have five books published — all in the same niche of blogging/freelance writing. A person who reads one is likely to be interested in at least one of the other books and $3 is a low enough price point to make a purchasing decision relatively easy. The key therefore is in making the reader aware that other books of a similar nature are available. In this way one purchase may turn into two or three.
I will cross promote my books in two ways:
- By including an “Other Books by Tom Ewer” section at the beginning of each book
- By mentioning other books when it makes sense to do so within the content of each book
Stage 3: Further Promotion and Requests for Reviews
Although choosing the right market is vitally important, publishing in the most lucrative market will be of little use if you don’t get a generous selection of positive reviews.
Therefore, once all five books have been published I will selectively make each book available free of charge to my Kindle email list on a regular basis, so that people who missed out the first time around can grab a free copy. I know that some of you are thoughtful enough to leave a positive review by way of thanks which is greatly appreciated (and vital to the potential success of my books).
My Thoughts on the Future of Kindle Publishing
At this stage I am extremely doubtful that my existing line of books (including the two that are to be published) will generate more than a few hundred bucks per month at best. While I am certainly not going to turn my nose up at that it would not represent the kind of return that I was hoping for.
I am aware of people who are doing very well indeed out of Kindle publishing by targeting lucrative markets but it is not something that I necessarily want to get involved with. There are some aspects of Kindle publishing that remind me all too readily of niche site publishing — the somewhat arbitrary nature of it, the sole reliance on one source of traffic, and so on. The going may be good now but I am unsure of Kindle publishing’s long term viability.
Having said that I am making no commitment to my future involvement (or otherwise) in Kindle publishing at this stage. I want to get my five books out into the open, make sure that they are well-optimized for cross promotion and observe the results of my efforts. Only then will I be better informed to make a decision as to how I should proceed.
What are your thoughts on Kindle publishing? Have you experienced success or failure? I’d love to know your thoughts — fire away in the comments section!
Photo Credit: johncatral
Hey Tom,
I understand and agree with what you’re doing. I do think it’s more of a strategy if you want to make real money, unless you’re driving the traffic yourself.
I don’t think it’s like niche sites for the best books, but for marketers publishing new ones all the time I think it will get saturated in the long-term.
My book has nosedived. My highest month was about $77, but I only sell about 20 copies per month now. I’m not even going to bother releasing my new book on Kindle in the beginning because it will affect how much I can sell it on my site for.
I will definitely publish on Kindle again because I like writing outwith my niche, but I’ll choose carefully.
Good luck with your remaining books!
Hey Jamie,
Thanks! Kindle is a learning curve like any other — I think the idea that easy money is available is a mistaken belief. Having said that, I think it has good potential for me as a (modest) stream of income so I’m going to see this through.
Cheers,
Tom
The question is, what is the objective of your short e books?
To promote yourself?
To raise awareness?
To make money?
I have a feeling that you started this out (please correct me if I’m wrong) with an eye to diversifying your income stream, as well as to raise awareness.
The question is, is the way that you’ve done so the best way to do both?
Personally, I’d say no.
However, at this point, I think the question of what you could/should have done with it is moot.
What I DO see is a massive potential to use these products that you’ve developed to massively grow your audience.
Firstly, I’d pull them from Kindle. The amount of money that you’ll make in the future probably won’t be all that much
Then, you should reach out to the blogs that you’ve already interacted with, and offer the books, either individually or as a series, in a number of contests/giveaways.
The fact that you’ve already got 5 ebooks means that you won’t have to waste precious time to develop new giveaway products.
Of course, many people would be happy to promote your other products in lieu of the free ebook giveaways that you’ll be getting.
My point is, you should expand your ebook offering beyond just your blog, although keeping the series for blog subscribers would also be a great giveaway.
Hi Daryl,
Thanks for sharing your opinion. Awareness + income definitely was (and is) the aim. Your idea is certainly an interesting one but I’d like to see this project through to completion before doing anything drastic. I could always follow through with your strategy in the future so my options are open!
Cheers,
Tom
Been waiting for this Tom, much appreciated!
No problem Pierre!
Hi Tom, this is the first visit to your site and its very impressive – what I appreciate the most is the authenticity and honesty. Will read some more content but this post was interesting to someone just starting on the freelance journey. Thanks for great content.
My pleasure Peter!
Hi Tom-
I am a fairly new visitor to your sight. I have researched alot about freelance writing which have lead me to a many of blogs. Out of all of them yours is the bombdiggity! Your candor, honesty, and attention to details regarding your pesonal trial and errors in the business is very much appreciated. When I come to your sight I feel like I am getting the real deal instead of a bunch of smoke and mirrors. I will continue tuning in and look forward to reading your freelance writing ebook. Thanks for the information and best of luck.
Hey Dawn,
I try to avoid smoke and mirrors whenever possible 😉 Just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Tom
Can you clarify a few points for me and I would imagine other readers will be thinking the same.
I am just about to download the “Successful Freelance Writing Online” eBook and blog about how I get on putting it into practice; I have a site ready to go, but I am now wondering if I should stick with these Kindle books instead (which I’ve read)?
Is it fair to say that the individual Kindle books are not a substitute for the full 150 page eBook plus extras or is it as you said above the “sexy” topics will suffice?
Because I am such a fan I would hate you to lose sales through confusion!
Much Regard
Rob
UPDATE!!!
I bought the book anyway 🙂
Rob
Hey Rob,
I think you’ll be pleased with what you get which is way above and beyond what my Kindle books offer. The Kindle books are more for the budget-conscious or those who perhaps are interested in just one area of freelance writing (such as how to build a blog for your freelancing business). If you’re really keen on freelance writing then I’d always recommend you buy the guide rather than the Kindle books.
Cheers!
Tom
Hi Tom,
Do you have any plans to use Kobo and other ebook stores?
How are you able to selectively give your books away?
Thanks,
Brett
Hi Brett,
Not at this time although that may of course change in the future. With Kindle you are allowed to give each book away for 5 days out of every 90 in order to promote them.
Cheers,
Tom
Excellent post, Tom. I’ve been reading your posts occasionally, and you never fail to impress me.
I’ve been into Kindle publishing since 2011. My main focus has been erotica from day 1 due to the fact that I simply fell in love with it. I can be creative when it comes down to it, and since there’s no research involved, it was a natural fit for me. My income to this day is barely reaching $1,000, but only because I’ve been putting my own journey on hold consistently in order to help close friends and family (co-writing, showing them the ropes, etc.)
I like the fact that you’re keeping your expectations realistic. You are seeing the potential of your books (reaching only a few hundreds at best, as you said.) This is allowing you to give it your very best, which is quickly making you a better Kindle publisher (the cross promotions, the review requests, and so on.)
If possible, try to include a nice excerpt about those other books you plan to mention — but you’re already a very successful freelance writer, so I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that 🙂
Also, publish a bundle comprising of all your mini-books together (as a whole, aside from their individual counterparts) thus effectively increasing the chances of higher monthly sales.
Best of luck!
Thanks for the tips Elvis! I’ll bear those in mind 🙂