The Top 7 Reasons Your Low-Content Books Aren't Selling - Rachel Harrison-Sund (2024)

FAQs

Why are my low content books not selling? ›

Be sure to watch the video for some practical solutions and some tips to keep in mind while in the early stages of your publishing journey. You haven't given your book enough time to sell. You didn't properly validate your book idea. You didn't use highly relevant, low-competition keywords.

If you are an author that sells on Amazon and consistently struggles with book sales it's because you are making one or all of these 3 mistakes: Your book is not ranked high enough on Amazon search. Your book doesn't look appealing to readers. Your book description doesn't convert browsers to buyers.

Publishing and selling low content books is a great way to open a lucrative passive income stream. It's a fantastic side hustle for digital nomads or solopreneurs who don't have the time (or perhaps inclination) to write and self publish a 50k word book or ebook.

Sales of hardcovers, likely hurt by rising prices (prompted in part by supply chain problems), fell 10.4%, while trade paperback sales fell only 2.4%. Trade paperbacks accounted for 60% of unit sales in 2022, up from 57% in 2021, while hardcovers' share of the market declined from 33% in 2021 to 30% last year.

Audience. Many a self-published book isn't selling because its author doesn't know who the book is for, and so cannot increase book sales to its audience. Some authors even get it backwards: they publish the book and only then think about its audience.

Selling your first 1,000 copies is very attainable, however, most books don't sell more than 250 copies. If you do things right, selling your first 1,000 books is completely possible.

Overall, profitability on Amazon KDP depends on many factors and can vary widely between authors and books. However, with careful planning, quality production, and effective marketing, it is possible to create a profitable book on Amazon KDP.

Because they don't require a lot of work to develop and create, low content books can sell repeatedly and are profitable. They are excellent sources of side income, we see people succeed in this over and over.

The bestselling book genre is romance and the most profitable fiction book genre.

If you are reading this article, then you probably want to know the answer to the question: is Amazon KDP worth it still in 2023? From our own research, the short answer to that is yes for fulfilling reasons.

What kind of books sell best on Amazon? ›

Collectibles: First edition books, signed books, and any other book that could be considered “collectible” are also popular on Amazon. Non-fiction: Overall, non-fiction performs a lot better than fiction on Amazon.

Books are losing popularity in the age of smartphones, tablets, and electronic devices. The decline in book reading can be attributed to several factors. The main reason is the rise in the popularity of digital content. Many people would instead read articles on their phones or tablets than spend time reading a book.

Total book reading is declining significantly, although not at the rate of literary reading. The percentage of the U.S. adult population reading any books has declined by -7 percent over the past decade. dropped dramatically over the past 20 years.

You may lose interest in reading because of poor comprehension, stress, or weighty responsibilities. Alternative entertainment options like music and movies could also make reading seem boring. But there are many benefits of reading, like preventing cognitive decline.

Unfortunately, book sales never come that easy for anyone. It is hard to sell a book if you haven't correctly identified your target audience and marketed to them appropriately. Authors also face challenges with book sales if the book is poorly priced or its cover isn't appealing.

Visit online retail sites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Buy.com to view the sales rank of a volume relative to the other books listed on the website. Many sites also offer the ability to view a book's sales rank within a particular genre.

To make $100k with those 24books, you'd need to sell 174 copies of each book each month. After the third year, you'll have 36 books published. To make $100k with those 36 books, you'd need to sell 116 copies of each book each month.

Self-published authors can make between 40% – 60% royalties on a the retail price of a single book while traditionally published authors usually make between 10%-12% royalties.

The average traditionally published non-fiction book sells about 250-300 copies in the first year, but when we manage a book launch, our target is to sell 1,000 copies in the first 3 months.

How much can I make on Amazon KDP per month? ›

So how much do self published authors make on Amazon? Self-published writers on Kindle make around $150 per month on the lower end to more than $20,000 per month on the higher end.

KDP offers a fixed 60% royalty rate on paperbacks sold on Amazon marketplaces where KDP supports paperback distribution. Your royalty is 60% of your list price. We then subtract printing costs, which depend on page count, ink type, and the Amazon marketplace your paperback was ordered from.

It's trusted and reputable, and you will sell your book alongside those of respected authors. This means you won't be selling your books out of the back of your trunk; instead, potential readers can get them online without you having to distribute them.

However, some genres that tend to do well on KDP include romance, mystery/thriller, and self-help. In addition, books that are well-written and have a strong hook are more likely to sell well on KDP. Independent authors can sell e-books and print-on-demand books through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

KDP encourages authors to use direct deposit because it usually has no minimum payment threshold, is the fastest, secure way to receive your royalty payments, and is environmentally friendly.

