SELL More Books on Amazon in 2025 (Even if You’re Unknown)

Don’t be another author no one reads – fix this first

I'm writing this from our balcony surrounded by olive trees, sipping lemon soda made from the lemons that grow right here on the hills above Lake Garda. The water is gently crashing in the background, and the sky is glowing bright. Tonight, we’re finally expecting a bit of rain—after days of 30+ degree heat here in northern Italy!

To escape the midday sun, we took a short trip to Trento to visit the Neanderthal exhibit (yes, we even touched glacier ice!) and explored the fascinating Pile Dwellings Museum in Lago di Ledro. I’m sharing photos and updates from my Italy trip—including our next stop on the Adriatic coast—over on Substack Notes, so come hang out with me there!

But today, I’ve got something special for you.

In today’s Substack Guest Post Spring #4, I’m introducing one of our incredible tribe members,

Fleur 🌸 Hull

. She’s an Amazon bestselling author and a fantastic book coach. She even helped another tribe member have their most successful book launch yet, the third time's the charm!

Fleur is the real deal, and I’m so excited for you to meet her as I know many are you are thinking about writing a book, are in the middle of doing so or would need some support with their launch.

Sending warm wishes from Bella Italia! 🍋

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When I launched my first book,

Career after COVID-19: How to Leverage Monumental Economic Opportunities to Unlock a Rewarding Career Transformation,

in December 2020, I didn't just write with my heart, I wrote with my marketing brain switched fully on.

That book hit Amazon best-seller status within 48 hours of launch.

Not because I had a huge mailing list (I didn't – big mistake in hindsight). Not because I was lucky. But because I put the reader at the centre of every single decision, from the title to the table of contents.

I optimised the Amazon categories for the eBook and paperback and chose keywords in the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) dashboard that ensured the right readers found the book.

The book was actually born from a 25-episode podcast series of the same name, which I recorded with my former colleague, Kym Kraljevic. We had both worked in universities - I was a career and course adviser and Kym was the founder of an entrepreneurial incubator for university students.

The valuable feedback from our podcast audience helped us create market-appropriate content that truly resonated with readers.

We strategically researched keywords potential readers would be searching for and ensured these were in the book’s description on Amazon. Our podcast’s reach, along with our social following, helped ensure the book had hundreds of sales in the first few days, sending it into the bestseller spot for the Careers category on Amazon.

I hadn’t heard of the nascent Substack at that point, but of course it’s become a critical piece in the marketing strategy for every author.

Building an audience on Substack helps you hone your craft, build an email list for promotion of your book (and services if you offer them) and builds your credibility as an author, especially if you’re planning to query traditional publishers.

Since publishing my first book, I've helped more than 50 other authors write and market their books across a range of genres. And before I started working with them, I saw the same mistake crop up again and again: They write the book they want to write, not the book their reader needs to read.

If you're writing a non-fiction book to build your authority, grow your audience, or help people solve real-world problems, you have to start with the market in mind.

Let me show you exactly how to structure your book to make it irresistible, engaging, and useful from page one to the last word.

The Market-First Approach: Why It Works

Let's be clear: "market-first" doesn't mean soulless or salesy. It means strategic. It means generous. It means giving your reader the transformation they're desperately searching for. This approach will help you:

• Create a book that readers will actually finish;

• Build trust and authority in your niche;

• Drive organic reviews and word-of-mouth referrals;

• Capture leads and grow your email list;

• Create evergreen, passive marketing for your services.

And perhaps most importantly: it will set your book apart from the hundreds of "meh" titles collecting dust in Amazon's back catalogue.

Start With the Foundation: Passive Marketing That Works While You Sleep

Your book is your ambassador. It needs to stand out on a crowded shelf - digital or physical - and say, "I can help you. Right now."

1. Craft a Reader-First Title and Subtitle

A great title makes a promise. A great subtitle tells the reader exactly what they'll gain.

Take my own book:

Career after COVID-19: How to Leverage Monumental Economic Opportunities to Unlock a Rewarding Career Transformation.

It was long, sure. But it was also clear, hopeful, full of relevant keywords and deeply relevant. It answered a pain point that was top of mind for thousands of professionals at that moment in history. The insights we gathered from our podcast audience were instrumental in crafting this title that spoke directly to the market's needs.

2. Design a Cover That Signals Your Genre

Your cover isn't the time to reinvent the wheel. It should blend in just enough to feel familiar - while standing out with polish and professionalism.

Study the bestsellers in your category. Note the visual cues: typefaces, fonts, colours, layout. Then brief your designer accordingly.

Aim for instant recognition:

"Ah, this is for me."

Here’s my cover:

3. Write a Back Cover That Converts

The back cover (and your Amazon description) should quickly and clearly answer:

1. Who this book is for;

2. What transformation it delivers;

3. Why it's different or better than others in the space.

Keep it crisp. Make it emotional. Include relevant keywords, and end with a nudge to buy now.

Make Your Introduction Un-skippable

Most readers decide whether to keep going in the first few pages, whether they’re getting a preview on Amazon or flicking through your book in a bookstore.

Your introduction must hook them—and hold their attention.

Here's a structure that works wonders:

Start With a Personal Story (and a Show-Stopping First Line)

Your first sentence should make the reader feel. Maybe it's raw. Maybe it's funny. Maybe it's dramatic.

But it should pull them into a story they recognise, because they've lived it too. Then share how you overcame the challenge they're facing, or how you've helped others do it.

This creates trust, empathy, and credibility in one elegant arc.

"Why You Need This Book"

Spell it out. Describe the pain points they're experiencing. Acknowledge their frustrations. Promise hope. This section should feel like a mirror held up to their current reality.

