BOOK PROMOTION SITES--THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY WORK! > Likes and Comments
Marie Silk wrote: "Important! Check your books on GR!I just remembered something as I was writing about the Amazon button on GR book pages. I've clicked on MANY of these that DO N..."
Thank you for letting us know, Marie Silk. The links to 3 of my 4 books worked. I contacted GR support to fix the 4th link. I would never have thought to check if you hadn't told us. So thanks for alerting us.
Effie, it wasn't that. I do so admire what she came back from. I mean, she won the Australian Open--pregnant! It was just the total disrespect to everyone around her and the arrogance that totally turned me off. And the lie she told at the end---Okay, I can let it go now:)**Book Talk**
Effie, that sounds like so much fun. Let us know how it went.
As soon as I get 5 minutes I'm going to check my links, too. I'm not really promoting so I have time. But thanks Marie Silk for reminding us!
I totally get it, Groovy. It’s not the first time. Remember when she wanted to stuff the tennis ball down the ref’s throat. My husband won’t root for her because of that. I told him to let it go already. It was a tense match and she had a moment of anger and frustration. I’ll post the link to the event later in case anyone want to drop in. I have to warn you though. All the authors are romance authors.
Anyone get any sales from Prime Day? None here but Lu sales have been up overall and my KENP was the highest it’s ever been yesterday. I did buy a new Kindle paperwhite. The Kindle Fire I have now is nearly five years old and it keeps randomly shutting off for no reason and takes forever to boot back up, plus it dims so much when I’m outside I can’t read it. So I’m exited to have a new one on Wednesday!
Thanks, Effie. I'm a romance author myself. So, I would love to drop in.
Great! You will get to network with some great bloggers and authors.Here is the schedule and link. You have to join the facebook group.
https://bit.ly/2KRF0fa
Stargazers Summer Reading Fest Takeover Schedule (EST)
Tuesday, July 17
4:00 – 5:00 Debra Anastasia
5:00 – 6:00 Argyle Empire
6:00 – 6:30 Skye Warren
6:30 – 7:00 KA Berg
7:00 – 8:00 Sylvain Reynard
8:00 – 9:00 CD Bradley
9:00 – 10:00 Tijan
Wednesday, July 18
5:30 – 6:00 Stephanie’s Book Reports
6:00 – 6:30 Rumer Haven
6:30 – 7:00 CG Burnett
7:00 – 8:00 Raine Miller
8:00 – 8:30 T. M. Franklin
8:30 – 9:00 Fiona Tulle
9:00 – 9:30 J.L. Berg
9:30 – 10:00 Marie Savage
Thursday, July 19
5:30 – 6:00 Miriam Meza- Blog on the Run
6:00 – 7:00 Happy Hour Latino: Stefania Gil & Miriam Meza
7:00 – 7:30 Sydney Jamesson
7:30 – 8:00 Melanie Moreland
8:00 – 8:30 Aubree Valentine
8:30 – 9:00 JM Kelley
9:00 – 9:30 Effie Kammenou
9:30 – 10:00 AC Squared Book Blog
Friday, July 20
5:30 – 6:00 Margie’s Must Reads
6:00 – 6:30 Vanessa Fewings
6:30 – 7:00 Jiffy Kate
7:00 – 7:30 Becca Anderson
7:30 – 8:00 Rochelle Allison
8:00 – 8:30 Sydney Logan
8:30 – 9:00 Emma Nichole
9:00 – 10:00 Morgan & Jennifer Locklear
I'm not sure how many of these authors you know. Sylvain Reynard is an internationally bestselling author. His Gabriel series was just optioned for a limited series. Raine Miller is also a NY times bestselling author. Sydney Jamesson, JL berg and Sky Warren are USA Today bestselling authors. I'm not familiar with the rest other than Jennifer Locklear, the author running this event.
Bloggers will be connecting with chatters. There will be contests and giveaways. I'd love for anyone here to drop in and chat with me or the other authors.
Sounds like fun! I'll try to drop in Effie!Shannon, I didn't notice any sales here, but I'm also not actively promoting at the moment. Busy going through the edits from my editor and concept drawings for the cover. :)
Effie, this sounds like fun. I'll be there:) I know this is a silly question, but I want to make sure I got it right. These times are in the PM, right?
Yes. PM EST. And don't just come on my time slot. Visit to meet and chat with some amazing authors. It's social too. some play games and have contests and giveaways. It's not just about promoting their books. and you can ask the anything. so if you want advice, you can ask that too. My slot isn't until Thursday but it starts this evening.I didn't do anything with Amazon prime day. I think to see any significant spike in sales you would have had to coordinated a price promotion. I didn't even go on to buy anything!
