Promote U Guru Blog

How One Author’s Self Published Book Became a Best Seller

Hi All!

Many of my clients are authors, or aspiring authors, who self publish their books or who have gotten traditional publishing deals. But regardless of how they published, they come to me for help with book marketing. And, as the author of 3 books myself, I can tell you first hand that just because your book is on Amazon (or available elsewhere) it doesn’t matter if no one knows it exists!

That said, I came across an interesting article published by The Wall Street Journal, written by Alexandra Alter, about how one self published author took matters into her own hands and ended up with a best-seller that has now sold over 400,000 copies!

I wanted to share this great story with you because it’s not only inspirational for any of you who are authors or planning to become one, but it also explains HOW she made this happen. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

Article: “How I Became a Best-Selling Author”:

This summer, Darcie Chan’s debut novel became an unexpected hit. It  has sold more than 400,000 copies and landed on the best-seller lists  alongside brand-name authors like Michael Connelly, James Patterson and  Kathryn Stockett.

It’s been a success by any measure, save one. Ms. Chan still hasn’t found a publisher.

Five years ago, Ms. Chan’s novel, “The Mill River Recluse,” which  tells the story of a wealthy Vermont widow who bestows her fortune on  town residents who barely knew her, would have languished in a drawer. A dozen publishers and more than 100 literary agents rejected it.

“Nobody was willing to take a chance,” says Ms. Chan, a 37-year-old lawyer who drafts environmental  legislation. “It was too much of a publishing risk.”

This past May, Ms. Chan decided to digitally publish it herself,  hoping to gain a few readers and some feedback. She bought some ads on  Web sites targeting e-book readers, paid for a review from Kirkus  Reviews, and strategically priced her book at 99 cents to encourage  readers to try it. She’s now attracting bids from foreign imprints,  movie studios and audio-book publishers, without selling a single copy  in print.

The story of how Ms. Chan joined the  ranks of best sellers is as much a tale of digital marketing savvy and  strategic pricing as one of artistic triumph. Her breakout signals a  monumental shift in the way books are packaged, priced and sold in the  digital era. Just as music executives have been sidestepped by YouTube  sensations and indie iTunes hits, book publishers are losing ground to  independent authors and watching their powerful status as literary  gatekeepers wither.

Self-publishing has long been derided as a last resort for authors  who lack the talent or savvy to hack it in the publishing business. But  it has gained a patina of legitimacy as a growing number of  self-published authors land on best-seller lists. Last year, 133,036  self-published titles were released, up from 51,237 in 2006, according to Bowker, a company that tracks publishing trends.

To read the rest of this info-packed article and learn more about Ms. Chan’s amazing story, CLICK HERE!

Cheers & Happy Marketing!

Lisa