How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months by John Locke

In How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months, John Locke reveals the unconventional marketing strategies that propelled him to become the first self-published author to sell over a million eBooks on Kindle. By focusing on niche audiences and loyal fans, Locke offers practical insights for aspiring authors looking to build a successful self-publishing career.

Who May Benefit from the Book

• Aspiring self-published authors looking for a marketing edge
• Writers wanting to understand niche audience targeting
• Entrepreneurs seeking practical strategies for building loyal customer bases
• Digital marketers interested in low-cost promotional techniques
• Readers curious about unconventional publishing success stories

Top 3 Key Insights

1. Writing with Polarization: Embrace uniqueness to create divisive works that build strong fan loyalty.
2. Comprehensive Marketing Plan: Know your audience before writing and have a detailed marketing plan.
3. Quality Over Quantity: Cultivate a small but loyal fan base instead of chasing mass appeal.

7 More Lessons and Takeaways

1. Utilize Social Media for Deep Connections: Build meaningful relationships with readers and authors through platforms like Twitter.
2. Purposeful Blogging: Write fewer, impactful blog posts instead of frequent, shallow content.
3. Create Memorable Moments: Add scenes in your book that spark discussion and buzz.
4. Build a Guaranteed Buyer List: Engage with a list of loyal readers who will consistently purchase your books.
5. Price Strategically: Offer eBooks at competitive prices to attract cost-conscious readers.
6. Books as Employees: View your books as long-term assets, monitoring their performance for strategic growth.
7. Leverage Twitter for Viral Growth: Use hashtags and targeted searches to engage directly with potential readers.

The Book in 20 Words

A guide for self-published authors on finding niche audiences, building loyal fanbases, and utilizing low-cost marketing strategies.

The Book Summary in 1 Minute

This book offers actionable advice for authors looking to sell books online by focusing on niche audiences, developing loyal readers, and leveraging digital marketing strategies. John Locke emphasizes the importance of creating polarizing content, having a solid marketing plan before writing, and using social media effectively. He also advises treating books like long-term investments, pricing them strategically, and nurturing deep connections with readers for sustainable success.

The Book Summary in 10 Minutes

Writing with Uniqueness and Polarization

Locke advises authors to embrace their unique voice and not shy away from writing content that may divide readers. He argues that a book’s ability to evoke strong emotions—whether positive or negative—is a key factor in finding a loyal audience. If your writing doesn’t offend some readers, Locke suggests it probably isn’t original enough.

Developing a Comprehensive Marketing Plan

Before starting the writing process, Locke stresses the importance of identifying your audience. This means knowing who your readers are, what they like, and how your book can meet their expectations. He suggests creating a marketing plan that outlines every step from writing and editing to publishing and promotion. This plan should also include building an author platform, which will be instrumental in reaching and retaining readers.

Fostering a Loyal Fan Base

Instead of striving for broad, mass-market appeal, Locke encourages authors to cultivate a smaller, more dedicated audience. These loyal readers will consistently buy your books and recommend them to others, creating word-of-mouth buzz. One strategy Locke emphasizes is creating recurring characters or themes that readers will become attached to, thus increasing anticipation for future releases.

Utilizing Social Media and Blogging

Locke believes in the power of social media, especially Twitter, to build genuine relationships with readers. Instead of using social platforms solely for self-promotion, he suggests engaging with others meaningfully. Locke also advises authors to move connections off-platform by nurturing email relationships. These deeper connections are more likely to lead to book sales.

When it comes to blogging, Locke favors quality over quantity. He recommends writing fewer but highly impactful blog posts that provide significant value to readers. These posts should be evergreen—content that remains relevant over time. By promoting the same post multiple times, you can maximize its reach and influence.

Loyalty Transfer and Emotional Connections

Locke introduces the concept of “Loyalty Transfer,” where readers transfer their emotional connection to a beloved figure or idea onto the author. By writing about topics that resonate deeply with readers, authors can create a strong bond. For instance, Locke shares how he wrote blog posts that appealed to fans of specific personalities, who then developed a connection to him through his writing.

Pricing Strategies for Success

Locke discusses pricing strategies for self-published authors, advocating for competitive eBook pricing. By offering eBooks at lower prices than traditionally published books, authors can attract price-conscious readers and build a reputation for providing value. He also encourages experimentation with pricing as your audience grows.

Treating Books Like Employees

Locke approaches his books as long-term investments, seeing each one as an employee that generates ongoing revenue. He tracks the performance of each book, analyzing sales trends and reader feedback to refine his marketing and future writing decisions. Additionally, he suggests diversifying one’s portfolio by writing across different genres or series to appeal to broader audiences and mitigate risk.

Using Twitter for Viral Marketing

One of Locke’s most effective strategies involves leveraging Twitter for viral marketing. He recommends using relevant hashtags to increase visibility for blog posts and books. Additionally, Locke suggests conducting targeted searches on Twitter to find users discussing topics related to your content. Engaging with these individuals directly can help foster meaningful connections and expand your readership.

About the Author

John Locke is a bestselling self-published author known for his Donovan Creed thriller series, which has sold over 1.7 million copies. He became the first self-published author to sell over a million eBooks on Kindle and has written 16 books across four genres. Locke’s innovative marketing strategies, combined with his rapid success in the self-publishing world, have made him a notable figure in the industry.

Notable Quotes

1. If you’re not offending a significant number of readers, your writing is probably not very original.
2. The best way to write a best-selling book is to know who your audience is (and what they want) before you start writing.
3. I’d rather have 100,000 fiercely loyal fans than two million who “try and buy” and turn out to be “one and done.”
4. Twitter pals don’t often buy books or give reviews, but Twitter email friends do both!
5. My approach to blogging is to post approximately 12 to 15 blogs…per year!
6. Can you imagine anything more powerful than having an email list of 10,000 people who will buy anything you write?
7. I no longer have to prove my books are as good as the world’s most famous authors’. Now they have to prove their books are ten times better than mine!
8. I’m a businessman, and I look at each of my books as an employee.
9. I posted the link on Twitter with hash tags for Joe Paterno. Then I ran a Twitter search for Penn State and found hundreds of people tweeting to each other about the upcoming game against Northwestern. I picked the first 100, knowing most of them would still be online at the time, and sent each one of them an individual tweet with the title of my blog and a link to it.

How to Get the Best of the Book

To get the most out of this book, readers should focus on understanding Locke’s marketing strategies and apply them practically to their own writing or business efforts. Take notes on specific steps related to building a fan base, pricing, and engaging with readers.

Conclusion

Locke’s book is a must-read for self-published authors and entrepreneurs seeking unconventional yet effective marketing strategies. By focusing on niche audiences, developing loyal fans, and using social media effectively, Locke provides a roadmap to building a successful career in self-publishing.