The Box Set Strategy That Pays Out Better Than a Publishing Deal
Learn from the indie author who’s made over £400K in 18 months by thinking like a business—not just a writer.
There’s a gap between writing books and selling them, and it’s wide enough to swallow most indie authors whole. Steven Aitchison didn’t fall into it. He built a bridge across it, brick by brick, book by book, bundle by bundle.
In May 2025, he publicly shared his monthly earnings: over £25,000 in profit from his author business. That’s not gross revenue. That’s what was left after spending more than £5,000 on ads.
Since 2022, he estimates he’s made between £400,000 and £500,000, selling over 200,000 books. Not through viral TikToks. Not through launch week magic. Through infrastructure, bundling, and relentless testing.
So what is he doing right? And what can you take from it if you’re trying to build an author business that pays more than compliments?
In this post, you'll discover:
How Steven Aitchison built a half-million-pound indie publishing business using smart marketing, bundled offers, and Facebook ads in 18 months
Why selling a series box set creates stronger perceived value and higher earnings
How Aitchison structures his Facebook ads (and what most authors get wrong about boosting posts)
What value stacking looks like in practice—and how it helps your ads become more profitable
The psychology behind Audible credits
How this indie author is outperforming most trad publishers in book promo and advertising
Lessons authors can apply today: from metadata and reader-first positioning to strategic ad spend
Whether you're just starting or already have books out in the wild, this is a blueprint worth dissecting.