Does this happen to you + Amazon changes, Marketing Ideas, Awesome Opportunity – Booklinker June Broadcast
Hello Reader
In my newsletter last month, I talked about the concept of the Tipping Point based on the book by Malcolm Gladwell. He describes this moment as “That magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.”
I asked if anyone wanted to share their “tipping point” story, and I received a great response. Keep scrolling to read these inspiring stories from authors in our Booklinker community.
Last week I was in Boise, Idaho with other members of our Booklinker and Geniuslink team for the Craft & Commerce conference hosted by Kit (the very same program I am using to write this Broadcast for you). The purpose of this event was to provide education and inspiration to online creators to help grow their businesses (which means authors too).
It was AWESOME!
I met Liz Wilcox who was a contestant on Survivor who is now an email specialist (I love Survivor which meant I did have a “fangirl” moment), I heard talks from CEOs of companies, I had the chance to network and meet amazing creators and I hung out with my teammates.
Conferences and networking events like this are when imposter syndrome wants to step in and take over. It starts feeding me thoughts like, “you don’t belong here” or “you can’t talk to the that person” or “you’re just an author, you’ll never reach this level of success.” If I let them, these thoughts will take over and make me feel small and insignificant. Has this happened to you, Reader.
I’ve been in the writing and publishing industry long enough to recognize when these negative thoughts are starting to creep in (and yes they still do), especially when it comes to the business side of being an author.
It took me a long time to finally say to people, “I am a writer.” But once I did, it allowed me to embrace that identity and move forward. Later on when I decided I wanted to make a living from my writing, as a publishing consultant and by helping other authors, I had to shift to an entrepreneur mindset and embrace that it is okay to make money as a creative.
When I’m speaking to a financially successful person and that imposter doubt creeps in, the one thing that always helps me is to remember that every creative, every CEO and every bestselling author started in the exact same place–with an idea.
What do you do Reader when imposter syndrome creeps in? Reply and let me know.
Happy Marketing!
Kerrie
Booklinker Author Liaison
Kerrie Flanagan
The Compass Within: Discover Your Personal Core Values
We’re excited to share a new book from Robert Glazer, a #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. It’s called The Compass Within: A Little Story About The Values That Guide Us, and it comes with a free companion course to help you identify your personal core values.
Check out the special offers below that Robert is giving to Booklinker authors.
The Compass Within is a fictional parable that tells the story of Jamie Hynes, a young professional at a crossroads in his life, relationship and career. He meets a mentor, a wise CEO named Jack Reardon, who guides him through a process to discover his personal core values. Then, after showing the impact values have on Jamie’s life, the book explains the framework Jamie follows so the reader can use it to get that same clarity. Patrick Lencioni calls this book “a timeless parable,” and Go-Giver author Bob Burg calls it “destined to be a classic.”
Glazer has partnered with us to make the book available to you via Netgalley. And as a bonus, he is also sharing the companion course for the book—the same process Jamie follows in the story—for free with you all. We hope you’ll read the book, take the course, and see for yourself the power of living in alignment with your core values.
Read the book: Get the advanced digital copy via Netgalley.
Get the free course: Go to the official course page and use the coupon code booklinker at checkout to reduce the price to $0. Make sure to register before the coupon code expires on July 31.
🙋🏻♀️ Free Promotion 🙋🏽
Last month I took a poll and asked, “Are you interested in having your book featured in a genre-specific newsletter to readers?”
Over 100 authors answered with 94% of you saying you are definitely interested in being feature in a readers newsletter.
This is great news and gets our team excited to move to the next step with this. If want to be a part of this amazing opportunity to get your book in front of readers (at no cost to you), please fill out this Google Form by JUNE 23rd.
Industry News & Articles ✍🏽
(Remember earlier when I talked about business mindset? Here’s a great article by Kit on this topic)
🌟 10 ideas on how to make money as an author or writer besides selling books
While it’s thrilling to see your name on the cover of a book, most authors earn a small sum from writing books. The website Indeed estimates that, on average, authors earn less than $50,000 a year. With these low figures, you might wonder how to make money as an author or whether it’s possible to make a living as a full-time writer.
🌟 Amazon Kills Hourly Rank Updates With Dale L. Roberts
Dale L. Roberts highlights some recent changes with Amazon and shares other current news. Rather than try to recap what he said, it’s easier to share the video. It’s definitely worth watching.
🌟 5 Budget-Friendly Book Marketing Ideas: A DIY Guide for Busy Authors
Marketing your book on a budget (and a tight one at that)? You’re not alone. As a self-published author, you’re already juggling writing, editing, and publishing, so finding time and money for marketing can feel overwhelming. But here’s the good news: effective book marketing doesn’t have to be expensive.
LitNuts Sale Extended
**NOTE: LitNuts is a great platform for promotions. It is one I frequently use when I have a book on sale. They have extended the deadline until June 30. Use discount code: MayDay15 at checkout to get 15% off all LitNuts book promotions, including our popular Book of the Day promotions, as well as Featured Book Promotions and Dedicated Email Blasts.
👉 Monthly Marketing Tip
Cross-Promote with Other Authors
Teaming up with authors in your genre is a great way to reach new readers. Share each other’s books in newsletters or posts, and make it easy with a Booklinker link so readers can choose their favorite store. It’s simple, supportive, and benefits everyone—and it reminds readers that you’re part of a larger community of authors they might love.
