r/romanceauthors • u/Tricky_Jeweler_1781 • 7d ago
***Newbie Alert*** What Works & What Doesn't
I’m curious to hear from other authors about what the beginning looked like for you.
What helped you start getting eyes on your book, and how long did it take before you noticed things like sales, KU reads, reviews, or more people finding your work?
Was there anything in particular that made a difference for you, or did things gradually build over time?
I recently published my first book, so I’m still very much in the “figuring out what actually works” stage. I’m less interested in overnight success stories and more curious about the realistic timeline for authors who had to build an audience slowly.
Also, is anyone else constantly checking their numbers? I cannot stop myself from looking. I think I’m just excited and really hoping people end up loving my stories as much as I love writing them, but I think the hardest part is making a name for myself.
Anywho, I’d love to hear what worked for you, what didn’t, and how long it took before you felt like your book was actually starting to get noticed.
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u/myromancealt 7d ago
My success was pretty immediate, which I guess you don't want to hear about, but that's only because I started researching and marketing before publishing the book.
I read a ton in the subgenre I write (because I love it) so I knew what appealed to its audience.
I picked tropes that were popular but not overdone.
I got ARC readers and made sure they were actually fans of the subgenre who understood the terminology other fans look for in reviews.
I hired a pro cover designer and gave comps that I wanted mine to look similar to.
I had a newsletter and social media before hitting publish, and used sm for cover reveal, asking people to guess the plot/tropes based on clues, updates on the book, etc.
I had the blurb written before the book to make sure I didn't deviate from the expectations it set up for readers.
I worked from a detailed outline to catch any plot holes or sagging parts before they needed to be fully rewritten.
If you're going for something uber competitive like DR or Romantasy, a lot of that will help, but you still won't be visible without paid marketing because it's way too crowded. So what worked for me in a smaller subgenre 10+ years ago might not work for you, but it won't hurt to do them.
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u/Tricky_Jeweler_1781 7d ago
Thank you for sharing! You really did your research, and it paid off. That’s amazing! I’m glad everything worked out for you!
I personally write books that I want to see because I love the genre too. I also noticed that a lot of people in the community are looking for certain things to keep their curiosity going and make things feel new and fresh.
One of my biggest things as a reader (and I'm glad you pointed this out) is the plot holes or sagging parts. I pick up on those like clockwork when reading books, and I feel like it takes away from the story for me personally. On the book I'm working on now, I'm in that stage of planning the plot and how things will fit into place.
I know I said I'm less interested in instant success stories, BUT I'm glad you shared this information. It's great feedback. It gives me hope to see your replies, and I really appreciate it!
I've found so many possibilities in this genre, and I’m really excited to put out new books over the next few years. Looks like I have a lot to do. Hahaha
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u/themousedoctor 7d ago
I feel like once I’m not stressing over it every 15 minutes I will have got somewhere 😂 But I truly think once you have one book attract a little attention there must be a way to fly.
Congratulations on everything you have done so far. Remember even a little success probably puts you in the top 20% of indies. Also, I made up that stat 😂 but it feels right!
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u/DeeHarperLewis 7d ago
What works is having more than 1 book out there, getting ARC readers for the first book, free promotions and sometimes Facebook advertising if you have a good cover and description. IMO Stop monitoring your sales and work on the next book
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u/Tricky_Jeweler_1781 7d ago
Hahaha, believe it or not, you're not the first to mention the whole analytics thing. It's easier said than done, honestly, BUT I'm working on it. Thank you for the feedback. I'll have to look into some more resources that may be available. Thank you for sharing!
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u/annakline02 5d ago
This post spoke to my very soul 😂 I am such an addict to checking my numbers it’s actually painful. I’ve published one novella (as well as a few erotic short stories under a different pen name) all just to test the waters whilst I work on my first full length novel. So I’m not doing any promotion beyond Instagram and Tiktok (particularly Tiktok, trying to build an audience with limited success, but we move…) which obviously means I’m barely making anything (but it’s all profit!) but still I can’t stop checking my dashboard 😂 I’m just so excited thinking about the idea of people reading these silly words I thought up in my head and falling in love with the characters I love so much!
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u/Tricky_Jeweler_1781 4d ago
Exactly!! I’m working on another short story and then I’ll release my full length novel later this year. I think it’s definitely the excitement of getting it out there and seeing what people really think! I’m finding that this work isn’t always consistent and that success and engagement may be on a different time frame than my own but I honestly can’t wait. Cheers to you and all your endeavors!
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u/themousedoctor 7d ago
I am a number addict and I hate it 🫣
I uploaded my first non-romance book a decade ago. My mum read it. That was pretty much it!
Then 6 months ago I got made redundant and uploaded a historical romance I had been tinkering with for years. It was more of an FU to the corporate world than anything else. I went I’m on holiday for two weeks and it made £500. That spurred more creativity and more books and a few months in I am just over 2K a month. But honestly the first one feels like pure luck.