Steal My Step-By-Step Process For Writing a Short Read
This is exactly how I do it.
This year, I have written 12 short reads under a pen name on Amazon. Some of these books have done really well, and I have gotten my process down to a science.
If you want to read more about how to make money with short books on Amazon, start here first:
Okay, now that you know how to make money writing short books, then let me show you my exact method for how I write short books that sell.
By the way, I do include affiliate links below! That means I will get a small portion if you purchase any of these. Thanks!
Step 1: Pick a great niche to write
Before you even start writing, you want to do market research. Specifically, you want to find the best keywords for your books.
There are a few ways of doing this. First, you can head to Amazon and type directly in the search bar to see what people are searching for. Auto-fill is your friend.
But, personally, I think this takes too much time and I invested in a better solution.
Publisher Rocket is a software that allows you to research keywords and analyze your competition. I can type in something like “short read” in the keyword tool and I can see how many competitors there are, the average price of the book, and how competitive this keyword is.
Honestly, Publisher Rocket is my favorite writing tool because it helps me to create a successful book from the start. It helps me not waste time on keywords that people aren’t searching for.
Step 2: Create your cover art
So, your book needs a cover, obviously.
I personally create my own covers for my short books in Canva. I have a Canva Pro subscription, which allows me a lot of access to photos, text, and elements beyond simply the available free ones.
Canva makes it really easy. All I need to do is select the book cover size and create! When I create a book cover, I focus on catchy text and a captivating image. You can always rework your cover later, too, if the one you selected isn’t selling.
Step 3: Write your book & set up your pre-order
So, if you’re like me, you work well to a deadline.
I actually set my preorder up when I am still writing the book. This helps me to meet my deadline, which is 4 days before the book is set to be published.
The short books I write typically fit in the one-hour or 90-minute read categories. These fall from around 8,000 to 12,000 words. In those words, I create a whole, condensed story with character development.
It’s important to note that even though these books are short, it does not mean you can sacrifice good storytelling tools. If anything, you need to be sharper. Your stories need to be tighter.
Make sure you edit, too! I personally use Grammarly to self-edit, but ProWritingAid is a great option, too.
Step 4: Market your book and get working on your next one!
Congratulations on your book! Now, it’s time to get people to notice it.
As I’ve written before, TikTok is an incredible marketing tool for writers. I have dabbled with it under my personal name as well as my pen name, and it has been great for me.
I would say that when it comes to writing short books, spend about 80% of your time writing and 20% on marketing. If you write and publish often and manage to get good reviews, then Amazon will also help market your book for you.
In terms of getting reviews, I use Booksprout. This service allows me to get reviews before my book even launches, which really helps to land higher on Amazon’s rankings.
And that’s it! What do you think?
So, that is how I write my short books. This year so far, I have written 12 short books under my pen name.
And having a very consistent process really helps me to keep going.
So, what do you think? Will you be writing short books?
Wait! Did you like this story? If you want to read more like it, you can sign up for a Medium Membership for only $5. It helps support me and other writers like me!
Jenny Bravo writes books and helps other writers through trial-and-error. She’s on Instagram (@jennybravobooks) and TikTok (@jennybravobooks). You can hang out at her website, www.jennybravobooks.com.