"Why This Book Is Unique"

Now shift gears. Share your differentiator, whether it's your experience, your method, your tone, or your results.

Why is this book unlike all the others they've tried (and abandoned)?

For our COVID-19 career book, this section highlighted how Kym and I had used our podcast to test concepts with real people facing career challenges during the pandemic, giving our book a practical, tested foundation that other career guides lacked.

"How to Use This Book"

Give them a map. Should they read straight through or dip in and out? Will there be exercises? QR codes? Bonus downloads? Tell them what to expect, and how to get the most out of it.

The Body of the Book: Strategic, Story-Driven, and Actionable

Aim for 12–15 chapters, grouped (if you like) into 3–5 themed sections.

This gives your reader a clear journey, and helps you build momentum and structure as you write. Each chapter should follow this winning formula:

1. Open With a Story

Not just any story: make it personal, relatable, and real. If it includes vulnerability and eventual triumph, even better. This shows your reader that you get it; because you've lived it.

In my book, many of these stories came directly from podcast guests who shared their career pivots during COVID-19 - providing authentic examples that resonated with our audience.

2. Teach the Lesson

Now layer in the theory, research, strategies, or steps.

This is where you shift from storytelling to skill-building. Keep it practical. Use examples. Break it into digestible chunks.

3. Encourage Action

Close each chapter with a summary and an action step. Better still? Offer a downloadable worksheet via a unique link, so the reader can apply what they've learned, and you can capture their email address. That's how you turn readers into subscribers and clients.

Tip: One of my coaching client authors did this and grew to an 1,800-strong list within a month of launch. Six months after launch, they’re now at 2,500 subscribers on Substack.

Finish Strong: Your Conclusion Matters

Too many non-fiction books fizzle at the end. Don't let yours. Use your conclusion to:

• Recap the key takeaways;

• Re-inspire your reader;

• Thank them for reading;

• Invite them to stay in your world;

• Ask for a review (politely, genuinely). Remind them that their review could help someone else find the book they desperately need.

Don't Forget the Back Matter: Your Silent Salesperson

One of the biggest missed opportunities I see, even in excellent non-fiction books, is the complete absence of a call-to-action in the back matter.

If someone finishes your book, they are your warmest lead. They've just spent hours with your voice, your insights, your stories. They trust you.

Now is the perfect time to guide them gently to the next step.

Here's what to include in your back matter:

About the Author (with personality)

This is your chance to reinforce your credibility and your approachability. Let your personality shine while making it clear how you help people.

Want to go further?

Include a short, compelling paragraph that invites readers to engage with your offers: coaching, courses, consulting, speaking, events.

"If you found this book valuable and want to go deeper, I offer private coaching and strategy intensives for [your audience]. Learn more at [landing page URL]."

Your Links

Make it stupidly easy for the reader to connect.

Include:

• Your website or landing page (use a short, clean URL if it's printed);

• Your top 1–2 social media platforms (where you're most active);

• A link to the review section of your book’s listing, with a polite request to leave an honest review; and

• A link to your newsletter or freebie (to capture those email addresses).

Bonus points if you create a custom landing page just for book readers. That way, you can greet them with a personal message and track conversions from your book directly.

Kym and I built a custom landing page for each Chapter worksheet and collected hundreds of emails after launch.

This mailing list served as a launchpad for my career coaching business, which ultimately generated over $40,000 in revenue from CV and LinkedIn preparation, as well as career coaching services.

Unfortunately, the company was shuttered when I got diagnosed with (non-terminal) cancer the following year.

Final Thoughts from Fleur

When we sat down to write Career after COVID-19, we weren’t trying to be clever. We were trying to be useful.

Having tested ideas through 25 podcast episodes, we had a clear understanding of what our audience truly needed.

Every chapter was mapped to a reader need.

Every story served a purpose. Every design decision was made with Amazon categories and sales psychology in mind. That's the power of the market-first mindset.

Too many authors write books that go unread: not because they aren't brilliant, but because they didn't start with the reader in mind.

Don't be one of them.

Structure your book like a gift. Make it easy to follow, generous in its value, and aligned with your reader's real-world needs.

If you do, you'll have more than just a book: you'll have an asset. One that grows your business, builds your brand, and changes lives along the way.

You've got this.

Fleur x

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Need help outlining your market-first book? Subscribe to Author Growth for more strategies and insights from someone who's helped over 50 authors go from blank page to business asset (and some bestseller), without losing their voice or their sanity.

At Author Growth, Fleur is building a community that supports each other on book launch day – we buy each other’s books to boost Amazon’s algorithm and hopefully get the author to bestseller.

Her most recent launch author (a fellow Club member) launched her third book in a series to our community and sold more copies of this third book than the first two combined.

You can also meet Fleur in our LIVE session in July! Keep reading to learn more.

💌Join The Substack School Experience

If you want to become a prolific, consistent newsletter writer and build a newsletter business (!) to get clients like Fleur, my membership experience is for you.

You can also meet Fleur inside! We’ll have a LIVE Q&A and masterclass in July.

“The Substack School” with a vibrant community of more than 300 like-minded people to help you build and grow your email list, gain new subscribers, and celebrate your successes!

Wanna join? For $98 (annual membership), you can become a Substack Superstar :D and have fun building.

As an annual member, Brad is part of my inner circle of the Club and Substack School.

Need more? Then my Substack Kickstarter Bootcamp is for you.

Earn your first $1000 with me!

Psst! Annual members get a discount on the early birds discount and save 65% as a THANK YOU!

Sign up and get access to The Substack School & 65% Off the 5 Day-Substack Kickstarter Bootcamp 📍

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