Today is the “N” Day in the A to Z Challenge – 2016. Let’s use Number 1 to tie into the letter N.
I was hopeful that someday that lofty status might happen,
but as my novel count reached six I seriously doubted that I would ever be able
to make that claim. The competition is fierce. The volumes of books that are
published daily are hard to fathom. Breaking out of obscurity is next to
impossible.
How do you get noticed with so many writers on the scene?
The answer is: Marketing and Money.
There are a bunch of marketing people that want to help an
author. These gurus charge a handsome amount. Basically their advice is to
convert the written word to an eFormatted edition and sell it – or should I
say, give it away - on Kindle. However, that is only half of it. After authors
make their eBook available on Kindle they really need to participate in the
Kindle Select program.
Two options are available. The Countdown Deals program allows
for an escalating price. The second choice allows for five free days during a
sign up period. Pick out 5 days and get organized. That takes care of a
marketing choice.
The next step is where the money comes in. There are a
number of services that charge fees to get the eBook downloaded on Kindle. They
are tapped into eBook reader sites and promotional lists. Typically the more
you spend the higher the download count. I did four of my books in a single
year. Needless to say I learned a lot and found out which services worked the
best.
On the day of your free promotion just wake up and watch the
numbers soar. An author can follow the progress on Kindle as the reports are
posted hourly. It is fun to see your cover methodically climb to the top as the
eBook downloads accumulate.
Of course social media plays a big part too. Twitter posts,
Facebook groups, Goodreads announcements, email campaigns to readers, an Amazon Author page, and website alerts help. The cover postings in the
various genres on Amazon and Kindle are equally as important. Publicity feeds
on itself.
When all is said and done I can say that I am now a Number 1
Best Selling Author on Amazon Kindle. Here are some of the results that can be
verified through screenshots that were taken:
· Opur’s Blade – No. 1 Cozy Mystery
· Opur’s Blade – No. 1 Sports Fiction
· Opur’s Blade – No. 1 Teen Fiction
- Pabby’s Score –No. 2 Overall
- Pabby’s Score –No. 1 Crime Fiction
- Pabby’s Score –No. 1 Legal Thriller
- Pabby’s Score –No. 1 Teen
· Lifetime Loser – No. 1 Golf
· Lifetime Loser - No. 2 Crime Fiction
· Lifetime Loser – No. 3 Teen
Shari’s Shot was my first
promotion and did not fare quite as well only because I did not have my
marketing strategies perfected. It got into the Top 50 Overall and into the Top
5 in Crime Fiction. Had I figured things out a little earlier I’m confident
that this book would have reached higher download levels.
What was gained? A lot of new
readers and sales that continue to this day. Feel free to get in touch with me.
I’ll steer you in the right direction.
James Ross has penned several novels from the Prairie Winds Golf
Course setting. The stories are character-based, cross many genres, and have
become Kindle favorites. Visit his website for detailed information, reader comments, and
contact links.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment