Whether you are looking to develop a new skill, or brush up on an existing one, this list of non-fiction books can help. Recently loved and reviewed by our Hidden Gems ARC readers, there is something for everyone on this list.

Secure the Bag by Aroldo Filizola

With 14 ratings and a 4.8 star average, Secure the Bag by Aroldo Filizola helps both parents and teens develop critical financial skills.

Roberto C. describes in his five star Amazon review why you should add this to your TBR list, “Easy and entertaining read for adults and for teens for sure. This book has triggered great conversations at my dinner table with my teens on very specific topics. Since they read the book, we’ve opened Roth IRA accounts for my 2 boys and are on their way to save towards retirement. This book will change the way your teen looks at money, their spending habits and provide them a criteria on the meaning of being a millionaire.”

“Mr. Filizola does a great job explaining investing concepts in a simple way. This is a must read book for teens, and their parents or guardians. It is never too late to start investing, but the sooner the better. Teens can avoid basic but impactful mistakes by following the book.” Gustavo P. concurs in his five star Amazon review.

Our Global Lingua Franca by Gregory Diehl

With nearly 70 ratings and an impressive 4.9 star average, Our Global Lingua Franca by Gregory Diehl dives into the pitfalls of failing English as a Foreign Language programs and provides insight on how educators and learners may increase fluency and confidence in teaching and learning English.

“…This book is a game-changer for educators worldwide. It provides valuable insights and practical strategies for teaching English in challenging contexts where traditional EFL programs may not be effective. From curriculum design to cultural sensitivity, it covers every aspect of the teaching process. The real-life success stories and adaptable approaches make it an essential read for educators looking to make a meaningful impact on English language education globally. Our Global Lingua Franca is a must-have resource for those dedicated to spreading English proficiency where it’s needed most.” Ahmed raves in his five star Amazon review.

John F. concurs in his five star Amazon review, “My neck is a bit sore from all the vigorous nodding in agreement I did as I read Our Global Lingua Franca by Gregory Diehl! I really wish this guide had existed when I taught English in Japan and Taiwan, where I saw firsthand how broken most EFL programs are. So much time is spent studying for tests, memorizing vocabulary out of context, and talking ABOUT English IN the local language. It’s no wonder so many EFL students emerge from years of study unable to communicate in the language. Fortunately, my academic background in Linguistics and my own experience learning Japanese and Mandarin helped me to figure out how to best help my English students. But it took a lot of trial and error that could have been avoided with Gregory’s book in hand.”

The Actor’s Book of Quotes by Mike Kimmel

With over 50 ratings and a 5 star average, The Actor’s Book of Quotes by Mike Kimmel is a must read for actors searching for encouragement on their journey. Meant to encourage, inspire, and support performing artists, this book provides a boost and a fresh perspective.

“This book is an excellent idea, and a strong resource guide, for acting class students and professional level actors. Many of the quotes are inspirational and many are funny, while many others are philosophical and will make you think long and hard. All in all, it’s a great book for actors of all skill levels and will give the reader many wonderful insights on the industry,” Carolina N. explains in her five star Amazon review.

Barry B. writes in his five star Amazon review, “Although this book is primarily targeted to actors, this is a collection of inspiration and knowledge for everyone, no matter where you happen to be on your life’s journey. The categories and chapters are laid out in an easily digestible reading. The research and being able to compose the in depth material in this book is extraordinary. It’s a book that each person can read, take with them and often glance back over when a dose of enlightenment is needed. The call to action is a bonus. Pay it forward and share. It’s a gift that can keep on giving. A beautiful body of deeply researched work.”

Executive Functioning Skills for Young Adults by Heidi Bodanis

Having over 100 reviews and a 4.7 star average on Amazon, Executive Functioning Skills for Young Adults by Heidi Bodanis is a guide to help young adults who struggle with time management, procrastination, and balancing priorities. With proven strategies to act as a compass for self-regulation, readers will greet success with open arms.

Nalota writes in their Amazon review, “This book follows Sam as he navigates the challenges of balancing school and work, providing realistic examples of the struggles young people face. It explores often overlooked concepts like decision fatigue—how making too many decisions can be exhausting—and the time traps of social media. The book offers practical techniques to overcome these challenges, such as the Pomodoro Technique and guided meditation. It’s an excellent read for high school graduates heading to college. I would recommend omitting the part about stimulation from playing games before giving it to your son, as kids already spend too much time on that.”

“Executive Functioning Skills for Young Adults is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to improve their executive functioning skills and excel in college and beyond. The book offers a comprehensive range of strategies, insights, and techniques that are easy to implement and highly effective. With the guidance provided, young adults will be equipped to take control of their lives, manage their time effectively, and achieve success in their academic and personal pursuits,” Kristine P. concurs in her five star Amazon review.

Navigate Addiction Recovery, Overcome Drugs and Alcohol, Stay Clean and Sober by Belle Motley

With over 220 ratings and a 4.9 star average, this guide by Belle Motley provides insight, support and actionable steps for those who are searching for help navigating addiction recovery. Recovery is a process that does not need to be walked alone.

Kerrilyn writes in her five star Amazon review, “I must admit, when I first got this book, I didn’t expect much. I’ve been through the roller coaster of addiction, tried various methods, read countless books, but something about this one clicked. It wasn’t a list of do’s and don’ts; it was a journey through someone else’s shoes, making you realize you’re not alone in your fight. The strategies outlined were my favorite part.

They weren’t these grandiose gestures but simple, daily tasks that slowly but surely built a new routine, a new mindset, a new me. The psychological insight provided wasn’t academic jargon but relatable explanations that helped me understand myself better, my addiction, and my path to recovery. This book didn’t just sit on my shelf; it walked the journey with me, and I’m grateful for the new outlook on life it’s given me.”

“What I like the most about this book about getting sober and staying sober, is the way the author uses evidence based strategies AND her own spiritual experiences, and it comes across as a dual approach. The author is clearly writing from a personal place, and has also done her research. This book is straightforward and honest – yet also offers hope and encouragement.

I highly recommend this book for those in recovery, those supporting someone in recovery, and for anyone just considering the idea of getting clean and sober. One day at a time…one step at a time – it can be done! And this book can help you get there,” Jeanna R. writes in her five star Amazon review.

Hidden Gems readers got to read these helpful books first, so if you want more non-fiction titles on your TBR list sign up today! Subscribers to Hidden Gems receive invitations to read books like these – plus other titles from any of up to 15 other genres – for free. Authors send these out in the hopes that the readers will write an honest review once they’re done.

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As the summer sun heats up, the temptation to take a break and relax becomes irresistible. But while it’s commonly believed that book sales tend to dip during these warmer months, there’s a golden opportunity hidden within this “summer slump”, especially for self-published authors. It’s possible to turn this seasonal slowdown to your advantage, ensuring your books become the go-to reads for vacationers everywhere.

From understanding the summer reading habits of your audience to crafting compelling marketing strategies that resonate with the season’s vibe, Ginger covers everything you need to know to boost your book sales during June, July, and August. So read on to discover new ways of making your book stand out in a less crowded market, and transform the next few months into a season of sales success!

I don’t know about you, but my ideal vacation is pretty simple. I want to sit outside by the water, sip on a frosty margarita, and lose myself in a paperback for hours at a time. I think summer reading is one of the best things about the season, and the wealth of TikToks, YouTube Videos, and Reels posted by readers sharing their “Summer Reading List” suggests I’m not alone in that thought!

This is something self-published authors should bear in mind. While surveys have generally pointed to a downtick in book sales during the summer months, those surveys also reiterate that people do still buy books during June, July, and August – just not as many of them.

So, as a writer, you should make every effort to make sure your books are among those copies that do get sold!

In that regard, being a self-published author might actually give you an advantage. Traditionally, the publishing industry has focused most of their fall releases and marketing to capitalize on back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons. Therefore, summer offers a unique opportunity for self-published authors to get a lot more visibility for their books in a much less crowded marketplace – and that could potentially offer a real performance boost to any advertising or marketing you plan on doing.

Here’s why I think the lead-up to summer is the perfect time to advertise your book – and some thoughts on how to do it!

The Summer Slump Isn’t Just a Myth

In self-publishing forums, there’s a reference to something called the Summer Slump. This is when there’s a noticeable drop in book sales across the board for June, July, and August. Most people assume that this is because people are going on vacation, or they’re busy during the summer months with kids and other activities. The standard amount of time people are able to dedicate to reading during the winter often gets eaten up by new outside activities.

But while that’s true, it’s also worth observing how many readers actually crave the summer months. Those who do read love the idea of taking a book with them. It’s an escape during the wait at the airport. It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the sun. For those with the desire to, summer is the perfect season to gain some extra reading time; and while the overall market might slump, these more dedicated readers could be the perfect audience to target with your advertising and marketing.

It’s also worth noting that the best time to advertise is often when there’s a downturn in sales – especially in the publishing industry. A lot of publishers and authors hold off on advertising during the summer, thinking that it’s pointless because of the “slump.”

However, readers still read – and if you take the opposite approach, and actually increase your advertising during the summer, you might find yourself reaching a larger percentage of those eager readers than you would have done during the seasons in which authors were advertising more.

Capitalize on the “Beach Read” Craving

As a self-published author, your catalog of books could be exactly what summer readers are looking for – and thanks to Amazon, they can go head-to-head with traditionally published books on the digital bookshelves.

You have an advantage in that competition is less fierce in the summer, so your advertising dollar might stretch a little further than it usually does.

It’s worth remembering, however, that summer is synonymous with relaxation and escape. Many readers specifically seek out “beach reads” – light, engaging stories that are perfect for unwinding on vacation or soaking up the sun. If your book fits this category, now is the ideal time to showcase it to potential readers.

That doesn’t mean more downbeat books don’t have their place on a summer reading list – but focusing your marketing on what the reader wants (rather than what you want to sell them) is a shortcut to making the most out of your marketing budget.

Highlight the Appeal of Physical Books

About 1 in 3 Americans read books on their iPad or Kindle.  In fact, eBooks make up 70% of book sales in some categories, like romance. However, while ebooks offer undeniable convenience, there’s a certain charm to holding a physical book in your hand – especially during the summertime. I know I still prefer reading a paperback by the poolside, rather than squinting at my phone or Kindle. You also don’t need to worry about recharging it, or dropping it into the water.

So, self-published authors should take note. If you haven’t already, consider creating a paperback version of your books. You can even plan advertising that links directly to the paperback version on Amazon, rather than the Kindle edition. 

