Rapid Release Books: What is it and Why it Could be the Key to Self-Publishing Success

Ask 10 different people, "What is the key to self-publishing success?" and you're likely to get a few different suggestions, but I assure you that rapid release will be at least one of those suggestions. Rapid release is not a guaranteed success strategy, but it could help. Let's discuss what it is and how it works.

This is me rapidly releasing books (in case you were wondering)

What is rapid release?

Rapid release is when an author releases their books quickly, one after another, on a regular schedule.

How quickly?

Well, there is no set schedule, but it is common for successful rapid-releasing self-published authors to release anywhere from four books a year to a book each month. Anything more frequent than that runs the risk of having heavy AI influence &/or low-quality work. Some people will disagree. Obviously, shorter works can be released more rapidly.

(Interestingly, Amazon has a publishing limit of 3 books PER DAY! I understand that someone may want to publish more than 3 blank, lined notebooks with different covers each day, but when it comes to novels, or even novellas, that limit sounds genuinely ridiculous to me. I could go on an AI rant here, but I'll spare you that. Please consider supporting authors who do not use AI to write their books. Anyway, I digress...)

I have a confession to make: I do not rapidly release books.

I do not write fast enough, and I suspect that if I did, it would probably take the fun out of writing for me, and I would burn out.

Personal capacity needs to be considered when determining whether rapid release is the right strategy for you.

Let's continue...

How does rapid release help a self-published author succeed?

Readthrough

The more books that an author has available for people to buy, the more opportunities they have to make money. One book purchase is more likely to turn into more if a reader likes what they read and the author has more books for them to continue on reading. This is why authors like to publish books in a series, because one book sale can turn into more if a reader goes on to purchase all of the books in a series (without any additional marketing work from the author).

Who the heck is Marley Betts? Who really knows.

People are less likely to forget about you

If an author releases a book every two years, a reader may have forgotten about them before they release their next book. If an author is in the habit of rapid release, it doesn't allow the reader time to forget about that book and author that they loved.

Capitalise on loyalty

Rapid release may be more likely to result in readers becoming enthusiastic fans who can indulge and immerse themselves in the work/worlds of the author.

That being said, George R. R. Martin does not rapidly release his books, and he still has a whole heap of loyal and enthusiastic fans.

As a gross generalisation, it is harder to make a splash and create an enthusiastic fanbase with a standalone book.

Enthusiastic fans spread the word

Flowing on from the last point; People who love the books are more likely to tell more people about the books. This is a great marketing strategy. Word-of-mouth from a walking positive review is absolutely the best marketing strategy of all.

Algorithms

I don't know much about algorithms, but I do know that Amazon gives books a boost (helps with marketing and promotion) for the first 30 days after publishing. After this, if the book isn't that successful, then it can easily drop out of sight forever. If an author is releasing books rapidly, then they are more likely to be capitalising on the algorithms, which means less marketing for them.

Satisfying prolific readers

Some readers read more prolifically than others. A prolific reader may be more likely to choose books written by authors who are more likely to satisfy their reading needs.

Trustworthiness

If an author is releasing so many books, then surely they must be good.

People must be reading them, or they wouldn't bother releasing so many... right?

So, more books available can result in more book sales. More enthusiastic readers can provide additional motivation for the author. A rapid release schedule can keep an author churning out their work and can be its own motivation, helping an author remain productive. A productive author is favourable for the algorithms

Now that we've finished discussing rapid release, let me ask you to consider:

What does self-publishing success look like?

Is it a certain number of book sales?

A large, loyal fanbase?

A specific income?

A certain level of productivity?

A writer who enjoys their work?

Books that have helped people?

A competition win?

A chart-topping novel?

An award-winning novel?

A bestseller?

A sustainable full-time career?

A publishing contract?

An author's idea of self-publishing success needs to be taken into account when determining if rapid release is right for them.

I hope this has been helpful.

If you are a reader, I'd love you to tell me: What appeals to you most about books that are rapidly released?

If you write and rapidly release books, I'd love you to tell me: Is it working for you? And how do you avoid burnout?

Let me know in the comments.

Happy reading!

Much love,

Marley x