Split-Testing for Authors: Why Your Cover, Blurb, and Hook Are All Just Guesses

Every month, traditional publishers lose more ground to indie authors. One reason it’s happening is that in trad publishing, a committee or the highest-paid person in the room makes the call on book covers, marketing copy, and even what they suppose readers might like. Both get it wrong far more often than they want to admit. Most indie authors aren't much better off. They just swap the highest-paid person’s opinion for their own, and trust their own gut on covers, titles, and blurbs. But savvy authors skip this guessing game entirely. They test everything, and they're outselling everyone else. In this week’s episode, USA Today best-selling author Steve Piper sits down with Thomas to break down exactly how split testing works. You’ll discover: -How many ideas you should test to find a viable one -What kinds of book-related assets work for split testing -The sneaky metric that fools most authors into thinking their split-tested ads are working If you need help choosing a title, cover, or copy, or if you’re wondering why your ads aren’t working, listen in or read the blog version to find out how you can know for sure what will work. Times: 0:00 — Intro: Why Traditional Publishers Lose to Indies (the HiPPO problem) 2:16 — What Is Split Testing? 12:14 — Running Your First Split Test & Using Meta Ads 35:19 — A/B Testing vs. Multivariate vs. Click Testing 44:01 — Common Mistakes in Split Testing 55:46 — Final Thoughts: Making the Right Promise to Readers Steve's Website: https://www.stevepieper.com/ Blog Version: https://www.authormedia.com/why-your-... Patron Toolbox: https://www.authormedia.com/patron-to... Patreon:   / novelmarketing   Author Update:    / @author-update   Christian Publishing Show: https://www.christianpublishingshow.com/ Host: Thomas Umstattd Jr. Guest: Steve Pieper (https://www.stevepieper.com/) #BookMarketing #IndieAuthors #PublishingIndustry