Digital Media

The 7 types of indie authors who self publish with Amazon

And Which One You Probably Are

I have to confess. Sometimes the doubt piles up on me, and I shut down.

“Retail media is a dead-end career.” , “Nobody lasts more than 8 years in eCommerce.” , “Why don’t you start your own business instead?”.

I had heard the warnings but kept pushing forward, because I believed that it would lead me to freedom. But, what I’ve realize now is that self-publishing on Amazon isn’t just a side hustle.

It’s a form of control, one that is derived from when an author needs more liberty to create how they see fit, or from when the margins are just too tight.

These are the 7 archetypes of authors who’ve controlled the shape of the Amazon marketplace.

The Volume Publisher

These authors write fast. Like, “I dropped three books last month” fast.

There are no stereotypes in this post but we all know one about this kind of author.

They move at this pace maybe because they are in high-demand genres—romance, thriller, cozy mystery—where readers binge content like it’s the last slice of pizza at a party.

Kindle Unlimited (KU) is their territory, if this is you then pages read = compounding income.

Wrote books, writing books, and will write more.

Authors of this type are not stuck on hamster wheel but it sure seems like it.

The Niche Specialist

Doesn’t just write in their niche they own it.

RPG? Culinary? Cozy? Mysteries?

They know what their readers want and deliver on it every time, for these authors the algorithm is their best friend.

“Customers who bought this also bought” puts their books directly in front of their ideal readers—no massive budget required.

Authors of this type are naturally gifted at social media.

The Subject Matter Expert

Nonfiction writers, coaches, consultants, for these authors the book is the lead magnet for their real offerings:

courses
speaking gigs
one-on-one coaching
investments

Search volume and timing is the name of the game for them.

Amazon is the world’s largest problem-solving search engine, and KDP lets them publish fast, capitalize on trends, and establish credibility.

Authors of this type have the most to offer and are naturally business savvy.

The Entrepreneur

Treats publishing like an e-commerce business. We geek out on data, market research, and metadata.

Knows all the terminology, and uses them. A/B testing covers and ad campaigns are second nature to them. That’s their language.

KDP gives them the analytics to run calculated risk, track ACOS, and scale with precision.

Authors of this type are deeply intelligent and connected with tech.

The Industry Veteran

These authors are the traditionally published authors, who’ve seen the light. Maybe they’re self-publishing a new series, or reclaiming their backlist.

They’ve been around the block, and they’re done playing by someone else’s rules. Their primary interest is higher royalties and vital control.

They leverage their existing fan-base while calling all the shots for pricing, promotions, and covers. Authors like this want no middleman, because they are seasoned operators.

Authors like this are the lifeblood of indie publishing, and would give you their shirt of their back.

The Passion Project

Writes for the love of it, but might spend years perfecting a single novel—a deeply personal memoir, a family history.

Sharing their story is their only goal, and not to an infinite audience. Usually a much smaller segment, books made for friends or regions.

Zero barriers, and no gatekeepers. They are probably not worried about printing cost with print-on-demand, they can hold a professional-quality copy of their life’s work in their hands for the cost of a proof copy.

Now lets just hope it comes out okay.

Authors like this are the most volatile, and appear out of thin air.