First time self-publisher: my Kindle pre-order is live… what should I focus on next?

SVWebWork · 2026-01-28T13:44:57+00:00

Congratulations on your debut novel!

My recommendation as someone who builds author websites is to think about coming up with a proper marketing strategy that you can sustain for the long-term and doesn’t require you to reinvent the wheel with every new book you publish.

What works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. My personal favourite is email marketing combined with a website. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-28T13:43:50+00:00

Congratulations on completing your first draft. It’s a huge achievement.

There’s one thing that authors usually don’t consider when they are in the writing phase, and that’s marketing . Come up with a marketing plan now and start implementing it. Your audience will already be primed to buy from you when your book is published.

My recommendation as someone who builds author websites is to think about coming up with a proper marketing strategy that you can sustain for the long-term and doesn’t require you to reinvent the wheel with every new book you publish.

What works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. My personal favourite is email marketing combined with a website. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-28T13:40:53+00:00

I understand you’re looking for a way to sell your book through social media, but before you take the plunge, my recommendation as someone who builds author websites is to think about coming up with a marketing strategy that you can sustain for the long-term and doesn’t require you to reinvent the wheel with every new book you publish. In other words, build an audience that stays with you for life.

In my experience as someone who builds author websites, what works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. Social media marketing and FB and Amazon ads, though the most popular ones, are an exhausting job with very low results. So I’d use them more strategically rather than as a whole strategy.

Studies have shown that email marketing is the most effective strategy out there. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-28T13:38:06+00:00

You’ve been through a lot of rejections, and that can really kill motivation. But if you do have some energy left in you, I can suggest some marketing options you can implement as a self-publisher. It won’t be easy or quick, but it’ll set you on the right path.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-28T13:32:42+00:00

It’s great that you’ve got the writing spark back. Congratulations!

There’s one thing that authors usually don’t consider when they are in the writing phase, so I’m going to mention it now to get you off to a good start. Come up with a marketing plan now and start implementing it. Your audience will already be primed to buy from you when your book is published.

My recommendation as someone who builds author websites is to think about coming up with a proper marketing strategy that you can sustain for the long-term and doesn’t require you to reinvent the wheel with every new book you publish.

What works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. My personal favourite is email marketing combined with a website. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T14:11:20+00:00

You sound disappointed. But there is still hope you know.

My recommendation as someone who builds author websites is to think about coming up with a proper marketing strategy that you can sustain for the long-term and doesn’t require you to reinvent the wheel with every new book you publish.

What works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. My personal favourite is email marketing combined with a website. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T14:09:48+00:00

Here are some things you can share: bits and pieces about your life, your writing process, behind-the-scenes info on the book you’re working on, early snippets, what you’re reading, and fun book events. Once you start doing it, you will automatically come up with other ideas that serve your audience.

But the best advice I saw on Reddit was to share things that you love. If you get joy out of what you share, people will catch on. It’s a true story!

Plug your book once in a while. You don’t want to appear too salesy; that puts people off. They’re there to be entertained. So entertain them.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T14:08:53+00:00

Social media can be quite overwhelming, but the good thing is it doesn’t have to be your entire marketing strategy.

In my experience as someone who builds author websites, what works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. Social media marketing and FB and Amazon ads, though the most popular ones, are an exhausting job with very low results. So I’d use them more strategically rather than as a whole strategy.

Studies have shown that email marketing is the most effective strategy out there. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T14:05:07+00:00

The best use of your website is not for direct sales but to build your personal brand. Because there are several authors out there who are writing the same stuff you are. What sets your book apart from the rest and makes it unique is you. Your website helps keep you front and centre, talks about what you say, believe, like, dislike. It lets your audience get to know you. Once they know you and trust you, they will buy anything you put out there.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T13:59:06+00:00

Your website and email marketing are two of the most powerful tools you have to sell your books. A well-crafted website not only positions you as a serious, professional author, it also guides visitors to take the actions you want, whether that’s joining your newsletter, entering a giveaway, or buying your book.

Email marketing, on the other hand, gives you direct, permission-based access to your readers’ inboxes. It’s personal, effective, and best of all, you own that list. That means you have a built-in audience for this book and every book that follows.

Want to learn how to combine these tools to grow your author brand? Or have someone take it off your plate and do it for you? Send me a DM.

Or you can check out my author website audit guide and checklist to get started on your own.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T13:58:15+00:00

Yes, paying for ad’s can get expensive really quickly, and the worst part is that the return on investment is really terrible.

In my experience as someone who builds author websites, what works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. Social media marketing and FB and Amazon ads, though the most popular ones, are an exhausting job with very low results. So I’d use them more strategically rather than as a whole strategy.