📚 Recommended Indie Author Marketing & Industry Books
Looking to expand your book marketing knowledge? Here are some book I recommend from indie authors and marketing experts.*
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click and purchase
Booklinker Authors’ Tipping Points
In my Broadcast last month, I talked about the concept of the Tipping Point based on the book by Malcolm Gladwell. I asked if anyone wanted to share their “tipping point” story, and I received a great response. Here are these inspiring stories from authors in our Booklinker community.
Fiona’s Tipping Point Story
My tipping point was a new series release book 1 – Her Buried Bones in 2023. This book and the subsequent releases in the series launched my full time career. I got to this point after 9 years of publishing in various genres and finally finding the one I wanted to write, that also suited my style. In hindsight, I should have done this first, but the false start gave me writing experience, and it built a small, but loyal following.
Once I found the ideal genre, I studied the top authors in indie publishing and honed in on a few who wrote similar characters, pace and voice as myself. I then read quite a few of those books to get an understanding of why they sold well. What it was about those books that readers loved. Tropes, character development etc.
I then wrote the new book, as a type of spin off from my previous, semi successful series. That older series was impossible to market profitably, but it now sells well as part of my backlist. Effectively, I became full time with 5 books in my back catalogue and 3 new, rapid release books in the new series. I knew I was on to a winner when my ARC team begged to stay on the team for more books in the series. All the ground work was slow going, but it definitely helped set me up for long term success. It was the feedback from my ARC team that gave me the confidence to stockpile and rapid release that new series.
Thanks for asking this question and pointing out that we need to keep pushing on until we reach that tipping point. I think I’d add that in doing so, we also need to be adapting and changing as we keep publishing.
Fiona
Julian’s Tipping Point Story
Your email made me smile, as I read that book years ago. I like the points you make, and I’d agree. I’ve just published my sixth picture book (two sets of three books) and I feel like I can start to relax with the whole venture. My first book has over 250 reviews (the others not so much but the first in the other series has over 100) – there are a whole bunch of people who have now read or downloaded or bought my books, I have a newsletter, I post (sporadically) on FB, have been in schools and even had some paid gigs doing author events. It’s nine years since my first book was published, and sure, I know I’d kind of hoped things would have taken off a bit sooner, especially as they did during lock down and I’m now selling 1/6th of the books every month I did then…
However it gives me comfort, that any new readers who discover me now have access to six possible books, rather than one. I recently did a stacked promo and got over 600 downloads in a weekend.. plus my KDP pages doubled this month and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
Sadly, I’m spending more on amazon ad revenue than I’m making in royalties.. and the print price increases two years ago have not helped (I get the same royalty from a book priced £8,99 that I did for when it was priced £6.99). Fortunately the new royalty change won’t affect me as I think I’m already at $9,99 or $10.99 in the states. Which is a lot for a picture book… especially when people can probably pick up Julia Donaldson in the supermarket for half that price…
I’ve learned a lot.. and I love what I do.. I’ve learned to illustrate my own books (which helps keep costs down) and now I just want to keep growing the catalogue, maybe one book a year is the most I can manage. Always up for experimenting and learning what else might work.
I do think the booklinker links are useful too, especially for social media posts when there are freebie days.
Thanks for your email.
Julian
Maxwell’s Tipping Point Story
Dear Kerrie,
Thank you for your thoughtful and motivating message — it truly spoke to me. I haven’t reached my tipping point yet, but I feel I’ve taken the first real steps toward it.
Over the past months, I’ve been passionately working on two meaningful book series that reflect both my interests and life experience. One of them, Home Botanica: Smart Guides for Houseplant Lovers, is a growing collection of 26 mini-guides dedicated to plant care. These books are practical, accessible, and visually appealing — designed for people who love their indoor gardens but want simple, science-based advice. From Monstera to Sansevieria, each title feels like a letter to a fellow plant lover.
The second project is more personal: Atomic Mindfulness, a six-book self-help series offering small daily habits for reducing stress and restoring balance. These books were born from my own search for calm during chaotic times, and I hope they serve as a gentle companion to others going through the same.
Like many indie authors, I started from scratch — no budget, no team, just a strong belief in my ideas. I taught myself everything, from formatting and cover design to launching books and learning the basics of organic promotion. There were moments of doubt, of course, but I kept reminding myself that consistency beats intensity.
Recently, I began actively building my online presence to connect with readers. I’ve launched a website and started sharing content across several platforms — YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and even Wattpad. While I’m still at the beginning, I’ve already had small but meaningful victories: positive feedback from readers, first reviews, and sales. These moments — though modest — feel like proof that the direction is right.
Looking ahead, my goal is to grow both series and continue building trust with my readers. I believe that if I stay true to the vision and keep showing up, the momentum will follow.
To other authors reading this: don’t measure your worth by speed. Success takes time. Sometimes it’s not the next book that tips the scale, but the next dozen. And that’s okay. What matters is to keep going with heart.
Warm wishes,
Maxwell Steinbeck
Author of Home Botanica & Atomic Mindfulness Series
About Booklinker
Booklinker is a free service that helps authors save time and sell more books with a single, localized link for their entire international audiences.
Booklinker is owned by Georiot Networks and powered by its flagship service, Geniuslink. In 2022, Apple Books began supporting Booklinker, helping it become a fully multi-retailer tool. Booklinker remains free for authors through the generous support of Apple Books and partnerships with other retailers.
