Summary

Maurice Perkins, a retired naval officer, shares his success story and tips on self-publishing memoirs, emphasizing the importance of social media marketing, cost management, and strategic pricing for profit maximization.

Abstract

Maurice Perkins has achieved significant financial success by self-publishing his military memoirs through Amazon, selling nearly 1700 books and earning over £2400 in profit. He attributes his success to effective use of social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, where he already had established networks. Perkins also highlights the importance of a well-designed book cover, which he created using Amazon KDP's free tools to keep costs low and prices attractive. Despite initially setting low margins, which he believes may have undervalued his work, Perkins is satisfied with the independent publishing route for its ease, control, and lack of upfront costs compared to traditional publishing. He advises authors to plan their writing and social media marketing, set up an Amazon author page, and always have another project in development to engage their audience.

Opinions

Maurice Perkins values the control and ease of self-publishing over traditional publishing methods.
He suggests that authors should leverage existing social media networks to promote their books effectively.
Perkins emphasizes the importance of keeping production costs low to allow for competitive pricing while still making a profit.
He admits to setting his book margins too low initially but plans to take a more commercial approach in the future.
Perkins views his writing as a therapeutic activity rather than a primary source of income, given his comfortable retirement.
He is confident in the success of self-published authors who are strategic in their approach to writing and marketing.

How to Make Good Money Self-Publishing A Memoir

This author has made £1000s — he shares his tips!

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 Maurice Perkins has made £1000s selling his self-published books. Most of his sales have been of his military memoirs. He made them available on Amazon and they were a huge success!

Maurice shares his tips on how to market books successfully, build your author profile, and make money from your work.

Maurice Perkins, Author of Military Memoirs

Maurice Perkins spent the first lockdown writing his memoirs: “Born in Stockport, Grew up in the Royal Navy”. The impressive sales took him by surprise!

“I started self-publishing in June 2020 and by January 2022, I had sold almost 1700 books. I am currently about £2,400 in profit!” he explains.

“They are raw, gritty, real life memoirs that will make people laugh a lot, probably grimace and cry a little. Originally aimed at leaving a legacy of my story for my family and friends, told from my perceptions of growing up, they’re now finding a much bigger audience.”

How did he raise awareness? “I posted links on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. It works best if you already have established networks. “I didn’t expect as many people to buy copies!”

Maurice decided to do the cover design himself using the free tools within Amazon KDP. This meant he kept his costs down and could keep his prices low for the launch. It was a strategy that worked and delivered good sales. But he did wonder if he’d charged too little! It’s quite a balancing act.

When I asked if he’d learned any hard lessons, he said, “Yes. I set my book margins very low, to make them attractive,” he says. “On reflection, I think I have sold myself short. I wish I had applied more of a commercial approach. I certainly will for my next book.”

How does he feel self-publishing compares to traditional routes? “I’d heard horror stories about manuscript rejections and long delays using traditional publishers, some of whom require the author to pay money up front. I adopted a no cost approach and self-published via Kindle. It was easy to understand and I remained in control. I set a pace that worked for me. I am glad I took the independent route and will do so again.”

What’s Maurice’s best advice? He says planning is important. “Storyboard not just your story but how you will develop a network across social media, and set up an author page (free on Amazon) as a platform for book sales. Then let your creativity flow.

“I didn’t need to generate an income from writing. I’m retired, my pension serves its purpose and we are comfortable. It has been a therapeutic exercise to put my thoughts down in writing, possibly even self-indulgent.”

So what’s next? “The success of my memoirs gave me the confidence to write a novel: a post-apocalyptic survival story with a science fiction twist, which was published in May 2021. I’m now working on a comedy novel!”

Maurice’s Books: www.amazon.co.uk/Maurice-Perkins/e/B08CM447T3

Key takeaways

Use social media to your advantage: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. Don’t be afraid to shout about your book!
Plan both your writing and your social media marketing carefully;
Set up and author page on Amazon;
Keep costs low;
Carefully consider your margins to maximise sales, but also to maximise profits;
Always have another project on the go, to satisfy your growing readership.