David Gaughran's Blog, page 3

Self-Publishing A Book? Here’s Your Free Guide

The new edition of Let’s Get Digital is here and it costs nothing – anyone interesting in self-publishing a book can download it from the retailer of their choice. Grab your copy here:

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Kobo | Google | Other Retailers

This fourth edition of Let’s Get Digital has been completely revamped to reflect the needs of self-publishers today. The structure has been completely streamlined to reflect the ten steps involved in self-publishing a book.

The advice on each step goe...

Authors Say #DisneyMustPay

Disney is accused of serial non-payment of royalties to Star Wars author Alan Dean Foster – in a move that could ultimately affect all published writers, prompting widespread calls that #DisneyMustPay.

Foster wrote the first ever Star Wars novelization, released six months before that initial movie. Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker was based on a screenplay written by George Lucas and its his name that graced the front cover. But Alan Dean Foster wrote the book, which is still...

How To Market A Book | 2020 Edition

Figuring out how to market a book in 2020 means grappling with a pair of imposing challenges: the multiplying complexity of book marketing and — speaking of things rising exponentially — the global pandemic, which has led to lockdowns, recessions, as well as no small amount of tragedy.

And I want to focus on that second challenge for a moment — before we dive into how to sell books specifically — because there is something rather different about this year.

Writers are generally quite fortu...

How To Sell Books | 2020 Pandemic Edition

Figuring out how to sell books in 2020 means grappling with a pair of imposing challenges: the multiplying complexity of book marketing and — speaking of things rising exponentially — the global pandemic, which has led to lockdowns, recessions, as well as no small amount of tragedy.

And I want to focus on that second challenge for a moment — before we dive into all the ways that you can get your books into readers’ hands — because there is something rather different about this year.

Writer...

How To Sell Books in 2020 – Pandemic Edition

Figuring out how to sell books in 2020 means grappling with a pair of imposing challenges: the multiplying complexity of book marketing and — speaking of things rising exponentially — the global pandemic, which has led to lockdowns, recessions, as well as no small amount of tragedy.

And I want to focus on that second challenge for a moment — before we dive into all the ways that you can get your books into readers’ hands — because there is something rather different about this year.

Writer...

Decoding Amazon To Sell More Books

It’s here – Amazon Decoded: A Marketing Guide to the Kindle Store breaks down how the Kindle Store really works so that you you can sell more books.

There’s more detail below on exactly what the book covers – plus news of some very cool bonus resources that come with this book and an epic live stream coming soon. But first! Those purchase links:

Amazon | Apple | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Google | Paperback

In case you read the old, free edition and want to know what has changed, let me ma...

What The Big Tech Hearings Mean For Indie Authors

The CEOs of Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple were grilled on Capitol Hill yesterday, stepping up the anti-trust chatter that has been percolating over the last few years. While some of you might be tempted to reflexively dismiss these hearings as political theater, many commentators seem to agree that this time feels different.

(Disclosure: I used to work for Google many moons ago.)

Political sands have shifted. Public sentiment towards tech companies has soured — companies who were onc...

Amazon and the Myth of the A9 Algorithm

There is more nonsense written about Amazon than almost any other topic because mere mention of Amazon will get you more clicks than anything else, and the “A9 Algorithm” might be the most curious example of all.

Amazon also happens to be an incredibly divisive subject generally, one of those where little nuance seems to be permitted — and someone writing articles about Amazon tends to regularly get labeled a “shill” or a “hater,” depending, sometimes off the back of the same piece!

But t...

Also Boughts and Amazon Recommendations

Also Boughts play an important role in Amazon recommendations — that process of pairing books to readers, like some literary version of Tinder. But the exact role they play is commonly misunderstood, because Also Boughts are much more important for what they represent.

Which means you shouldn’t worry so much if they aren’t currently displaying on your book’s page — or even if they go away forever — because Amazon’s giant recommendation engine will be blissfully unaffected.

That statement...

Amazon Recommendations and Also Boughts

Amazon recommendations drive millions of dollars of book purchases every single day, and Also Boughts are central to this system, which can lead to panic when they periodically disappear.

Also Boughts play an important role in Amazon recommendations — that process of pairing books to readers like some literary version of Tinder — but the exact role in Amazon’s recommender system can be misunderstood.

So let’s break it all down today, and show you the exact role Also Boughts play in Amazon ...