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Bestselling Novels: Do You Have What It Takes?

by | Jul 4, 2016 | Tips For Writers

Bestselling Novels: Do You Have What It Takes?

Do you have what it takes to turn your books into bestselling novels? The answer is yes! But what exactly are bestselling novels made of? According to Amazon, the books that make their bestsellers’ list have sold between 3500 and 5000 copies within the past twenty-four hours. That’s a lot of books! USA Today requires a higher number of sales, closer to 7000, but considers sales made across an entire week in order to make their top 150. Don’t let this discourage you. With the proper practice and strategy, you too can write and sell bestselling novels!

What Separates Bestselling Novels From the Rest?

 

The first order of business when it comes to writing bestselling novels is doing your research. You need to search the market to determine the most suitable categories, your target audience, and the most appropriate price range for your book. It doesn’t hurt to have your title keyword optimized for visibility (this works best for nonfiction novels – for fiction, make it creative and catchy!). Meeting each of these criteria will help you to validate your idea before you even get started, and you’ll be able to determine from there the best approach to take.

Next, make sure your marketing game is top notch! Not only should you be active in engaging your audience and promoting your title, you want to be mindful of your ability to direct your audience. If you have any online presence – social media sites, a blog, a YouTube channel – include links to your book’s page on Amazon (or whatever website you choose to be your sales platform). You should also encourage reviews at every opportunity – from your personal mailing list, your beta readers, and your audience, if need be. Only 1% of readers will post a review for a book, so you need to be proactive in acquiring them. There’s no need to be sneaky or manipulative, either – simply ask for an honest review and thank everyone for their consideration. Reviews are essential to the sustainability of bestselling novels, and they have the potential to do a lot of the publicity for you in the future. Why miss out?

Bestselling novels don’t sprout overnight. The best stories are the ones that come from the heart. While it may seem like easy money to simply write what’s popular, if your book isn’t something you absolutely love, how will you convince others to love it too? You’re going to be spending a lot of time with your novel, both during and after its completion, so do yourself a favor and write what you love. This will give you the best foundation on which to build the rest.

Finally, as I and countless writers before me have learned, the best way to sell your first book is to write another! Think about it – was the first Stephen King book you read the first one he wrote? Do you think Harry Potter would have become as explosively popular with only one book instead of a series? The best way to continue marketing your brand and selling bestselling novels is to keep writing, writing, writing! Writing isn’t just a one-way trip – it’s a journey that never truly ends.

Have you written any bestselling novels? I’d love to hear about them in the comments! What do you think gave your book the edge it needed to make it to the top?

NEXT: Do Authors Write Books To Become Bestsellers?

Bestselling Novels: Do You Have What It Takes?

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