Effie, your event sounds exciting. Good luck! Thanks to Marie Silk for reminding us to check our links. And, Shannon, congrats on your new Kindle. Fun.I received an email from a Benjamin Painter, Vice President, Schlage Group, on behalf of Gale Cengage. The email begins with this paragraph:
An entry has been prepared about you for inclusion in a forthcoming edition of Contemporary Authors (CA), a reference series that provides information on approximately 112,000 writers in a wide range of media, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, and screenwriting. Established in 1962, CA is published by Gale Cengage, a leading provider in meeting the world’s information and education needs. There is absolutely no charge or obligation of any kind for listings in CA, nor is this e-mail a solicitation. For more information regarding the series, please visit www.gale.com.
The email also says: We are unfortunately unable to provide a complimentary copy of the volume your entry appears in.
The information they have on a PDF is available from my website.
Question: Has anyone else received this email; or, are you familiar with this organization? I'm hesitant to respond. Any advice?
Shannon wrote: "What is everyone's opinion on August for book sales? I usually do one book promotion a month but I'm considering skipping next month. My gut feeling is August will be slow, but I figured I would as..."I have a kindle countdown coming up in August - 8th - 15th so I will let you know how it goes.
Marie Silk wrote: "Important! Check your books on GR!I just remembered something as I was writing about the Amazon button on GR book pages. I've clicked on MANY of these that DO NOT go to the book's Amazon listing!..."
I noticed this the other day too, Marie Silk. I clicked on an author's page and was directed to an Amazon "error" page.
I know Effie has recommended Itsy Bitsy Book Promotions before but I am just reasserting that this is a great company for book tours. I will finish my second two week tour this coming Sunday and am very happy with the results for the investment. I promoted both books, The Scrying and The Hallowed and received many reviews, some sales and lots of KNEP reads. I am happy with the results and will work with them again in the future.
Jaci wrote: "I know Effie has recommended Itsy Bitsy Book Promotions before but I am just reasserting that this is a great company for book tours. I will finish my second two week tour this coming Sunday and am..."That's good to hear - just booked my launch and tour for October.
Where do you find Itsy Bitsy? Is it Itsy Bitsy Book Bits?
Sorry to say, but I won't be able to make your time, Effie. I won't get home that night until late, sorry. But I will visit some other times. Thanks for telling us about it.That's good news, Jaci. I can't wait to work with Itsy Bitsy.
I would like to know where to find it, too. I get emails from her, but there is no website, just a FB page that says it's a closed group.
No problem Groovy. If you get emails from Colleen from Itsy just respond back and ask for info. She likes to correspond via email
I have a question: Has anyone had any dealings with Written Word Media? I keep getting them mixed up with Itsy Bitsy.http://www.writtenwordmedia.com
Written word media is bargain booksy and free booksy. It’s the name of the company. They now offer other services
Well, I have some exciting news to report. I've earned the most I ever had since publishing this month. No, I'm not ready to buy my Mercedes yet or even pay off my car or student loans, but interesting that I made more money by giving away my books than when I did paid promotions. MY KENP is the highest it's ever been too...13,000 this month so far when ordinarily it's only around 4000.I just hit the publish button on my new book and less than twenty four hours later I'm already seeing a respectable rank. I don't think I'm going to be publishing again for awhile, it took me almost a year to finish this one and I'm feeling a bit drained. I haven't actually written much since my mother died in January, everything I've done has been rewrites and revisions. It's funny that the thought of writing is making me feel a bit panicky and overwhelmed. Maybe it's time for a break, and just relax and read in the evenings instead of feverishly working all the time.
Congratulations! Shannon. That's wonderful news all around. Take a break. I haven't written since I released my book in June. I've been busy with promotion. It was draining even though I love it. I had set deadlines and that was partially why. Take a break and enjoy the summer!
Thanks, makes a feel a bit better to hear other people say it's okay. and like I'm not lazy!
Michele wrote: "Effie, your event sounds exciting. Good luck! Thanks to Marie Silk for reminding us to check our links. And, Shannon, congrats on your new Kindle. Fun.I received an email from a Benjamin Painter,..."
Sorry Michele, I don't know much about them. Maybe someone else has more info.
Shannon wrote: "Well, I have some exciting news to report. I've earned the most I ever had since publishing this month. No, I'm not ready to buy my Mercedes yet or even pay off my car or student loans, but interes..."Wow that's awesome, Shannon! It's okay to take some time for you to relax.
Effie, I probably won't make it on during your slot, but I'll try to stop in sometime. I'll be on the road Thurs night.
No problem. I just thought I would share. You can stop in to chat with any of the authors. It might be good networking. I've chatted with a few this week that are bestselling authors and they started following me. Don't forget that that opens me up to their fans on social media when they comment on my posts or retweet something I post. It would be good to try and make as many connections as you can. Michelle, I didn't answer your question. I never heard of them but I get so many solicitation emails every day.
Shannon, you definitely deserve a break! You need input as well as output.
Thanks, Theresa and Effie. Based on my gullibility, I’m leery of being scammed. Good luck with your author networking!
