The graph is the Amazon Best Seller Rank for Love Letters From Dresden, by Mark A. Biggs. It shows why writers must promote and advertise their books if they want to succeed.
On a number of occasions, Love Letters From Dresden made the Top 100 in Amazon eBooks and the number one best seller in the Romance category. However, it quickly fell away when the promotion ended. Being number 1 for a day was not enough to sustain sales.
There were 1.7 million books self-published in the U.S. alone in 2019, and this figure is growing, making it harder and harder every year to sell new titles. According to Scribe media, research suggests that the ‘average’ self-published, digital-only book sells about 250 copies in its lifetime. Those writing books are in a crowded and competitive space.
How much do self-published authors make? Not much. The figure varies depending on the article you read, but most suggest about $1000 per year, including those who have multiple books and a huge list of fans. Only about 0.7% of self-published writers, earn more than $100,000 per year.
Regardless of the harsh realities, most self-published authors, me included, aspire to be in the 0.7%.
The truth. Most self-published authors lack the marketing acumen to make sales, however, if an author wants to generate and then maintain sales, they must continuously promote their titles, even if sales are an illusion.
There is a whole promotion and marketing industry out there just waiting to take an author’s money. However, if self-published authors don’t advertise then they won’t sell. If they do advertise, it will likely cost them more than they make. This is the price of chasing the dream of being a ‘Best Seller’, or even better, having your story turned into a film or series.
As the old saying goes, you have to be in it to win it, but the odds are stacked against you.
Regardless of the reality, there is a great thrill in publishing a book. It is the pleasure in doing something, of enjoying the arts by expressing your creativity.
You can buy Love Letters From Dresden by visiting my Amazon Authors Page: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-A-Biggs/e/B00MB1GXP2/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
