Need a Logo or a Website? Compare 8 Free Bids Today. Over 50,000 Designers Worldwide. DesignQuote.net

DQ News: How I Sold a Million Books on Amazon in 5 Months

OK, so now I’m going to tell you my dirty little secret.

Since March of 2011, I’ve been secretly downloading and reading $.99 Kindle Singles by John Locke.  There, I’ve said it.  I’m a Donovan Creed junkie.

I had only told a few close friends about this little reading problem because I just didn’t see how a busy, professional, mature woman who normally devours business and marketing books could get caught up in a cheesy spy-like novella featuring the adventures of a handsome, likable CIA assassin.

As it turns out, I had been targeted.  Yes, this was all the result of a well-thought-out marketing plan and a turned-around mind-set that propelled an unknown businessperson turned writer into the first self-published author to have sold 1 million books on Amazon.

You see, when I ran out of Donovan Creed novels to download and wasn’t really into the cowboy-themed series Locke has out now, I downloaded the only other book that was available by John Locke – How I Sold a Million Books on Amazon in 5 Months.

5 Reasons why How I Sold Is a “Download Now” Book

1. It doesn’t have the world’s longest subtitle. This has been a real trend in traditional publishing, and one that I don’t particularly care for because no one can remember a title that’s 26 words long.
2. It’s $4.99. How can you not download a book with the title How I Sold a Million Books on Amazon in 5 Months for $4.99?  You can’t resist, just for the sheer curiosity factor.  Pair that  with the fact that I’d already read the rest of Locke’s books, and the decision was a no-brainer – CLICK.
3. It’s short. You’ll get a lot of information, entertainment and insight in a relatively short period of time.
4. It’s fun to read. Admittedly,  John Locke doesn’t do high-brow writing.  He’s just plain entertaining.  There is something likeable and snappy and ever-so-slightly cheesy about his writing that makes him endearing (to me, anyway).
5. It comes with a pre-written marketing plan. Worth the price of admission right there.  I’m not kidding:  There’s a marketing plan outline right in the book.  All you have to do is copy it, attach some dates and you’re good to go.

If I tell you any more, I’d have to get Donovan Creed to kill you.  But what a way to go.

Who John Locke Is and How His Mind-Set Affected His Success

Here’s the really cool thing about John Locke (@DonovanCreed) – he’s really an entrepreneur turned writer and author.  Locke had already made his fortune starting and selling a couple of businesses when he decided to start writing.

Locke did all the traditional things writers do.  But then he decided to self-publish.  And when he did, he came upon an insidious obstacle put up by traditional publishers to make self-published authors feel somehow “less than” or inferior because they didn’t choose to participate in the publishing machine.

He goes into a priceless entrepreneurial rant on the term “vanity publishing”

“What they are saying, when an author believes in his abilities to the extent that he’s willing to invest his own money to publish a novel, is that he’s writing for pure vanity!….When I invested my own money to start my insurance agency no one accused me of making a vanity investment.  When I invested my own money to buy a life insurance company no one called it a vanity investment.  When I paid cash for my office building no one accused me of making a vanity investment.  When Bill Gates and Paul Allen invested their time and money into developing code for the Altair computer no one accused them of writing vanity code.

But if Bill Gates and Paul Allen invest their own money to write a book, they’re no longer businessmen, they’re vain and any company that charges them money to publish their book is catering to their vanity!  How absurd is that?”

And with that, you get the mind-altering, business-altering epiphany John Locke had that turned the switch on the sales of his existing books on Amazon and influenced every other book he wrote and published.

In case you missed the message, John Locke is a serial entrepreneur who loves to write.  He also loves to earn a profit from his writing.  He sees writing as a business and the selling of books as a marketing effort.  And this is what he shares in this book.

Who Is How I Sold a Million for?

Glad you asked.  John Locke wrote How I Sold a Million for the 700,000 self-published authors and the other thousands of wanna-be authors out there.  He’s very clear about that.   So if you’ve written books or plan on writing a self-published or ebook, you should have downloaded this yesterday.  It’s available in hard copy too, but I think it’s currently sold out.

Anyone who wants to build a loyal community for their company or product should read this book.  Whether you want to selld a book or a cupcake, the principles Locke talks about hold true.

And so there, I’ve shared my secret with you. Now you know about John Locke, and if you read this book maybe you’ll become an OOU, too. (You’ll have to read the book to find out what that means).

From Small Business Trends

How I Sold a Million Books on Amazon in 5 Months

Need a Logo for your new company? Compare 8 Free Bids Today. Over 50,000 Designers Worldwide. DesignQuote.net

Raising Eyebrows: A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets it Right

Your Book Reviewer Vacations With The Kindle

This is the first of a three-part review series.  I’m going to be telling you about more than just a book.  I’m going to share my experiences with a Kindle eReader, a couple of books about karma and how they  impacted my recen

Read Buy Now and Get Profit Making Tips From a Direct Response Marketing Master

Google to Charge for Directions Location Extension

Google’s Local Extensions in AdWords have been a favorite paid advertising technique for small business owners since it was released in 2009. With Local Extension

Video Marketing: Should It Matter To Small Businesses?

I don’t jump every time a “new” marketing idea comes out, because it’s easy to spend all day consuming the latest information and doing nothing (I try to save that for Saturdays).  But as the video marketing buzz continues, the training to go with it e

9 Ways to Market Your SMB Online

Small business marketing used to mean direct mailings, flyers, and postcards listing the latest deals, promotions and specials. As a kid, I would earn a nickel for every envelope I stuffed for my father’s insurance business and a few extra dollars if I