If you need help, remember that Hidden Gems offers a cover design package and can help with the formatting and publishing of your paperback books. Reach out to us to guide you through the process.

It’s worth it, because paperbacks truly make your books feel “real.” Advertising paperback editions during the summer caters to a specific audience who might otherwise skip over your book if it’s only available in digital format.

Here are some additional tips to leverage the power of summer for your self-published book:

Craft a Summer-Themed Marketing Campaign

• Why don’t you consider running social media ads featuring beach visuals, refreshing drinks, or scenic landscapes? At Hidden Gems, we actually offer an Ad Design service that can produce ads for Instagram and Facebook that highlight your book against a lush, summer backdrop.
• Is your book set during the summer? Or in a warm climate? Lean into that! Post some summer-themed excerpts from your books to let readers know that they can bask in some sunshine even between the pages of your story.
• Here’s a great one for you. Think about sending your vacationing friends a paperback version of your book, with the promise that they’ll post about it on social media. Or even reach out to travel bloggers or book reviewers who “influence” a summer-loving audience. There’s nothing like seeing your own book on somebody else’s feed!

Run Targeted Online Promotions

• Book marketing best-practices can be even more effective during the summer. You should definitely consider maximizing these (and making your book stand out from the crowd) by offering discounts or bundles during the summer months.
• If you’re part of Amazon’s Kindle Select program, maximize those page-reads by using the Free Promotion Days or Countdown Deals that are exclusively available to books in Kindle Unlimited. You can use these once every 90-days, so you should already be planning out seasonal campaigns. Make sure you embrace the summer one!
• Consider “beach reads” and “summer reading” as potential keywords as you schedule your advertising. Running targeted advertising campaigns on social media platforms can be especially effective during the summer because people post a lot more selfies and videos during the summer months.

Engage with Booksellers and Local Communities

I’ve already mentioned paperbacks, but it’s worth repeating: They can offer a unique source of revenue for self-published authors during the summer months – especially if you put them in front of people eager for a new beach read. Whether you use a service like Ingram Sparks to produce paperbacks, or order Author Copies from Amazon directly, think about the following:

• Reaching out to independent bookstores in beach destinations or areas with high summer tourism. Ask if you can provide them with paperback copies to sell.
• Organize book signings or author talks at libraries or community centers during the summer months.
• Participate in local summer festivals or book fairs to connect with potential readers in person. Not only can you sell a surprising number of books at events like these, but they’re also a lot of fun to attend!

Embrace the Power of Reviews and Recommendations

As I mentioned above, the impact of book marketing best-practices can be amplified during the summer months because fewer authors are advertising. Here’s some stuff you should be doing already, which might deliver more bang for your buck because of the summer season.

• Make sure to encourage satisfied readers to sign up to your subscriber list, and leave positive reviews on retailer sites and online book communities.
• Offer free review copies to book bloggers or reviewers who specialize in your genre.
• Run contests or giveaways on social media platforms to generate excitement and word-of-mouth buzz.

Bonus Tip: Create a Compelling Summer Reading List of Your Own!

If you write in a specific genre, consider partnering with other self-published authors in your niche to curate a joint “Summer Reading List.” This collaborative effort can expose your book to a wider audience while providing readers with a diverse selection of summer reads.

I write MC Romance novels, for example – so I could team up with other motorcycle-club authors to create a list that showcases each of our books. Because our genre is so specific, readers are always eager to discover new authors who write books that hit their summer reading sweet-spot.

The Sun in Shining on Self-Published Authors

By implementing summer strategies like these, you could position your self-published books for even greater success this summer. 

Remember, the key lies in understanding what summer readers are looking for – escape, entertainment, and an engaging story to accompany them on their summer adventures. Make sure those are concepts forefront in your marketing.

Other than that – what are you waiting for? Get creative, embrace the warm weather spirit, and make an effort to send your self-published book sales soaring toward the summer sun!

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For science fiction and fantasy authors, winning a Hugo Award signifies the pinnacle of achievement in the genre, a distinction historically bestowed upon literary giants such as Isaac Asimov, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Ray Bradbury. However, recent controversies involving allegations of bias, censorship, and manipulation in the voting process have tarnished the Hugo Awards’ credibility.

Today, Ginger discusses the storied history of the Hugo Awards, tracing their evolution from their inception in 1953 through the genre’s golden ages, and confronting the present-day challenges that threaten their esteemed status. He examines the complex dynamics within the Hugo Awards and the debates these controversies have ignited among authors and fans, and considers the potential for the Hugos to reclaim their role as the definitive standard of excellence in science fiction and fantasy literature.

Author’s Note, June 2024.

Hi there! Ginger here. Back in March, I wrote an article entitled “Can the Hugo Awards Recover Their Credibility?” referencing the controversy surrounding the nominations for the 2023 Hugo Awards, which were awarded to winning writers at the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China.

Months later, it was pointed out that there were some factual errors in that article, such as my claim that the 2023 Woldcon was the second to be held in Chengdu (when in fact it was the second Worldcon to be held in Asia – in 2022 the Con was held in Chicago, Illinois.) Several readers, including Hugo Award winners and nominees, and members of the Worldcon committee themselves, pointed out these errors while criticizing the article itself.

And, of course, no writer should make stupid mistakes like that when writing an article! I have no problem being held accountable for errors I’ve made. However, in re-reading the article I’d written, I realized that perhaps there was a bigger issue than just those mistakes. 

I’d blithely written an article highlighting the controversies surrounding the Hugo Awards both in 2023 and in 2015 and asked the question “can the awards recover their credibility?” In doing so, I inadvertently (carelessly? cruelly? thoughtlessly?) attacked the credibility of everybody who’d ever won a Hugo Award – especially in the controversial 2023 award debacle.

It was careless, lazy, and not representative of who I try to be as a writer. I’d lost sight of who I write these articles for – writers – and tried to “report” on a news story instead. Not only did I do a bad job of that by incorporating errors, but I feel now that the tone, subject, and theme of the article were also incongruent with the sort of article I want to write.

I imagined for a second how I’d feel if I’d been recognized for a Hugo Award following a lifetime of hard work and dedication to my craft, and then had some random ginger kid with a British accent dismiss the significance of that with a wave of their hand – and in an article that contained factual errors, no less!

So, instead of just ignoring the criticism, or trying to retroactively fix the errors to pretend that they didn’t happen, I wanted to take responsibility for the tone of my article and revisit it. After all, I’ve mentioned many times how important science fiction and fantasy was to me growing up, and how influential many Hugo Award winners have been to my writing, and my enjoyment of books as a whole. The Hugo Awards deserve better, and so do the writers who took the time to read and comment on my article.

So, what are the Hugo Awards?

Before you can talk about the controversies surrounding the Hugo Awards, you have to know what they are – and I’ve always kind of described them as “the Oscars of science fiction.” 

Way back in 1953, at the 11th Worldcon in Philadelphia, seven awards were given out by the organizers of the convention recognizing excellence in seven different categories of science fiction and fantasy. The original toastmaster was Isaac Asimov, no less – and the winner of the inaugural award for Best Novel was Alfred Bester, for his novel The Demolished Man – a murder mystery originally serialized in Galaxy Society Fiction.

There’d been no original plans to repeat the awards, but they were reinstated for the 1955 Worldcon in Cleveland, Ohio, and have taken place every year since. In 1961, the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)  was formed to oversee each Worldcon committee, and the rules of the award were finalized in their constitution.

Since then, the scope and scale of the Hugo Awards has done nothing but grow. Today, despite the controversies I’m about to write about, they’re pretty much universally recognized as THE global award in science fiction and fantasy writing (with the similarly famous Nebula Awards reserved for science fiction and fantasy published in the United States.)

The Los Angeles Times described the Hugo Awards as “the highest honor bestowed in science fiction and fantasy writing.” Author Jo Walton, who literally wrote the book on the history of the Hugo Awards, described them as the only science fiction award “that actually affect the sales of a book.”

So, they’re a pretty big deal – and you only need to glance at a roster of previous winners to see why that might be. Robert A. Heinlein, considered “dean of science fiction writers,” beat out Isaac Asimov to win in 1956 for Double Star, then beat Kurt Vonnegut to take the same prize in 1960 for Starship Troopers, and then won the award two more times after that! 

Other winners include Philip K. Dick, Frank Herbert, Ursula K. Le Guin, Arthur C. Clarke, and Isaac Asimov himself (eventually.) That’s like a “who’s who” of the most influential science fiction and fantasy writers of the 20th century. The trend continued in the 21st century, with winners including J. K. Rowling (she who will not be named) and Neil Gaiman, and nominees including Iain M. Banks and George R. R. Martin.

The history of Hugo Award winners is like a history of the best in science fiction and fantasy writing, and that’s why being included as a winner or nominee is so important. There’s really no more significant award to win – and even to be nominated is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the greatest science fiction and fantasy writers of the last century.

And that’s the part I’d missed out in my last take on the subject. I questioned the current credibility of the Hugo Awards without even recognizing just how credible (incredibly credible, perhaps) the award had been in the past. 

The Hugo Awards is IT, people – there is no higher honor in science fiction or fantasy writing. That’s why the organizers, winners, and fans of the award are so protective of it – and why the recent controversies surrounding the awards hurt them so much. To even be nominated for an award is a HUGE deal for a writer – and not something that can easily be dismissed.

It’s all very well for me to write an article questioning the credibility of the awards – but let’s face it: In doing so, I’m no different than the person sitting on the couch eating Cheetos complaining that the Academy Awards are “over” because of falling audience figures.

Ask any actor nominated for an Oscar if they feel the same way and they’d probably say “hell, no.” The Academy Awards are still as relevant as ever to actors, directors, and motion picture professionals, and writers and authors of science fiction and fantasy would no doubt say the same of the Hugo Awards (and they’d be right.)

But where did this criticism originate? Why is the “credibility” of the Hugo Awards under attack? And just what kind of controversy have they become embroiled in? 

That’s a whole different story – and one that originated with a group of Internet trolls who described themselves as The Sad Puppies back in 2015.

The First Controversy

If anybody has ever tried to organize an awards ceremony, you know there are challenges. I run a very small one for fans of James Bond every year, and it’s amazing to what lengths some people will do to get themselves up on the podium – even though there’s no actual prize.

