Six Figure Author: Using Data to Sell Books

Write Faster, Write Smarter #5

by Chris Fox

Sell Books the Smart Way

Five years ago releasing a book as an indie author meant uploading it, then begging everyone you knew to buy it. That method simply doesn't work anymore. Fortunately, there's a better way.

Amazon has spent billions of dollars over the last decade building the world's best sales engine. They use machine learning to sell massive piles of books, and that engine is just waiting for you to tap into it. This is the book that will teach you how.

Ready to become a six figure author? You'll learn:

- Why a sale isn't just a sale. Who you sell to is more important than how many
- How to find your target audience
- How to train Amazon to sell for you

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Crafts, Reference, Business, Self Help

118 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2016

About the author

By day I am an iPhone developer architecting the app used to scope Stephen Colbert’s ear. By night I am Batman. Ok maybe not. One can dream though, right?

I’ve been writing since I was six years old and started inflicting my work on others at age 18. By age 24 people stopped running away when I approached them with a new story and shortly thereafter I published my first one in the Rifter.

Wait you’re still reading?

Ok, the facts I’m supposed to list in a bio. As of this writing I’m 38 years old and live just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in the beautiful town of Mill Valley. If you’re unsure how to find it just follow the smell of self-entitlement. Once you see the teens driving Teslas you’ll know you’re in the right place.

I live in a tiny studio that I can cross in (literally) five steps and don’t own an oven. But you know what? It’s worth it. I love developing iPhone apps and if you want to work in San Francisco you accept that rent for a tiny place costs more than most people’s mortgage.

If you and about 2 million other people start buying my books I promise to move out of Marin to a house in the redwoods up in Guerneville. No pressure. Wait that’s a lie. Pressure.

Reviews

[Emma Sea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Fox's conversational voice. I did find a large cross over in material between this book, Write to Market: Deliver a Book that Sells and 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter. That's reasonable, I suppose. There's no magic wand:

Write consistently
Turn out books fast (every 60 days)
Grow your mailing list/s
Know what your target reader wants and values
Go all in on KU to take advantage of Amazon's focused targeting to readers
Engage authentically with reader communities

Despite the repetition I'm still happy to have bought the book.

[Rhett Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used many of his methods to launch a Space Opera Box Set. It was with a publisher, but I convinced them to pursue this method with me. What resulted was the best launch of my career. Even outside KU, priced above 99-cents at launch and published wide, focusing on the right readers has left my book on the top of it's charts for far longer than any book before. Chris definitely knows what he's doing about. It's not how many people you sell to, but who you sell to. Words to live by at a book launch! Any aspiring author should check this out.

[Camy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved his breakdown of the Amazon AI and how it works. It's very detailed and very informative.

[Sunshine Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I finished this book in one weekend. It's a short read but very insightful! I read a lot of books that help indie authors, but this one was the best yet! I wrote down so many notes and started implementing the new ideas he suggests! He explains what an author could be doing wrong with sales and exposure and suggests what to do that can increase your market. He made all his analytical information and data easy to understand. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone wanting to be a 6-figure author!! Such good tips! He goes through networking, finding your target audience and the successes of advertising.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six Figure Author by Chris Fox is easy to read with lots of practical points on how to be get the attention of Amazon's algorithms and readers, including warnings about common mistakes. Each chapter ends with an exercise, to put the tips in practice. It only took a couple of days to read this book but it will take months to put some of these things in practice. Hopefully it will be one more piece in the puzzle of how to be seen as one author among millions.

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good - IF you are aiming for a rapid-release write-to-market Amazon-exclusive strategy. And honestly, Fox probably does a better job than anyone else does of arguing for an Amazon-exclusive strategy: he explains how different Amazon is, and how much better at selling stuff, than pretty much every other bookstore out there. Amazon is the 900-pound gorilla of book marketing, and in this book Fox will explain just why every bit of that weight is well-earned. Amazon has come close to being a monopoly purely because it has revolutionised online shopping.

All this said, even if you don't plan to follow the rapid release/write to market/Amazon exclusive strategy, this book still has some fantastic advice for those wanting to improve their marketing game. The chapters on building relationships with other authors and readers were particularly helpful.

[Jennifer Gilmour · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I want to thank the author for writing about the difficulties an author faces. This book would be recommended for new authors to read before they publish their first book but I also found a lot of the content useful as an author of two years.
I will be implementing some of the suggestions and look forward to analysing the results. When finishing the book it came to me that you need to stick at your path as an author, it’s so easy to give up and a disheartening industry. Thankfully I haven’t given up and I am starting to see the rewards.
The most useful part of this book was the Amazon information which I have read little about. Thank you for sharing your findings.

