You Can Make Money Writing Short Stories on Amazon. But - Do This First.
How to Make Money Writing Short Books on Amazon
Do you want to make money writing books on Amazon? Have you ever thought about writing short books on Amazon? Publishing shorter books is a great way of building your author brand and creating an income for yourself from your writing.
It is no secret that Amazon is a publishing giant. Because of its growth, writers can now freely create and publish their own work without the hassle and competition of traditional publishing.
Indie authors make great money and many even make full-time incomes from their Amazon books alone.
To make a name for yourself as a new author, you need to find a niche. Successful new authors find a trope on the rise, create a great book or series, then promote it to new readers.
This takes time, especially if you are writing full-length novels.
If you are looking to write books full-time, there is another way. You can write short books on Amazon and still make a full-time income. Here’s how.
Why you should write short books over novels
A key ingredient to success on Amazon is your book’s rank.
If you can rank your book high in the appropriate categories, especially in the thirty days after you publish, then your book has a greater chance of selling over time.
Recently, Amazon created categories specifically for a type of book that they call “Short Reads.” See below:
These short reads are broken down by the minutes that they predict the book would take to read as well as the genre. For example, your book may be a one-hour read in the romance genre.
So, why should you write short books?
For starters, they are quicker to write.
Because of this, you can write more books and publish more often. From there, you can run book promotions to get your book in front of more readers, increasing your rank, and resulting in more sales.
How to make money with short books
When you write short books, you can test what sells quicker and with less cost.
Let’s take romance as an example.
If you choose to write a series of short romance books about billionaires that sells really well, then you can recreate what worked in a new series.
I would also recommend enrolling these books in Kindle Unlimited, which pays you based on page reads from members. This would mean your books are exclusive with Amazon, but it does pay a high percentage, depending on how well your book does.
You can also run promotions, such as a free book promotion or a countdown deal. Both of these marketing tools will help get your book seen by more readers.
Ultimately, short books create a writing income at a quicker pace
Short books are a great way to build up your readership and generate income from your writing. You can build out a publication schedule for yourself, set a marketing budget, and work on writing books that sell.
You don’t have to exclusively write short books, either. These can be a great way to build your audience while you work on a longer novel, too.
In any case, short books sell, and if you are looking to become a full-time author, they are a great place to start.
My 8 Favorite Book of the Month Romance Books
Book of The Month is one of my favorite subscription services because you can get beautiful, hardback books for a discounted price.
Sometimes, I even find copies of these books at the discount bookstore, and I buy them without even reading the cover jacket. That’s how pretty these books are.
Today, I’m rounding up my favorite romance Book of the Month books to date. A couple of these are my favorite books of all time. If you are looking for your next romance read, I highly recommend one of these below.
Click on the book image to learn more & buy on Book of the Month or scroll down for my synopsis!
By the way, I do include affiliate links below. That just means that if you purchase any of these, I will get a small portion. Thanks!
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
This book is pretty intense for a romance book. As a years-long Colleen Hoover fan, I was not prepared for how this book would make me feel. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, people.
The tagline? Sometimes the one you love is the one who hurts you the most.
the love hypothesis by ali hazelwood
This book is on the lighter side and it will grab hold of your attention right from the start. The Love Hypothesis is a fake relationship romance between two scientists. If you have not read this yet, you need to get on it ASAP.
one to watch by Kate Stayman-London
I know a book is great when I recommend it to my mom immediately after I’m done. This book was that book for me. When a plus-sized fashion blogger gets named the book-version of The Bachelorette, you know you’re in for a good time.
the heart principle by helen hoang
Helen Hoang is establishing herself as a big name in romance these days. After reading The Heart Principle, I cannot wait to read more of her books. She creates really smart, thorough characters that you fall in love with instantly. Our main character decides to have a series of one-night stands… until one becomes more than just sex.
an American marriage by tayari jones
This book. I barely have the words for it. This is a pretty heavy book, but it is very worth the read. Newlyweds Celestial and Roy have their whole future ahead of them when Roy is arrested and sentenced for a crime he didn’t commit. After five years apart, his sentence is overturned and he returns home. Can they rebuild the marriage that was robbed from them? Please read this one.