The Hugo Awards are victim to the same challenges, and in 2015 a group of disgruntled science fiction writers decided to take advantage of the inherent vulnerabilities of the voting process in order to get authors and writers they’d chosen into the nomination process. They called themselves the “sad puppies” and used voting blocs to skew the results of the voting process in favor of writers they felt weren’t “niche, academic, or overtly leftist.” The criticism was that the Hugo Awards had become an “affirmative action award” that favored minority writers 

In 2016, this group tried the same tactic again – this time dominating five categories and ensuring that “their” nominees were the only ones listed. These nominees included gay erotica author Chuck Tingle for his short story Space Raptor Butt Invasion, which gives some indication of the level of maturity and sophistication with which these trolls operated. 

The controversy forced WSFS to ratify a whole new set of rules to govern the nomination and voting process, but by then the damage was done. Critics of the award pointed to 2017 nominees like Stix Hiscock (for his novelette “Alien Stripper Boned from Behind by the T-Rex”) as evidence that the slate of nominees and even the winners themselves could be decided by less-than-democratic methods.

As far as I can see, the real damage this incident did was to force a question mark above the nomination of any author or book that certain groups disapproved of. George R. R. Martin, a Hugo Award nominee himself, wrote: “Call it block voting. Call it ballot stuffing. Call it gaming the system. There’s truth to all of those characterizations. You can’t call it cheating, though. It was all within the rules. But many things can be legal, and still bad … and this is one of those, from where I sit. I think the Sad Puppies have broken the Hugo awards, and I am not sure they can ever be repaired.”

The Second Controversy

However, as my twenty-year-old pick-up truck proves, something doesn’t stop just because it needs to be repaired – and following the changes to the nomination process, the Hugo Awards continued to be awarded at Worldcon in Helsinki, San Jose, Ireland, and New Zealand (albeit virtually, due to COVID 19.) 

In fact, George R. R. Martin was toastmaster for the 2020 Awards – proving that even if he didn’t believe the Hugo Awards could be repaired, he still believed in them enough to participate!

But in 2023, the second big controversy hit the awards – and this time, it was surrounding influence on the nomination process alleged to come from a very different source than right-wing Internet trolls:

The Chinese government.

In 2023, Worldcon was held in Chengdu, China, for the first time (not the second time, as I’d incorrectly stated in my original article. It was, however, only the second time the 80-year-old convention had ever been held in Asia.)

Fans of the Hugo Awards raised red flags when several notable writers were mysteriously absent from the slate of award nominees – including veteran Hugo nominee Neil Gaiman, R.F. Kuang, and Xiran Jay Zhao. Each of these authors had received enough votes to be nominated for major categories. However, officials for the Chengdu Worldcon declared them “ineligible”. 

Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, these authors were known for their outspoken criticism of the Chinese government, especially the government’s alleged genocide against the Uyghur people. Leaked emails later revealed that officials from Chengdu Worldcon had taken the decision to remove these authors from the nominations process in order to appease the Chinese government.

This led to another controversy – one perhaps even louder than the 2015 “sad puppies” debacle. Once again, the actions of a few people had thrown the credibility of the entire award into question – but this time, it was people from within the organization accused of wrongdoing, not external bad actors. Both the director of Worldcon Intellectual Property and the chair of the Board of Directors resigned over the controversy, and the organizers of the 2024 Worldcon vowed to ensure transparency and accountability from everybody involved in the awards moving forward.

The Aftermath

There’s no doubt that the impact of these controversies has hurt both Worldcon and the credibility of the Hugo Awards. The fact that external bad actors managed to influence the slate of nominees in 2015 and 2016 was bad enough, but it was made even worse when bad actors from within the organization also used their power and influence to exclude authors from their rightful place among the nominees in 2023.

That being said, there was an important point I’d missed out in in my original article which was perhaps even more important than the factual details I’d got wrong: 

The show must go on…

…and it does.

In 2024, the 82nd Worldcon will hold the 81st Hugo Awards ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland – and a couple of years of controversy can’t possibly erase the significance of eight decades of excellence in science fiction and fantasy writing.

Nominations for Space Raptor Butt Invasion and Alien Stripper Boned from Behind by the T-Rex notwithstanding, the Hugo Awards still remains THE global award for science fiction and fantasy writing. To be nominated for an award is an incredible testament to the quality and influence of an author’s work – and to actually win one is a crowning achievement for any writer.

Perhaps Neil Gaiman was unfairly excluded from the 2023 slate of nominees. Perhaps Space Raptor Butt Invasion unfairly nudged out nominating a book that some might consider a better example of excellence in science fiction and fantasy. However, one thing remains clear: Those that won, and almost all who were nominated, deserved this honor because of their dedication to the craft of writing and their excellence in executing a story.

The credibility of the Hugo Awards might have taken a ding or two along the way, but it remains the world’s most important award in science fiction and fantasy writing; and I’m sorry if I didn’t properly acknowledge that in my original article. Every single award winner and nominee (even Chuck Tingle and Stix Hiscock) should be justifiably proud of the recognition they’ve received; and those of us who love and support the awards should view their success as nothing less than an inspiration.

2024 will be the 81st Hugo Award ceremony. I hope to witness the 100th one, and beyond.

Ginger (Roland)

THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE WITH CORRECTIONS IS BELOW:

If you’re a fan of science fiction or fantasy, you’ve undoubtedly heard of The Hugo Awards. 

Presented at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) each year, the Hugos are highly regarded within the science fiction and fantasy community, and for decades have served as a benchmark of quality and innovation in a genre that often pushes the boundaries of fiction and literature.

Spanning both decades and subgenres of science fiction and fantasy, some of the most notable Hugo Award winners include Isaac Asimov for his groundbreaking Foundation series, Ursula K. Le Guin for the Earthsea cycle, Frank Herbert for the epic Dune, N.K. Jemisin for her groundbreaking Broken Earth trilogy, Neil Gaiman for his imaginative Sandman graphic novels, and Margaret Atwood for her dystopian masterpiece The Handmaid’s Tale. 

However, over the course of the last few years, not all has been well at the Hugos – and a fresh scandal that broke this January is shining yet another unflattering light on an award that has already weathered accusations of rule-bending and ballot stuffing.

This leads to an inevitable and unfortunate question: Can the Hugo Awards recover their credibility?

The History of the Hugo Awards

The Hugo Awards were named after Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967) who pioneered the first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. Held in Philadelphia in 1953 at the 11th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), the first Hugo Awards were never actually intended to be an annual event. The organizers hoped other Worldcons would follow suit, but the awards were initially just a one-off celebration.

At the ceremony, there were no official presenters; the awards were simply announced and the winners approached the stage to collect their trophies. The first Hugo trophies were rocketships made of plastic and wood, a far cry from the more elaborate statuettes awarded today.

In the years that followed, the Hugo Awards became one of the most prestigious accolades for authors of science fiction and fantasy, with many winners beginning their careers after winning one of the coveted statues. 

In 1956, Robert A. Heinlein won Best Novel for Double Star and this undoubtedly helped him earn his later reputation as the “Dean of Science Fiction.” In 1965, Frank Herbert won Best Novel for Dune, the first installment in a saga that continues to be held in high regard today, and was recently re-adapted for cinema. 

Other winners include the iconic Ursula K. Le Guin, George R.R. Martin, and J.K. Rowling – practically a “who’s who” of the finest fantasy and sci-fi writers of the modern age. With names like these among the winners, it’s not surprising that until recently, winners of the Hugo were considered the pinnacle writers of their genre. 

Today, the Hugo Awards continue to be held annually at Worldcon, which takes place in a different city every year. In 2023, the awards were held in Chengdu, China.

However, there was controversy surrounding the official winners for the 2023 awards. This was due to concerns about potential Chinese government influence on award selection and censorship of nominated works – throwing the legitimacy of the winners into question.

That would be problematic enough if it wasn’t for the fact that the Hugos have already encountered these kind of accusations, way back in 2015, when another controversy led to questions about how legitimate the winners of the awards were.

The Sad Puppies Controversy

The cracks in the veneer of the highly-regarded Hugos appeared in 2013, in something called the Sad Puppies Controversy. This was a protest by a group of science fiction and fantasy fans and authors who felt the Hugo Awards were neglecting works by straight, white, male creators and prioritizing diversity and “political correctness” over quality.

The initial spark came in 2013 when openly conservative fantasy and science fiction author Larry Correia complained that the awards nominations for that year prioritized the books and stories of female and minority authors, who he claimed were nominated more for their political beliefs than the quality of their writing. 

“The nominations are kinda controlled by certain little cliques,” he claimed in a 2015 podcast. “These little politically motivated cliques nominate all their friends and get all their people on there based on the politics of the person, not the quality of the work.”

In protest, he decoded the nominations and voting process for the awards and used a “voting bloc” of his fans to try and force the nomination of his novel Monster Hunter Legion instead.

He called this campaign “Sad Puppies” in reference to the famous SPCA ads in which singer Sarah McLachlan appeals to viewers to donate to the famous American animal shelters, with her message interspersed by images of sad and lonely dogs and cats. This is how he viewed the more diverse nominations from that year – which he dismissed as “boring message-fics” that shunned good, original writing in favor of promoting a left-wing political agenda.

His campaign continued in 2014 and 2015, along with another voting bloc campaign organized by Vox Day, which was called Rabid Puppies. Together, these campaigns were successful in stacking the 2015 Hugo Awards nominations with books that they felt better represented their vision of what good science fiction and fantasy looks like. Unfortunately, their vision did not align with many of the traditional supporters of the Hugos – many of whom complained that the existing voting system was inadequate to protect against organized voting campaigns. 

Ultimately, the campaign backfired. Many voters rebelled, and in protest, a record number of categories ended with “No Award” instead of recognizing nominees being supported by the Sad Puppies or Rabid Puppies. While the Sad Puppies campaign claimed this as a victory, highlighting the supposed bias, it ultimately seriously damaged the Hugo Awards reputation.

In response, the Hugos implemented a key change to their nomination process starting in 2017 – Ranked Choice Voting. This system replaced the previous nomination system where voters could simply nominate as many works as they wanted in each category. With ranked-choice voting, voters rank their choices in order of preference. This makes it harder for a small, organized group to dominate the nominations with a single slate of works by discouraging bloc voting. However, by then, the damage had already been done.

The Chinese Voting Scandal

In the years that have passed since, the organizers have worked hard to rebuild the reputation of the Hugo Awards as the world’s premiere accolade for science fiction and fantasy writing, and haven’t been entirely unsuccessful.

