How to Become an Amazon Top 100 Best-Selling Author

Do you think your book will make the Amazon top 100 best-selling list? If someone had asked me that question four months ago, my reply would have been a resounding "NO"

Before your book can make Amazon's top 100 best-selling list, you have to write the book. I think everyone has stories that only they can tell. When people find out that I am a published author, a most common response-"I always wanted to write a book."

If I had a penny for each time a person spoke those infamous words, I would be able to retire from my day job. My advice to anyone wishing to have his or her book on the best-selling list is to venture out and write your book.

I have two books that have made it on Amazon top 100 best-selling lists. I want to share with you what I did.

WRITE ABOUT TRUTHFUL EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE:

I wrote about something very dear to my heart. I lived and attended college in New York. For four summers, I worked as an intern in the twin towers. After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, I had a very difficult time accepting that the towers are gone forever. Last summer I met a woman whose nephew was born on September 11, 2001. We became friends. We often spoke about the undercurrent of sadness associated with her nephew's birthday. Her story propelled me to action and inspired me to write a short story that parent and child can read together. The story offers hope in the face of tragedy. People from all lifestyles will appreciate a book written from the heart. I have had buyers email me telling me how reading my book with their child helped them resolved some difficult issues.

Below is what a reviewer wrote about my book:

As a licensed psychologist with a specialty in children, parents often ask me to direct them to a book that they can read with their children. I have no problem sending parents to My Birthday is September Eleven and Other Short Stories. In this book, you will find stories about children with real-life struggles and how they find ways to cope with those problems. These stories present opportunities for parents and children to talk about what is happening in their own lives and possible solutions, while strengthening parent-child communication.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL TO EDIT YOUR BOOK:

Before I published my book on Createspace, I hired a professional editor with great credentials who edited my book. If you want to establish yourself as an author, you must NEVER, submit a book for publication without first having it edited.

HIRE A GRAPHIC DESIGNER TO CREATE YOUR BOOK COVER AND PDF FILE:

One thing I love about Createspace is I do not have to wait for three to four years to publish my book. There is one caveat though; you must be able to follow specific guidelines before you can upload your book cover and the pdf file. If you are a techno idiot like me, it is in your best interest to hire a professional to work on the cover and the book file.

FIND PEOPLE WILLING TO WRITE REVIEWS FOR YOUR BOOK:

Once you publish your book, ask friends or family to write and post a review on Amazon. Positive Amazon reviews will get your book noticed by potential buyers. You can also do a Google search for other authors willing to write a review for you. I have several author friends I met on line who have written reviews for my books. I return a favor by doing a review for them.

Stay clear of companies who charge an exorbitant fee to write a book review. I do not believe in paying for book reviews. Readers want an honest review of your book. The internet has made it easy for authors to self-publish, but with that comes a zillion people trying to make a quick buck.

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF, YES YOU CAN!

I hope the aforementioned tips will inspire you to write your story. So many people need to read your story. You never know whose life your story may change forever. Remember, we write not for ourselves but for the reader.
Good Luck!