Breaking Free: Why Direct Sales Might Be For You – Part One
By: Ginger | Posted on July 5, 2024
Welcome to the first part of Ginger’s ongoing series about direct sales. In this series, he’ll explore why self-published authors should consider selling books directly to readers, rather than relying solely on traditional online book platforms. As we’ve discussed before, authors face significant challenges in gaining visibility on sites dominated by advertising. Even when readers click on an ad, making an immediate purchase isn’t always straightforward, and the delay in receiving payment can be frustrating. Direct sales offer a way to bypass these obstacles, presenting an appealing alternative to traditional eBook stores. However, it’s not for everyone. Over the next few weeks, Ginger will guide us through the benefits of the direct sales model, his personal reasons for choosing this path, the steps involved in setting it up, and the actual results he has seen since starting. Back last year, Craig and I were excited to have Steve Pieper as… Read More >
Major Court Ruling Opens New Path for Mobile eBook Sales
By: Ginger | Posted on May 16, 2025
Trying to entice readers to buy more of your books through their mobile devices has been unnecessarily cumbersome for a long time, but we’re finally seeing a ray of hope. The battle between Epic Games and Apple has shaken the digital landscape, and the most recent ruling may have cracked open the paywall dead-ends and begun to loosen Apple’s grip on in-app purchases. It is already leading to meaningful changes that create a clearer path to smoother eBook sales and better returns for authors. As Ginger explains in this week’s blog, this is not just another tech industry headline. It is a glimmer of hope for authors struggling to simplify the buying process for readers, and Amazon has already pushed through an update to the iOS Kindle app to reflect these changes. Read on to understand what the court decisions mean, what has changed, and how these shifts might help… Read More >
Build a Book Sales Funnel That Converts
By: Ginger | Posted on May 9, 2025
Building a successful book sales funnel is not just about clever ads or a polished website. It’s about guiding your readers from curiosity to purchase in a smooth, reliable way. If you’re selling eBooks directly to readers, even small issues like a slow-loading page or a confusing checkout can cause them to drop off before they buy. In today’s blog, Ginger breaks down how to build a book sales funnel that truly converts. Drawing from his own direct sales experience and use of a variety of tools, he shares tips on writing effective Facebook ads, optimizing landing pages, and streamlining your checkout process. Any author looking to create a reliable sales funnel that leads readers straight from interest to purchase will find this guide indispensable. The fundamental goal of storytelling is to take your readers on a journey, leading them on a path that makes them feel one initial emotion,… Read More >
Should you advertise direct to your Series Page?
By: Ginger | Posted on December 24, 2021
It’s an unfortunate reality that many authors cringe when they hear that Amazon has made yet another change to their storefront with regards to how product pages are displayed or laid out. After all, it seems like more often than not those changes are more of a benefit to Amazon than to the actual author whose book is being sold on that page. So it’s a welcome relief to learn that they’ve finally added something that is actually useful. For authors that like to write books as part of a series, Amazon now allows more customization around how your series landing page looks and acts, making it a much more powerful tool for selling multiple books. Here’s Ginger with how you can start taking advantage of this! It’s a pretty well-established fact that the most successful self-published authors tend to write multiple books – often as part of a… Read More >
Increase Book Sales with In-house Promotions
By: Erin Wright | Posted on August 14, 2020
One of the things that sets wide storefronts apart from Amazon is the hand-curated element to their sales. Unlike Amazon, where your placement in the store depends on how much you’re willing to spend on AMS ads, the promotion of books on all the other online storefronts is handled in a completely different way. Author and going-wide expert Erin Wright explains how to increase your book sales by getting featured in these in-house promotions. Here’s a run down of what you need to know for each of the major wide storefronts. GooglePlay GooglePlay is the easiest storefront to cover: They don’t do in-house promos, period. The books that are shown to a customer are 100% driven by algorithms. If I pull up https://play.google.com, I’ll see a very different storefront than when you pull up the same URL. This means that more than any other wide storefront, it’s very important that… Read More >
Why Has Romantasy Become the Hottest Genre?