However, all that hard work got thrown into question during the most recent awards.

The controversy arose this January, after the awards ceremony, when the final voting data for the 2023 Hugos was released. It revealed that several works, including R.F. Kuang’s critically acclaimed novel Babel and Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow had received enough votes to be nominated for major categories. 

However, officials at the Chengdu Worldcon, who were responsible for administering the Hugo Awards that year, declared these works “ineligible”. No explanation was provided for the disqualification, raising concerns about transparency and potential censorship. The only statement made was a since-deleted Facebook post by Director of the World Science Fiction Society, Dave McCarty, who simply wrote:

“After reviewing the Constitution and the rules we must follow, the administration team determined those works/persons were not eligible.”

This is noteworthy because both Kuang and Zhao were both born in China, and have spoken openly in opposition to the Chinese government, especially regarding the issue of the Chinese genocide against the Uyghur people. It led many people to consider whether their exclusion from the awards was a result of political pressure from China.

The revelation sparked immediate outrage within the science fiction and fantasy community, with fans and authors questioning the legitimacy of the awards and accusing Worldcon of censorship. On January 30, Worldcon Intellectual Property, the nonprofit which organizes the Hugo Awards, announced the resignation of Dave McCarty and World Science Fiction Society board chair Kevin Standlee – but other than that, has made few official statements regarding the controversy. This has failed to appease concerned fans, and has once again thrown the legitimacy of the Hugos into question.

What is the future of the Hugo Awards?

Although mired in controversy, the Hugos cling to the motto of “the show must go on” and plans for the 2024 ceremony are already well under way. Nominations for the 2024 awards closed in January, and the nominated works will be revealed in the spring.

Worldcon itself is going to be held in Glasgow, in the United Kingdom, in August of this year – and some significant changes have been announced to reassure fans and authors that the process will be transparent and legitimate. Firstly, Glasgow Worldcon has committed to publishing the reasons for any books or stories being disqualified by April 2024 – giving plenty of time for fans and authors to react if they feel the disqualifications are unfair.

Likewise, full voting results and explanations for any administrative decisions will be made public directly after the ceremony, hopefully preventing controversy erupting months after the awards themselves, as occurred in 2023.

But it’s going to take people a long time to forget the results of the 2023 Hugo Awards and that means the similar controversy of the Sad Puppies campaign suddenly doesn’t seem to have taken place quite so long ago. The legitimacy of the Hugos has definitely taken a big hit, and it’s uncertain whether the awards will ever again be considered the pinnacle of science fiction and fantasy writing.

But only time will tell – and as a passionate fan of science fiction, I’ll be taking a special interest in seeing how the awards play out in the future. I want the Hugo Awards to recover from these controversies – the question is whether they can in an era that seems to make censorship and voter manipulation so easy and effective.

What are your thoughts about the Hugo Awards controversies? Do you think the awards can recover their reputation? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comment section below.

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The distinction between marketing and selling is crucial, as many self-published authors have discovered the hard way. The best promotional campaigns may bring a potential reader to the edge of a sale, but isn’t always enough to close the deal. But if dumping money into ads isn’t the most effective way to sell copies of your book, then what is?

That’s precisely the question Ginger addresses in today’s blog, as he delves into the four key attributes that have the power to significantly impact the conversion of traffic into sales. You don’t need to incorporate them all, as some may align better with your unique situation than others. Yet, harnessing just one of these attributes, as detailed below, can substantially enhance your chance of transforming your passion for writing into a thriving and profitable career.

The purpose of many of my blogs is to help authors actually SELL copies of their books. There’s nothing more validating or rewarding to an author than to have strangers pay their hard-earned-money to read a writer’s words, and ultimately the only objective of writing anything is to have somebody else read it.

But selling books isn’t necessarily as easy as you might think. The old days of Amazon are long gone – the Wild West of a decade ago, in which you could publish a book with a solid cover and blurb and expect a fair number of sales organically. Today, if you’re not actively marketing or promoting your book, it might as well be invisible.

But marketing and promoting your book is different to selling it.

Like many self-published authors, I sadly know this hard truth first-hand! Back when I was first getting started, I did a lot of marketing and promoting. In fact, I wasted hundreds (thousands?) of dollars advertising books that never sold very many copies. Just as you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink – you can lead a reader to your product page, but you can’t make them click Buy Now!

That’s the difference between marketing and selling – and the difference between whether or not you have a viable career as a self-published author.

But hindsight is a great teacher, and from the mistakes I made building my own successful self-publishing career, and watching other authors achieve success with their books, I think I’ve identified the four key attributes that can turn traffic from your Facebook ads into readers who pay for your book.

Now, your book doesn’t have to have all four of these attributes to be successful. Just one will do. But if you can’t leverage at least one of these four angles, it won’t matter how much money you spend on advertising, or how much marketing and promotion you do. You simply won’t sell copies of your book.

If you CAN target one (or more) of these angles when marketing your book, you might find you achieve a level of success you’d previously not thought possible.

Attribute #1: Be an author people already know

The easiest method for selling lots of books is to already be selling lots of books!

It’s a sad reality, but the bigger the author’s name, the more copies of their book they will sell – automatically! People pre-order the latest Stephen King, Lee Child, or Frieda McFadden book months in advance, and they normally shoot up the best-seller list the moment they’re released.

This is because authors you already know, are familiar with, and have read before are a safe bet when it comes to investing your hard-earned book money. Not all Robert Patterson’s books are amazing, for example – but they’re all bloody good. Being an author readers are already familiar with is a cheat-code for getting them to click “buy now.”

But if you’re not in the same league as Lee Child yet – don’t despair! Because what happens on a macro level with traditionally-published giants like Stephen King also happens for established self-published authors – just on a much smaller scale. Yet, if you’re a single author self-publishing your books, that small scale might be more than enough to be a big success. There’s a theory that you “only” need 10,000 readers to build a career out of publishing. While that sounds like a lot, it’s a fraction of the tens of thousands of copies big name authors have to sell in order to pay not just their own bills, but also the salary of all the publishers, editors, publicists, and admins who worked on traditionally publishing their books.

That’s why the best advertisement for your current book is your next one – and why authors who engage with their readers on social media and through their subscriber lists (Jack Carr is the perfect example) tend to nurture a community of readers who’ll eagerly buy anything they publish.

Attribute #2: Have a killer hook!

Self-published authors who are just starting out don’t have the advantage of name recognition, or a mailing list full of eager fans. However, that hasn’t stopped some breakout successes from launching themselves into the best-seller lists (and sometimes even the movie studio.)

What these lesser-known authors had was a killer hook – a concept for their book that was so strong, readers couldn’t help but click the “buy now” button as soon as they read the blurb. Andy Weir’s book The Martian is the perfect example of this. While originally self-published, the book had such a killer concept to it – an astronaut stuck millions of miles away from home – that everybody who heard about it or visited the book’s product page felt compelled to buy it.

If you have a truly killer concept or hook for your book – one that can’t help but make people curious about finding out more – then you can bypass the challenge of being an established author and start getting new readers to take a chance on your writing.

I wrote a blog post about coming up with killer concepts for your book that you might find both interesting and useful. This approach is one of the most effective ways to break into the competitive world of self-published even as a complete newcomer – and if you can combine it with a bit of name awareness as an author, you’re onto a real winner.

Attribute #3: Become embraced by a community

Dozens of completely unknown authors became famous overnight when Oprah Winfrey selected their books to be part of the Oprah Book Club. Likewise, Reese Witherspoon has made a business out of “testing” new authors with the subscribers to her book club, and then catapulting the most successful of them into fame and fortune by securing movie deals for their books. Even the king of self-publishing, Mark Dawson, saw his career as an author transformed when his book was selected to be part of the massive Richard and Judy Book Club in the UK.

Becoming a featured author within a large community of readers is one of the most powerful ways to supercharge your success as an author. When it comes to sales, the “social proof” alone is equivalent to the boost of being a well-known author – and books that are read as part of a book club or community often have much higher engagement rates than they would otherwise. This translates into more reviews, recommendations, and readers being more likely to check out previous titles from your back catalog.

Of course, getting your book into Oprah Winfrey’s recommendation list isn’t exactly easy – I think that’s got far more to do with who you know, rather than the quality of your book. However, smaller-scale book clubs, blog tours, and other community-based reading projects can prove to be a major boost to your book sales. I’m part of a small online community of James Bond fans and we’ve seen self-published books become incredibly successful when they’ve been recommended and shared by fellow members.

The best way to become embraced and showcased by communities such as this is to become a useful, active, and very visible member of that same community. It’s much easier to become “famous” among a few thousand passionate community members than the whole of Instagram or Twitter – and the smaller and more close-knit a community, the higher the number of people who’ll support you within it.

Attribute #4: Solve a really big problem

The fourth and final attribute that helps shift copies of your book is largely limited towards non-fiction titles – but it can still be huge. That’s writing a book which solves a problem.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki is a great example of how this works. Originally self-published in 1997, this self-help book featuring advice from the “rich dad” many people never had went on to sell 32 million copies worldwide, and catapulted its author into a seven-figure career as a speaker and consultant.

Obviously, your sights don’t need to be set so high – but if you have a non-fiction book that provides a solution to a problem people have, that’s often all it takes to get new readers to trust their time and money with you, even though you might be an unproven author.

I’ve experienced this myself. After losing a bunch of weight through intermittent fasting, I wrote a non-fiction book on fasting called The Cheat Code. Although it hasn’t made me a millionaire, the book did hit the bestseller charts in a couple of categories – and on the occasions I invest money advertising it, it consistently makes a discernable profit.

The trick isn’t just to solve a problem. It’s to present that problem – and the solution – in a way that’s packaged and targeted towards a specific audience of people. In Kiyosaki’s example, it was young people who were frustrated that their parents had never taught them financial literacy. With The Cheat Code, it was young men who wanted to lose weight, but still eat burgers and beer. Either way, packaging the book specifically for that audience made it a must-purchase when you reached them through advertising and marketing.

Conclusion

Selling books isn’t easy. For the longest time, even traditional publishers only made a profit on half the books they published. The problem was, they never knew which half that would wind up being!

Self-published authors have an advantage, however. Not only don’t they have the overheads of a traditional publishing firm – but they also tend to have a much closer understanding of who it is they’re trying to reach with their books. That’s why any of these four attributes – or ideally a combination of them – can transform the career of an independent author.

