Summary

An author shares their experience of successfully publishing a top-selling free e-book on Amazon that, while not directly profitable, has significantly increased visibility and sales for their other paid books and online projects.

Abstract

The author, an independent writer, has achieved a notable milestone by publishing a free e-book that consistently ranks high in its genre on Amazon, garnering numerous daily downloads. Despite the book's success, it has not generated direct income, as the author has chosen to offer it for free. However, this strategic move has led to increased sales of the author's other paid books, which are thematically linked and offer more comprehensive content. The free book serves as a marketing tool, providing real-life value and examples of successful online stories, and effectively promotes the author's newsletter and other endeavors. The author reflects on the indirect financial benefits and audience growth resulting from giving away content for free, considering it a valuable approach for attracting readership and support for their work.

Opinions

The author believes that offering a free book can be a successful strategy for gaining visibility and attracting an audience.
They emphasize that the free book provides genuine value to readers, which is crucial for its popularity.
The author suggests that the free book acts as a gateway to their other paid content, leading to increased sales and subscriptions.
They express that the time invested in creating the free book is justified by the rapid influx of new readers and the subsequent boost in their overall platform.
The author is considering releasing more free content as a marketing strategy.
They encourage readers to support their work by becoming Medium members or subscribing to their newsletter, indicating a belief in the reciprocal value of free content and reader support.

I Wrote a Top-selling Book That Made No Money

It had all of the ingredients for greatness

Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash

I write a lot about my journey as an indy author. If you’ve been following my journey at all then you know it’s because it’s no walk in the park.

But recently, I cracked the code. I wrote and self-published a book on Amazon that gets several downloads every day and consistently floats at the top of its genre categories.

Does this mean I’m finally ready to become a full-time author? Absolutely not.

I just think I was able to offer what a large majority of readers wanted and in return, that book receives a lot of love and attention.

Let’s break down why that might be.

It’s free

Yeah, so I probably didn’t mention this before but it’s a free e-book. That’s why I’m definitely not ready to become a full-time author. It’s also what I meant when I said I was able to offer what a large majority of readers wanted.

Being free plays a major part in why the book sells so well. People love free stuff. See my story below about what kind of free stuff I’ve given away in the past.

The Easiest Method New Creators Use to Grow Their Audiences

And it likely won’t cost you a cent

medium.com

But just because it’s a free book doesn’t mean it will sell well. There are a lot of free books on Amazon that get no love from readers.

My book also offers value. It specifically gives real-life takeaways and examples of successful online stories.

What do I get out of it?

Before you start thinking “It’s such a waste of a book if it’s free” let me explain what I get out of the bargain.

Since publishing my free book, sales of my other paid books have gone up.

This happened for a number of reasons:

My paid books relate to my free book;
My free book mentions my paid books several times;
My paid books are longer, more in-depth extensions of my free book.

See what I did there? I linked all three books together in the hopes of the ultimate trifecta that seems to be working.

I also linked my newsletter (which I just used to give away free audiobooks) and other online projects I’m working on, just in case my new reader friends want to continue their journeys.

I honestly get so much in return from creating a free book that I should’ve done it a long time ago. Sure, I haven’t earned any money from that specific book but I have earned it elsewhere because of that specific book.

Conclusion: Do something for free

Giving away something for free can be a great marketing tool to help attract an audience to your work.

That extra time I spent crafting my free book is rapidly pulling in more readers than I’ve ever had before. Maybe I’ll publish another freebie?

I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you’d like to support me as a writer, consider signing up to become a Medium member. It’s just $5 a month and you get unlimited access to Medium.

Read more stories like this by subscribing to The Side Hustle Club’s newsletter.