Foolproof or Fluke? A look at Audia Richmond’s guide to a best-seller

Aduria Richmond, a bestselling author, believes she has cracked the code on book launching. Her latest book, Uncloned Marketing: How to Challenge the Norms with Profitable Marketing Campaigns, has recently been released. Richmond claims to have found a way to make five figures on a book before it even hits the shelves.

For budding authors eager to make their way into the publishing world, it feels as if there is some sort of mystery guide: a series of unsaid steps to hit the sweet spot that every member of the coveted bestseller club. While I and many others remain on the sceptical side of the spectrum for this outlining, others see it as a helpful guide on how to prepare yourself for a successful book launch.

Though disaster planning is usually to be avoided when it comes to anything, preparation is key. The same goes for authors and strategising their launch. It’s key to note that Audria Richmond never wanted to be an author, but her incredibly successful track record professes otherwise.

Richmond reminisces: “As a seven-figure marketing and launch strategist, I am about building profitable campaigns. In plain English, that means that I spend ninety-nine per cent of my time focused on getting to the money. Big money. So when I learned that most books written by self-publishing authors are more like free labours of love, I thought I’d pass.”

And with four bestsellers under her belt, some of the author’s secrets may be the key to success.

The tips she shares are not revolutionary, but they can become lost in the blurry snowstorm of creative vision, outside voices and self-doubt.

1. Your book is a beach, selling it like a holiday package

Experiences sell, anyone can tell you that, even children. In a Forbes article on the subject, it is stated that on average a self-published book sells a mere 250 copies in its lifetime. Making a mark with your little darling can be quite the hill to climb. Pile on the stresses of self-publishing that push many authors from ever getting out their work in the first place, then the lack of return can be quite disheartening. Richmond’s solution is to create value-packed bundles of products along with your book to boost sales. Think of it like a birthday goodie bag full of surprises. 

Richmond claims she wanted to “challenge” the normal selection feature in traditional publishing. She allowed readers to select from a wide range of choices for the book they would receive. Bestie Bundles, Mystery Box book purchases (which sold out, twice), contained “dope products and all-access passes to virtual events, none of which were revealed until after purchase”. This all garnered the author $35,000 in additional revenue.

2. Keep Consumers caught up

Your win is not your win alone. Many of the avid readers you want to buy your book also want to be part of the experience. Keeping them in the know of your achievements also helps them propel your momentum forward. The book community, like any other, is full of those who aspire and are inspired – sharing your progress may achieve both feats.

“I launched the pre-sale campaign on May 11th, and in nine days, we’d sold over 200 copies. At 400, 500, and 600 copies, I shared a status update encouraging the community to help push the book. People jumped on the bestselling bandwagon and started championing the book too.” Richmond attributes the over 1,500 copies sold just in July to this.

3. Be a busy bee and maintain the buzz

As keen eyes wait for the live launch, keep them excited and reeling. Workshops, resources and free classes can all be ways to make the experience all the more special and profitable. According to Richmond, this impromptu decision took her marketing campaign “up a notch”. 

Boastful in her very much deserved successes, Richmond goes on to state: “Now that I am on my fourth bestseller, I’ve cracked the code on how to make noise and money with books. While the majority of self-published book author generates less than $1,000 a year from their creations, my soon-to-be-released book, UnCloned Marketing, has already made more than $54,000 in less than 30 days.”

To me, these tips seem more like common sense than anything else. The product of insight into the industry and series of hurdle jumps rather than a small loophole. When cracking the code on the best-seller club, maybe there is a secret way in. Uncloned Marketing hit shelves on July 20. Making quite the splash in the publishing realm, it has already amassed “more than $54,000 in less than 30 days,” according to Richmond. All in all, pre-selling is the way to go. It seems to be that the more you think of your book as part of a larger plot, the better the story sells.