But sometimes it takes a bit of humility and self-reflection to examine your books as they currently are and commit to making the changes that helps bring any of these attributes to the forefront.

In my case, with The Cheat Code, I needed to create a much more compelling cover and blurb before my target audience of hungry young men would buy it. In the case of Andy Weir, The Martian only took off (no pun intended) when people started talking about the crazy “hook” of a lone astronaut trapped on Mars. Every book needs a catalyst to propel it up the sales rank – and sometimes you’ll have to do some work identifying what that might be.

But the four concepts I’ve outlined above are solid, and have a proven track record of helping to sell books. If you can examine your own catalog of books through this lens, you might well be able to identify small, but significant changes that you can make to turn your poorly performing books into healthy sellers.

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Past tense vs. present tense is less a debate about which is better, and more about which is a better choice for your particular book. While many authors default to past tense, that may not always be ideal for your story as both tenses have their own unique strengths and challenges. 

Today, Ginger examines the advantages of both past and present tense so that you can have a better understanding of when they should be used, and even provides examples of each from popular works of fiction. Having a strong grasp of narrative tense is important because choosing the right one for your story will help leave an impact on your reader and keep them coming back for more.

Recently, I was participating in a writing discussion when the topic of tenses came up. Other members of the group were surprised that a book we were discussing was written in the present tense – as in “she walks across the room” and “he opens the fridge.” In mainstream fiction, use of the present tense is pretty rare.

In romance, however, it might be an equally popular creative choice among authors as the more traditional past-tense narrative – and ultimately, that’s exactly what it is: A choice!

When it comes to crafting compelling stories, authors have a myriad of choices they can make to better weave their tale – and decisions about plot twists and character arcs are just part of that. One of the more fundamental decisions a writer must grapple with is the choice of narrative tense. Should they write in the past tense, or the present tense? 

Many authors default to writing in the past tense – which is a perfectly valid decision. However, the tense an author chooses can shape not just the way the story is perceived by the reader, but also influence how deeply they’re engaged by your fictional world. In this article, I wanted to explore the nuances of using past tense versus present tense in fiction writing – and provide some examples from popular literature to demonstrate the impact it can have.

Past Tense: The Comfort of Hindsight

Most writers, especially in more mainstream genres, default to writing in past tense: “He said this” and “she did that.” 

The past tense has been a trusted tool of storytellers for centuries, chiefly because it creates a comfortable sense of retrospection and distance between the reader and the written word. The past tense allows an author to recount events as if they’ve already happened, which in turn provides the reader with the context of narrative hindsight. This can provide a story with a more timeless quality, fostering a connection to historical settings and leveraging the underappreciated power of nostalgia.

Past Tense Example: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary tale of excess among the wealthy of Long Island uses the past tense to great effect, making the entire tale read like a real-life reminiscence of our narrator, Nick Carroway.

In the poignant conclusion to The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald leans into the past tense to help add a sense of scale to Nick’s final thoughts – encapsulating the burden that time and memory have become for him. The retrospective viewpoint accentuates the idea that each of the characters’ pursuits and aspirations were ultimately futile – and heightens the novel’s theme of how illusory the American Dream truly is. Readers are given a sense of observing events from the outside in, experiencing the narrative as if they’re hearing it directly from Nick, and not having witnessed the events themselves. 

Present Tense: The Pulse of Immediate Experience

Present tense is a much rarer narrative choice for authors, but it’s particularly effective in genres that rely on suspense, thrills, and first-person narratives. I’ve encountered it most frequently in the romance and horror categories.

Writing in the present tense thrusts your readers into the heart of the story, providing an immersive experience as if they were right there in the action, witnessing events unfolding in real-time. Writing in the present tense creates a heightened sense of immediacy, and can make readers feel like they’re active participants in your story’s unfolding drama. It is particularly effective in genres that rely on suspense, thriller, and first-person narratives.

Present Tense Example: Veronica Roth’s “Divergent”

“I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different.”

Veronica Roth’s best-selling YA sci-fi series debuted at #6 on the New York Times bestseller list and remained there for 11 weeks, selling over 6.7 million copies as of writing this article. In the opening lines of the first novel in the series, Roth uses the present tense to establish an immediate sense of intimacy and urgency that draws us into the thoughts and emotions of our protagonist, Beatrice – and quickly makes us feel comfortable as intimate observers of her internal musings.

The use of present tense throughout the series serves to amplify the immediacy of Roth’s relentless narrative, helping us experience Beatrice’s perspective as if we’re walking in her shoes; something that would be much more difficult in the past tense.

Which tense should you choose to write in?

While most authors will default to the tense they’re most comfortable writing in, the choice between writing in the past tense or present tense shouldn’t be arbitrary. If you possess the writing skills and commitment to write in the present tense, it can be a strategic decision that significantly influences how your readers could engage differently with your story. 

Both the past tense and present tense present unique narrative strengths and challenges, and you can use either to better harness your narrative objectives. Here are some things to consider as you make that choice:

1. Setting and Atmosphere

Past tense is often preferred by authors writing historical fiction, or stories that transport readers to different eras. The distance past tense creates can infuse the narrative with a sense of history and tradition – as demonstrated  in literary classics like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Alternatively, present tense lends itself to stories written in more contemporary settings, or for faster-paced narratives where a sense of immediacy is crucial. A great example of this can be found by reading Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.

2. Character Immersion

Writing in the present tense is excellent for bringing readers intimately close to your characters’ emotions and experiences. This can be especially effective in first-person narratives or stories in which the character’s internal journey takes center stage. A great example is J.D. Salinger’s divisive novel The Catcher in the Rye, which employs present tense to draw readers into Holden Caulfield’s raw and unfiltered thoughts.

For stories that require the point-of-view of multiple characters, or rely on withholding information to create a mystery for the reader to solve, past tense makes it a lot easier to provide a sense of detachment from our main character.

3. Action and Suspense

Present tense is a powerful tool for authors crafting scenes of action, tension, and suspense – or romance and sex! 

The present tense can make readers feel like they’re right there in the story, standing alongside characters as events unfold in real time – demonstrated brilliantly in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, for example.

On the other hand, past tense can provide readers with a sense of anticipation, as if they’re sifting through a tale that has already unfolded. I used the example of mystery novels when I wrote about character immersion, and this next point is illustrated particularly well in books like Agatha Christie’s mystery novels.

Conclusion

Making the choice between writing in past tense or present tense shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s a nuanced decision that can deeply impact the flavor of your narrative. 

Writing in the past tense offers a sense of distance from the story, and the vantage point of reflection. It adds depth to mysteries and flashbacks and is the easiest tense for readers to jump right into.

Writing in the present tense can be jarring at first, but it quickly immerses readers more deeply into the emotions and sensations of your story – providing them with the immediacy of a shared experience. 

Whichever tense you choose to write in depends on your story – but understanding the strengths and challenges of each tense can help with that choice. Align your narrative tense with the emotional goals of your story – because if you get that right, it can elevate your story’s impact, guide readers more effectively on the journey you lead them through, and help make sure your book resonates long after they’ve turned the final page!

Whether embracing the timelessness of the past tense or the kinetic energy of present tense, wield these tenses like tools – tools a craftsman can use to mold whole worlds and leverage real emotions that captivate readers from your opening first line to the very last word you write.

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With the rising number of low quality AI-generated books flooding the digital bookshelves, there is already cause for concern about how this affects authors and customers alike. This is especially true for those books that are part of the Kindle Unlimited program. 

Many authors are suspicious of the sheer number of these titles, often with poor covers and questionable content, that have somehow made it onto the bestseller lists. It is believed that many of these books are being artificially pumped up via click farms that are downloading and “reading” the books, not only pushing out more legitimate books from the top charts, but also taking an unfair share of the KU money pool.

So what, if anything, is Amazon doing about it?

According to some sources, AI-generated books are flooding Amazon’s best-seller lists and causing concerns for both authors and readers enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.

When it comes to self-publishing your books on Amazon’s Kindle platform, there are generally only two ways to make significant amounts of money – either through direct book sales, or through Kindle Unlimited Page Reads.

For years, many have argued that you should “go wide for the win” and try to focus on book sales – leveraging not just Amazon, but also other online publishers like Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Apple Books. You can even listen to an entire episode of our Fully Booked podcast dedicated to this topic!

However, because Google and Apple have made it impossible for Amazon to sell books directly on their Kindle app, the counter-argument about focusing on Kindle Unlimited subscribers has gained a lot of traction lately. With KU, authors get paid for every page a Kindle Unlimited subscriber reads of their books – which can add up to a significant amount over time.

Crucially, Kindle Unlimited subscribers can still “buy” books on the Android or Apple versions of the Amazon or Kindle App, which means it’s a much more effective way of acquiring new readers if they’re tuning in via their mobile device. For authors using Facebook ads, targeting Kindle Unlimited subscribers rather than book buyers can often be the difference between an advertising campaign making a profit and suffering a loss.

But just as we’ve seen several times during the history of Kindle Unlimited, it looks like unscrupulous people have also noticed this trend and are trying to exploit it – and this time, they’re leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence to do so.

The Rise of the AI-Generated Book

At the end of June, Australian indie author Catherine Bilson made a worrying observation. When reviewing Amazon’s bestseller lists in the Teen & Young Adult categories, she noticed that they were flooded with books that had very obviously been generated using AI – with generic covers created using Kindle’s cover creator, and plots and prose that were barely intelligible. Just 19 of the Top 100 books appeared to be written and published by an actual human being.

What made this especially concerning was the fact that these AI-generated books were clearly generating a ton of clicks and page reads – enough to get them in the top spots on some of the most hotly-contested bestseller lists, and earn whoever published them tens of thousands of dollars via Kindle Unlimited page reads.

This was a slap in the face for genuine authors for two reasons. Not only were these AI-generated books crowding out real books by real authors – but the fact that they were doing so through Kindle Unlimited page reads meant that they were also stealing the lion’s share of the monthly Kindle Unlimited page read fund – essentially stealing money that should have been shared among other, more deserving authors!

Catherine and other authors were horrified by this discovery – and by the fact that Amazon had allowed it to happen in the first place! Considering so many authors have recently been complaining about Amazon banning their books because pirated versions existed, it seems mind-boggling that Jeff Bezos’ behemoth would dedicate so much time to punishing legitimate authors while ignoring this kind of massive abuse happening right on their own platform.