By: Ginger | Posted on November 28, 2025
Fantasy might be full of dragons, quests, and enchanted kingdoms, but the hottest thing in publishing right now is something far more specific. Romantasy has exploded into a global phenomenon, reshaping bestseller lists, driving profits, and turning unknown authors into household names. If you have been following this trend and wondering whether it is worth paying attention to, the numbers alone might surprise you. This week, Ginger breaks down why this fusion of magic and romance has taken over the market and why readers cannot seem to get enough of it. He takes us through who is driving the demand, which tropes dominate the genre, how social media has supercharged its rise, and the strategic choices that help authors stand out in an increasingly crowded space. From worldbuilding and character chemistry to marketing, pricing, and platform building, this article explores the opportunities and challenges romantasy offers so you can decide… Read More >
Should You Write Seasonal Fiction?
By: Ginger | Posted on November 21, 2025
Every year, Halloween romances surge, Christmas novels take over the charts, and familiar holiday titles rise from the dead to dominate sales again during their season. If you’re an author watching this from the sidelines, it’s natural to wonder whether jumping into the seasonal market could boost your own visibility and income. There are real opportunities in publishing holiday-themed books, but the picture is far more complicated than many writers expect. On the pro side, you have predictable buying patterns, genre flexibility, and the potential for annual evergreen sales. On the con side, you face narrow sales windows, intense competition, and the financial risks that come with relying on a single holiday title. In today’s blog, Ginger breaks down both the advantages and the challenges of seasonal fiction, then shares practical strategies to help authors who want to explore holiday releases do so in a balanced and sustainable way. It’s… Read More >
How To Write Killer Marketing Copy for your Books
By: Ginger | Posted on October 31, 2025
Regardless of your skills as an author, writing effective marketing copy is another skillset entirely. For indie authors, short-form copy isn’t just a marketing extra anymore, it’s an essential part of getting noticed and selling copies. Every word in your ad headline, email subject line, or BookTok caption fights for attention, and when done right, those words can make a reader stop scrolling, click through, and ultimately buy. But writing that kind of tight, high-impact copy requires shifting your mindset from storyteller to strategist. In this week’s post, Ginger breaks down exactly how authors can master that shift. As he explains, the goal of marketing copy isn’t to sell the book, it’s to sell the next click. From dissecting the anatomy of great taglines to understanding each platform’s character limits, Ginger takes us far beyond generic “copywriting tips.” This is a hands-on, author-specific guide to writing punchy, persuasive lines that… Read More >
How to Make More Money Selling Fewer Books
By: Ginger | Posted on August 1, 2025
For most self-published authors, success is measured in sales volume. But what if you could make more money by selling fewer books? That’s one of the surprising benefits of selling your books directly to readers instead of relying solely on the big online retailers. With higher profit margins, instant payouts, and a more personal connection to your audience, direct sales offer a path that can be both financially smart and deeply satisfying. As Ginger explains, this isn’t about abandoning the big eBook stores altogether, but about recognizing how direct sales can work better for certain types of authors, especially those with small but loyal followings. Whether you’re tired of chasing algorithms or simply want more control over your writing career, there’s real power in learning how to earn more from less. Back in May, we welcomed writer and actor Lauren Carter Reilly to the Fully Booked podcast and discussed her… Read More >
The Art of Ambiguous Endings
By: Ginger | Posted on May 2, 2025
When done right, an ambiguous ending becomes the part of your story that readers talk about long after the final page. When done wrong, it can be maddening, risking not only reader frustration but also the kind of backlash that leads people to abandon your work or even warn others away. So why do these kinds of endings often lead to deeper emotional investment, more buzz, and greater loyalty? And how can you craft one that feels intentional and satisfying rather than confusing or disappointing? Those are exactly the questions Ginger explores in today’s blog, using real-world examples, practical techniques, and even a few cautionary tales. With tips on planting clues, maintaining the balance between mystery and resolution, and tailoring your ending to your genre and audience, this post is packed with actionable advice for any author ready to turn their final pages into powerful conversation starters. One of my favorite… Read More >
