#166. Student Spotlight: How Jennifer Sold 5,000+ Copies of Her Debut Novel in 18 Months (Without a Big Social Media Following)

Selling 5,000+ copies of a debut novel in 18 months (without a massive social media following) might seem out of reach to most aspiring authors. But, in fact, it’s not. And our incredible podcast guest, Jennifer Lauer, is here to show you how it's done.

When we last spoke, Jennifer was on the brink of launching her debut sci-fi novel, The Girl in the Zoo. Fast-forward to today, and she's sold over 5,000 copies, launched a successful fiction podcast, and released a new paranormal mystery novella series.

In the episode, you’ll hear us talk about things like:

• [05:01] Jennifer's honest breakdown of book launch setbacks, including how she handled unexpected Amazon delays and a COVID diagnosis
• [07:49] How Jennifer leveraged NetGalley to rack up over 200 Amazon reviews and 250 Goodreads reviews—and why she says it was worth braving the potential for harsh feedback
• [10:57] Jennifer's persistence in securing BookBub features for international and US markets that drove her novel to #1 on multiple Amazon lists
• [21:48] How Jennifer sold just over 5,000 copies in 18 months with minimal social media presence (plus, the importance of releasing your work, even if it's imperfect, and how this mindset contributed to her success)
• [28:03] How Jennifer's fiction podcast, The Strange Chronicles, helped her overcome writer's block and draft her latest novella in one summer
• [38:24] The marketing plans for Jennifer's new series launch, including which strategies she's keeping, which she's ditching, and why influencer boxes might not be worth the hype

Whether you're gearing up to launch your first novel or looking to breathe new life into your backlist, this episode is packed with actionable strategies you can use today.

⭐ Rate + Review + Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast!" ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing this show! Your rating and review will help other writers find this podcast, and they're also super fun for me to read. Just click here, scroll all the way to the bottom, tap five stars to rate the show, and then select "Write a Review." Be sure to let me know your favorite episodes, too!

Also, if you haven't done so already, make sure you're following the podcast! I'll be adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following the show, there's a good chance you'll miss them. Click here to follow now!

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ep. 85 - Student Spotlight: How She Overcame Her Fear of the Blank Page (and Indie Published Her Novel) with Jennifer Lauer
• Jenn

👉 Click here to get access to the FREE limited-episode podcast series "Write Your Book In 2025." Learn the 3 things you need to write your book in 2025, how to silence your inner critic so you can write confidently, practical strategies for finding time to write (even when life's busy), and my clear roadmap from idea to finished draft.

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.