After surveying 500+ authors about how they spend their time, we’ve been asking authors to take us behind the scenes of their businesses — starting with a six-figure indie author and one who grew a successful author business part-time. Today, we wanted to learn how an author manages and sells a large backlist — for romance author Jill Sanders, that’s 114 books! Jill shares the permafree strategy behind her strongest sellers, how she decides which titles to discount, her advice for new authors, and more.
1. Tell us about your author journey.
I published my first book, Finding Pride, in 2012, but I started writing almost five years prior to that. Back then, we owned a skate and snowboard shop in Brighton, Colorado, and I wrote my first four books while sitting behind the counter. I actually started writing because our local library’s basement flooded after a bad snowstorm, and since I couldn’t get my book fix, I decided to write the story that had been stuck in my head.
I sat on those books for a few years trying to get them traditionally published. It wasn’t until the fall of 2012, while talking to my twin sister, Jody, that she mentioned self-publishing. Believe it or not, I put Finding Pride up that very night — no editing, no cover, just my raw story marked at $0.99. Within eight weeks, I had 60,000 downloads and a ton of reviews telling me I desperately needed an editor! I’m so thankful my sister gave me that push and such great advice.
2. What does your catalog look like today?
I am a hybrid author — I have five books published traditionally, and the rest are indie. I recently published my 114th book. My catalog currently features 11 series alongside six standalone titles. Almost all of my books have been translated into German, French, and Italian, and each title is available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook editions — bringing the total count to roughly 1,000 distinct editions.
The vast majority of my sales come from ebooks, followed by audiobooks, and then paperbacks. English is my biggest seller, closely followed by German translations.
I’ve slowed my release pace over the last four years after navigating a breast cancer diagnosis. I currently stick to about seven new releases a year, whereas I used to publish nine to 11 annually.
3. About 80% of your revenue comes from backlist. How do you keep older titles visible?
I promote my entire catalog on a continuous cycle using an app that keeps promotions flowing for individual titles, series, discounts, sales, and new releases. To select which specific books to discount, I maintain a master tracker with dates and checklists to ensure balanced coverage across the entire list.
In terms of promoting discounts, BookBub has been my highest marketing priority since my very first Featured Deal back in 2015. I might let my other ads slip, but I never forget to run a Featured Deal and display ads on BookBub. Next up in terms of return on investment are Meta ads, followed closely by Amazon ads, but with all the change in the industry since I started publishing, BookBub has consistently remained the biggest bang for my buck.
With the vast majority of my income coming directly from my backlist, I view new releases primarily as added bonuses to that foundational revenue. For each release, I use BookBub’s Preorder Alerts and free New Release Alerts to announce the launch to my BookBub followers.
4. Walk us through your permafree strategy.
I maintain seven permafree titles, each serving as the first book in its respective series, which draws big sales for the rest of the books in the series. I’ve utilized this model since my second year of publishing, and it remains my most effective tool for introducing new readers to my work. Over the years, I’ve tracked a consistent 60% to 70% conversion rate from initial free downloads to purchases of book two. My strongest individual earners are consistently the second books in my series where book one is permafree.
Beyond promotional tactics, keeping those read-through sales high ultimately comes down to telling a story compelling enough to leave readers wanting the next book.
Jill’s consistent series branding lets readers know immediately what to look for next.
5. How do you decide what to submit for a BookBub Featured Deal?
I prioritize series starters so readers can immediately jump to the next paid title, though I’ll occasionally run a deal on a standalone. The absolute best results come from discounting a series right before a new release in that same universe. Concentrating all promotional energy on a single series during a specific window yields far better overall returns than scattered efforts.
The best results come from discounting a series right before a new release in that same universe.
6. Tell us about a recent Featured Deal that worked well.
This past July, I ran a free Featured Deal for Unlucky in Love, a title whose rights I recovered from a traditional publisher a few years ago. It was the first time I had set the book to free, and I strategically timed it alongside five upcoming releases and preorders in that same series.
The roughly 50,000 downloads this deal has generated so far drove higher-than-expected sell-through and preorders across the rest of the series. While newsletter sign-ups stayed steady — I find my regular monthly newsletters naturally generate their own consistent traction — the immediate lift in series sales made the promo a clear success.
7. What tools and support have been essential to your author business?
Managing a catalog of 114 titles and ensuring every book gets consistent visibility becomes an immense operational burden for one person. Delegating was hard for me at first because I’m a bit of a control freak. Thankfully, I had a wonderful assistant who sat down with me and helped me figure out what I could let go of and what I needed to hold onto.
Marketing execution was the first major function I handed off, although I kept a few parts of it: I still personally design graphics, build links via guest blogging, and write a portion of the promotional copy. Keeping a personal touch in the creative marketing lets readers feel the authentic human behind the books.
On the tools side, the absolute best software I use is Notion to keep track of all my book notes, links, characters, and plot details. With so many titles, I simply can’t remember it all! Everything else is subject to change over the years — word processors, graphic design software, and other programs evolve. However, the one steady program I’ve used since day one is Vellum for book formatting.
8. What’s your advice for fellow authors?
Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket. You don’t have to choose between being exclusively self-published or traditionally published — you can be both. The best advice I can give new authors today is: don’t fall for scams. Never pay anyone to “pitch” your manuscript to publishers. You are the best salesperson for your work, and finding an agent organically or finding your own path is key.
You are the best salesperson for your work.
This won’t necessarily work for everyone else, but for me, giving things away to build my newsletter group has also worked wonders over the years. This could be gift cards, ebooks, audiobooks, or physical signed copies. Keeping readers entertained while they wait for my next book is key to keeping them around.
Jill Sanders is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of sweet contemporary romance, romantic suspense, western romance, and paranormal romance novels. With 11 series, translations into several languages, and audiobooks, there’s plenty to choose from. Find Jill’s bestselling stories wherever romance books are sold or visit her at jillsanders.com.
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
