5 Marketing Strategies I’m No Longer Using as a Self-Published Author

I’ve written several articles about marketing self-published books for free (or nearly free). I’ve also written about paid strategies. However, they don’t seem as lucrative. At least, I haven’t found them to be. That said, I’ve decided to stop using several of those. I’ll share why in this article.

Note: There is an affiliate link in this article. That means if you make a purchase using that link, I’ll earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

#1

I wrote two articles about my experience with Amazon ads. I learned from those experiences, but I haven’t tried them since. Maybe I should, since some self-published authors say there’s no reason not to take advantage of them. However, this is where I must draw on my experience and stick with what works for me.

Because, despite trying three Amazon ads and changing variables each time, I only had a few clicks and no purchases. I know there’s a free challenge on Facebook I could take. I hear it explains very well how to run these ads. But it’s an hour every day for two weeks, and that time commitment sounds exhausting. I’ve done other author-related challenges, but the commitment for those was half that time, and honestly? Challenges haven’t interested me in a while.

I know that even though Amazon ads didn’t work for me, I gained exposure. Some say that’s worth it. Admittedly, I got excited when I had a few clicks on the ads I ran. But the more I thought about it, I realized that those clicks didn’t convert to sales. Yet, I was paying for them. To me, it wasn’t worth it.

Am I giving up too soon? Maybe. But I’m sticking with what works. And for me, the best marketing strategy is having more books on Amazon and using Publisher Rocket for keywords (click here for the affiliate link). And even though I’d like more sales, my sales this year are better than last. That’s encouraging.

#2

I’ve also long given up on Facebook ads. I ran about $100 worth in my first year as an indie author. I got orders when I gave my books away for free, but how much did that help? I don’t believe I received any book reviews from those orders. Some authors do have success with Facebook ads, but I didn’t. Therefore, I’ve stopped doing them.

#3

Giving away books for free has advantages, but I’ve decided to stop using this as a marketing strategy. I can’t through Amazon anyway since I’m no longer with Kindle Select. After all, my books took much work, and I should be paid for them.

#4

Kindle Select works great for some authors, especially those who have novels, but I realized it wasn’t worth it for me since most of my books are shorter. I have no regrets pulling out of the program. I’ve been getting monthly eBook sales ever since, and they were few and far between when I was with Kindle Select.

#5

Another strategy I’ve stopped using is Podcast appearances. I’ve done many and they were a great experience. I received at least one book sale from them. But I haven’t done one in a while and am not looking for more. However, all of those podcasts are still online and could potentially work in my favour.

So, there you have it. Five marketing strategies I’m not using anymore. I’ll continue with Publisher Rocket and publishing more books. That has worked best for me. And if I try other avenues, I’ll be sure to write about them. What about you? What marketing strategy has worked best for you and your book(s)?

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