Authors often approach me with the same question: “How do I become a bestselling author?” There isn’t one simple answer to this question. The answer actually includes at least 10 steps or parts. As a four-time #1 Amazon bestselling author, and publisher of numerous Amazon Best Sellers, I’m going to outline the steps you need to take to be a bestselling author.
- Select a book topic that has mass appeal. In other words, don’t expect to become a bestselling author with a book on your childhood or family history, unless you are famous or your childhood or family history can somehow relate to current news. Do millions of people find your topic interesting? If not, you should probably move on.
- Write a top-notch manuscript. In order to do this, you should practice. In the words of many publishing experts and authors before me, write every day. If you need help you could join a local writers group or take a writing course.
- Carefully choose a good book title. If you can include some valuable keywords in your title, that usually plays a role in search and sales. Try to avoid one-word titles. If you must choose a one-word title, consider also creating a subtitle that explains the book’s premise in a few words or a sentence. There are many factors to keep in mind when selecting a book title, so do your research.
- Hire a professional book editor. The keyword there is “professional.” Don’t ask a family member to edit your manuscript. And try to stay away from friends who have “edited some papers” in the past or an acquaintance with an English degree. Spend the money to hire a professional book editor with a track record who can give you unbiased advice and guidance. Seacoast Press offers editorial services if you prefer to go through a reputable publishing company.
- Hire a professional book designer to design the cover and interior. All designs should be custom, not template-based. Seacoast Press offers custom book design as part of both of its packages. Your book cover is one of your top book marketing tools, so don’t skimp on this!
- Choose relevant book categories. Your publisher should be able to help you navigate the nearly countless categories available for books. Try to choose several categories that relate to your subject matter. Amazon Advanced Search is a tool you can use to find categories.
- Write a killer book description. A pro editor can help you devise an attention-grabbing book description and there are also some solid resources online if you want to give it a shot yourself.
- Pick appropriate keywords. Defer to your book publisher or if you want to perform keyword research for yourself, use a tool like Google Keyword Planner. Many folks use this tool to help with website rankings but it’s also useful in discovering keywords to be used in the book’s “metadata.” You can also try the Keyword Tool Dominator.
- Select a publisher with wide distribution. Sure, it’s easiest to hit an Amazon Best Seller list, but don’t forget about other retailers for long-term success. Your publisher should have a relationship with an actual book distributor or wholesaler like Ingram, who will list the book at not only Amazon, but also Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Powell’s and even Walmart.com in some cases.
- Start marketing your book as soon as possible or outsource the marketing to a book publishing and marketing company such as Seacoast Press. I personally run online ads/email blasts and social media campaigns for my Seacoast Press clients. I proceed with all the ads and the social media campaign simultaneously and within the same day or two to drive as many sales to retailers within a short period. Some of the process is outlined here under the FAQ for the Best Seller Package. Admittedly, this approach is most useful when trying to become an Amazon bestselling author, as Amazon rankings are updated hourly instead of weekly like the larger bestseller lists.
NOTE: If you’re looking to become a New York Times bestselling author, it’s virtually impossible to do so through self-publishing or through a small independent press. You’d likely need to go through a major traditional book publisher — but even then, the marketing would have to be incredibly aggressive and a lot of that responsibility would fall on your shoulders, believe it or not. Author Jeff Goins explains the New York Times bestseller list (and other large lists e.g. Wall Street Journal) and how those weekly bestseller lists work. Shockingly, those lists are mostly popularity contests and don’t always accurately represent the books that have sold the best, whereas Amazon Best Seller lists represent the books with the most sales, updated each hour.
About J.J. Hebert, the author of this article:
- USA Today, Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author
- President of Seacoast Press, a leading non-traditional book publisher in NH
- Helped publish over 1,000 books for authors locally in New England — i.e. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine — and throughout the United States
- Entrepreneur to Watch in 2023 by Entrepreneur Magazine
- Over 1 million social media followers