I'm an Amazon Best Selling Author: Now What?

6 Expert Tips to Capitalize on Your Amazon Book Selling Success

Jul 11, 2024

We’ve have the privilege of helping many authors and their books to achieve the exciting status of Amazon #1 Bestseller. Becoming an Amazon Best Selling Author is a powerful milestone that opens doors to numerous opportunities and elevates your career to new heights. But what comes next?

How do you capitalize on this success and sustain your momentum? Here are our expert tips on leveraging your new status to maximize your potential and take your authorial journey to the next level.

1. Embrace Being an Amazon Best Selling Author

First and foremost, own your achievement. Make sure everyone knows you are an Amazon Best Selling Author:

Take a Screenshot of that #1 Ranking: it may seem obvious but you want to capture that moment for use in your marketing efforts. On Amazon, sometimes that #1 will appear for days, but it can also disappear in 2 hours. Grab it!
Update Your Author Website: Highlight your new title (you can use that screenshot) prominently on your bio and homepage.
Announce on Social Media: Share the news of your success on all your social media profiles.
Send a Press Release: Distribute a press release to media outlets and relevant platforms announcing your achievement. You can use a service like PR Newswire to blast that release out.

2. Engage with Your Readers to Build Loyalty

Your readers are the foundation of your success. Show your gratitude and keep them engaged:

Send Personalized Thank You Notes: Email personalized thank-you messages to your mailing list.
Publicly Acknowledge Support: Use social media to publicly thank your readers for their support. It’s another ‘soft-sell’ way to let readers who haven’t bought your book yet, that it’s popular and they might like it too.
Offer Exclusive Content: Provide your readers with exclusive content such as bonus chapters, behind-the-scenes insights, or special promotions.

3. Leverage Your Success for Marketing Opportunities

Use your Amazon Best Selling Author status as a powerful marketing tool to attract more readers and opportunities:

Secure Speaking Engagements: Reach out to literary festivals, conferences, and local events to secure speaking opportunities. Just the mention that you are an Amazon (or New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today) bestseller may get you in the door.
Write Guest Blog Posts: Contribute guest posts to popular blogs and websites in your genre.
Appear on Podcasts: Offer to be a guest on podcasts related to writing and publishing. Your #1 status will be an attraction here too.
Organize Book Signings: Plan book signings at bookstores, libraries, and literary events.

4. Explore New Opportunities in the Literary World

Your Amazon Best Selling Author status can open up new opportunities:

Sell Foreign Rights: Explore selling foreign rights to your book in other languages and markets.
Adapt Your Book for Film or TV: Look into the possibility of adapting your book for film or television. This may be a “pipe dream,” but it does happen. I had a talented screenwriter write a pilot episode for my first in-series NOT SO DEAD because so many readers told me it would make a great Netflix series. Now all I need to do is sell the idea.

5. Plan Your Next Book or Writing Project

Maintain your momentum by planning your next book or project. Each new title will build your readership. After 3 or 4 books and depending on how much readers like your books, you may begin to create a critical mass and see a sales breakout:

Start Writing Your Next Book NOW: Begin working on your next book while your current one is still fresh in readers’ minds.
Develop a Book Series: Focus on the next installment if your best seller is part of a series. Series readers tend to be loyal and anxiously await the next installment. Also, when you promote one book in your series. you often will see a sales bump for the other titles in that series. The power of a series cannot be overstated.
Consider Author Collaborations: Collaborate with other authors on joint projects or anthologies. I have not done this myself, but hear success stories from others.

6. Analyze Your Success and Learn from It

Reflect on the journey that led to your bestseller status and identify what worked well:

Analyze Sales Data: Review your sales data to understand your audience and peak selling periods.
Evaluate Marketing Strategies: Assess the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. Do more of what got you to #1.
Gather Reader Feedback: Collect and analyze reader reviews and feedback to improve future works.

Final Thoughts

Becoming an Amazon Best Selling Author is just the beginning of an exciting journey. By leveraging your success, engaging with your readers, and continuously striving for excellence, you can build a sustainable and rewarding career in writing. Celebrate your achievement, but don’t rest on your laurels. Use this milestone as a springboard to even greater accomplishments.

We’ve packed this guide with a wealth of ideas, each designed to elevate your author career. But don’t spread yourself thin trying to tackle everything at once. Instead, identify the top 3-5 strategies that resonate most with you and pour your energy into executing them brilliantly. This focused approach will amplify your impact and propel your growth as an author.

Are you an Amazon Bestselling Author? How have you capitalized on your momentum? Share your plans and experiences in the comments below.

Not yet an Amazon Bestselling author? We can help make it happen.
Get in touch for a free consultation.

Charlie

Happy writing,

Charlie and the Munn Avenue Press Team

P.S. Whenever you're ready to bring your manuscript to market or promote your existing books, we're here to help. Simply reach out to us here.

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