#booksales
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Choosing the Right Comps for Your Book
One of the things I look for is a potential author’s list of competing titles. I want to know who you see as your competition; and quite often, first-time authors get it wrong. They list national bestsellers by authors whose platforms are five times the size of theirs, self-published books at a low price point… Continue reading
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Diluting Your Manuscript Can Kill Your Book
Your contract is signed. You and the press are both excited, and then I receive an email that is all too familiar. My first-time authors asks some version of, “Should I write the book broader? That is, what if we’re missing out on potential readers by focusing on a single party? A book or school… Continue reading
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Helping Readers Buy Your Book
You’ve officially hit launch window. Your book is available to preorder on retailer sites from Amazon to Bookshop. Yet your captured audience is thinking: I went looking for your book and couldn’t find it anywhere. Sure, there’s a lonely static post on your Instagram buried under a grid, announcing a limited time Barnes & Noble… Continue reading
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Recognizing that Launch Day Is Just the Start
While launch day is a huge deal, it’s just the very beginning of your book’s journey to reaching its audience. What do I mean? I’ll explain: many authors consider physical book sales as the ultimate goal. But they are only one piece of a wonderfully expansive puzzle.Your publisher continues to work for your book long… Continue reading
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Relying Only on Amazon is Hurting Your Book Sales
I promised to share three common mistakes that cripple your book launch momentum and tips to overcome them. (You can check out the first mistake here: https://ashantethomas.com/2025/10/09/building-book-launch-momentum/.) On to mistake 2! I see plenty of author websites making the same critical mistake: they link exclusively to Amazon. While Amazon certainly dominates the landscape (with some… Continue reading
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Owning the Sales Driver’s Seat
Let’s get real for a moment about what a publisher actually does and what they can’t do. A publisher is your ultimate strategy partner. They will take your manuscript and polish it to a brilliant sheen with professional editing, typesetting, and cover design. They’ll plug it into distribution channels, put it in front of libraries,… Continue reading
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Understanding why Your 500k Followers Might Not Make You a Bestseller
You’ve built a loyal following. Congrats—that’s no small feat! But here’s the truth: followers alone won’t move your book off the shelves. Some may cheer you on, but others are simply there for the bite-sized insights or free advice. That’s not a flaw in your brand—it’s reality. If you’re counting on your social media audience… Continue reading
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Using Your Complimentary Copies—Wisely
Many authors receive free copies of their book at publication, but most don’t know how they can leverage those copies to increase book sales and to draw in new clients. The following are a few ideas: Send signed copies to their network—the decision makers—encouraging them to purchase copies for each staff member if they enjoy… Continue reading