[Stephanie Bibb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed reading some of Chris Fox’s other marketing books, so I decided to go ahead and give Six Figure Author a try. I’m glad I did.

I think my biggest takeaway from this book was understanding the concept of how Amazon’s algorithm’s work (at the time the book was written), and why some authors are so insistent about trying to keep those algorithms clean. Chris Fox explains how Amazon can be useful for the self-published author, and what methods can help authors take the next step in improving their visibility.

He also discusses the concept of “serial readers,” the readers who go through a lot of books in short amount of time, and how to go about finding the right audience for your book, as well as how email marketing plays an important roll in promotions.

Each chapter has a lesson at the end, which are helpful in themselves (though some will be familiar from his other books).

I haven’t implemented his strategies for myself yet, so I can’t speak as to how well they work. However, I am hoping to give them a try and to see what I can do with his advice. If you’re looking for more ideas of how you might be able to further your writing career, you might give Six Figure Author a read, or at least start with the free book he offers on his mailing list to see if you like his writing style.

[Jeff Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third writing advice book I've read from Chris Fox and I'm hooked. I'll probably buy every writing book he publishes; each of the three I've read to this point have been full of useful information and advice, from how to analyze the market to how to optimize your own process. It's clear that Chris practices what he preaches, and it's refreshing to see someone who's so open about sharing his successes and failures for the benefit of others. This book is definitely worth your time.

[Yesenia Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's the info. Now to do the work.

It's that easy and that hard, apparently. Chris lays out some more amazing information for today's indie author trying to make it. He's on the cusp of what's working and what will work. He's definitely a couple steps ahead and he shows it in this book. I highly recommend it for authors.

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tips & mindset

Like his other books, Chris does a great job helping authors get their minds wrapped around this business of being an author. Now that I'm finished with my first read through, I'm starting the exercises. Looking forward to implementing some of his tips, as well as others I'm learning right how. Stellar book!

[Lucas Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the most important points an author can know right now

This book is critical reading for any author. Some of the most important points an author can know right now about how to market and sell your books.

[Melissa Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting read with lots of great tips.
If you’re a first time author, it’s a must read. If you’ve been published a while (like me), you’ll still find some help stuff in here.

This book is a really good use of your time
Recommended.

[Paul Sating · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of what I needed

Writers, you must have this in your arsenal. It contains a number of practical tools you can employ today to get your career in the right direction.

[Kara Jorgensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful for some, but not great if you want to stay wide and not rapid release.

[DoodleBug · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Six Figure Author, Chris Fox delivers a powerful message to his peers: You CAN make a living writing fiction, but you have to be willing to do the work. If you don't do the work, don't expect to make a living at it.

I'm sure other readers will do a better job of summarizing and analyzing Fox's latest book for authors, so I'm going to skip to my two favorite parts.

The first is the method in which Fox breaks down exactly HOW to interact with readers and build an audience aside from selling books. Other authors have tried, but so far, his advice is the most practical and useful I've seen.

My second favorite part was the last chapter, in which Fox opened "a direct dialogue with you, to offer encouragement and occasionally tough love." Every author needs both, and in this, Fox delivers very well.

Thank you for this incredibly useful addition to the Write Faster, Write Smarter Series.

[Katherine Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring Resource for Writers

I have followed Chris Fox for a long while. I have not always agreed with his approach, but have come to appreciate his dedication to craft as well as the business. This particular book spoke to me. I have been struggling with writing, with the business side of book selling as well as life and the never-ending distractions (good and bad, of course) that take away from writing.

In the book, Chris puts it all together with large doses of logic and great honesty and a straight approach to what it takes to make it in the book selling and writing business. And, he's right, what works "now" is different than what worked three years ago. He just saved me from dropping hundreds of dollars on another class. Did that. Worked for a while until it didn't.

My biggest take away? Get rid of the middle man and find your serial readers and go directly to them. I highly recommend this book.

[M.A. Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways, this is a great book. It's got lots of solid, actionable advice, and it's written in concise, clear language that is still engaging. It's a good place for indie authors who are looking to find success in publishing.

