SPS 089: How To Sell More Fiction Books & Build A Full-Time Fiction Career with Ramy Vance

Posted on Jan 21, 2021

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Written by Leo Oliveira

Home > Blog > Podcast > SPS 089: How To Sell More Fiction Books & Build A Full-Time Fiction Career with Ramy Vance
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In this episode, Ramy Vance talks about why focusing all of your efforts on week 1 is the wrong approach…and why he’s making a 3 year commitment to promoting his book (and why you should too).

We also talk about:

– How to get 100’s of reviews on your book within months of your launch (practical steps anyone can take)

– How to sell more audiobooks (and how Amazon promoting his book led him to #9 on all of Amazon)

– The playbook to selling anything on Amazon (physical products or books)

…and so much more. Don’t miss this interview!

Ramy Vance is a former SPS student turned coach. He is the lead coach and creator of the fiction online course at Self-Publishing School. Ramy leads both Fundamentals of Fiction courses, has authored 29 books and coached over 400 students in the past five years. Listen in to find out the fundamental errors to avoid when writing a fiction novel and his seasoned advice on fiction authors’ best writing approach.

When asked what it takes to sell fiction books, Ramy advises, “You don’t have to have a great story to sell, but you have to have a story that hits certain genre expectations.” To head in the right direction for fiction publishing, Ramy suggests meeting the genre and subgenre expectations right at the beginning of your book. “If you don’t meet these expectations in the beginning, then you’re not going to sell it.” Make sure to hit the critical market selling points in your book and your book description and cover content.

If you want to bring clarity to your writing, Ramy suggests to figure out your Tier 1. “Your Tier 1 is a set of criteria, such as guidelines, that you can contribute to your book and look at the key points of your book that make your book unique.” Once you’ve identified these Tier 1 elements of your novel, check out other published books with 6 out of 10 of these same vital ideas to paint a picture of your ideal avatar – the audience you are writing for with your reader in mind.

Figure out the “trope” or storyline that your book fits into when thinking of your story outline. Form a compilation from the combination of your Tier 1, avatar, and trope to create a compelling book cover and description. “These are giving me direction, so I’m not randomly throwing darts in the dark.”

In addition to these components of writing fiction, an author must look at genre expectations. “It’s a holistic approach because you can’t just look at each part; you have to look at how each part plays together.” At the top of your business funnel, you want to attract the right readers to your book page with great reviews and solid front matter content. Ramy suggests doing your best to capture the right readers early on, to train Amazon AI to push your novel to your avatar.

Show Notes

  • [02:59] What to expect when you publish your first fiction book. 
  • [04:12] The worst thing that can happen to a fiction writer.
  • [07:05] How the Tier 1 Concept can bring clarity to an author.
  • [13:30] The process of getting in front of your avatars on Amazon.
  • [15:50] Two types of mistakes that lead to failures when creating your fiction book.
  • [17:41] Why genre expectations matter in fiction books. 
  • [20:05] Make sure to deliver on the promise that you’ve made in the first few pages of your novel.
  • [21:42] How to build a fiction career through a series of books.
  • [26:58] The process of cyber-stalking your favorite authors to choose your genre expectations. 
  • [31:45] Lessons Ramy learned when writing his fiction novels.
Disclosure: Some of the links above may contain affiliate partnerships, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Self-Publishing School may earn a commission if you click through to make a purchase.

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