But what is causing this problem? And what is the solution?

Click-farms and AI-Content

We’ve written about the dilemma posed by AI-written books before, but in this instance the fault can’t be laid exclusively at the doorstep of AI platforms like ChatGPT. It’s actually a combination of sketchy tactics that allowed unscrupulous people to exploit Kindle Unlimited this way – pairing effortlessly-generated junk content with massive click farms that artificially “read” these books and rack up those absurd (yet valuable) KU page reads.

“Click farming” involves bots automatically clicking through books on Kindle Unlimited, generating royalties for the publishers (I won’t call them authors) based on the number of pages read. Within a very short space of time, these click farms can artificially “read” dozens or hundreds of these AI-generated books and Amazon isn’t immediately aware that fraud is being committed. It’s a problem that’s existed for a while, but the impact of click farming is now being amplified because of the ease in which AI-generated “junk” books can be published.

Yes, Amazon finds out about these things eventually – sometimes only thanks to authors like Catherine Bilson making them aware of the problem – but even though Amazon removed these AI books from the bestseller lists after the issue was raised, the books are still available for purchase on the platform, and even more AI-generated books are rapidly appearing to replace them.

So, what can authors do to protect themselves from this abuse? And what steps can Amazon take to eliminate the problem?

It’s time for Amazon to get serious about AI-generated content

As of writing this, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform still doesn’t require publishers to disclose whether the content of their eBook was created using Artificial Intelligence, and that’s one major part of the problem.

An argument could be made that it’s not fair to ban AI-generated content entirely from the platform, but something does need to be done to ensure unscrupulous people aren’t abusing the system – and ironically, Amazon might have such systems in place already.

I linked to a news story from February up above, in which authors were complaining that Amazon was removing their books from the Kindle Unlimited platform because pirated versions existed for “free” on the Internet. Amazon discovered this by searching the Internet for copy and content that authors had published on Kindle Unlimited; so, clearly they have powerful tools for scanning and searching the deepest nooks and crannies of the Internet.

If Amazon used these same tools to seek out AI-generated content on their own platform, perhaps that would help them turn the tide of spammy AI-generated books.

If so, Amazon also needs to be as draconian with the publishers of abusive AI-generated content as they are with regular, human authors. Part of the problem is that the AI-generated books which hit the bestseller lists remain available for sale even after Amazon identified and rectified the problem. Shouldn’t abusive publishers face the same penalties as human authors, such as losing their publishing accounts entirely? I’d argue this is a second vital step in the process – cutting the legs out from abusive publishers before they can repeat their crime.

Conclusion

While we can discuss what is and isn’t the best approach for dealing with this problem, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Amazon’s handling of this issue is being closely observed by authors and readers who rely on the company taking rapid and necessary steps to protect human-created works and maintain the trust of its audience; and we can only pray that Amazon is up to that challenge.

It’s problems like this that can make or break a self-service publishing platform, so the problem needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

What do you think the solution might be? And how do you feel about whether or not Amazon should allow AI-generated books to be published in the first place? We’d love to know your opinion, so don’t be shy about sharing it in the comment section below.

In the meantime, be on the lookout for more stories like this. I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg – and that the arrival of AI might create a lot more problems before platforms like Amazon come up with definitive and effective solutions.

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Kickstarting books and publishing projects has been gaining popularity recently, as a means to offset the costs associated with self-publishing, especially for ambitious ventures and special editions. In fact, the popularity has grown so much that the publishing space has quickly become one of the top categories on Kickstarter.  

Today, Ginger is looking at the five biggest Kickstarter publishing campaigns of all time, and trying to glean some insights and inspiration from what they’ve done.  However, it is important to keep in mind that these projects represent exceptional outliers, and their success seem more like lottery wins than the typical experience most authors will have.  Even so, Kickstarter offers a platform that many authors can use to reach their far more modest fundraising goals, allowing them to embark on innovative projects with minimal risk. The result can be financial rewards for the author, and unique experiences and non-traditional book formats for their readers.

A short while ago, we spoke to Kickstarter’s Head of Publishing, Oriana Leckert on the Fully Booked podcast, and so perhaps now is a good time to examine the five most-funded book-based Kickstarters of all time, to see if we can glean anything from their success and apply it to our own writing projects.

#1: Surprise! Four Secret Novels by Brandon Sanderson

Funded: $41.8 million

Fantasy and science fiction author Brandon Sanderson flew past his $1 million funding goal within hours of launching his Kickstarter, and the project ultimately saw over 185,000 backers pledge close to $42 million dollars for the chance to see Sanderson’s four “surprise” books hit the shelves. This makes Sanderson’s project not just the most well funded book project of all time, but the most well funded Kickstarter ever, across all categories. As of this writing, the next highest only raised half as much money and it was for the Pebble Smart watches.

We go into all the reasons Sanderson is so popular (and thus why his project was so successful) in this blog post – but to quickly recap, it was his eager audience of die-hard fans who brought Sanderson’s Kickstarter to life; showing that almost anything is possible if you focus on connecting with your readers and providing them with what they love about your writing.

#2: The Way of Kings 10th Anniversary Leatherbound Edition

Funded $6.8 million

Remarkably enough, the second-most funded publishing Kickstarter of all-time is also one launched by Brandon Sanderson – this time in order to fund the production of a beautiful, leather-bound edition of his novel The Way of Kings to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its publication.

This is the sixth of Sanderson’s books that will be receiving this treatment – the novel being split into two parts and presented to backers pledging $200 or more with a dark blue bonded leather cover, hubbed spine, and two-color foiled stamping. With Sanderson’s signature on each copy, these are likely to become instant collectables – as have the previous books in the series, which now regularly sell on eBay for twice or three times what backers are pledging for their original copy.

Once again, this Kickstarter seems driven by Sanderson’s passionate core audience of fans; but it also demonstrates how limited, special editions of products can become valuable treasures if you’re able to actually bring them to reality.

#3 Pistols of the Warlords

Funded $1.5 million

Fantasy Fiction is far from the only project to receive funding on Kickstarter – as demonstrated by the incredible success of Headstamp Publishing’s crowdfunding campaign to produce a beautiful photographic guide to the handguns of China used during the first half of the 20th century.

Writing to a niche is often described as the secret to self-publishing success, and there’s no niche more passionate than American gun-lovers. Headstamp Publishing had already achieved success by crowdfunding the publication of two other titles – Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles, 1866–2016 and Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms, 1901 – 2020 – and this time blew past their previous funding record of $800,000 in a matter of days.

The secret to the success of this project might have a lot to do with the author – popular YouTuber Ian McCollum, who runs an incredibly successful gun history channel called Forgotten Weapons. With his fanbase to leverage, it’s easy to see why a seemingly niche book quickly became one of Kickstarter’s most-funded publishing projects.

#5: SCP Foundation Artbooks — New Paperback Edition

Funded $1.5 million

If you’ve got a teenage boy living in your house, you’ve probably heard of the SCP. A fictional universe created by thousands of contributors, SCP stands for Secure Contain Protect – the acronym used by a shadowy fictional organization that rounds up and catalogues dangerous paranormal entities and objects.

Independent publisher ParaBooks found an eager audience for a full-color art book dedicated to the weird and unsettling creatures of the SCP universe, and funded the original hardcover through Kickstarter. Now, they’re back to fund a brand-new paperback edition of the book; this time with new content and an improved page design.

If you’ve ever explored the online presence of The SCP Foundation – from a Wikipedia catalogue of creatures and entities, to comic books, videos, and more – you might understand why this project got its backing so easily. It’s delivering a product that fans are absolutely voracious for; and filling the void left by the fact that the SCP universe lacks an independent copyright, dissuading mainstream publishers from supporting it.

Authors with an eye for the macabre and their ear to the ground for what’s trending on the Internet could find similar success by exploring the SCP universe – and there are clearly many fans willing to open their wallets to support them!

#5: Sherrilyn Kenyon: Acheron & Styxx Novel/Book

Funded $1.03 million

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon has won over legions of fans with her Shadows of Fire and Dark-Hunter Novels – so much so that her most devoted followers describe themselves as “Paladins” like the characters from her books. With over 80 full-length novels reaching the New York Times listing, and paperbacks printed over 70 million times worldwide, it’s difficult to understate the impact this Georgia-born author has had in the genres of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Sherrilyn turned to Kickstarter to crowd-fund the reissue of her Dark-Hunter novels Acheron and Styxx in a special double-edition hardback. She leveraged crowdfunding because her publisher refused to pay for the printing of these books – somewhat ironic since signed copies of the original hardcovers now sell for as much as $2,000 on eBay!

While Kenyon might lack the instant name-awareness of authors like Stephen King or Lee Child, her passionate fans can be found all over the world – and together they quickly supported Kenyon’s campaign to bring this new addition of her beloved books to print. It just goes to show what’s possible when you invest in creating connections with your readers; and offer them a way to support you beyond just buying your newest books.

Conclusion

The incredible success of these Kickstarter projects demonstrates what an incredible opportunity crowdfunding offers for authors and creators with an established fanbase. It’s a great way to bring weird, wacky, or unexpected publishing projects to reality – and a great way for fans and supporters to feel like they’re able to support their favorite creators beyond just buying their books.

With printed books still one of the more challenging areas for self-published authors to navigate, it’s reassuring to see that other writers have found success through crowdfunding – and perhaps more and more independent authors will start experimenting with crowdfunding as new and successful projects like these come to light.

Check out what Kickstarter offers authors here.

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If you’re a self-published author relying on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform, you need to be aware of a recent change that can significantly impact your book’s visibility. The publishing giant has revised its category selection process, limiting authors to just three KDP book categories instead of the previous ten. While this simplifies the process and addresses abuse, it also raises concerns about your book getting lost among the vast sea of titles.

As Ginger describes in his analysis below, there are a variety of implications to these changes and potential ways you may be impacted. Authors that don’t take action soon may find their existing books recategorized automatically, and leaving something that crucial to an algorithm or poorly trained rep is unlikely to do your career any favors. By proactively fixing them yourself, you’ll ensure you are placed in the best categories possible for your book, leading to maximum discoverability and giving you the best chance of success.

In June, Amazon quietly rolled out a huge change to the way self-published authors choose and select the categories they want their books to be listed in.

Since its inception, Kindle Direct Publishing has allowed self-published authors to select two general categories for their books to appear in – largely the “big buckets” like romance, thriller, and suspense. These are categories described as BISAC categories (which stands for Book Industry Standards And Communications) and are the globally accepted categories used by booksellers worldwide to categorize their books.