However, I will say that it is very overpriced. It's hardly 60 pages and rehashes a lot of solid, sound advice that you can find for free on any of the dozens of podcasts out there. It really felt like it should have been bundled in with some of the other books in this series (especially "Write to Market", since there were quite a few times when it referenced that book). While this is a good book, it's really more of a short story than a novel yet it's priced at $3.99. If you're only going to buy one book on indie publishing, I'd say this is one of the ones that would top my list. But if you're someone who has read and researched the market a lot (like I have), you might not find this worth the cost.

[Sarina Langer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an excellent little book! It's tiny--I could have read the whole thing in one morning if I hadn't had other things to do--but it's full of insights and steps you can easily apply to your own marketing strategy. I overhauled my strategy late last year, and now I'll adjust it again thanks to this book. (I mean that in a positive way - it's not a complaint XD)

There are exercises at the end of every chapter, which Fox urges you to do because they're designed to either give you valuable insights into how Amazon works or to kick-start your marketing strategy, and most of them are quick and easy to do. Some might take a little longer, but there's nothing complicated.

There are lots of ideas and steps you can take right now (or at least start thinking about) throughout the book, and I actually feel inspired to get marketing! :O

Treat yourself to this little gem if you want to sell more books without constantly shoving it in people's faces. You won't regret it.

[Kevin Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I resisted this book for a long time, as I don't like the idea of falling down the rabbit hole of data analysis to try and sell books.

But now I realize I should have read this a long time ago!

I was actually turned on to this book by a webinar with the author promoting his new advertising course in which he said the majority of the material in the course is covered in this book.

This book really was not what I expected it to be. Rather than a deep dive into data analysis, here we have a strong emphasis on fundamentals that offer a firm grounding to build on in your journey to becoming a full-time author.

I definitely found a number of choice nuggets, as well as a deep evolution in my understanding of how Amazon and the other retailers work.

[Amy Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for the indie author

And I'm not just saying that because our books share the same box set. (Which is kinda awesome)
Fox, like my fellow indies, has become a voice of pragmatism and logic in the wild west of self-promotion. He's a success that we admire and-- better yet-- willing to share the keys to that success, as well as examination of any stumbles along the way. Lots of practical, relatable advice and tips.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really glad to get to borrow this instead of buy it, because the point is insightful but extremely simple. Basically, Fox asserts that it's better to focus on fewer sales at launch if those sales are pinpointed to the precise subgenre you're writing in. This keeps your also-boughts and Amazon recommendation emails streamlined so your book performs well when it shows up there, meaning the Amazon machine will recommend it more widely over time rather than less widely.

[Dany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I keep saying this about Chris Fox' Write Faster, Write Smarter book series, but man, this was incredibly useful. I learned a lot reading this and though the marketing can seem a little overwhelming at times, I'm kinda curious to start dipping my toes into the water just to see what happens. Also -- and I don't think I've mentioned that one before -- I just find Chris' writing voice to be superlikeable.

[Skye Hegyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I don't agree with the write-to-market theory (if it works for you, go for it), I do love how Fox lays out a marketing plan that works for nearly anyone. He has a way of detailing things (and using examples of where it's worked) to explain himself, and it helps to see the results to know that his methods do actually work, which I've read about in other similar books, but it's nice to see the results for once.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the series so far. Over the years, I've heard lots of "experts" exclaiming that authors should get that data, read the data, makes changes according to the data. However, they aren't always clear on what data to collect or what changes will most affect it. Chris Fox does a great job breaking Amazon data down to the most foundational blocks and what authors can do to use the Amazon data machine to their advantage.

[Zach Bohannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another bucket of knowledge from Chris Fox

Chris hits another home run. This book is full of great tips. I love how open Chris is in listing not only things that have worked for him, but also his failures and mistakes. If you're like me and looking to take your author career to the next level, read this book.

[Holli · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the others in this series, this packs a lot of information in a short book. And yet another one I'll probably have to re-read at least once to get all of it as I know about half of it whizzed by my head without stopping. Although this one was slightly creepy in how it pointed out how many eyes Amazon seems to have everywhere.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, just be aware that it is targeting people who are already doing marketing. If you are just starting out and have not done any marketing it will still be valuable. For those still putting out their first published book, it will be one you will want to review after you have published and have begun marketing. I do highly recommend it no matter.

[Ahmad Moshrif]

I wouldn't put any Stars rating because this book is specialized for US Authors (or Amazon.com markets) Which I'm not living in any of these places.

Anyway, I like Mr. Fox for what he wrote in the series: Write Faster, Write Smarter work.

[Jennifer Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Fox has published a number of these short-and-sweet guides to publishing success, in which he shares what has worked for him—and also where he has failed. This one is an easy, informative, and inspiring read.