Indie Editorial

Make More Money as a Self-Publishing Author

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by

indieeditorialllc
in

Making money as a self-publisher author is not always easy, but you have substantially more opportunities than a traditionally published author.

First and foremost, marketing is your new best friend. If readers do not know that you or your books exist, they won’t be read. You need some type of following for most money making endeavors listed below to be worth your time.

If you choose to not market and simply add your book to Kindle Unlimited hoping it will be seen, you may get a few readers, but you should keep your expectations low for making money.

1. KDP/Kindle Unlimited

Pros:

  • easy access for readers
  • free advertising within KU (e.g., more like recent, etc.)
  • meaningful review platform

Cons:

  • exclusive to KDP for eBooks
  • low payout per pages read

2. Paperback Sales

Pros:

  • able to sell online and in stores
    • wider audience
  • can use for more profitable ventures

Cons:

  • higher cost than eBooks

3. ‘Going Wide’ eBooks

Pros:

  • more control (compared to KDP)

Cons:

  • higher payouts (compared to KDP)
  • potential lower viewership without KU

4. Your Own Storefront

Pros:

  • control over your own merchandise
  • higher income potential

Cons:

  • shipping
  • content creation
  • item ordering

What can you sell?

  • Signed paperbacks
  • Merchandise
    • bookmarks
    • stickers
    • apparel
    • accessories
    • endless possibilities

Where can you sell?

  • Etsy
  • Shopify
    • Also great as a website alternative
  • WordPress
    • Start your website, then add a shop

5. Premium Content Subscriptions

Pros:

  • steady monthly income
  • high income potential
  • guaranteed readership and purchasers through this exclusive fanbase

What can you offer?

  • Exclusive special edition paperbacks
  • exclusive sneak peek chapters
  • Exclusive art prints
  • Exclusive merchandise
  • Exclusive Giveaways
  • Endless Possibilities

Cons:

  • constant activity required
  • content creation
  • potential shipping

Platforms where you can offer exclusive content:

  • Patreon
  • Instagram Subscriptions
  • Buy Me a Coffee
  • Ko-Fi

6. Subscription Boxes

Pros:

  • steady income
  • can offer quarterly, bi-yearly, or even to coincide with new book releases
  • can include other authors in your genre to network and build relationships

Cons:

  • shipping
  • not a con for everyone, but putting together a box is a lot of work:
    • find and price out items to include
    • network with other authors if collaborating
    • marketing and content creation
    • box and ship

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