Ever wondered how a self-published author becomes a best-seller with no one to help them? No marketing department, no publicists, no distribution teams.
Below are three case studies of self-published authors, including Hugh Howey and Andy Weir, showing how they became bestsellers. Also listed are the five ways self-published authors attract publishers.
First, let’s look at how much money self-publishing makes versus traditional publishing.
Money and Publishing
It is estimated that 10-20% of traditionally published books make a profit. Similarly, approximately 10-20% of self-published authors earn over $1,000 annually. So both publishing types have similar profitability rates, albeit at different thresholds.
5-10% of traditionally published books receive substantial marketing support, while the rest get just basic press releases and social media mentions from their publishers’ accounts.
So, ALL authors should learn how to market their own books, irrespective of how they are published.
Sean Platt, co-author of Yesterday’s Game, explained they self-published because: “We didn’t want to wait. We wanted to control the process and enjoy the freedom to make our own decisions.”
3 Self-Published Bestselling Authors and Their Strategies for Success
Let’s first look at the books themselves. Each work features strong emotional stakes, rich world-building and gripping plots.
In Wool, set in a post-apocalyptic world, people live in a silo where asking to go outside leads to death.
In The Martian, a man stranded on Mars must use his scientific knowledge to survive and discover a way home.
In Yesterday’s Gone, most of the world’s population vanishes without a trace. Those left behind discover they were chosen for a reason. Children are either a threat or the key to understanding what is happening.
Now we will examine what strategies these authors used to sell their books.
Strategies of Authors to Sell Their Books
1. Wool by Hugh Howey
- Howey released Wool as a 60-page short story on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing in 2011. It became very popular, leading to a novel and a full-length series.
- In the early days, Howey did not have an email list. Around 2013, when he started getting emails from around the world, he realised he needed to set up an email list and a monthly newsletter to maintain his reader base.
- After its success attracted the attention of many publishers, Howey worked with a literary agent, Kristen Nelson, to negotiate a six-figure deal with Simon & Schuster for print rights while retaining his digital publishing rights. It was the first time any author had got this type of deal.
- Wool became a bestseller and was adapted into the Apple TV+ series Silo.
- Wool was priced at $0.99 for the Amazon ebook. This low pricing, a key strategy used by self-published authors, made readers willing to try it even though they didn’t know the author. Wool received a high number of downloads, triggering Amazon’s recommendation algorithm and creating more sales.
- When Wool was first published in 2011, $0.99 pricing was the norm for self-published books. However, readers are now prepared to pay more—$3.99 to $5.99—due to higher quality. Today, self-published authors often use $0.99 for an ebook for the first book in a series, promotions/BookBub deals, and lead magnets to drive email signups.
- Howey believes that while marketing is helpful, having great stories is what matters.
- Howey believes self-published authors are excellent at building a community around them to promote each other’s work. He doesn’t see other authors as competition, but instead roots for them to succeed.
- See more excellent writing and publishing tips on Hugh Howey’s website https://hughhowey.com/writing-insights-part-four-publishing-your-book/
2. The Martian by Andy Weir
- The Martian is a science fiction novel. Weir tried to get it traditionally published but was rejected.
- Weir began building his email list in the early 2000s through his website, where he published short stories, serialised fiction and web comics for free. By 2009, he had over 3,000 subscribers.
- Weir, a software engineer, first serialised it chapter by chapter for free on his website. The Martian‘s technical authenticity, an unusual quality in science fiction, attracted fans on Reddit science and physics forums.
- His early readers, these scientists and engineers, gave detailed feedback on the free early chapters, enabling Weir to fix inaccuracies and make it even more authentic, a key driver in its early word-of-mouth sales. As Weir has explained in interviews, “My readers kept me honest. They called me out when the science was off, and I fixed it.”
- Weir then self-published the complete work on Amazon in 2011 for $0.99.
- The book became a self-published bestseller and was later published by Penguin Random House. It has been adapted into the blockbuster film of the same name starring Matt Damon.
- The book’s technical accuracy, due to Weir’s background as a software engineer, attracted fans on Reddit science groups and physics forums. The Martian achieved monthly sales of 20,000-35,000 within months of publication due to word of mouth and Amazon’s recommendation algorithm.
- Weir credits his success to his readers’ engagement: “I was just trying to write something for fun, but readers kept asking for more. I owe everything to their enthusiasm.
3. Yesterday’s Gone by Sean Platt and David Wright
- The authors set up their own publishing company to release Yesterday’s Gone.
- They published weekly 20,000-word novellas on Amazon Kindle following a format like a TV series. Each episode showed multiple character points of view and ending on a cliffhanger.
- Episode 1 was free, attracting thousands of downloads. Many readers went on to buy the entire series. The free episode was used as a reader magnet to build up their mailing list.
- The mailing list was used as a reader funnel by offering behind-the-scenes content and future episodes, leading readers to buy more book series. The reader funnel is a marketing term that describes an author’s system to change readers from strangers to superfans.
- In their book Write. Publish. Repeat, written with Johnny Truant, they explain how they first used aggressive sales techniques such as time-limited offers and landing pages with copy to persuade people to buy the book, which backfired. Readers wanted emotional engagement, not hard selling.
- Their book link explaining their self-publishing journey in more detail is attached. Write. Publish. Release. book by Sean Platt, Johnny Truant with David Wright
- They launched a podcast with Johnny Truant about self-publishing, which appealed to readers and indie authors and broadened their audience further.
- Sean Platt credits their success to: “the right mix of persistence, the right genre at the right time, and a deep understanding of the indie publishing world.”
The key factors these authors shared were their ability to connect with readers through authenticity, their growth in readership using email lists, and making books accessible through low pricing.
4 Things Publishers Look For in Self-Published Novels
With the rise of self-publishing, publishers have more submissions than ever before, making it harder to catch their attention. Publishers seek promotable authors who will grow over time and be able to handle book promotion using social media, events, book tours and interviews.
Here’s what publishers look for in a book:
- High Sales Numbers:
- Books sales of over 10,000 copies
- For niche genres, 5,000–10,000 copies, strong reviews and consistent sales growth.
- Evidence of Audience Engagement:
- A high follower count on social media.
- A substantial number of good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
- A growing email newsletter subscriber list or a growing reader community.
- Critical Acclaim or Awards:
Winning self-publishing awards or having significant media coverage. - Potential for Expansion:
Publishers look for books that could become a series or be adapted into films or TV shows.
How can authors build an email list?
By offering free reader magnets like short stories, book excerpts, mini-course or user guides.
By maintaining a blog with fresh, easily accessible content.
By using keywords to enhance their blog posts SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
James Scott Bell, the bestselling author and respected writing coach, emphasises how authors need both sales and writing craft skills. “Writing is both an art and a business. You have to learn the craft, then learn how to sell it.”
Self-publishing is a good option for debut or mid-list authors who are prepared to build an audience and write quickly to create a book series.
Lessons Learned From The Case Studies of Successful Self-Published Authors
The key lessons learned are that authors must authentically engage with their readers and build relationships with them and their email list over time. This can be done using reader magnets like free chapters, short stories, webcomics and blog posts. Too much hard selling, though, is to be avoided, as readers seek an emotional connection to a writer and their work. Monthly newsletters are also a good way to connect with readers on a personal level, letting them know what is happening in terms of new releases and writing struggles.
Marketing will get a reader to buy the book, but compelling storytelling drives sales through word of mouth and repeat business.
Consider your story and how unique it is. A professional editor will help elevate the craft within the story.
Writersdigest – what is a professional editor and why should writers use one
In the comments section, I’d love to hear about your experiences with audience building and what worked and didn’t work for you.