To provide an optimal customer experience, bonus content should make up no more than around 10% of your book. If you would like to include multiple stories within your book, consider creating a collection of works. When selecting your book's title, always make sure to follow the Metadata Guidelines.

You can publish a maximum of 500 books on KDP in one day.

The minimum page count is 24 pages, and the maximum page count depends on ink, paper, and trim size options.

Romance. Romance books are easily the most profitable genre, with no sign of slowing down.

What is the least popular book genre? ›

You're not alone if you said poetry, classics, or romance novels. These three genres, according to our data, are at the top of the popularity list among readers globally, with Romance dominating and outselling fantasy, classics, poetry, adventure books, and all other genres.

How long does it take to make money on KDP? You can start earning on Kindle as soon as your book goes live. Realistically speaking, you can expect consistent sales after the first month, provided you have used the keywords wisely and published your book in a low competition niche.

A low-content book has minimal or no content on the interior pages. Low-content books are generally repetitive, and designed to be filled in by the user. This does not typically include activity books, such as puzzle books or coloring books, which generally do not feature repetitive content on each page.

All authors and publishers, regardless of where they live, are eligible to enroll their Kindle books in KDP Select.”

What are the fees for selling books on Amazon? Amazon's selling plans give you a choice to pay per sale (individual selling plan) or a flat monthly fee (professional selling plan). For books, the referral fee is 15% plus a $1.80 closing fee. Collectible books are a flat 15%.

The Bible. Easily the most read book in the world is the Bible for obvious reasons. It is estimated to have sold over 40 million copies in the last 60 years. You can even find it at most hotels.

The best-selling book of all time is the Christian Bible.

How much can the average person read? The average person can read about 33 books a year and a speedy reader is able to read 55 books in a year. That might sound like a lot but it is not. That is a little more than one book per week.

Millennials accounted for the largest share of printed book readers in the U.S. – 72 percent as of 2016.

Are book readers declining? ›

A recent Gallup poll finds that American adults are reading fewer books each year: Americans say they read an average of 12.6 books during the past year, a smaller number than Gallup has measured in any prior survey dating back to 1990.

November 2, 2022. While California's literacy crisis certainly predates the pandemic, with less than half of California children reading at grade level back in 2019, the fallout of the pandemic, the devastating impact of school closures and remote learning, has sent test scores plummeting further.

1. India. The NOP World Culture Score Index puts India as the nation that enjoys reading the most when considering the amount of time spent doing so among the 30 major nations surveyed. India tops our list, with its residents reading an average of 10 hours and 42 minutes weekly.

Some major causes of poor reading comprehension include ADHD, dyslexia, difficult text, limited vocabulary, working memory deficit, and more.

A reading slump can happen due to various reasons, some of which include a busy lifestyle or a significant life change such as a move or a new job. Reading slumps can also happen because of a lack of motivation or simply not finding good books to read.

Sometimes age-related cognitive changes affect reading skills. Reading requires attention, short-term memory, and recall, which decline a little as we get older. "It's normal when you're older that your reading might be slower or that you have to occasionally read a sentence more than once to get its meaning.

A lack of imagination

Reading can be a very stimulating activity for our brain, but that can be massively influenced by how our imagination works and how well we are able to visualize what we read. A lack of imagination can, indeed, turn reading into a rather boring activity.

Book sales are declining, but not in the romance genre : NPR. Book sales are declining, but not in the romance genre Romance books are on the rise, even as overall book sales are declining. NPR's Juana Summers visited a romance book club at Baltimore's Charm City Books to see what brings readers to the genre.

As a rule, you do not need a business license to sell Kindle books since you sell them on the Amazon marketplace. However, you may need it if you sell many books.

From our own research, the short answer to that is yes for fulfilling reasons. Started in 2007, Amazon KDP is an amazing platform especially for authors looking to get their books published and having them available to a wide network.

What time of the year is best to sell books? ›

Leading up to the fall semester, late July and early August are the ideal times to sell your books. This is because companies know this is the last chance to acquire additional inventory prior to the start of classes.

“How many books will I need to sell?” In order to hit #1 on Amazon, you'll need to sell somewherebetween 3,500 and 5,000 copies in 24 hours. Want to hit top 10? You'll need to sell roughly 300 for print, or 2,000+ copies for combined formats.

You may be growing your author business or you may have that runaway hit. If your book royalties and/or business revenue are more than $10,000 per year, or if you're certain you're going to generate $10,000 or more from book royalties and/or business income, then you may want to set up a corporation or an LLC.

The short answer: yes. Amazon requires all publishers, including nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations, to provide valid taxpayer identification in order to comply with U.S. tax reporting regulations. Tax withholding and specific requirements vary based on whether you are a U.S. person or non-U.S. person.