Building a Fiction Empire

[rybanez]

With some self-publishing success in the past (under various pen names), I've started releasing novels under my real name in 2024.

The plan:

• Publish on every platform possible (83% of the books in the sub-genre I’m publishing in are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited!)
• Release a book a month for the first three months, then offer a box set in October. Begin releasing every two months while building a backlog of books.
• $10/day FB ad spend from launch. All revenue goes back into ads as I launch new books. Scale up ads that are proving to be profitable (using attribution data).
• Provide value to fellow writers via private FB groups.

Progress so far:

• Outlined and wrote first 5 books in the series. Book 1 has been launched in ebook and paperback formats. All covers, blurbs, editing, and formatting for Books 2-4 is complete. Ordered proofs and early reader copies for Books 2-4. Getting everything set up for the first Box Set as well.
• Set up web site, newsletter sign up form & auto responder, and social media accounts.
• Set up an Etsy shop for ebooks and paperback. I'm also set up at Amazon, Barnes & Noble Press, Kobo, and Google Play. Distributing to all other platforms via Draft2Digital.
• Prepared marketing creatives for FB ads and launched first FB ads (testing using Dynamic Creative). Ran a week-long Kobo promo on their site. Applied to an upcoming Apple promo.
• Distributed ARCs.
• Joined several FB groups for authors in my genre and have been focused on providing value daily.

Next steps:

• Second draft of Book 5
• Outline Book 6
• Book 2 release
• Analyze data from advertising and test new ads

Will post an update at least once a month with progress made as well as what I have learned along the way.

Thank you for reading!

(It’s been a while since I’ve posted on this forum. In 2021, my wife and I had our first child and a second one arrived in 2023, so I’ve had my hands full. Now things are calming down, and I finally have the time to commit to this project.)

 

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[DWX]

With some self-publishing success in the past (under various pen names), I've started releasing novels under my real name in 2024.

The plan:

• Publish on every platform possible (83% of the books in the sub-genre I’m publishing in are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited!)
• Release a book a month for the first three months, then offer a box set in October. Begin releasing every two months while building a backlog of books.
• $10/day FB ad spend from launch. All revenue goes back into ads as I launch new books. Scale up ads that are proving to be profitable (using attribution data).
• Provide value to fellow writers via private FB groups.

Progress so far:

• Outlined and wrote first 5 books in the series. Book 1 has been launched in ebook and paperback formats. All covers, blurbs, editing, and formatting for Books 2-4 is complete. Ordered proofs and early reader copies for Books 2-4. Getting everything set up for the first Box Set as well.
• Set up web site, newsletter sign up form & auto responder, and social media accounts.
• Set up an Etsy shop for ebooks and paperback. I'm also set up at Amazon, Barnes & Noble Press, Kobo, and Google Play. Distributing to all other platforms via Draft2Digital.
• Prepared marketing creatives for FB ads and launched first FB ads (testing using Dynamic Creative). Ran a week-long Kobo promo on their site. Applied to an upcoming Apple promo.
• Distributed ARCs.
• Joined several FB groups for authors in my genre and have been focused on providing value daily.

Next steps:

• Second draft of Book 5
• Outline Book 6
• Book 2 release
• Analyze data from advertising and test new ads

Will post an update at least once a month with progress made as well as what I have learned along the way.

Thank you for reading!

(It’s been a while since I’ve posted on this forum. In 2021, my wife and I had our first child and a second one arrived in 2023, so I’ve had my hands full. Now things are calming down, and I finally have the time to commit to this project.)

Sounds like you've got your publishing system down-pat. Congrats.

Many fiction authors are ditching KU for a wider reach, some going as far as setting up their own direct stores (I'm one such rebel ). I see this being a lasting trend for all creators/creatives going forward.

Curious, are you using AI in any part of your writing/publishing process?

I know it's a controversial topic in the author community, but I'm using it to great effect.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

With some self-publishing success in the past (under various pen names)

I think you'll find that things are vastly different this time. If you can crack the code, would love to hear it.

83% of the books in the sub-genre I’m publishing in are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited!)

Lemme guess, romantasy?