InkersCon is a virtual and in-person conference that happens every year, and it’s one of our favorites, since it’s always jam-packed with useful information and experts in the field.
We attended the virtual conference this year and here are our five main takeaways to carry into 2025 and beyond.
Get Creative With Special Editions
What are special editions? Special editions are a great way to take content that you’ve already created and repurpose it into a form that continues to sell.
The pros: you’ve already written the work. The hard part is done.
The cons: you have to invest time and money into the creation of a special edition.
This is great for the author who is looking to reach a new audience. These readers are primarily collecting creative, vibrant paperbacks, so keep that in mind when creating your special editions. You can also pack new content into your special editions, like maps, character art, and color chapter headings.
Physical ideas for your special editions include foiling, sprayed edges, color interior pages, and more. Maximize your sales by making these editions for a limited time only or by adding stretch goals if you’re using a program such as Kickstarter to launch your edition.
Master Your Metadata & Be Open to Change
KDP is always changing, and it’s important to stay up to date on the best practices not only to avoid quality issues, but also to improve your Amazon rankings.
When it comes to categories, find categories with fewer results to increase your chances of hitting a top ranking spot. Use different categories for each edition of your book (ebook, paperback, etc.).
When it comes to your descriptions, make sure to write simple, easy-to-read descriptions. Leave the literary language for the inside of the book. Lead your descriptions with a standout review and don’t be afraid to update it for seasonal changes, such as highlighting your book for a holiday market.
Earn Royalties in Your Sleep With Reader Magnets
Cultivate raving fans by building your mailing list with exclusive extras or “reader cookies.” These not only build out your world, but also keep readers talking about your characters.
Once a reader is on your newsletter list, you can use email automations to direct them to your paid content.
Use these tips to make sure your emails are delivered in 2024 and on:
- Don’t say the word free if you can help it.
- Scrub your list 1-2 times per year to keep your open/click rate healthy.
- Don’t use a lot of exclamation points in your subject lines.
- Ask a question in your subject line to make your email very clickable (ex: do you like grumpy or sassy heroes?)
- Segment your users (ex: KU only / ebook, paperback, audio / new release or all emails)
- With the new updates, clicks are more important (and more accurate) than open rates, so make sure you have something “clickable” in each email.
Diversify Your Income (Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket)
By diversifying your income, you can increase your monthly royalties. Even if you’re only earning a limited number of royalties on a certain platform, using multiple platforms will add up over time.
Ways to diversify:
- Direct sales
- Translations
- Ads (FB, Amazon, etc.)
- Audiobooks
- Special edition paperbacks
When your content is available on multiple platforms, you can also increase the reach of your ad since you’re advertising all of the different forms at once.
Embrace New Opportunities to Connect With Readers
Feel like you’ve tapped out on ways to connect and engage with your current readers?
Here are some great spaces to find and engage with new readers:
- Facebook Groups
- Discord
- Memberships (Patron, Substack, etc.)
- In person events/signings
- FB, Instagram, and TikTok lives
- Kickstarter
- Paid Newsletter Advertisements
- Newsletter Swaps
Bonus: How My Romance Reads Can Help You Reach New Readers
Have a $0.99 or free book deal you want to promote?
Send it in our daily newsletter book blast! Each newsletter promotes 5 romance books a day, which includes one box set and one free book.
Have a new release?
We now offer limited spots for new releases at $4.99 or less! If your book has been released in the last 90 days, you can promote it with a special designated spot in our newsletter.
Looking to sell direct?
While the main button of your advertisement will lead directly to the Amazon page, we also offer links to multiple retailers, which can include the direct sales link to your site. These are included in the price of your promotion.
Want more ears on your audiobook?
We include a link to your audiobook in your book’s ad at no extra cost.
Want to grow your newsletter subscribers?
We now allow BookFunnel links to grow your newsletter subscribers. Simply include your BookFunnel link in the “link” section when booking your promotion.
Book Your Feature: https://myromancereads.com/advertise/