Amazon, however, adopted a much more comprehensive list of KDP book categories, and for years have secretly let authors actually choose up to ten of these categories for their books to appear in – something of a “cheat code” which allowed clever writers the opportunity to pick and choose categories that were easier to score a high rank in. We’ve written a number of blog posts about that here.

This used to be one of the most powerful and effective ways to get your book noticed without having to spend a large amount of money on advertising. While it’s pretty difficult to get your book ranked in the Top 100 sellers for a BISAC category like Romance (around 3,000 sales in a single day) it was actually pretty achievable to get your book ranked in a more obscure Amazon-only category (like Asian Myth & Legend, which required just 210 daily sales to earn the coveted #1 Best Seller flair which would appear wherever your book was displayed.)

In fact, a whole industry practically popped up around this, with courses and tools designed to help authors figure out which KDP book categories were “hottest” and then a process for asking Amazon to add books to those particular categories.

Dave Chesson, founder of Kindlepreneur and creator of Publisher Rocket, is one of the most knowledgeable experts on the subject (we even interviewed him about it here) and in a recent email to his subscribers, he warned everyone about the new change which is neatly summed up by the line: “You now only get three chances to make an impact.”

What do these changes mean to you?

The first and most fundamental difference this is going to make for your self-publishing process is simplicity. Instead of selecting two BISAC categories and then having to email Amazon directly to get them to add or change up to 10 Amazon-specific categories, now you directly choose from those more extended KDP book categories right there on the KDP Dashboard, when you’re adding or editing your book details.

But simple doesn’t always mean better, does it?

The second difference is the more impactful one, and that is that you can now only be listed in three categories, as opposed to ten, and that fills a lot of us authors with concern that our books will disappear among all the millions of other titles on Amazon vying for ranking positions in those same categories.

However, that might not necessarily be a bad thing. Earlier, I mentioned above how a book in the Asian Myth & Legend category would only need 210 daily sales to earn a #1 spot – and score the coveted #1 Best Seller ribbon that revs up your Click-Through-Rate in advertising and marketing.

Until recently, the book that held that spot was none other than The Princess Bride, William Goldman’s iconic fantasy adventure that inspired not just a timeless movie starring Fred Savage and Peter Falk, but also a “family friendly” cut of Deadpool 2 called Once Upon a Deadpool that stared Fred Savage as well.

Great book. Great movies. But nothing to do with Asian Myth & Legend.

The downside of Amazon’s previous 10-category system is that a not-insignificant number of authors and publishers literally tried to “game” the system by selecting inappropriate categories for their books simply because they knew they’d be able to rank higher in those categories than the appropriate ones. With so many categories available, this was an unpoliceable system for Amazon and I believe preventing it is one of the main reasons for this new shift to three categories.

In fact, as part of this change, Amazon have even added a disclaimer to their Help topic on this subject which reads: “We reserve the right to change the categories of a book at any time to ensure a positive customer experience. The categories you add and the categories shown online may not always match. Your book may be added to additional or different categories to improve the customer experience.”

So, yes, while this change does make an impact to authors who’ve deliberately tried to maximize the number of categories their books are featured in, the ones who’ll be hurt by it most are going to be the authors who are using the category system disingenuously (and I won’t waste too many tears on them!)

I mean, it hurts other authors too – I loved having my books featured in specialist categories like Sea Adventures – but Amazon always chases after the best “customer experience” they can deliver, and the only safe and consistent way to “game” the system has always been to actually play the game the way Amazon intended (something we learned during the first iteration of Kindle Unlimited, and in the battle against “book stuffers.”)

What should authors do?

If you head to the Details page of any of your books in the KDP Dashboard, you’ll immediately see that the options for adding categories have changed. Your book might well have retained the two original categories that you selected, but now there’s a third one you can add – plus this message:

Categories update: You can now choose three categories that match Amazon store categories. If you make changes, all your existing categories will be removed and this action cannot be undone. Your new categories will not go into effect until you submit and publish your book.

Obviously, the first thing you can do is select that third category! The drop-down list you’re presented with includes all the regular BISAC categories as well as the KDP specific ones, and all you need to do is select a third one.

However, when you do so, it will take your book out of all the previous categories you’d selected beyond the original two. If you’ve spent the time adding up to eight additional categories, all that work will now be lost.

But before you complain, be aware that this will be happening regardless. Just today I checked the categories for the best selling book in my catalogue using Publisher Rocket and four of the categories I’d previously chosen had already been removed, with other authors reporting the same. It’s not likely to be long before only those three categories remain.

So, whether you take action or not, this will impact your books – and the advantage you have in taking action now is some control over that impact. If you just leave everything alone, Amazon will default your books into the two categories it thinks they belong in (and if you know anything about Amazon’s algorithms, you might know that these will probably not be the categories you want.)

So, it’s worth heading over to the KDP Dashboard and making these updates now. Hopefully this simplification will work in the favor of authors who focus on writing the best books they can; but like with everything else Amazon does, it might take some getting used to.

Conclusion

What do you make of these changes to Amazon’s category selection process? Do you think it will help or hurt self-published authors? Let us know in the comments section below – and don’t be afraid to share your real-life experiences with this change, so we can report on the actual impact in the near future!

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Ever since the introduction of Amazon’s Attribution Tags, authors have been able to track the book income resulting from their advertising and promotional campaigns to a level not seen before. This is incredibly useful for determining the value of these campaigns and planning strategies around then. But how accurate are they?

In terms of tracking the sales that come directly as a result of a click from one of your attribution links, they’re very accurate, but that doesn’t actually tell the whole story. Even when the only promotion you’re doing is running a campaign with a tracked URL, you may very likely see more sales than are actually being reported.

To demonstrate the issue and explain what’s going on, Ginger takes us through an example using an ad campaign he recently ran on one of his own books, complete with all the sales and page read numbers.

I’ve been writing a whole lot recently about Amazon Attribution Tags, and not without good reason. They’re one of the most exciting new developments in the self-publishing industry and they’re going to change the game for a lot of authors (in a good way.)

But nothing is perfect – and while Amazon Attribution Tags are a fantastic way to track your profits, they’re not infallible. Depending on your advertising strategy, there is a very real possibility that they don’t track every sale or page read your books receive – although the good news is that this is a fallibility that only seems to work one way.

Attribution Tags never overreport sales and page reads attributed to your advertising (so they won’t be telling you that you sold more books than you actually did.) They can only ever underreport sales and page reads (meaning in your worst-case-scenario, you’ll be making more money than they’d actually reported.)

You don’t need to take my word for it. In fact, the purpose of this article is to provide a demonstration of how Attribution Tags underreport total sales, and give you a method with which you can guesstimate by how much. This isn’t to say that the tags are broken in any way, there are just certain things they can’t track. But it’s for a good reason, as you’ll see.

That’s why I still stand by what I said in this article – that you should use only Attribution Tag figures when developing your advertising strategy, not any additional guesswork. Better to base your actions on what you can reliably predict and measure, and if you get an extra boost on top, even better.

Step One: Establish a baseline

When you’re trying to work out the effectiveness of your advertising, the first step is to set a universal baseline to level the playing field. I have some great information to work with, since I’d been locked out of Facebook last year and hadn’t started advertising again until recently. Therefore I had six months of “clean” data which demonstrated how much money my books would make me even if I didn’t advertise them at all. That information looked like this:

Sales will always fluctuate over time, but if you can take a spread of information to even those peaks and valleys out, you’ll be able to establish an “average” earnings period for your books even when you don’t advertise.

For me? I took the total of this period – $3,120.75 in royalties, 468 sales, and 486,479 page reads – and divided it by 26 to work out what the weekly average was. That ended up being $120.02 in royalties per week, 18 sales a week, and 18,711 page reads per week.

It’s not an exact science, but if you can find a more accurate method, let me know.

This gives us the baseline information to work out how much more (or less) money our advertising is bringing in.

Step Two: Set your timeframe

Now we’ve set a baseline with which to compare our sales figures, we need to decide on a specific time period to measure, and use that when comparing all the figures we have access to.

Having worked out a week-long baseline, we’ll measure a week of performance so that the figures align. In my example, I’ll use the period Thursday, February 22, 2023 to Wednesday, March 1, 2023. That’s a full week of data, but just far back enough to ensure that Amazon’s Attribution Tag data has filled in all the sales and page reads for that period (remember, it can take 72 hours for all of that information to filter in.)

If you’re advertising books in Kindle Unlimited, that will mean data from books borrowed prior to February 22 will be included – but likewise, potential income following March 1 won’t be counted, so as long as your overall budget and delivery hasn’t changed for a few days before and after this measurement period. It’s not 100% accurate, but this will be the best way you have to calculate reasonably accurate KDP Select page read information.

Using Feb 23 to Mar 1 as my timeframe, I collected the data.

First, I went to Facebook and gleaned this information from my campaign.

Then, from my Advertising on Amazon dashboard, I gathered this information from the same period.

Finally, I used Book Report to help gather information from my KDP dashboard spanning the same period. Now, you can just go to kdp.amazon.com to find this information, but I pay for Book Report because I find it provides a more useful at-a-glance overview of the information I need.

This information helped me establish the following:

From Feb 22, 2023 to March 1, 2023 I spent $160.42 on Facebook advertising, which generated 1,623 clicks to my book’s product page on Amazon.

For some reason, Amazon registered 1,786 clicks to the books product page from Facebook (which might include crawling by Facebook’s systems.) Those clicks led to 2,664 DPV clicks on the product page of my book. That, in turn, generated 47 book sales and $187.53 in book sale royalties, plus 59,704 page reads which generated $253.53 in Kindle Unlimited royalties.

Finally, I was able to log 86 book sales on my KDP dashboard, and 109,961 page reads, generating a cumulative $640.18 in royalties.

With this information logged, we can move onto the next part of the process.

Step Three: Doing some math

Thanks to my self-publishing career, I’ve found myself doing all that math I never thought I’d find useful at school. Specifically, I used it to work out two things:

Firstly, how much money my Attribution Tag told me I was making. It had logged 47 book sales generating $187.53 in royalties. Knowing that I was only getting 70% of that income (more or less, accounting for paperback sales) it meant I was making about $131.27 in actual revenue. Add that to the $253.53 in Kindle Unlimited royalties and this week saw my Attribution Tag log $384.80 in total royalties attributed to my advertising.