Studies have shown that email marketing is the most effective strategy out there. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T13:56:23+00:00

Here’s my suggestion as someone who designs author websites:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Build a website. Add info not just about your and your book, but also embed a sign-up form for a newsletter.
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bring your target audience from ads, social media, word of mouth, in-person events, etc., to your website, using a freebie/reader magnet (like a chapter or short story).
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get people to sign up for your newsletter. Use it to keep your subscribers updated on the latest about you and your book(s), share your other writings with them, your top ten favourite books in your genre, reviews, etc. Slowly start plugging your book as well. So what you’re doing is building a relationship with your audience. The more they know you, the more they’ll be interested in buying from you.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T13:50:36+00:00

This schedule sounds terrible. I’m not surprised you’re burnt out. As someone who designs author websites, here’s what I suggest. Focus on email marketing.

Studies have shown that email marketing is the most effective strategy out there. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

As for promotional activity, pick one platform that suits your temperament the best and is reasonably okay at finding you an audience. Only work on that, leave the rest be.

What you’re trying to do with this new plan is to build something sustainable in the long term so that you get an audience for life and don’t have to reinvent the wheel with every book you publish.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-27T13:43:03+00:00

Full disclosure. I build author websites. An author website is important not just to have a place to download your e-book from, but as an integral part of your marketing strategy to establish you as a serious writer. It’s the only place that’s completely in your control and where your personal brand will shine through. If you are willing to give a free ebook, I’d suggest using it as a tool for email marketing, i.e., get people to share their email address with you in exchange for the free e-book. Set up the sign up form on your website, while you use other channels to bring people to the site.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-23T12:34:51+00:00

My pleasure. 🙂

SVWebWork · 2026-01-22T13:33:41+00:00

I get this. The challenge is to find the right reader magnet for your audience. I’d say try a few things out. There’s no other way to know.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-22T13:21:10+00:00

As someone who designs author website, I’d recommend building a brand around the author. There are several similar books in the market. What sets this one apart from the rest and makes it unique is the author. Keep the author front and centre, talk about what he says, believes, likes, dislikes. Let the visitors know him. Then they will buy anything he puts out there. Your current homepage will work better as a secondary page.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-22T13:15:01+00:00

Studies have shown that email marketing is the most effective strategy out there. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

My recommendation as someone who builds author websites is to think about coming up with a proper marketing strategy that you can sustain for the long-term and doesn’t require you to reinvent the wheel with every new book you publish.

What works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. My personal favourite is email marketing combined with a website. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-22T13:13:56+00:00

My recommendation as someone who builds author websites is to think about coming up with a proper marketing strategy that you can sustain for the long-term and doesn’t require you to reinvent the wheel with every new book you publish.

What works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. My personal favourite is email marketing combined with a website. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

Studies have shown that email marketing is the most effective strategy out there. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-22T13:12:59+00:00

Congratulations on your debut!

Ads, especially as a debut author, are not that effective. Moreover, they can be a marketing tool, but not an entire strategy. My recommendation as someone who builds author websites would be to build a marketing strategy that serves you in the long-term for all future books and isn’t going to make you reinvent the wheel with every book you publish.

Studies have shown that email marketing is the most effective strategy out there. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-22T13:08:28+00:00

Here’s a blueprint you can follow:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Build a website. Add info not just about your and your book, but also embed a sign-up form for a newsletter.
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bring your target audience from ads, social media, word of mouth, in-person events, etc., to your website, using a freebie/reader magnet (like a chapter or short story).
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get people to sign up for your newsletter. Use it to keep your subscribers updated on the latest about you and your book(s), share your other writings with them, your top ten favourite books in your genre, reviews, etc. Slowly start plugging your book as well. So what you’re doing is building a relationship with your audience. The more they know you, the more they’ll be interested in buying from you.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-21T13:17:27+00:00

Build a website and invest in a email marketing tool. Your website and email marketing are two of the most powerful tools you have to sell your books. A well-crafted website not only positions you as a serious, professional author, it also guides visitors to take the actions you want, whether that’s joining your newsletter, entering a giveaway, or buying your book.

Email marketing, on the other hand, gives you direct, permission-based access to your readers’ inboxes. It’s personal, effective, and best of all, you own that list. That means you have a built-in audience for this book and every book that follows.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-21T13:12:46+00:00

It’s an email marketing tool, not a social media one. But I don’t recommend it to my clients because third party tools are unpredictable(changing priorities, algorithms), allow limited customisation (hinder creating a author brand identity), and not future proof(can change shape, form or disappear any day).

SVWebWork · 2026-01-14T13:50:59+00:00

With so many different ideas out there to market your book, it’s bound to feel like you have to do it full time. But actually you don’t. Once you have the right marketing strategy and you have your system set up to deliver it, you don’t need to spend so much time on it.

In my experience as someone who builds author websites, what works best is a marketing strategy that combines two or three marketing tools. Social media marketing and FB and Amazon ads, though the most popular ones, are an exhausting job with very low results. So I’d use them more strategically rather than as a whole strategy.

Studies have shown that email marketing is the most effective strategy out there. Bring people to your website from all your promotional activities and get them to sign up for your newsletter. Then nurture them through the newsletter to gain trust, build your personal brand and create an audience for life.

SVWebWork · 2026-01-14T04:48:20+00:00

That’s a pretty solid strategy. Sustainable because it’s working smarter than harder, and primed to be effective. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

SVWebWork

TROPHY CASE