Indie Authors Get 7-Figure Deal for Self-Published Series

I am always interested in self-publishing success stories, because "How did they do it?" is the first question every Indie author asks.

I'd love to be able to answer that question, but each case is different. Sometimes, authors "get lucky" and their first book takes off. In most cases, however, it's a long hard climb.

Jasinda Wilder is a case in point. Before signing up with Berkley Books, Wilder had self-published 28 ebooks. If you look back at her history, you'll notice that she did two things: 1) She identified her market and followed the trends, and 2) She wrote like blazes, churning out one book after another, until she built a following. (It also helped that she was writing in a genre that has 30 million dedicated readers.)

Meredith Wild essentially employed the same strategy: She chose a popular genre, and produced a series. That's what publishers like, because that's what readers like. (It's called "brand loyalty" in the marketing biz.)

So, here is the (very qualified) answer to "How did they do it?" If you are a genre writer, whether you self-publish or go the traditional route (or both), producing a series is the main ingredient in the recipe for success. (Also, in case you haven't noticed, sex sells.)

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Two self-published successes sign with major publishers

LA Times

Like E.L. James before her, Meredith Wild has successfully sold her sexy romance novels on her own; the Hacker Series, about a savvy young businesswoman and the billionaire she falls for, has already made bestseller lists. And like James, Wild has left self-publishing behind to sign with a major publisher.

Forever, the romance imprint of Grand Central, will republish Wild's "Hardwired," "Hardpressed," "Hardline" and "Hard Limit" as e-books April 7, followed by trade paperback editions May 12. Until now, the books, which have sold 1.2 million copies digitally, have only been available in print via print-on-demand.

The upcoming fifth book in the series, "Hard Love," will be published by Forever simultaneously as an e-book and in paperback Sept. 15.

"The past two years have been an incredible whirlwind experience for me, and I'm thrilled that this partnership will allow me to devote more of my time to writing," Wild said in a release.

Meanwhile, self-published romance star Jasinda Wilder, whose sales of 28 e-books and novellas have topped 2 million, has signed with Berkley Books. Wilder will get a reported seven-figure sum for her new trilogy, which will launch with "Madame X" in November.

Read more HERE.