the sun is also a star by nicole yoon
This book is a beautiful YA story about two people who meet and share an amazing day together, falling in love. The only problem? She is set to be deported to Jamaica. Nicole Yoon is a wonderful writer and this story will break your heart just a little bit.
untamed by glennon doyle
Glennon Doyle is my favorite writer and I love this book so much that I listen to the audiobook on a regular basis. This memoir-in-essays story will have you believing in love again and is a must-read for women. It’s not strictly romance, but romance is a major part of the story. Highly recommend!
part of your world by abby jimenez
Full disclosure: I have not read this book yet, but I am currently reading her other book, Life’s Too Short, which I am obsessed with. Abby Jimenez has an unbelievable writing style. The specificity with which she writes is unmatched. Part of Your World is about a big-city girl and a small-town boy who meet and fall in love. I cannot wait to read this one.
So, there you go! What are your favorite Book of the Month reads?
Let me know in the comments!
The Ultimate List of Podcasts for Authors
Want free lessons on writing a book? Want to learn how to self-publish and market your book? Podcasts are my favorite free tool and the best way to gain new skills.
If you are an author or aspiring author, I have compiled a list of my favorite podcasts that are updated consistently and never fail to provide incredible advice.
Just find them in your podcast player of choice and start listening!
AUTHOR WRITING TIPS
THE STORY GRID PODCAST
Want to learn how to make your story great? This podcast from Shawne Coyne, author of the book Story Grid, and Tim Grahl leads you through the element of story.
HELPING WRITERS BECOME AUTHORS
K.M. Weiland was my first favorite in the author advice world. She gives practical, straightforward advice on how to make your story shine.
THE PORTFOLIO LIFE WITH JEFF GOINS
Jeff Goins explores what it means to be an author in this age. Portfolio life dives into why you creatives are more than just their art. They are a sum of who and what they are.
THE WRITER FILES
Kelton Reid hosts this podcast where he interviews top authors on how they create and maintain their writing. This is a great choice for authors in need of productivity and creativity tips.
GRAMMAR GIRL
Need a grammar answer? Mignon Fogarty can help! This is a podcast to keep your writing sharp and accurate.
SELF-PUBLISHING
THE SELF-PUBLISHING SHOW
This is the ultimate podcast for self-publishing advice. Mark Dawson is always a step ahead of the curve and his podcast co-host James Blatch handles the interviews with plenty of laughs and great tips.
THE CREATIVE PENN PODCAST
Joanna Penn, another big name self-publishing guru, shares the best advice and interviews industry greats. I love how open and candid she is. She never holds back advice for other authors.
THE STORY STUDIO PODCAST
The Sterling & Stone crew is hilarious and genius. They are production masters, creating books and podcasts and conferences. This is not a podcast to miss.
SPA GIRLS PODCAST
These four New Zealand ladies share real life advice on how to self-publish successfully. I love this podcast and these amazing authors.
ASK ALLI PODCAST
No matter how far along you are in your author journey, the Alliance of Independent Authors has a podcast track for you. And hey, Joanna Penn hosts here, too!
BESTSELLER PODCAST BY REEDSY
Reedsy is an incredible company that puts authors first. This podcast makes the self-publishing podcast simpler and less intimidating.
BOOK MARKETING & SELLING
THE BOOK MARKETING SHOW WITH DAVE CHESSON
I love Dave Chesson. He makes book marketing so much more functional and I use his KDP Rocket tool frequently. This show is top of my list.
THE SELL MORE BOOKS SHOW
This show gives news in the book marketing world and breaks down book marketing strategies into small practical ideas. Each episode covers a range of book topics!
CREATE IF WRITING
Fellow self-published author Kirsten Oliphant teaches you how to build an author platform “without being smarmy.” This is a great podcast to teach you how to reach book fans!
THE AUTHORPRENEUR PODCAST
Amelia Hay shares behind-the-scenes looks into her own author journey while teaching you how to become an authorpreneur, too!
THE AUTHOR MARKETING PODCAST
Want to hear how the other authors make it happen? The author marketing podcast provides interviews with some of the top author earners and how they do it.
AUTHOR AUDIENCE WITH SHELLEY HITZ
Shelley Hitz helps Christian writers to find their story and reach more people with their message. Even if you are not Christian, she is a fantastic resource for book marketing.
What do you think of the podcast list? Share your favorites in the comments!
How to Write Your Book by Dictation
