SPQ 004: Should I Focus on One Book Niche at a Time?

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Should I Focus on One Book Niche at a Time?

Some independent authors publish in multiple niches, while others focus on just one topic. In this episode, find out which strategy Steve recommends.

The Question…

Mia from SkinBrushingDetox.com asks,

“Do you think people should just focus on one niche? How many niches should you focus on? How about people with a lot of different interests?”

Biggest Takeaway…

[Tweet “It’s seven times harder to get a new customer than market to an existing one. “]

Steve’s Answer…

Steve says he made the mistake of focusing on multiple niches early in his publishing career. Had he focused on one niche and built one audience, he could have been more successful.

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SPQ 003: How Do You Determine the Profit Potential of a Niche or Book Idea?

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How Do You Determine the Profit Potential of a Niche or Book Idea?

Picking the right niche is essential for self-publishing success. In this episode, Steve outlines his process for choosing a profitable book niche.

The Question…

Thom asks, “Do you have a specific step-by-step system in place for determining the profitability of any given niche or title?” People ask Steve this question all the time. Early in his publishing career, he made the mistake of creating books based on what people were already writing about. This was a mistake because it doesn’t add much to the marketplace. Instead of doing the same thing everyone else is doing, target a specific niche and focus on providing solutions for that audience.

Biggest Takeaway…

[Tweet “Do the 50 Questions Test and come up with topics that help your market. “]

Steve’s Answer…

Once you have a niche in mind, think about the problems people in that audience face. In the self-publishing niche, people want to know about writing books, formatting books, selling books, building author platforms, and using social media as a marketing tool. There are five book ideas right there. Really drill down into one niche to come up with a lot of ideas that provide value for readers.

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SPQ 002: Organic Book Reviews: How Do I Get Natural Reviews (without Asking Family and Friends)?

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Organize Book Reviews: How Do I Get Natural Reviews

Many readers don’t realize how important interviews are for independent authors. In this episode, Steve outlines his process for encouraging readers to review his books on Amazon.

The Question…

Rama from PublicSpeakKing.com wants to know how many sales an author needs to make before readers start leaving organic reviews. Organic reviews are very important, especially for independent authors. These are reviews written by people who don’t know you. Steve says he has seen it take up to 1,000 downloads to get one review while doing free promo does, but he uses a process to increase his chances of getting organic reviews from readers. He feels this process is 100 percent white hat (ethical) because he’s not asking readers for positive reviews.

Biggest Takeaway…

[Tweet “Explain to your readers why reviews matter and how much they help your business. “]

Steve’s Answer…

There’s a lot you can do to get organic reviews on your self-published books.

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