Now that my first books are out, I have to learn more about self-publishing. How to do it in a way that works? I used to think hitting the ‘publish now’ button would be the end of my work on a book. It’s not. Unless I want it to just sit there and not be sold. It’s been a a few weeks since I wrote tip #5. Since then, I’ve 99% finished the next book I’m going to publish, which is poetry (mine) and photography (my brilliant mother’s). The closer I am to launch, the more nervous I get.

… thinking ahead

Create a launch team. Do key word research. Discover that it’s possible to add your book in 10 categories on Kindle. Trigger the Amazon algorithm. Know what your readers like and adjust for that… There’s SOOOOOO much you can do to help a book sell well. Or, that you can forget, and unwillingly make your book invisble. It’s dazzling. Luckily, we don’t have to figure everything out ourselves.

How to get to Amazon best seller status

I’m in the free Self-Publishing Made Simple Facebook group that Emee Vida Estacio created. She specialises in self-publishing on Amazon, and the people in her group have a tendency to earn Amazon’s best seller badge. Not because they’re lucky, but because they do the right things. It makes me long to make my book a best seller too, or at least a good seller.

Emee was interviewed by author Kim Vermaak. In this video she explains more about the tips I mentioned. And at the end of the interview, she explains the challenges of imposter syndrome. You know, the idea that the others are really good but you’re a fraud? They are the real deal, you are just faking it?

Imposter syndrome and self sabotage

Imposter syndrome makes self-publishing harder. It makes procrastination more likely, because you don’t have faith in your ability to succeed. It can invoke unhealthy perfectionism: you work too hard, because you can’t feel when good enough is really good enough. It makes writing a good blurb for your book harder, because it feels like bragging (Emee called me out on that one, thank goodness. I’m now willing to believe the absolutely wonderful things the preface writers write in the book). Imposter syndrome can make you afraid to ask for feedback (which all of us need to make the best book we can!). It can make you shy in inviting people for your launch team. Etc.

Emee’s tip is to don’t fight it – after all that’s fighting your self. But you can check if the imposter messages are actually true, logical and constructive? If it’s not true, great! If it’s not logical, you mind find it easier to put it aside. And the even better news? Any self-criticism that’s true, logical and constructive can be met with a solution or plan.

On my way to best seller status?

I don’t know yet. After watching the video my already daunting to do list grew – but at least I had a sense of what I should prioritise. I was surprised by Emee’s suggestion to start creating a launch team at least six weeks before launch. I’m happy I did though. It made me make a website for my book, to I could inform potential team members what the book is like. It made me sign up for Mail Lite and learn about subscription forms and newsletter stuff. So I can easily communicate with the people who help me out. And send all of them the PDF of my book in one go. Those six weeks that seemed like ages, are flying by. I’m not even sure I dare to pick a launch date, even though the last edits will be a piece of cake.

I’ll share my experiences in a next blog post. In the meanwhile, if you want to have a look at the book or sign up for the launch team, this is the place to visit.

In case you’re wondering why I promote Emee’s group here… It’s out of thankfulness. I appreciate the support and knowledge we receive. It makes me want to pay it forward 🙂