Make a Killing on Kindle

Michael Alvear, author of Make a Killing on Kindle

I have re-purposed this blog post.  

I recently re-read  Make a Killing on Kindle by Michael Alvear.  

Alvear explodes a number of myths, and argues that an author does not need a platform in order to sell successfully on Kindle.  

Make a Killing on Kindle starts by exploding myths about how you  can sell your book and turn it into a bestseller. Be prepared for lots of explosions.

Why You Don't Need a Platform

The first myth Make a Killing on Kindle explodes is that an author needs a platform.

You will hear this from publishers, agents and others in the book publishing industry all the time: in order to get the attention of a publisher or agent, you need to have a platform.

A platform is a group of people who buy your work, love your writing and want to buy more of it. According to the figures in this book, you need to have a platform of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of readers in order to sell “career-changing” nunbers of books.

These figures are based on statistics of the number of people that click on banners and the number who buy after clicking on those banners. However, I take issue with these figures. This brings us to the next topic.

Why Social Media Won't Help You to Create a Bestseller

The author next explodes the myth that you can use social media to turn your book into a bestseller.

On the other hand, Melissa Emerson used Kindle to make her book a bestseller.

If you are using your blog to promote your book, you will not just count on one banner on one blog post. You will blog on the topic(s) which your book covers and which will be of interest to your readers. Any time a news story appears that relates to your book, you will blog about it and link to your book. I know that's what I do.

You will also use your blogs as a way of connecting with your readers. Your blog, and other social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. can help you to connect and communicate with your readers and potential readers. You can get to know them, their interests, their tastes, what they like about your books, what they want to see more of, what they want to see less of, etc. This can potentially help you to keep selling books for years to come.

For more about this, see How I Sold One Million Books.  

How to Make a Killing on Kindle

Make a Killing on Kindle emphasises key factors in how to get noticed by potential buyers on Kindle, including:

- how to choose an irresistible title for your ebook

- choosing the best possible cover for your ebook

- keyword research and SEO specifically for Amazon Kindle. 

Alvear takes you step by step through his process of researching keywords for Amazon Kindle. One interesting thing is that, like the other tips in this book, he explains and gives examples of how to apply this to both fiction and nonfiction titles.