avatarSusie Kearley

Summary

Dave Sivers, a self-published crime novelist, has achieved significant success through Amazon KDP, selling tens of thousands of copies and sharing valuable marketing and self-publishing tips for authors.

Abstract

Dave Sivers is a prominent example of a self-published author who has turned his passion into a full-time career. Since starting his journey in 2011, Sivers has sold an impressive number of his crime series books on Amazon KDP. He emphasizes the importance of a strong author profile, effective book marketing, and strategic planning for a successful book launch. Sivers highlights the need for a professional approach to self-publishing, including investing in quality cover design and proofreading, as well as embracing the role of a publisher by managing various aspects of the business. His marketing strategies include maintaining a social media presence, engaging with the community through blogging and speaking at events, and utilizing paid advertising on platforms like Amazon and Facebook.

Opinions

  • Sivers believes in the power of a well-planned book launch, suggesting that authors should create buzz and prepare all aspects of their book, including editing and cover design, well in advance of the publication date.
  • He advises authors to be authentic on social media and to foster positive relationships within the writing community for mutual support.
  • Sivers acknowledges that while social media is important, it is no longer sufficient on its own for successful book marketing; paid advertising and other strategies are necessary.
  • He stresses the importance of a great cover and a compelling blurb to attract readers and drive sales.
  • Sivers suggests that self-publishing authors should view themselves as running a new publishing house, which involves wearing multiple hats such as editor-in-chief, marketing director, and finance manager.
  • He recommends that authors should be honest about their skill gaps and be prepared to invest in professional services for tasks like cover design and proofreading to ensure a polished and professional final product.
  • Sivers encourages authors to be active in the literary community by attending festivals, book launches, and accepting speaking engagements, which can be beneficial for networking and sales.

Dave Sivers Sold Tens of Thousands of His Self-Published Books

Now it’s his full-time job! Here are his tips for success…

Image courtesy of the author

Many self-published authors love the control that independent publishing gives them, and if they’re good, they’ll make money and build a dedicated fan-base and a solid reputation.

Author Dave Sivers has seen phenomenal success since launching his crime series on Amazon KDP back in 2011. Here, he shares his tips on how to market books successfully, build your author profile, and make money from your work.

Dave Sivers, Crime Novelist

© Dave Sivers

Dave Sivers is a self-published crime novelist, who’s sold tens of thousands of copies, and turned his passion for crime writing into a full-time occupation. He began his self-publishing journey in 2011, and has published roughly one book every year since!

“I write police procedural crime thrillers aimed at readers who like plenty of twists and turns, engaging characters, and a strong sense of place,” he explains. “But back in 2011, I had zero idea how to make my books discoverable. I had a website and a very small mailing list, but no real idea what else to do!”

He created a blog, a social media presence, become a regular speaker for the WI (a British club for women), and dabbled in Amazon advertising.

“Be yourself on social media,” he says. “Be kind to your writer friends. They’ll be more likely to be kind to you and share your posts. But social media isn’t enough any more. Amazon and Facebook now look to sell you paid advertising, and it takes a lot of time, trial and error to make it work for you.”

He’s run successful advertising campaigns, making a small profit on each sale, but it’s not easy, and to bring in those sales, he’s realised you need a great cover and compelling blurb. He also says marketing your book ahead of publication day is important for success.

“If I was to make a single recommendation for marketing your book, it would be to thoroughly plan your book launch at an early stage,” he says. “Create a buzz while you get it finished, edited, proofread, and the cover created, in time for publication day. I keep my plan on the wall next to my desk, and it shows each activity, people or platforms involved, and dates for completion.”

What has he learnt? “When you decide to self-publish, you’re starting a new publishing house,” says Dave. “You’re not only the author — you’re the editor-in-chief, the sales and marketing director, the finance manager… the list goes on.

“The business side is a lot of work, and you can’t write when you’re attending to that side of the operation. I do wish I’d known from the outset that very few people have all the skills they need. You have to be honest with yourself and be prepared to buy in the things you’re not good at.

“Don’t skimp on cover design or proofreading; those are the things that will scream ‘amateur’ if they’re badly done.

“Also, be realistic — trying to leverage sales and income takes a lot of time. Finally, make the most of your contacts: go to festivals, accept invitations to book launches.”

Dave’s incredibly busy, going out to festivals and events to market his books. He has a lot of speaking engagements and has been doing talks at online book festivals during the pandemic.

He did start off in 2011 with covers he’d designed himself, but he now uses a professional designer and admits they’re not cheap. He says it’s well worth the outlay getting a professional cover created. It means he’s able to publish a book that rivals those produced by the big publishers, and this approach has delivered good sales.

Dave’s website: www.davesivers.co.uk

Key takeaways

  • Use social media to your advantage: be kind and generous and people will support you;
  • Create a blog to share your writing journey, hints, and help others;
  • Take up speaking engagements — they can be a good way to sell books;
  • Experiment with Facebook and Amazon advertising;
  • Thoroughly plan your book launch at an early stage. Create a buzz while you get it finished, edited, proofread, and the cover created, in time for publication day;
  • Buy in the skills you’re lacking;
  • Don’t skimp on cover design or proofreading;
  • Make the most of your contacts — go to festivals and accept invitations to book launches.
Self Publishing
Books
Marketing
Writing
Writing Tips
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