#099: Our Path to 300,000 Book Sales

Read Time: 3.5 Minutes

This week, I thought I'd share a personal story that I've been reflecting on a lot recently, about how a single decision my wife and I made in March 2020 completely transformed our family's future—and the key lessons that might just help your author journey too.

When the World Stops, What Do You Do?

I was cooling down at the gym when I first saw the news about COVID-19 (though I had no idea of the impact it would have on my life at the time – I don't think any of us did when the news first broke).

Three weeks later, on March 23rd 2020, the UK announced its first nationwide lockdown.

My video production business, which I'd been running for the past 10 years, collapsed within hours. Projects canceled. Income stopped. And to add to the pressure, my wife was six months pregnant with twins.

I was terrified (though I think I did a pretty good job of hiding it).

After a few days of quiet panic, and after researching different ways to earn a living from home (because who knew how long we'd all be locked up at home for), my wife and I got talking about the books that she'd been writing.

We'd made an attempt the previous year to self-publish her books, but it was half-hearted at best and the results we got proved that.

So, this time around, with no business, some savings, and suddenly plenty of time before the twins arrived, what did I have to lose by going all-in on self-publishing?

We went for it.

The $10 Per Day System

I quickly realized that without marketing—specifically advertising—readers wouldn't even know my wife's books existed.

Two platforms kept cropping up in my research that authors used to advertise their books: Facebook Ads and Amazon Ads.

With our limited budget, I had to pick one.

On April 19th, 2020, my wife's first book went live on Amazon and I launched our first Facebook Ads campaign with a budget of around $10 per day.

Here's how the results unfolded:

→ April 2020: $133 in royalties

→ May 2020: $937 in royalties

→ June 2020: $1,205 in royalties

Our first five-figure month ($11,271.57) came in October 2021. Fast forward to today, and my wife's books have generated over $650,000 in royalties and sold more than 300,000 copies.

She has a traditional publishing deal in France and she has sold her audio rights to a publisher.

These sorts of numbers were a distant dream back in 2020. But when you put your mind to something, anything is possible.

Four Essential Assets That Drive Our Business

What I've discovered is that successful author businesses don't need complex systems or massive marketing teams.

They need clarity and focus.

Here are the four key assets we use in my wife's business:

1. An Advertising Platform

Start with ONE platform and master it before adding others and give yourself at least 90 days on one platform before layering on another.

2. A Simple Website

Keep it minimal with just these elements to begin with:

→ Opt-in form to build your email list

→ Brief author bio

→ Book covers and retailer links

→ Basic contact information

3. An Email List

Your email list is your second biggest asset next to your books. The best way to build it? With a reader magnet (free story, bonus chapter, etc.). You can use email to:

→ Announce new releases

→ Connect with your readers

→ Sell your backlist books

→ And much more besides (all without spending a dime on advertising)

4. One (or more) Retailers

I would recommend Amazon as your sole retailer in the beginning, but that's just me; you do you.

Your books need an audience, and Amazon has the biggest audience or readers online, so it's a solid place to start:

→ External traffic (like Facebook Ads) and internal traffic (like Amazon Ads) improves your bestseller ranking

→ An improved bestseller ranking leads to organic visibility and sales

→ In our case, only 20% of sales come directly from ads—Amazon delivers the other 80% organically

The above four assets are a minimum; you can always add and expand on all of this further down the line, if you have the desire to.

But in my eyes, simplicity beats complexity every day of the week.

Less is more.

Forget "Hustle Culture"

Perhaps the most surprising lesson we've learned over the years is that maintaining this entire system requires an average of 60 minutes per day.

My wife and I work 3-4 hours each day. We take our kids to school, go for walks, and enjoy lunch together on random weekdays.

We've built this lifestyle intentionally, and do our best to stay well away from the "hustle culture" that dominates so much entrepreneurial advice.

Your author business should serve you, not the other way around.

The Author Advertising Blueprint

I've written a few books over the years, most of them around specific advertising platforms that quickly become outdated as interfaces change and algorithms change.

Over the past week or so, I've been quietly writing a new book that is a little more evergreen.

Inside, I've compiled everything my wife and I have learned since 2020 on this self-publishing journey, specifically around the topic of advertising books (though I cover a few other topics in there too).

The eBook version costs absolutely nothing and is available across multiple retailers. It's also available in paperback on Amazon if you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands.

The Author Advertising Blueprint is available across multiple retailers in eBook and paperback formats, and offers the exact step-by-step system we've used to build my wife's author business:

>> Read The Author Advertising Blueprint <<

It's a short read (56 pages, around 10,000 words), so if you have a spare 45-60 minutes, and you'd like to learn a little more about our backstory, some actionable steps to take with your advertising and author business and tips to help you sell more books, please do take a read.

For now though, thank you so much for reading this weeks newsletter, enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll be back with you next Saturday.

To Your Success
– Matt