Why My Book Isn’t Selling
Introduction
Hey everyone,
I’m seeing this question a LOT in writing/self-publishing subs, so I thought I’d break it down properly why isn’t your book selling, even if it’s well-written?
I’ve worked with tons of indie authors, and honestly 80% of the time, the problem isn’t the book, it’s everything around the book.
Here’s the breakdown:
1: Your cover is killing your sales
Writers think their cover is “unique,” but readers think:
“What genre is this? Is this even professionally made?”
On Amazon, people decide in 0.5 seconds if they’ll click.
Sad reality:
Ugly or off-genre covers = instant death.
- If you write romance use romance conventions
- If you write thriller use thriller conventions
- Readers want familiarity first, uniqueness later.
2: Your title isn’t doing any heavy lifting
Your title should:
Signal the genre
Signal the tone
Be searchable
Not confuse readers
If your title sounds like a poetry collection or a philosophy book, but it’s actually a thriller, you’re done.
Examples of titles that sabotage sales:
Overly vague
Too long
Too metaphorical
Hard to pronounce
Clear > Creative.
Memorable > Deep.
3. Your blurb is boring
Most indie blurbs make 3 mistakes:
Too long
Too confusing
No emotional hook
A good blurb is NOT a summary.
It’s a sales pitch that triggers curiosity.
4. You’re not in the right category
So many authors pick categories that “feel right” but don’t perform right.
If you’re in a category with giant traditionally published authors, you’re invisible.
Pick:
Low-competition categories
Relevant niche categories
Categories where you can rank
Small categories = easier visibility = more organic sales.
5. You ignored keywords completely
Keywords aren’t random.
Keywords = readers literally telling Amazon what they want.
If you don’t use keywords that match reader intent, your book becomes invisible.
Example:
People search “grumpy sunshine romance.”
If your book fits it but you don’t mention it gone.
6. You launched to no one
7. You’re competing with thousands of books but doing zero marketing
You don’t need ads.
But you do need presence.
Minimum:
TikTok clips / short videos
Author website
Free sample on socials
Consistent posting
Engaging with readers/writers
You can’t publish and disappear. Readers won’t magically find you.
8. Your book description page doesn’t “sell the vibe”
Your Amazon page should have:
Bold text
Line spacing
Short paragraphs
Emotional hooks
Reviews
Editorial notes
Clean formatting makes a BIG difference.
9. You didn’t treat your book like a product
Writers get emotional.
Readers don’t care about your effort they care about:
Entertainment
Clarity
Genre fulfillment
Value
Your book is art to you but to readers, it’s a product competing with 6 million books.
10. The truth nobody likes hearing
Writing a good book is 50%. Packaging + positioning is the other 50%.
Fix these areas and your book will start performing better.
If you want, I can break down ANYONE’S book page and tell you exactly why it’s not selling. Just drop your ASIN.
Conclusion:
At the end of the day, most books don’t fail because they’re badly written they fail because they’re badly positioned. The publishing world is crowded, competitive, and unforgiving, and if you don’t treat your book like a product, readers will scroll right past it. From the cover to the keywords, every element plays a role in convincing a stranger to give your story a chance.
But the good news?
All of these issues are fixable.
When you tighten your branding, sharpen your blurb, choose the right categories, and build even a small audience, your book finally becomes visible to the people who actually want it. You don’t need a giant budget or years of experience just strategy, consistency, and a willingness to treat marketing as part of the creative process.
If your book isn’t selling, it’s not the end.
It’s simply a sign that the packaging doesn’t match the potential.
And if you ever want a personalized breakdown of your book page cover, blurb, keywords, categories, everything just drop your ASIN. I’ll tell you exactly what’s holding your sales back.