I post my indie author earnings and social media growth every month in hopes that the transparency will help other indie authors in some way. Everyone’s writing journey is different.
Sales for October were one of my lowest months for the year. A big dip in sales is what I’ve been noticing if I let up in the least on marketing through social media or my newsletter. But this month I was okay with it because last month Kickstarter backers absolutely smashed our goal for the Track the Wolf : Alex Steward Book 4 audiobook.
Still Testing Different Types of Events
There were two events I attended in October. One was a books & brew event out of state. Because I had family to stay with, the vending tables were free, and I didn’t have any other events for the month, I gave it a try. I may have made back my gas money, so it wasn’t the highest earning event for me. I think for future pop-up books/brewery events, I’ll stick to closer to home. Unless, that is, the event is well-established, recurs, and is a destination event for readers.
My second event I attended knowing I wouldn’t sell many books. However, it was in support of a local library system, so OF COURSE I was going to attend. I love public libraries. Honestly, I’m up for driving a few hours away and not sell a single book if it supports a local library.
Here are stats for October 2025:
October 2025 Sales
- Audiobooks: $42
- Print books: $17
- E-books: $48
- Website direct sales + payment link sales (all book formats): $71
- Bookstore direct sales: $0
- Live events (all book formats): $ (1 book event, 1 library event): $126
- Total: $304
October 2025 Social Media Growth
- Author Stefanie Gilmour on Facebook: 311 (+7)
- Author Stefanie Gilmour on Instagram: 328 (+1)
- Author Stefanie Gilmour on “The TikTack”: 614 (-1)
- Stef’s VIP Mailing List: 331 (-1)