Meanwhile, I used the information from my baseline to work out how much this advertising had moved the needle overall when it came to my book sales.

From Feb 22 to Mar 1, I had sold 86 books. Normally, I’d sell 18 books. Therefore, my advertising had (probably) generated an additional 68 books sales.

During that same period, I’d generated 109,961 page reads. Normally, I’d generate about 18,711. Therefore, it was a safe guess that my advertising has generated 91,250 additional page reads – which calculates to about $456.25 in Kindle Unlimited royalties at an estimated rate of $0.005 per page.

Overall, I’d generated $640.18 in royalties. In an average week, I’d generate $120.02. Therefore my advertising had generated an additional $520.16 in royalties compared to my baseline.

But this is where the confusion comes in – because my Attribution Tags had only measured $384.80 in royalties, whereas my weekly sales had actually increased by $520.16 in royalties.

Subtracting the $160.42 I’d spend on advertising resulted in my Attribution Tags measuring $224.38 in profits, whereas my overall boost in sales suggested $359.74 in profits.

Which figure is right?

Perhaps they both are.

How Selling More Books Sells More Books

The dilemma we’ve stumbled across is how Attribution Tags log the sales generated directly by your advertising, but not the sales generated indirectly by your advertising – and the more successful your advertising is, the more successful your book sales are going to be overall.

In my example, I’d seen a boost in profits of $359.74 during this period, even though my Attribution Tags were only measuring $224.38 in book sales. During this week, I’d somehow had a boost of $135.36 that my Attribution Tags weren’t claiming credit for. Where did they come from?

Well, the answer could be: A lot of places.

My advertising had driven my book from 153,567 in Amazon’s ranks to within the top 5,000 books, and in the Top 20 of three different categories. Suddenly, my book was getting a lot more organic visibility – and that no doubt generated a lot of additional sales.

Likewise, Amazon started recommending my book to more people because it was suddenly getting a lot more sales. This meant more profit for me, even though it had nothing (directly) to do with my advertising.

There could be other reasons, too – like people remembering my book and then clicking on it again the next time they visited Amazon. There were all sorts of reasons why my Attribution Tags were unable to track the boost in sales my advertising had driven, but it didn’t stop them being legitimate.

Ultimately, the explanation is simple: The more books you sell, the more books you sell. When your advertising works, it works even better than expected.

So, what does this mean?

It’s enormously gratifying to learn that your advertising is even more successful that you’d have known if you’d judged only by your Amazon dashboard, but because this boost is impossible to fully attribute, you shouldn’t get too excited about it. When I’m planning the next stage of my Facebook advertising, I’ve been playing it safe and using the figures my Attribution Tag provides me to calculate my advertising budget.

I know I’m making more than that – but because I can’t measure that amount exactly, I prefer not to concern myself with it. Boosts in profit are always welcome, but I need cold, hard data to develop effective advertising strategies.

It is worth knowing about, however – since it might mean even unprofitable advertising campaigns are closer to breaking even than you might think. Attribution Tags provide authors with incredibly valuable information with which to build a successful self-publishing career, but it never hurts to remember that you’re always going to be making just a little bit more money than they tell you.

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Despite following in the footsteps of Lee Child, there is still much to learn from the meteoric rise in popularity of former Navy Seal turned author Jack Carr. Carr is a relative newcomer to writing, with only about five books to his name so far, but he’s been a chart topper since his debut, and his first book has already been turned into a streaming series on Prime.

That’s why it makes sense for Ginger to examine what it is that has led to Carr’s quick success and what it can teach us that can be applied to our own writing, in this latest installment of his informal writing lessons series.

Right now, there are two deadly badasses on my Amazon Prime menu screen – Jack Reacher and James Reece.

The former is played by Alan Ritchson, who takes the role of the eponymous star of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series – which spans 25 books and has sold over 100 million copies worldwide since the first installment hit the bookshelves in 1997.

The latter, however, is less familiar to many of us. It’s actor Chris Pratt playing the character of James Reece – the invention of former Navy SEAL turned novelist Jack Carr.

It’s somewhat jarring to see the two of them both headlining major TV shows since Carr’s first novel, The Terminal List, was only published in 2018 – 21 years after Reacher’s first adventure The Killing Floor. Yet Reece has almost reached the same notoriety as the infamous Reacher; and not without good reason.

But how did Jack Carr come nipping at the heels of Lee Child in such a short space of time? It’s an astonishing feat – although perhaps no more astonishing than the man himself. As a Navy SEAL Jack Carr is no stranger to taking extreme action to extreme conclusions, and the incredible pace of his career as an author shows that he’s just as effective with a keyboard as he is with an M4 assault rifle.

So, what is it that’s made the James Reece series so insanely popular so fast? And what can we learn from Jack Carr’s books and apply to our own writing?

Authenticity Counts

Perhaps the first and most important thing that separates Jack Carr from Lee Child is authenticity. He writes about a badass military hero just like Jack Reacher, but Carr has something British-born author Lee Child doesn’t – a storied career as a Navy SEAL, one of the most respected and capable warriors on Earth.

His experience on the battlefield and the uncompromising view of the world he developed as a result comes across in spades in everything Jack Carr writes. He describes scenes of combat and war with terse, yet visceral detais. It’s all incredibly compelling and makes for exciting, page-turning prose.

But more than that, Jack Carr’s real-life military background makes it so much easier for fans of the genre to ‘buy into’ what he’s selling. Don’t get me wrong, Lee Child’s books are great – but if you want to read about real military action, it’s difficult to argue that you won’t get a more authentic viewpoint from an author who spent over 20 years in Naval Special Warfare and saw action in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sometimes the toughest thing to do as a new author is convince people to take a chance on you – but because of his military career, Jack Carr found it easier than most. The fact that he’s a real-life action hero makes it much easier to believe in the exploits of his fictional conterpart.

Appeal to Your Audience

Jack Carr’s books aren’t for everybody. The Daily Beast described The Terminal List as “an unhinged right-wing revenge fantasy” and The Playlist warned that it contained “a number of Conservative talking points and liberal takedowns.”

Yet for many readers, that’s exactly why they like it – or, as Carr himself says: “there’s not this woke stuff that’s shoved into it.” In an era of incredible sensitivity to issues surrounding race, sexuality, gender, and self-expression, the James Reece series is unapologetically written for an audience that shares Carr’s robust, right-leaning viewpoint of the world; and fans find it incredibly refreshing.

Now, that’s not to condone the politics you’ll find in the James Reece books – but it is worth observing that by appealing to people with similar politics to his own, Jack Carr has managed to build a rabid fanbase who devour each new book as soon as it’s released, and who helped drive the Amazon Prime adaptation into becoming one of the most-watched things on the streaming network.

Knowing your audience and giving them what they want is a powerful way to build your brand as an author – and you don’t have to take the right-wing approach to it. Entire categories of fiction have emerged championing LGBTQA+ rights, and Christian books remain robust best-sellers. It doesn’t really matter what your politics or beliefs are – just know that for all the potential readers you turn off by embracing your beliefs, you’ll gain some who’ll show you incredible loyalty.

Just remember where to toe the line. Jack Carr writes about a lot of right-wing talking points, including hot topics like government conspiracies and the politics surrounding the pandemic, and yet he never crosses the line into what might be considered ‘misinformation’ or ‘hate speech.’ Be unafraid of your beliefs, speak earnestly to your core audience, but always know the difference between fiction and reality; and make sure your audience does, too.

Keep Things Concise

As talented and successful as Jack Carr is, it’s worth admitting that his Reacher-like stories would never have seen the light of day if it wasn’t for the original article. We recently examined Lee Child’s brilliant craftsmanship when it comes to writing, and Jack Carr was clearly paying attention.

From his short, sharp sentences to his simple-yet-visceral choice of adjectives and verbs, Jack Carr’s writing is a masterclass in how to engage an audience and keep up a relentless narrative pace. There’s very little fat to trim in any of his books, and he never uses more words than he needs to in order to get his point across.

This isn’t to say this is the ‘best’ approach to writing, but it’s a style of storytelling perfectly suited to his audience – and just one more reason why people say his books are so addictive and compelling.

My advice here isn’t to copy Carr’s style – it certainly wouldn’t be appropriate for anything other than terse military thrillers. However, his lean prose and deliberate wording is worth making a note of, since it demonstrates incredible discipline as a writer and I think all aspiring authors (myself included) need to work on that.

Details Matter

At the same time, Jack Carr doesn’t spare any of the details when it comes to his books. In fact, people often make fun of him for being achingly specific about the guns his characters use, the cars they drive, and even the coffee they drink. One of Carr’s inspirations, Ian Fleming, practically invented the use of real-life brands in literature – but Carr takes it to the extreme.

Yet, once again, this is an aspect of his writing that Carr’s intended audience love – and it’s also highly effective in crafting his stories. As Carr himself explains:

“Weapons, gear and vehicles are important elements of my novels. Just like in real life, what blade and gun someone carries for defense (or offense), what they drive, the watch they wear, the boots and holster they use, all tell a story about that person. In my books I use that gear to develop my characters.”

This is good advice to follow, as being precise about these details helps bring your stories to life and makes them feel ‘real’ for your readers.

Never Surrender

The last but perhaps most important piece of advice to take away from Jack Carr’s stratospheric rise to the best-seller charts is persistence. Keep at it – never give up!

That’s certainly true when it comes to Carr’s books. He’s often been quoted as saying that he’d had the same two dreams ever since he was a child – to become a Navy SEAL and to write a book. He managed to succeed at both of those objectives, and you can learn a lot from that.

I’ve always wanted to do this since I was a little kid. I love reading, writing, and learning. My mother was a librarian. So, I naturally gravitated toward it.

Jack Carr

Becoming a successful writer is, after all, not a question of luck. It’s a question of writing and publishing better and better books each and every time. It’s about never backing down from the challenge to improve yourself and your craft. If you can stick to your writing the same way Jack Carr did, there’s no reason you can’t achieve at least some of the same things he’s managed to – and given how quickly Carr has built a career for himself as an author, there’s never been a better time to get started.

In Conclusion

Jack Carr’s books aren’t for everybody – but much of the advice you can take away from his career is. Carr used the same single-minded determination that sustained his military career to achieve his success in writing, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same. He’s proof of something I’ve always strongly believed – that anybody can become a successful author if they put in the hard work and commitment. The only thing holding you back is you.

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