Every day, thousands of new books are uploaded to Amazon’s virtual shelves.

The horrible truth is that most of these books make very little impact. Some sink without ever even making a single sale. And if you take a quick look at indie authors on social media, many of them are struggling to get any real traction.

It’s quite common for some authors to get a handful of sales, maybe a few kind reviews from friends and family. But then it all goes quiet and that’s the end of that.

I’ve been there. And it’s quite a tough place to be, especially after you’ve spent so much effort putting your book together. And the thing is, low sales don’t equate with bad books. I’ve seen some awful books do well as well as incredible books barely selling anything.

A low sales return doesn’t mean bad writing. Ultimately, it all comes down to authors misunderstanding what makes books sell.

I’ve put together five key factors that you can take your time to reflect on.

Pop the kettle on and we’ll go through them.

The first misconception that indie authors make is believing that writing an amazing book will guarantee sales.

This is because many of us authors are writers first and foremost. We just want to write and write and write. But writing your book is just one part of the equation.

If we are wanting to sell books, we also need to put other hats on. You need to start thinking like a publisher. And also a marketer.

Readers don’t buy books because they are good. Think of Fifty Shades. The reviews weren’t kind yet it sold in its millions. Let that give you hope.

Readers DO buy books because it looks and feels like something they will enjoy. And that comes down to the visuals. Like anything on a supermarket shelf, your book is a product. And that needs to be packaged well - its cover, its blurb, its presentation. It must all work together to reach that inner part of your reader’s mind. You’d be doing yourself a disservice by spending so long writing your book and neglecting the way it’s packaged at the final hurdle.

A brilliant fantasy novel with a generic stock-photo cover won’t sell. A cosy mystery with a thriller-style design will confuse potential readers. People scroll quickly and in that split second, your book needs to tell them, ‘Yep - that’s exactly what I’m looking for right now.’

Fix it: Study your genre’s top 100 books on Amazon. Note the common cover styles, title patterns, and blurbs. Then design yours to fit the market while still being distinct enough to catch the eye of someone scrolling past.

‘I’ve written this book for everyone,’ is something I hear on a regular basis. And that’s as impossible as it is ignorant. You can’t possibly please everyone. Successful authors know exactly who they’re writing for, down to the types of stories those readers binge on and the emotions they crave.

If you’re trying to reach everyone, you’ll reach no one because your work will have to be so watery, so bland.

Instead, remember this - specificity sells.

Think of your ideal reader as a single person. Give them a name if you want. You could even base it on a real person.

What are they searching for on Amazon? What tropes or themes make them click ‘Buy Now’ on instinct? Once you know that, you can work your cover, title, blurb, and marketing copy to speak directly to them.

Fix it: Build a reader avatar. Write one paragraph that describes your ideal reader’s age, taste, favourite authors, and emotional triggers. Then craft every part of your marketing around that person. Make it all for them. And just them. Because there are thousands of ‘thems’ out there.

Selling books is a business. And in the business world, so many start-ups fail within their first year. The figure is around 95%.

It’s the same with indie books. Too many indie authors upload their book, hit ‘publish’ and sit back to watch the sales roll in.

Except those sales never come. Visibility on Amazon is algorithm-driven, meaning you have to feed it data. That data comes from early sales, reviews, and reader engagement.

Without a launch plan, your book will end up in the heap of books that rest in Amazon's graveyard.

In 2024, I helped a client become a bestselling author overnight with a six-month launch plan.

Her book, Life: A Story of Believing hit the #13 spot in Women’s Biographies, ahead of Michelle Obama and other well-known faces. And the reason it succeeded was because we started thinking about the launch before we even got to work on the book.

You can read more here.

Fix it: Plan your launch before you even start writing your book. The launch won’t be the end of the journey, but it’s a key component in your long-term success.

The authors you see online who are consistently selling books aren’t just selling books. Like any good business person, they are building a brand and in most cases, it will have taken them time to get to that point. Readers have to trust you so if you are an unknown, it’s very unlikely that people will buy from you. Readers like authors they can recognise, trust, and know.

And that takes time and consistency.

Your book is actually only one part of the machine. Your newsletter, website, and social posts (and interactions) are the others. When readers feel a personal connection to you, they’re more likely to buy your next book, recommend you to friends, and leave glowing reviews.

Fix it: Start an email list before you publish (more details in the next section). Offer a free short story or sample chapters as a reader magnet. Stay in touch between releases. Consistency builds loyalty.

Still waiting for the silver bullet? Your chances are very low.

Indie authors who make a living from their books aren’t banking on one title because they’re building a back catalogue. The more quality books you have in the same genre, the more momentum you gain.

Every new release boosts the others. Each one acts as a new entry point for readers to discover your world. Each book of yours should act as a gateway to your catalogue so that when a reader discovers you, they’re more likely to buy the rest of your books.

It IS a long game. And the hardest part is starting out when it seems that no one is listening. Give yourself six months to start building momentum online (even if you don’t have a book out yet) and start building that audience, both on socials and via a newsletter like this one. I use Beehiiv for this newsletter (you can get a 30 day free trial plus 20% off for three months on their paid plans here, but you can opt for their free plan too to get started).

Fix it: Think long term. Plan a series, or at least connected standalones. Keep improving with each book, and your sales will compound over time.

Books don’t sell by accident.

Many of the successful indie authors you will see online will have put hours into building their brand. They will have made mistakes and tweaked accordingly.

But they will know exactly who they are writing for from the very start.

They will be building an audience, one day at a time.

They sell because the author understands both the art and the business of publishing. Write with passion, but package, position, and promote with precision (like my fancy alliteration there? Even I was impressed with that!).

Do it consistently. It makes all the difference.

That’s how you turn your story into a bestseller.

You’re optimizing for growth. You need ecom tactics that actually work. Not mushy strategies.

Go-to-Millions is the ecommerce growth newsletter from Ari Murray, packed with tactical insights, smart creative, and marketing that drives revenue.

Every issue is built for operators: clear, punchy, and grounded in what’s working, from product strategy to paid media to conversion lifts.

Subscribe free and get your next growth unlock delivered weekly.

Sign up now