[Podcast] Vikrant Shaurya on Becoming a Nonfiction Bestselling Author

To become a nonfiction bestselling author, it all comes down to numbers.

To make the New York Times Best Seller list, you need to sell 5,000 to 10,000 copies in a week.

To make The Wall Street Journal Best Seller list, you need to sell more than 4,000 copies in a week. 

That’s a lot of book copies to sell in a week. And to land a best seller’s list is an accomplishment difficult for both traditionally-published and self-published authors, alike.

But Authors on a Mission CEO and Founder, Vikrant Shaurya, offers a handful of book-marketing techniques to increase book sales and help you become a nonfiction bestselling author. 

Where do you start?

eBooks, Influencers, and Ads

According to Vikrant, one of the simplest ways to increase your book sales—to get on track to become a nonfiction bestselling author—is leveraging eBooks on deal sites. Basically, you offer a discount for your Kindle book and then advertise that discount.

Deal sites, such as BookBub, rely on email marketing that targets readers of specific genres. By offering a limited time discount on your eBook, your sales will have a better chance at increasing!

Another way to increase book sales is through influencer promotion. Seek out influential people within your business. Look for people who have dozens of thousands of email subscribers and/or followers who are engaged. You will have to pay these individuals to promote your book. But if they do promote it, your book will reach a targeted audience you couldn’t on your own.

Keyword targeting is another simple and effective tool to increase book sales. Vikrant recommends Amazon Ads. Through Amazon Ads, you control your ad placement, which allows you to target specific audiences.

But, to truly target your intended audience, you need to use strong keywords.

How?

Start by researching books similar to yours and determine what keywords those authors use. Then spend some time assessing keywords your audience will look up when wanting to find your book.

If you’re writing a book for the family business community, what specific keywords can you use? Are you writing about the Next Gen? Or, are you writing about generational conflict? Or successful passing of leadership? Choose your top five keywords. And make sure they’re specific to your book’s genre and thesis.

Podcasts Are the Best Book Marketing Tools

Vikrant’s most recommended tool to become a nonfiction bestselling author is to appear on podcasts.

Podcasts allow you to reach a targeted audience. You can connect with listeners who are invested in your book’s subject, and those listeners will likely be more interested in purchasing and reading your book. 

Podcast appearances also allow you to develop a personable connection with listeners as you have deeper conversations about your book’s themes, research, and stories. Knowing more about your book will encourage listeners to purchase it.

Podcasts are also an easy and organic way to share content. Not only are podcast episodes shared on social media, they can be shared through email lists as well as promoted by listeners. And once a podcast is published, it (often) remains accessible indefinitely. With strong SEO, your podcast episode will always be searchable for future audiences. 

When reaching out to podcasts, it’s important to do your research.

Vikrant recommends writers to reach out to the top 10% of podcasts within their genre.

Don’t know how to find the leading podcasts within your expertise? Vikrant recommends Listen Notes, a podcast search engine. You can find thousands of podcasts, analyze their metrics (such as how many listeners per episode), and determine which podcasts will be most effective to your marketing strategy.

To pitch a podcast, Vikrant encourages authors to first listen to a recent episode and then determine if their content fits the podcast. Podcast hosts are interested in guests who have content that relates to and supports their podcast. If you’re writing a family business book and approaching a fiction-based podcast, you’re not going to hear back.

Once you’ve determined a podcast is the right fit for you, write a personalized email. Keep it short and straight to the point. List which episode you listened to, what stuck out in that episode, and then explain what value you will bring to the podcast. Share a few of your accomplishments. Finish it off with a list of potential topics to discuss. And you’re good to go!

Like all book marketing strategies, podcasting requires dedication. If you don’t hear back, don’t give up. Explore your options and keep researching and reaching out. 

Managing Expectations of Becoming a Bestselling Author

Book marketing is time-consuming. And exhausting.  

According to Vikrant, most authors give up on their book marketing strategy after a week or two.

But to become a nonfiction bestselling author, you have to commit to your marketing plan. And you have to utilize all types of platforms to promote your book.

Book marketing is a long-term journey that requires persistence and consistency.

If you’re serious about becoming a bestselling nonfiction author, prepare to put in the time, effort, money, and hard work to increase your book sales.