Seasonal Sales

Seasonal Discount Strategy for Your Backlist

If you’re an indie author staring down Q4 with a dozen titles in your backlist and no idea how—or when—to run a sale, this post is for you.
Strategic sales aren’t just about slashing prices and hoping readers bite. With a little planning and some seasonal savvy, you can make the most of your promos without burning out.
1. Know Your Seasons (and Reader Behavior)Here’s a general guide to when readers are more likely to buy:

• Early Fall (late Sept–Oct): Readers are craving cozy reads, spooky mysteries, or school-season themes.
  
• Black Friday/Cyber Monday (late Nov): The biggest sale window of the year—make sure your deals are live early!
  
• December: Holiday reading season! Think novellas, bundles, or anything festive.
  
• New Year’s Day: Readers are hunting for new books to binge and using gift cards from Christmas.
  

Pro Tip: Don’t run every book on sale at once. Pick a theme, series, or seasonal vibe and focus your promo around it.

2. Choose the Right Discount StrategyDifferent goals require different approaches:

• Free (or 99¢) First-in-Series: Great for building long-term readership.
  
• Steep discount on a holiday novella: Perfect for newsletter swaps and holiday-themed promotions.
  
• Boxed set bundle: Offer a higher perceived value while keeping margins.
  

Consider running these with newsletter promo sites like:

• Fussy Librarian
  
• Book Cave
  
• Ereader News Today
  
• Written Word Media
  

3. Plan Your Assets Ahead of TimeDon’t wait until the day of the sale to create graphics or write your newsletter. A great promo plan includes:

• A sales graphic (static or reel/video)
  
• One to three newsletter blurbs
  
• Hashtag-ready captions for social media
  
• Updated links and universal links (Books2Read or BookHip)
  

4. Keep a Sales CalendarSet up a Google Sheet or calendar with:

• Title / Series
  
• Sale price
  
• Dates
  
• Platforms participating
  
• Promo site submissions
  
• Newsletter and social media schedule
  

Even one well-timed sale in Q4 can boost visibility and introduce new readers to your world. Go in with a plan, and you’ll come out ahead.