Chapter 1: My Journey to a Thriving KDP Business

This year, I'm finally crafting the lucrative author enterprise I've always envisioned.

In 2015, I self-published my debut novel, These Are the Moments, and celebrated with a local launch event. I documented my experience on my blog, which helped me cultivate a decent following. Through this journey, I realized two key lessons: relying on a single book won't make you a wealthy author, and to enhance your income, writing with market trends in mind is essential.

Last year, I adopted a pseudonym to write romance novels, providing me the creative liberty to explore different styles without the pressure of expectations. To my surprise, I’ve found success in this venture. I consistently publish one short book each month, generating an additional profit of around $60 to $100 with each release. My works are receiving positive feedback and enjoying readership, which translates to income from my writing.

Now, let’s delve into my strategy for scaling this business in 2024.

I ensure I write at least one short book every month.

The books I create are typically categorized as "90-minute short reads" on Amazon, usually under 10,000 words, which allows for quicker writing. The Amazon algorithm favors new releases, so frequent publishing enhances the visibility of my entire catalog. Currently, I’ve maintained a steady pace of one book per month, but I plan to increase that to two in the near future.

I invest in advertising.

Recently, I allocated $3 per day to Amazon Advertising, which yielded positive results, leading to an uptick in sales as well as Kindle Unlimited reads. My advertising strategy targets authors in similar genres, effectively promoting my pen name. Additionally, I offered one of my books for free and utilized a paid newsletter promotion, which significantly boosted my sales—resulting in a doubling of sales the following day. This approach landed my book on the first page of the "90-minute short reads" category, and it has been consistently performing well since. I intend to replicate this strategy with all future publications.

I will also create box sets and offer them in paperback.

Currently, I publish under a single series—let’s say it’s a firefighters series (though it’s not). Once I finish a series, I plan to bundle it into a box set and sell it at a reduced price. I aim to provide these box sets as paperback editions, even though paperback sales aren’t massive for self-published authors. Having physical copies can serve as a valuable marketing tool, especially for giveaways of signed editions. They also work exceptionally well for TikTok promotions.

Speaking of TikTok, I’m leveraging its marketing potential extensively.

TikTok has proven to be an extraordinary platform for authors. In fact, one writer achieved the #1 spot on Amazon through TikTok engagement. My sales have skyrocketed thanks to this platform, generating over 100 preorders from a single post. While Facebook and Instagram still hold value, they don’t offer the same level of success that TikTok provides.

Lastly, consistency is crucial.

The most vital factor is showing up and doing the work. Readers crave consistency and don’t want to invest in an author who might stop publishing unexpectedly. Maintaining a steady flow of content and fresh ideas is essential. Thus far, I haven’t struggled with this, but as I continue my writing journey, sustaining creativity may become more challenging.

Taking my writing business seriously is exhilarating, and witnessing the monthly growth in my numbers is equally rewarding. It feels gratifying to finally bring my dreams to fruition.

Want to learn how I manage to write while holding a full-time job? Sign up for my email series.

Jenny Bravo writes books and guides fellow authors through her own experiences. Connect with her on Instagram (@jennybravobooks) and Twitter (@jennybravobooks) or visit her website, www.jennybravobooks.com. Interested in more content like this? Explore similar posts here:

Chapter 2: Strategies for Success

The first video provides insights on scaling your Amazon KDP business to $10k+ per month in 2024, sharing practical strategies and tips to elevate your income.

The second video reveals the truth about Amazon KDP in 2024, offering a realistic perspective on opportunities and challenges in the self-publishing landscape.