BOOK COVER MAGAZINE - WINTER EDITION - 2017

HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED BESTSELLING AUTHOR - JL KING
Years before appearing on Oprah’s show, I created a
brand for my message and that was the book. Writing a
book was not on my list. Being an author was not in my
plan and I didn’t ever think I would be an author, let alone
a bestseller. I had been doing a lot of speaking
engagements and shocking people about my DL
message. I had even been on major television and radio
talk shows without a book or an agent or anybody, just
me from Columbus, Ohio.
When Oprah called, I was living in Chicago and somehow
she found me. Oprah explained that she and Gayle had
been following me for years and she’d heard that my
book was about to be released. At the time, she was
interested in recording a show about HIV and black
women. She thought I would be the perfect guest for that
topic. Of course, Oprah had received an advanced copy
of the book, which I didn’t even have a copy of yet. She
showed me the book. Oprah endorsed the book, and the
rest is history.
I am asked by self-published authors all the time how can
they earn bestselling status. And I sadly have to tell
them… You can’t ever be a self-published certified
bestselling author because your book sales are not
tracked and reported. It is impossible because most selfpublished
authors sell their books off their websites
and/or on book tours. Many don’t have their books in
bookstores nationally and no one is reporting their sales.
Even though a self-published author can’t get certified
King is the author of over 18
JL
and publisher of
books
bestselling status, it should not stop them from setting
Book Cover Magazine.
goals to sell books. Also, don’t get caught up in being on
a list. I tell them that because they have become a
BOOK COVER MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2017 | 48
published author that makes them a success already.