Student Spotlight: How Her Debut Novel Became An Amazon Bestseller With Margaret Mantor
Want to know how a debut author turned her high school story idea into an Amazon bestselling novel? In this episode of Fiction Writing Made Easy, Margaret Mantor shares her journey of writing, editing, and marketing her young adult science-fantasy romance Air And Ashes—and spoiler alert: social media wasn't the key to her success.
What You’ll Learn In This Episode:
- The best time to work with beta readers and developmental editors
- How to manage imposter syndrome during the publishing process
- Why it’s important to build relationships with other authors
- How BookBub features can skyrocket your Amazon rankings
- Why strategically giving away books leads to stronger sales
If you’re an aspiring fiction author who dreams of publishing your first novel but feels overwhelmed by the idea of using social media to market it, this episode is for you! Let’s dive into the strategies that helped Margaret go from first draft to bestseller status—without the social media marketing hustle.
3 Key Takeaways From Margaret Mantor’s Self-Publishing Journey
#1. Getting early feedback from a developmental editor and/or beta readers can help strengthen your story’s foundation and cut down on the number of drafts you write.
Getting professional feedback on a story you’ve poured your heart and soul into can feel intimidating—but it’s crucial in terms of turning your first draft into a story that works.
Because Margaret got feedback early in the writing process (from both a developmental editor and beta readers), she was able to cut down on the number of drafts needed to produce a read-to-publish manuscript.
Working with a developmental editor helped Margaret strengthen the foundational elements of her story—characters, plot, theme, etc. while working with beta readers allowed her to gauge real reader reactions to her story before revising it.
Related: What Kind of Editor Do You Need For Your Book?
Once Margaret received feedback from her developmental editor and beta readers, she created a revision tracker to help her implement their feedback.
A revision tracker can be any kind of document you use to keep yourself organized and sort through your notes and planned changes.
For example, details that need to be updated, storylines that need to be tweaked, scenes that need to be removed, and things like that.
Related: The 4 Phases of Editing: How To Revise Your Novel
#2. Focusing on proven book marketing strategies can drive bigger results than posting on social media or relying solely on influencer marketing.
Margaret did not use social media as a key part of her book marketing efforts. Instead, she focused on getting her book in front of as many readers as possible by working with book promotion sites, getting featured in newsletters, and even being a guest on multiple podcasts.
A key part of Maragret’s success was using BookBub’s “New Release For Less” feature to boost her book’s visibility. Not only did this strategy get Maragret’s book in front of a ton of new readers, but it was also the key driver to reaching Amazon bestseller status as well.
Margaret recommends focusing on building your readership more than sales when publishing your debut novel. This will help you build a loyal fanbase and see stronger sales when publishing your next book.
Related: Why Marketing Matters From Day One With Lacy Lieffers
#3. Connecting with other authors online and celebrating small wins will help you maintain momentum while marketing your book.
Rather than post daily on social media, Margaret focused on genuinely connecting with other aspiring and published authors online. This helped her stay motivated, feel less alone, and make new friends who share similar goals.
She also made a habit of tracking and celebrating small wins. Small wins can be anything—getting your very first review, seeing your book arrive on someone’s doorstep, meeting a new writing friend, or simply making it through a random tough Thursday. The point is to acknowledge all the hard work you’re doing rather than just focusing on the big-picture outcome.
Margaret set aside specific days to work on marketing activities to protect her writing time. This is a strategy you can implement, too. Especially if you’re someone who doesn’t love marketing, it can be helpful to balance your schedule with more fun, creative tasks like working on your next book!
Related: 10 Surprising Lessons From My Book Launch
Final Thoughts & Next Steps
Margaret's journey proves you don't need thousands of social media followers or a marketing degree to publish a successful book. All you need is the right guidance, a solid strategy, and the willingness to take that first step.
Want to connect with Margaret Mantor? Reach out to Margaret via her website or over on Instagram. You can also grab a copy of Air And Ashes here.
Remember, your publishing journey is unique to you, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to success. Whether you're still drafting your first novel or getting ready to promote your book, focus on what Margaret shared today: build a strong foundation with good editing, connect genuinely with readers, and don't let social media pressure hold you back from sharing your story with the world. You've got this!
