Thank you Karl Tame, Vonnie G. Clemens Jr., Susan J Hilger, Sacred Storylines 🎨, Harriet Corvine, and many others for tuning into my live video!
This wasn’t a podcast about writing.
This was a reality check.
Today, I sat down and walked through something most indie authors don’t want to admit—writing the book is the easy part. Getting it seen, clicked, and sold… that’s the real work.
And if I’m being honest, I’ve made the mistakes myself.
I’ve rushed covers.
I’ve thrown up descriptions that looked like a wall of text.
I’ve published and hoped for sales.
Hope is not a strategy.
The core of today’s conversation came down to one word—momentum.
Not luck. Not talent. Not even how good the book is.
Momentum.
And here’s what I’ve learned…
1. Amazon is not a bookstore. It’s a search engine.
If your title isn’t clear, searchable, and outcome-driven, you’re invisible.
“My Journey” doesn’t sell.
“How to Rebuild Your Life After Loss” gets clicks.
That’s not selling out. That’s understanding how people search.
Keywords matter. Categories matter. Clarity matters.
If people can’t find you… nothing else matters.
2. Your cover is your first conversation
People don’t read first—they look.
Your cover is your top of mind awareness (TOMA) moment.
If it looks amateur, confusing, or unclear… they’re gone.
No second chance.
I’ve done it myself—PowerPoint covers, rushed designs. And it shows.
The hard truth?
If you won’t invest time (or money) into your cover… don’t expect people to invest in your book.
3. Your description closes the deal
This is where most authors lose everything.
Your description isn’t a summary.
It’s a conversion tool.
It needs:
A hook
A problem
A transformation
Emotion
If it’s bland, cluttered, or lazy… no one reads it.
And if no one reads it… no one buys.
4. Reviews are everything (and I mean everything)
This was the biggest lesson.
You can have the best book in the world—but without reviews, you don’t exist on Amazon.
0 reviews = invisible
25 reviews = Amazon starts noticing
50+ reviews = momentum starts building
I spent thousands on ads.
Didn’t matter.
No reviews = no traction.
That changed how I see everything.
5. Substack is the unfair advantage
Most authors market to strangers.
That’s the hardest path.
But on Substack, you already have something most people don’t—a community that knows you.
They’ve read your work.
They trust your voice.
They’re already invested.
The problem?
We don’t activate them.
We don’t ask.
We don’t guide.
We don’t make it easy.
Supporters want to help—but authors need to lead.
Tap to support a Substack author.
Buy the book. Leave a review. Help their work get seen.
YOUR SUBSTACK AUTHORS:
chris kalaboukis, Joe Nichols, Dr Deborah Vinall, Terod Naej, Storm Whisperer, Brenda - A Voice that Wonders, Michelle Dowd, Shellie Enteen, Sara da Encarnação, Grace Grossmann, Jake Borchardt, Bill Kirst, Amber Shay, & Kate Robertson
6. Authors optimize. Supporters amplify.
This is the system.
Authors fix their pages (title, cover, description, keywords)
Supporters engage (clicks, shares, reviews)
Community collaborates (restacks, mentions, bundles)
That’s how indie books win.
Not alone.
Together.
7. The real shift: from solo to system
Most authors work alone.
That’s the mistake.
What I’m building—and what we talked about today—is simple:
A community-driven engine.
Book funnels.
Shared promotion.
Coordinated launches.
Small bursts of attention that create big momentum.
Because 30 clicks might get you 1 sale.
But 300?
Now you’re moving.
Final thought
This isn’t about gaming the system.
It’s about understanding it.
And then using what we already have—our voices, our communities, our consistency—to build something bigger than any one of us.
We don’t need a publisher.
We need alignment.
We need effort.
And we need each other.
That’s how this works.
That’s how indie authors actually win.
Here are 10 action items authors and readers can take right now to help each other win:
Leave a review (even 2–3 sentences) on a book you’ve read—this is the #1 driver of visibility on Amazon.
Buy one indie book this week from a writer you follow on Substack.
Restack or share a book post with a short personal note—add your voice to it.
Ask your audience directly for support (reviews, shares, clicks)—don’t assume they know.
Optimize your Amazon page today (clear title, clean description, strong hook).
Comment on 3–5 writers’ posts to build real relationships—not just visibility.
Create a simple “Read & Review” call-to-action and include the direct link.
Join or form a small author group (5–15 people) to coordinate promotion and launches.
Post consistently about books (yours and others) using Notes or social—visibility compounds.
Tag and highlight other authors—lifting others increases your reach and builds trust.
These are small actions—but together, they create momentum.
Thank you for your support. This work is reader-supported, and your presence here matters.
🟧Missed the Last Episode of The Writers Notes?
About the Author
John Rinaldo writes Soul & Stories, a weekly publication centered on soul work, reflection, and the quiet process of becoming. He also hosts the live podcast Stories, Soul Work & Substack every Monday at 4 PM EST, where written ideas open into honest conversation.
He is currently working on The Hole: Forgotten in the Shadows, a documentary written and hosted by John Rinaldo and Hassan, telling the story of Italians who resisted and secretly helped smuggle Jews to safety during World War II.
© 2026 John V. Rinaldo. All rights reserved.
This work is protected under U.S. and international copyright law. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, displayed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission. Official publications are released only through verified accounts directly controlled by John V. Rinaldo.
