Change is coming, but that’s nothing new for indie publishing. We learn, adapt, and iterate.
The future for New York, and the brick and mortar book store, doesn’t look bright, but they survived the great depression. The odds of them going away entirely are next to zero. They too will need to adapt, same as us, and it’s impossible to say with certainty what their new form will look like in five years, but it’s a good bet to say that at least one of the bigger publishers will go under. However, during the turmoil, there’s an excellent opportunity for new mid-sized publishers specialized into genres, to fill the void.
Craig & Michael
Pivot
Adaptation is a requirement to maintain success.
The best example of which, is the need to recover your series every year or two, to stay relevant.
The bonus, is the new cover will help you attract new readers that had rejected your series previously because it didn’t appeal to them. With a new cover, you get to appear like a new product to them.
Marketing
This insight also holds true for the sales copy you use in your marketing of the book. Change up your ad campaigns to try new sales copy, where you highlight a different aspect of the series.
Best way to learn what you should highlight is to ask your existing fan base what they loved about the series. Ask them how they would recommend the series to their friends.
Backlist
Using your backlist to maintain your income levels during a time of adjustment, can be the difference between keeping the lights on, and having to close up shop.
If you don’t have a backlist yet, then production should be your number one priority. One series can be an excellent source of income, but it’s a fickle future. Without multiple streams of income, there is a high chance of going bust during your career.
Your backlist is an insurance policy against that.
When one series begins to dip, and it’s time to start writing another series, you can refocus your marketing efforts toward an older series and see if you can breathe new life into it. Just like farmers have to leave fields fallow, so too do you need to rotate which series you’re pushing the hardest. After you’ve informed the market that your book is available to read, you have to accept their response of yes (buying it) or no (passing on it).
This circles back around to the recovering idea, to help breath life back into the series.
