Get EVEN MORE Money From a Self Published Book

About this video

Dale outlines five ways to get more money from a self-published book. First, back-matter/backlog promotion: right after ’the end,’ include a sample of the next book in the series or another book, or a short call to action to get it. He argues Amazon already prompts finished readers for reviews, so the back matter should prioritize driving the next sale over asking for reviews. Second, email list building: because readers on a platform you do not own are that platform’s customers, not yours, bringing them onto your list safeguards the business and lets you share releases, discounts, what you are reading, and newsletter swaps with other authors in your niche. The primary goals are getting subscribers to open — which depends on an enticing subject line — and to click out of the inbox to your brand destinations. He warns list churn happens, and says he generally removes subscribers inactive for longer than three to six months rather than paying for them. Third, outbound links: he says links to relevant websites seem generally acceptable, but KDP terms dislike web forms, so instead of sending readers to a MailerLite or Mailchimp landing-page form, send them to your own website where the form, affiliate programs, books, and services are baked in — and double-check with KDP support when in doubt. Fourth, the ACX bounty program: you get a unique link offering a free audiobook and 30-day Audible trial, and he says you receive a $75 bounty if the person stays past the trial into a paid month. He recommends using the downloadable PDF accompaniment to the audiobook, plus narrator-read calls to action, to carry bounty links. Fifth, translations: translate yourself if bilingual, hire via vetted platforms he says are listed on the Alliance of Independent Authors watchdog list, or sell limited-term translation rights for ebook, print, and audio.

Key takeaways

• Use back matter for a next-book sample or call to action to drive sales, since Amazon already prompts readers for reviews at the end of a book
• Build an email list to own your audience; optimize first for opens via subject lines, then for clicks out of the inbox, and prune subscribers inactive for 3-6 months
• Avoid linking directly to web forms in books; link to your own website with forms, affiliate offers, books, and services embedded, and confirm with KDP support when unsure
• He describes the ACX bounty as $75 when a referred listener stays past a 30-day free Audible trial into a paid month, promoted via the audiobook’s companion PDF and spoken calls to action
• For translations, use vetted platforms from the Alliance of Independent Authors watchdog list, or sell limited-term translation rights and let someone else build the market

Episode details: published July 19, 2022 · 7:02 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: Get More Money from a Self Published Book · Next: Amazon KDP Will HATE This… →

All Dale L. Roberts videos · Dale L. Roberts profile · Dale L. Roberts on YouTube