Book Marketing for Longevity: My 7-Figure Author Business

A successful indie author shares their journey from a stay-at-home mom in 2016 to running a seven-figure publishing business employing over a dozen people. The author highlights how the indie publishing landscape has evolved dramatically since 2016, when authors focused solely on rapid Kindle Unlimited releases and minimal marketing. Key observations include the unsustainability of the write-publish-repeat model, overreliance on ebook-only publishing, and the critical importance of building direct reader relationships—aspects many authors overlooked in the early indie publishing era.

Author built sustainable multi-revenue business not dependent on constant new releases or heavy ad spend
2016 indie publishing focused primarily on rapid Kindle Unlimited releases with minimal marketing effort
Early indie authors often ignored paperbacks, special editions, and audiobooks

📘 Publisher Take: Authors should prioritize building multiple revenue streams beyond just ebooks and KU, focusing on direct reader relationships and sustainable business practices rather than chasing rapid-release cycles that lead to burnout.

Source: BookBub Partners Blog | Read full article →