Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
One of the services Amazon provides to a self-publishing author is the ability to order copies at cost. This means you’re only paying the “printing fees” for each book you order. These are more intrinsic to your success than you might realize.
Although most of us will use them for signing autographs for friends and family, they are more valuable than that. They can help with everything from marketing your name as an author to making more money per copy sold.
It all comes down to creativity and experimenting.
How to Market with Author Copies from Amazon
One of the things you should do with every book is add an “About the Author” page toward the back. Nowadays, this information usually consists of your blog, social accounts, and other pertinent ways to find you that are not going away any time soon.
That way, people can find you online and potentially buy more of your books.
Author copies are relatively cheap from Amazon, depending on the length of your book. There are a lot of printing services out there that will charge an incredible amount of money unless you buy more than a thousand units. With Amazon, it’s all the same price whether you buy one book or 999 of them.
One thing to keep in mind is that marketing costs, including the author copies, are tax deductible. Since you are your own “business entity” as a self-published author, marketing is an essential expense for income.
With that being said, what are some ways you can use the author copies to promote yourself and the book?
Selling Autographed Copies Online
One of the things I am moving toward is selling autographed copies of my books on my Fourthwall store. These will be a bit more expensive than simply buying the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
You can also cut out the middleman and sell them from your author blog.
How much you charge extra for the autograph is up to you. But keep in mind that people are less likely to spend a lot of money on an author who doesn’t have a lot of popularity. So, it’s probably a good idea to start low until you gain some traction as an author.
Selling at Author Events
Author and book events are great for marketing yourself as an author and meeting potential readers. Of course, you’ll have to go to several of these to build your reputation and sell more books. And if you can promote those events on social media or record them for a YouTube channel, all the better.
These events are more than just for selling books. The idea is to get yourself out there and make an impression on people, giving them something to remember other than the novel. Selling merch from your table is good, but you want people to remember your name for future reference.
Truth be told, I’ve sold more books at events than any other method of marketing thus far. Events are the reason why I try to keep more than 50 author copies at any given time from Amazon. I’m able to mobilize at a moment’s notice.
Stashing in Mini Libraries
A lot of neighborhoods have mini libraries where you can grab or deposit a book. Now, stashing your novel in one of these doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll get read by any of the patrons. However, it’s an easy way to increase your odds.
If it’s a book the reader enjoys, he or she might look at the author about page to see what else you’ve written.
Since author copies from Amazon generally cost a few bucks, you’re not out much by using these mini libraries as a free method of marketing. It’s a quick and easy way to potentially get your book in the hands of an ardent reader.
Leave a Copy Behind Somewhere
Mini libraries aren’t the only places you can stash a book. There are a lot of places where you can leave a copy behind in the hopes that someone will pick it up, take it home, read it, and then look you up on Google.
Then again, it might wind up in the trash when the maintenance or janitorial staff clean up the area. It’s a bit of a gamble, but it’s one that might be worth the printing cost of the copy.
We’ve left books at the airport and on cruise ships. I’m also curious as to what would happen if I stashed a copy of the book in a Barnes & Noble or perhaps left one in a Starbucks.
Giveaways On Blogs, YouTube channels, or in Person
Giveaways are a bit of a double-edged sword. While they can easily contribute to getting more attention to your name and the book, it’s not always a lasting impression. Some people just want the freebie and then move on to the next.
When I ran a giveaway on the blog when I published A Freelancer’s Tale, about 15% of the participants stayed for the long term.
What this means is that giveaways are great for instant attention, but the majority of folks won’t stick around. You’re not exactly hitting your target audience with freebies.
Don’t get me wrong, giveaways are still fun to set up and worthwhile. But don’t count on most of the participants becoming fans or followers.
Donate to Local Establishments
There are a lot of places where you can donate books. While most are under the blanket for “used,” there’s nothing wrong with tossing in a new copy or two of your novel.
Of course, like some of the others on this list, this is all about getting your book in front of folks who may buy it and look you up. Unfortunately, there’s no way to really tell if this works unless someone comes out and tells you where they found your book.
If anything, you could always take a selfie of your book on the shelf of a donation center to help spread the word. You’ll help out the book donation establishment at the same time as posting content on social media.
Freebies for Influencers
One of the most common bits of advice I have seen for marketing books and authors is to collaborate with “influencers.” Unfortunately, a lot of these people are arrogant and entitled, so finding a good one is incredibly difficult – but not impossible.
Anyway, giving books to relevant influencers may help get an honest review while interacting with an audience who may not know you exist. All it takes is for you to reach out to these book influencers and offer a free copy of your book if they’d give you an honest review.
Some may want to charge you in addition to the free book, which I view as kind of scummy, but to each their own. I’m on the side of never paying for a review, as organic reviews are far more effective and influential.
In any case, there is nothing wrong with reaching out to someone, especially if they are somewhat popular, and striking up a deal to potentially reach a large audience.
Book Consignments
There are quite a few consignment locations for books. At least, in the Denver metro area. I assume most other larger cities would have them as well.
A consignment business will help you sell goods while taking a percentage. It’s kind of like a flea market, only you don’t need to be present. If the merchandise doesn’t sell in a specific amount of time, you can then go back and pick up your goods.
Local bookstores may have something similar, where you give them a certain number of copies for a contracted amount of time. If a book sells, the consignment business takes a slice of the income and gives you the rest.
Consignment fees can range anywhere from 25 to 50%, depending on the store. For instance, Boulder Bookstore here in Colorado charges a base of $35 for the consignment contract and a share of 50%. You’ll have to provide five copies of your book.
I think this is a bit north of steep, to be honest. At Boulder Bookstore’s rates, I’d lose $26.72 total, even if all five paperback books sold with the 50% cap.
Always consider printing fees when calculating whether you’d make money during the contract. In my case, printing a paperback copy of Kingmaker is roughly about a third of its selling price.
Marketing Is Vital for Author Success
No one is going to buy the book if they don’t know it exists. Marketing your book and yourself as the author is a vital element for being successful. And today, it’s going to take more than just sharing the link on social media, especially with how saturated the market has become.
You need to find ways to make yourself stand out from the rest. That includes coming up with creative ways to use your author copies from Amazon.
Also, keep in mind that not every method is going to work the same for every author. Some people seem to rake in the sales from Facebook ads, while others are lucky to get a single click. One person may make a killing at a book event, while another will be lucky to speak to a single reader.
At the end of the day, you’ll need to keep track of the methods that work best for you. It’s OK to experiment with other methods, but mostly stick to the ones you know for sure will work to get your name and your book in front of more people.
Just make sure you’re keeping the receipts. Remember, marketing expenses for an author are tax-deductible.
What’s Your Favorite Method of Marketing?
Out of the few things I’ve tried thus far, attending book and author events works the best. I’ve sold a few copies through website links and very few through social media. But I’ve sold more books at Read Between the Stars and Worldbuilding 101 than I had the entire year of 2024.
There are all kinds of ways you can use Amazon author copies. Sure, they’re handy for giving out to friends and family. But they are also a tool to help get your name out in the public space.
You never know who is going to pick one up. Someone at the mall could become your next greatest fan because you left a book behind on a table.
- An Evening with Gary Kidney on After Hours - April 7, 2025
- Fixing a Dead Blog: March 2025 – A Bit More Growth - April 5, 2025
- Master the Art of Writing: 19 Expert Tips to Help New Authors - March 31, 2025