Shannon—taking a break is healthy. Enjoy.
Michele, I'VE BEEN BURNT TWICE. NOW I WON'T USE ANYONE UNLESS THEY COME PERSONALLY RECOMMENDED OR THEY HAVE A REPUTATION IN THE BUSINESS.
Whoa! Thanks, Effie. Excellent advice.
And that has helped so many of us to avoid those who are nothing but scammers.
So, would any of you be interested in creating a Google Spreadsheet document all together? I have one with another author already, and I've only got about 4 promotions on there. I have columns for Promotion Name, Date, Day of the Week, Price, and Books Sold. I believe this is a comprehensive set of data to see what works and doesn't.
If any of you want to join the document and we can share information, email me at davidkummer7@gmail.com.
Hi,I'm reporting back on my author takeover event. I've done 3 or 4 before and honestly, I thought they were a bit of a waste of time. I never felt there was much engagement. I could tell it was mostly the administrators commenting. nThis one was completely different. nIt was a 4 night event. Each night, one big name was featured and then the rest of the authors were lesser known. The author who got the most involvement was Sylvain Reynard, with around 400 comments and questions in his hour. The other authors that evening were lucky to get 30 or 40 comments. But still, thats better than the 8 or 9 comments with the others I've done.
I had prepared my posts carefully to entice engagement. All the authors had book giveaways, but I also gave away an amazon gift card and a sugarfina candygram. I made the posts about the readers, asking them fun questions. My half hour turned into over 3 and each of my post had over 100 comments and questions. I had sign-ups for my newsletter, follows on bookbub, instagram and facebook and a spike in sales. It was definitely worth it!
Of course, the difference was being invited to a higher profile author event. The organizers did a great job. I give them all the credit.
Effie, great job! That sounds amazing, and so different. I've never even heard of that before. So much to learn with this business. I tried a Bookbub ad tonight, as recommended. I'm interested to see how it does.
Stupid question, I know, but where do you view how your Bookbub ad is performing? I'm finding their site a little bit difficult to navigate.
I've been trying to get a Bookbub ad, but never got accepted. I only tried once though. I would say you can probably see it at https://partners.bookbub.com/campaigns
Oh, congratulations, Effie! Outstanding. You're inspirational.
Shannon wrote: "Stupid question, I know, but where do you view how your Bookbub ad is performing? I'm finding their site a little bit difficult to navigate."Not a stupid question :) you need to be logged into Bookbub to see your ad. At the top of the page, there is a red toolbar that says Home, Ads, and Featured Deals. Click on Ads and it will show you which of your ads are live. It will show you impressions and clicks from there.
David, getting an ad is different from a deal. You don't have to be accepted for it, that's to get on their reading list. Their ads function much like the AMS ads.
Oh I understand. Well I hope it's successful for you!
I hope so too but for now it’s saying I don’t have any ads in the dashboard. Either I did something wrong or it hasn’t been approved yet. I guess I’ll give it another day.
Congratulations, Effie. Those are great results! What's exciting is that you got more fans:) I read along with the event and it was nice to see everyone engaging.
Yes! Thank you, Groovy. That was the aim. To get more exposure. New readers who had never heard of me before discovered the books. I find that when you engage with them personally, you gain loyal fans.You know me, I'm always looking for new ways to find readers!
Shannon, when you set up a pay per click ad it should show up on your dashboard immediately. any luck?
No, Effie, I guess it didn't go through. I did all the steps. Strange. Back to the drawing board I guess.
You must have missed the final step that makes it go live.
Just want to report that my AMS ads have been doing well over the last couple months. I cringe a little at how much I've spent on the trial and error of finding what works with AMS. I still don't like the way they bill. But I think I've figured some things out. As far as keywords, my top three performing keywords in order of effectiveness are the following types:
1. genre description
2. title of a TV series
3. author name
I raised the bids on these particular keywords from .25 to .53 since the clicks often resulted in sales. I can figure out from the timing that the ads are not only responsible for ebook sales, but also audio and paperback. It's clear that the more formats your books are available in (and especially when they are in KU), the more potential they have to do well with AMS. If your book is only in ebook format, I'm not sure AMS will give much bang for the buck, since a portion of the clicks you're paying for will be customers looking for audio and paperback.
Hope everyone's promos are going well :).
Marie Silk,TV series? I never thought of making TV series a key word. I have my books in all three formats.n I clearly need to improve my ads. I'm getting sales, but not from the ads I don't believe. And my audio sales are dismal. There are few places to promote and target those audiences.
When the themes are similar, there seems to be enough overlap of movie watchers who are also readers. I use the titles of specific historical films or TV series that involve relevant time periods and subject matter.
I just remembered something as I was writing about the Amazon button on GR book pages. I've clicked on MANY of these that DO NOT go to the boo..."
Well done to GR - all 19 of my books are linked properly!