Three months ago I self-published a book of devotionals. It’s relatively easy to become a published author these days because most books for sale only exist virtually. They are posted online and can be downloaded onto devices or printed on demand. 

Any and all bookstores may sell you my book, if you know how to look for it electronically. With hundreds of books being uploaded every day, my book was digitally born buried. To get it on a physical shelf the title usually has to sell thousands of copies electronically first or be (ghost) written by someone famous. 

Any bookstore with an online presence can sell you my book from their online catalogs without touching a physical copy. How it works is when someone buys a book online, it drop-ships from the printer. If my paperback sells online for 12 dollars, 3 dollars goes to the printers, 3 dollars goes towards shipping, 3 dollars goes to the virtual store and 3 dollars goes to me. Give or take. There’s no such thing as free shipping, it’s partly baked into the price. 

Amazon is the world’s biggest retailer with 60% of all book sales going through them. They have figured out have to extract even more money from authors by selling sponsored search results. Let’s say a reader is looking for a “devotional guide.” Amazon will first list whichever title paid the most for those search terms. It’s not even a set fee, but a tiny auction each time. The author picks how much they are willing to pay for each search, for example 20-60 cents, to get listed on top each search. That doesn’t even mean it’s a guaranteed sale, they charge per search. It’s diabolical. 

Direct marketing is my only real option. The first month, I told everyone following me on Facebook and Instagram and sold a few copies. I told everyone again the next month, and sold a few more. Now I have to tell people I don’t know about it. I don’t know people I don’t know. Since it’s a book that can be used for Bible studies, I thought I’d start with churches. I searched all the churches in Oregon and Washington to start. Then I went to each website and found their contact form to offer a free review copy. 

I am not a search engine. I am slow and highly distractible. I keep reading about all the churches. The great thing is how many tiny, lovely churches exist. We always hear about the money-hungry monstrosities, but most churches are lead by a couple dedicated to faithfully serving the communities they live in. Just like me, they’re not famous or working with a big budget, just daily chipping away at their calling. 

If you want to check out my book go to https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=Sk6s823M8g4regvOm17dCOlTGbwB4AycWu1euQUjCI0