One of the reasons some authors write is to jump on sales trends to make money on Amazon. In fact, there are several apps that cater to this need. However, I’m not one of those who focus on specific types of stories to make a buck. I write because I have a story to tell.
I’m not saying that there is anything inherently wrong with following trends. If that is what makes you happy while exploring your imagination, then do what you must.
I’ve just never been one to jump on bandwagons and am often late to the party, anyway. Besides, I don’t need to validate myself by keeping an eye on my Amazon sales reports.
4 Reasons I Don’t Follow Amazon Sales Trends
What prompted this blog post was a message I saw on social media. It was from a vanity press that was pushing the reason why authors don’t make money in sales is that they don’t follow what is currently trending.
As you can guess, I ratioed them with a simple message: write the story you want to tell.
Of course, what triggered the online outrage was the phrase, “you’re wasting time.” Needless to say, that publishing account got dog-piled.
My Imagination Isn’t Confined
I am an exceptionally imaginative individual. I’ve written in every genre you can imagine, and probably a couple that you’ve never thought of. In all that time, never once did I feel it was a waste of my time.
Although I often gravitate toward fantasy, sci-fi, and dark westerns, I don’t limit myself to just one genre for writing. I believe that every author should experiment and discover things about all genres that may be incorporated into their own works.
In any event, I’m not just going to focus on trends just to make sales on Amazon. I like to dabble in various genres for a reason.
I Don’t Often Read What’s Popular
According to HMD Publishing (who got raked over the coals on Threads), romance is one of the hottest-selling genres on Amazon right now. Well, I’m not a romance writer, nor do I read a lot of it. Now, I do include a bit of romance in my books as a love interest. But it’s not the overarching plot.
I read books that pique my varied interests. For instance, I picked up a book from Ian Healy simply because he said it was “Steampunk in space.”
It’s not the genre itself that attracts me, but the storyline and the premise that suck me in, regardless of the book’s genre.
It’s Not About the Money
I didn’t get into self-publishing to make Stephen King-levels of money. I’ve been a writer the majority of my life, and being able to see my name on the spine of a book was a childhood dream.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to make a living from writing books. But until I figure out marketing and discover the best practices for myself, I’m going to continue writing whatever rattles around in my head.
Well, that is, as soon as I can get more time set aside to invest in marketing.
I’m Working to Replace Amazon
Amazon is perhaps the most popular location for selling books, but it’s not the only game in town. Truth be told, I’d rather work with Barnes & Noble or a number of indie bookstores.
Not to mention the fact that I’m in the works to build my own store to help indie authors.
Amazon is like dealing with the devil you know. Its shady practices as a company are abhorrent, but it’s a necessary evil in many cases. It’s one of my goals to drive a stake through that social vampire and turn it to dust.
Avoiding Predatory Practices
There is a huge difference between a vanity press and self-publishing your book. Unfortunately, a vast majority of those that I’ve come across are guilty of predatory practices. They often take advantage of new authors in the hopes of making a few bucks.
In fact, my sister fell victim to one that wound up screwing a lot of authors out of thousands of dollars in royalties before their chief officers were jailed for fraud. It left a sour taste in her mouth, and she hasn’t published another book in quite some time.
Writing a good book is subjective. And while certain trends might contribute to more sales on Amazon, writing to chase the almighty dollar doesn’t always work well for everyone. In reality, a lot of folks would stop buying books the moment they knew the author was doing so.
Before you fork over money to anyone claiming to boost your sales, take a close look at their practice. Do they have other authors you can research? Are they forthcoming about what they will provide? Do they charge fees for things you can get yourself at a fraction of the cost?
The bottom line is that you shouldn’t trust any “organization” that tells you to write a specific genre of book because of Amazon sales trends. Always write the story you want to tell, even if it’s in a genre few people like.
That’s how cult classics and legends are made.
I’m Content with What I Write
I made a career out of being a freelance ghostwriter. I have covered topics ranging from animals to travel. And although it’s what gave me my start as a writer, I always hated the idea of writing about what other people wanted.
Now that I have more freedom and have been expanding my practice, it’s nice to know that I have a few fans who appreciate the work tied to my name. Even if I only sold a single copy, I would still continue to write what I enjoy reading.
Would I love to make a full-time income selling books? Absolutely; who wouldn’t? But am I going to betray myself and my principles just to make a few extra dollars each month? Absolutely not.
Experimenting with different techniques or challenging myself in various ways is what makes me happy. It doesn’t matter what the sales trends look like on Amazon if I have fun rolling the dice and writing out what happens from an RPG such as Dungeons & Dragons.
Despite Westerns doing relatively poorly on Amazon, I had a lot of fun writing Shadows of Atlantic City and plan on writing more. Perhaps I’ll be the one who makes Dark Westerns a massive hit online. Then again, the books may disappear into obscurity. The point is that I love writing them.
Experiments Might Be Coming
Speaking of necessary evils, I plan on experimenting with various services that are geared toward exploring trends on Amazon to increase sales. For instance, I would love to dive into Publisher Rocket to see if it’s worth using as a self-published author who doesn’t follow trends.
The problem with Publisher Rocket is that it’ll cost me $199 right now to try it “risk free” for 30 days. The app doesn’t have a free version to utilize. However, it’s not a monthly subscription. You pay it once, and Publisher Rocket is yours forever.
At least until they decide to stop supporting it.
Ahem, Microsoft…
The last time I looked at Publisher Rocket, though, it felt as though it was created for those following trends. But one of these days, when I can spare a couple of hundred dollars, I’ll give it a try.
In the meantime, I’ll be looking for other ways to experiment with trends on Amazon. That means I’ll have to write a book to fit the narrative, which makes my skin crawl. Yet, it needs to be done if I want to give it a proper review.
Do You Write the Story You Want to Tell?
Are you an author who follows the trends on Amazon to increase sales? Or, do you write the story you want to write, sales be damned?
As long as you’re getting something out of the experience, no one can tell you that you’re doing it wrong. That is, unless you’re using AI to write your book, but that’s a completely different blog post.
As for me, I’ll always write the story I want to tell. Some may read it, some may not. However, that’s not going to stop me from writing it. At the end of the day, my name will still be on the spine of a hardcover version of that story.
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