Writing Tips for Your Own Ebook: So You Want to be the Next Amanda Hocking

So you want to self-publish your own e-book and be an internet bestseller like Amanda Hocking.

While I can't guarantee you her level of success, here are some tips to improve your chances:

1.  Choose a genre with a wide target audience.

If your book would interest only a very select group of readers (e.g. a local history book), don't expect to sell very many copies.    

Your best bet is a book with crossover appeal (i.e. appeals to both teens and adults) which means more potential purchasers.  Paranormal romance books, urban fantasy and dystopian novels featuring teenage protagonists typically have crossover appeal.  So it is no surprise that Amanda Hocking's "My Blood Approves" series, which is about a teenage girl who meets two vampire brothers, would be of interest to many readers.      

2. Think of an intriguing idea.  

There are plenty of paranormal romance novels about vampires, zombies, witches, faeries and werewolves. Something about your story needs to make it stand out from the rest.  Click here for some tips on choosing a paranormal creature.

Once you've come up with an idea, summarize it in six sentences or less.  Include your idea along with a list of book summaries for similar books without naming the author (click on the covers below to find summaries of some of Amanda Hocking's books) and ask some people who fit into your target audience to rate how interested they are in each one.   If your idea ranks poorly, consider revising it, or coming up with a new one entirely.

3.  Write something.

This may seem obvious, but many people never make it past the idea stage.  Start by creating a summary about each major character (e.g. personality, appearance, likes and dislikes, fears, goals, background etc.), and an outline of your story.  Then don't procrastinate - start writing.

4.  Write something good.

Amanda Hocking's books don't just sell because they appeal to many readers, but because they are well written. 

Hone your talent by attending writing workshops, and by reading books, online articles, and magazines, such as The Writer and Writer's Digest, that offer advice to writers.  

5.  Revise your manuscript

Once you have finished writing your first draft, you are still far from being done.  Be prepared to invest a lot of time in rewriting your story.  As difficult as this is to do, set aside the manuscript for a month before reading it again to gain a fresh perspective.

Also consider joining a critique group and be open to their criticisms.  Remember, just asking your friends and family for their opinion will not add value - changes are they will just tell you what you want to her, not what you need to hear.

Also, if your book is full of spelling and grammatical errors, no one will want to read it no matter how great the story is.  Consider hiring a professional editor (make sure you check their credentials and references), or at a minimum, ask people you know to proofread it for obvious errors.  

6.   Learn how to market your book

Don't expect readers to come to you - reach out to them.

Amanda Hocking gave advance copies of her books to bloggers she thought would be interested in them.  In turn, these bloggers reviewed her books and helped generate a buzz.  Ensure you participate in blogs and forums that your traget audience would be interested in, and create your own blog (I recommend Blogger, which is free). 

Offering contests for free copies of your book and other events on your blog or on sites like Goodreads can also help you reach your target audience.  If winners like your book, then they may write reviews which further generate interest. 

Also ensure you reasonably price your book.  Consider offering your first few books for only $0.99, and if readers enjoy them, they may be willing to pay a higher price for the next one. 


If you've electronically published a book, please share any advice you may have for aspiring authors.