By Drucilla Shultz
Bestselling author Glenn Cooper had a problem. His Library of the Dead trilogyÔÇöpublished by HarperCollinsÔÇösold millions of copies in Europe. But in his home country sales were sluggish, which made Cooper wonder if his books were less appealing to an American audience or if his U.S. publisher was mishandling the series. He came to believe the latter: ÔÇ£In the States my books were published as paperback originals with minimal marketing push. In Europe, they were done as hardcover editions with great marketing packages.ÔÇØ
Cooper decided to publish future titles in the U.S. on his own to give himself control over marketing, and, despite initial fears about plummeting sales, he says going indie was ÔÇ£one of the better publishing decisions I’ve made,ÔÇØ adding that his books are now ÔÇ£generating six-figure annualized revenuesÔÇØ in the U.S. His wife and son help out, the former handling the business aspects and the latter taking care of marketing and promotion. ÔÇ£There’s a lot of noise out there on self-publishing, but there are some folks whose opinions are gold,ÔÇØ Cooper says. ÔÇ£Four books into [this] venture, we’re still learning.ÔÇØ
CooperÔÇÖs books have received positive reviews from Publishers Weekly, with the review of Near Death calling the book his ÔÇ£best thriller yetÔÇØ thanks to its well-constructed plot and believable characters.
We asked Cooper if heÔÇÖd share a few tips with other self-published authors.
Have a Long-Term Publishing Strategy
ÔÇ£It’s best to have more than one book out there. If a reader likes your book and can’t find another to click on they may not remember you a year later when the next one comes out.ÔÇØ
Adapt and Adjust
ÔÇ£There are so many things you learn by trial and error. What kinds of covers work in thumbnail? Who are the best and most cost-effective editors? How important is the Kindle Unlimited program? But the biggest is how inefficient and non-cost-effective the ad buys on Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter proved to be. Keep adjusting your marketing strategy to respond to the results of your last promotional effort. If something doesn’t work, don’t keep doing it.ÔÇØ
Quality
ÔÇ£Don’t forget that the most important factor in your success is the quality of the books!ÔÇØ
First published on www.publishersweekly.com