Last week, we talked about selling direct from your website. This week? We’re taking it off-road.
Because selling direct doesn’t always mean “online.”
Whether you’re texting superfans about your latest release, launching a special-edition hardcover on Kickstarter, or chatting with curious readers at your local book fair, these strategies all have one thing in common: you control the relationship—and the revenue.
In this week’s spotlight, we’re diving into:
📲 SMS Marketing – Is it weird? Too intrusive? Or the best way to cut through inbox noise and actually get clicks? (Spoiler: It’s the last one.)
🚀 Kickstarter – How to use it not just as a launchpad but as your gateway drug to long-term direct sales.
📚 In-Person Events – Book fairs, farmer’s markets, genre cons… If you’ve got the courage (and maybe a cute banner), the ROI can be surprisingly sweet.
Each article is packed with real-world tips, platform comparisons, and creative ways indie authors are making these channels work for them.
👉 Ready to sell more books without relying on retailers? Scroll down and pick your path.
Tanya Nellestein
Chelle Honiker
Jenn Lessmann
📚 Hey - We Started a Business Book Club on Indie Author Training (Spoiler: It's for People Like Us)
I buy a lot of business books.
Books on marketing, productivity, mindset, branding... all the things I know will help me grow my author business.
And then they sit on my shelf, looking smart and judging me.
So we started a virtual book club — not the kind with wine and awkward silences (though no judgment if that’s your vibe). This one’s for authorpreneurs who want the meat of a great business book, minus the pressure to read the whole thing.
We read the book.
We write the summary.
You skim it, ask questions, maybe apply it to your work.
Or don’t. I’m not your real mom.
But if you do want to grow your author business without pretending you’ve read 300 pages of Deep Work or Atomic Habits... this is for you.
There's 16 of them there now, all open for business (pun intended).
Until next week,
– Chelle Honiker
Publisher, probably buying another business book as you read this. Or registering a domain name. #Probably
