It’s often said that it can’t be done… but anything is possible if you have the mindset of a brutal salesman. Please note that each book is a product. Whether it’s a new release, an old book, a 50-page story, an 800-page epic, fiction or non-fiction… they all have something in common when it comes to Amazon. As far as Amazon search engines are concerned, all of these books are just other products and their identifier is, in their view, just a unique ASIN. It doesn’t matter age, gender, or history. All that matters is how well a certain ASIN will sell.

Many authors have posted their work hoping that their books on Amazon will sell in some way, and possibly even be top listed on Amazon. Oh, to be so confident must be a wonderful thing! With some books having a substantial marketing budget behind them, and others represented by marketing professionals, many self-published books are sadly destined to disappear and simply fail. The quality of the book always matters, but no one can deny that quality alone does not sell books. Professional sales strategy and large advertising budgets make a huge difference in digital sales channels… but a self-published author can’t compete with companies that have been selling books for decades; after all, their skill and knowledge of making a perfectly salable book is their second greatest asset. The first is obviously your money. Money buys audiences: it’s a simple law of large numbers, and one we can’t escape.

No doubt, you may have read some success stories in the past. Yeah, I know, some self-published authors actually did, and it’s pretty impressive that they did. However, the other side of the coin, the sad truth of the matter, is that thousands of other authors failed to achieve a positive profit margin, while a lucky few managed to succeed with seemingly little effort on their part. One could imagine that Amazon is not only the largest bookstore in the world, but also the largest graveyard for books and author aspirations! A few million books (and it’s not an exaggeration, surprisingly) sit there, resting in limbo, without a single visit for weeks or even months, totally forgotten, marked as a failure, abandoned to disappear. So many potential best sellers have failed due to the fact that publishing is not an easy task, even though it may seem like one when you consider how slick the publishing process is on platforms like the Kindle. With just a few clicks, your book has been published! Wow… And then what?

However, your book could stand a chance, provided you adopt the mindset of a salesperson and pick up some crucial marketing skills, something I consider a vital element of digital sales success. Let’s drop the technical jargon and dive into the middle of things. There are several steps that need to be taken before engaging in listing on Amazon.

Sales strategy is based on data, not our own subjective perception of what could go right. This is something you will have to keep in mind throughout this process. It’s not romantic, it’s not glamorous… but it’s reality.

In fact, it is not just about data. In fact, I see three crucial elements to any sales strategy:

Data

Technology

inbound sales

If you’re advertising your book against millions of other books, you better have a decent data-driven strategy. When writing a book, authors are fine when it comes to investing in proofreading and editing. Editing is a must for any author, I wouldn’t disagree with that for a second. However, how many authors immediately jump at the opportunity to involve a marketing/sales professional? Very few, actually, despite the fact that these people and their skills are also essential. You need data, and you need professionals who have access to the right data.

What kind of data do we use? Obviously, our main focus is on our competitors. Our data should show the success of books in our specific genre. What is your overall sales range? How many reviews do you have? What keywords do they use when creating their persuasive sales copy? This has nothing to do with writing, I know, and it’s not necessarily the ‘fun’ part of producing a book for sale. However, this is something that MUST BE DONE BEFORE POSTING. If not, you’re just another fish in the sea…and one that’s quickly being surrounded by sharks!

A smart salesperson is also someone who is technologically savvy. They need to be familiar with all those fancy marketing tools and techniques and keep up to date on the latest developments in this field. To become familiar with them, an author must therefore acquire some specific knowledge. How do you set up a blog? What is SEO? How do you use social networks to sell more books? What about Twitter? Are promotional sites good? Why does a book need a good video?

So many questions, we know. However, you’d better learn the answers yourself if you’re serious about self-publishing in any way, as the answers to these questions will make you see a huge difference in your rankings and sales numbers. The alternative, of course, is to hire a marketing professional, just like you hired your publisher. Publishing is not a process of putting your book on Amazon’s shelf. It’s A BUSINESS, and one that requires an entrepreneurial approach.

Another point: what about inbound sales? Can you really focus on your buyer’s needs and goals? How do you sell the way prospects buy? Again, more questions than any serious Amazon seller needs to consider, if they want their product to get anywhere!

Yeah I know, I’m being a little pushy here… but a salesperson would understand, trust me. Sales are not something that just happens like a bolt from the blue. It’s something you have to bring to life by using data, technology, and inbound sales methods, with a professional guide to guide you.

So, back to our original question. Can old books become new bestsellers? Well yes, they certainly can. Imagine, for a moment, that your book had a setup that uses all available data and technology to establish a unique customer experience. Imagine your book standing out, even without a strong advertising budget, led by a data-driven sales strategy… not impossible, by any means.

I have a real thing for old books. After all, some books just failed to connect with readers, but many books never had a chance to connect. I always say: it is never a losing game, as long as you believe in your book. If you want your book back in the game, have some faith, because there’s no doubt that it really can be done!

As? Following these steps:

Purchase a license for professional tools, like KDRocket, to research your competition, ideas, keywords, and categories.

Join a learning/training program on search engine optimization, social media, blogging, and other marketing channels that have proven to be successful in selling books.

(I might have one for you: SEO Crash Course for Publishers)

Learn about your customer base; read reviews, join groups, get involved.

Create your own audience, do some self promotion. Start with a few followers and never get discouraged.

There’s also a secret sauce you can add to your efforts: consistency. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Don’t give up your books. Give them the love, care, attention, and professionalism they need, and help them get their message across to readers who are already looking for what you have to share!