Case Study: Michael J. Sullivan
Michael J. Sullivan’s path to becoming a bestselling fantasy author is a testament to resilience and reader-first strategy. Sullivan spent years crafting epic fantasy stories, but experienced repeated setbacks as his manuscripts were overlooked by traditional publishers. Instead of shelving his ambitions, he and his wife, Robin, chose to take control of his career, embracing self-publishing with creative determination.
Acknowledging Michael’s Wife!
We want to acknowledge the role that Robin has played in Michael’s self-publishing career as she was instrumental in the marketing, promotion and business strategy. Within six months of taking on Michael’s book and self-publishing, the dua achieved #1 in Amazon’s Sword & Sorcery category and cracked the overall top-100 paid charts.
How A Giveaway Launched Michael’s Profile
It’s important to note that when Michael and Robin commenced self-publishing, Michael had a series of novels already written. This supported their first strategy in marketing; a free book.
In 2011, they released The Crown Tower for free, the first novella in his Riyria series, offering the book in exchange for the reader’s contact details. By offering a polished, standalone prequel, Sullivan gave readers a risk-free invitation to explore his writing. The strategy paid off immediately; the novella spread quickly across reader communities, and fans who enjoyed the story were eager to purchase subsequent books when Michael and Robin reached out by email and through their newsletter.
The momentum from the free novella allowed them to price Michael’s first full-length novel, Theft of Swords, at an accessible $2.99, followed by later titles at $4.99. Robin carefully rotated the free promotion offering across various platforms, including Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Smashwords, maximizing their reach and exposing his books to new audiences every week.
To further spark interest and drive sales, Robin implemented Amazon Countdown Deals, creating time-limited discounts that encouraged immediate action and delivered repeated spikes in bestseller rankings.
Growing Their Author Newsletter
From the outset, Robin viewed their email list not simply as a broadcast tool, but as a true fan community. New subscribers received personal welcome emails with instant download links for The Crown Tower, followed by newsletters filled with world-building lore, character artwork, cover reveals and giveaways. This level of attention transformed casual readers into dedicated fans, eager for each new instalments.
Knowing the power of reader feedback, Michael fostered community with his “Riyria Revelers,” a core street team who received advance reader copies (ARCs), branded merchandise and participated in live Q&A sessions. Their insights shaped cover redesigns and book descriptions, strengthening the resonance of their book listings and ensuring that new editions matched the tastes and expectations of their audience.
Robin actively sought out wider audiences through organising Michael to have appearances on podcasts like The Creative Penn and guest blogging on popular fantasy sites. By sharing his writing journey and advice, they connected with established fanbases, many of whom were hungry for insider perspectives. Robin repurposed long-form blog content on world-building and writing craft into enticing social media teasers, continually driving readers back to their website.
The Sullivan’s results were transformative. Their newsletter drew over 20,000 subscribers in its first year.
The Riyria Chronicles have now sold more than two million copies, reflecting the impact of persistent, informed and audience-focused marketing. Their approach proves that building a loyal fanbase—and treating those fans as partners—can turn years of rejection into a thriving author career.
For emerging writers, his story offers a roadmap for identifying, targeting and engaging readers through community-building, strategic promotion and creative experimentation.
Step-by-Step Marketing Actions for Emerging Fiction Authors
1. Free or Low-Cost Entry Points
Release a short prequel or novella for free or at a discount to attract new readers.
Rotate free offers across major platforms.
Make sure the free work showcases your best writing.
2. Build an Audience Email List
If you offer something for free, capture the audience’s details by having them sign up for your newsletter.
Treat subscribers as VIP members, sharing personal messages, behind-the-scenes lore, teaser chapters and surprise giveaways.
Automate welcome sequences for new fans.
3. Community and Feedback Loops
Recruit early “street team” members for advance review copies and feedback.
Use their input to refine covers, blurbs, and launch messaging.
Consider reader polls or Q&A sessions in your newsletter.
4. Strategic Pricing & Promotions
Leverage urgency-based promos (Amazon Countdown, BookBub deals).
Change pricing strategies for new launches versus ongoing series.
5. Cross-Platform and Influencer Outreach
Guest on podcasts and genre blogs; participate in social media where your readers hang out (BookTok, IG, Discord, Reddit, niche Facebook Groups).
Partner with other authors for newsletter swaps and collaborative promotions.
Repurpose blog posts, articles and world-building extras into social-media snippets.
If there’s an author you would like us to profile send us an email at hello@market-plan-action.com and sign up to our newsletter so we can share the results!
