Is Your Book Promotion Working?
The Five Day Free Promotion on KDP Select
For five days, Amazon promoted the e-book version of one of my booksabsolutely FREE. It’s one of the perks for Kindle Select. During that promotion, my book jumped from from #1,300 to #16–That’s quite a jump!
Why would anyone want to give away their book?
Test the waters. One reason to do book giveaways is to check the books appeal. If people won’t download your book when it’s free, then it needs an overhaul. It might be the book cover or the description or it’s listed in the wrong genre. A new author needs to “test the waters” and a good way to do that is to offer someone (who reads that genre) a free copy. Get your name and work seen. If you’re a new author and you’re not famous, nobody has heard of you. Even if a big publisher picks up your book, they expect you to promote yourself and your works with book-signings and other public events. For a self-published author, free copies can get you and your work more widely known.Find your audience. There are readers looking for a good book and they often look only in their favorite genres. They know they can count on the authors they’re familiar with to tell a good story, but your cover caught their eye and they can download it free. Get reviews. Besides becoming known as an author and finding your audience, there is also the matter of reviews. Offering a free copy to someone in exchange for a written review is a standard action. Let them know you want an honest review, hopefully with a description of what they liked and didn’t like. Not only will that help you, it also helps other potential readers who read the review decide.Rise on the charts. Another advantage is rising on the Amazon charts. If you get up to the top ten or even within the top 100, you appear on a different page of Amazon and increase the visibility for your book. Other book outlets have a similar tracking system. Also, you can honestly say “over a 1,000 copies downloaded” or whatever the number is.Grow as an author. All this feedback helps you discover your strengths and weaknesses as an author. Reviews also lend credibility to you as the author. You can use them in your book, in your emails and on social media networks.
My Top Reader Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I’ve read in a long time! By bmaryann on September 15, 2017. “I LOVE this book! Amazing Author and talented story teller! The plot Grabs you and makes you want to read more! I could hardly put it down! I Highly recommended this book because of the great entertainment value, amazing characters and in depth educational content that spurs the imagination! Love it!”
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended. By Kaaren on September 29, 2017. Format: Kindle Edition |Verified Purchase “Great book. Always moving forward and held my interest start to finish. I usually have trouble with back and forth timelines but this author has it together with just the right balance. Highly recommend.”
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic journey pushing the edge of reality. By Iceophene on October 4, 2017. Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase “In The Supernatural Prodigy, author C. L. Currie skillfully weaves an authentic, modern-day tale of complex relationships wrapped in the potential of science and technology. The science fiction paranormal mystery develops around an unlikely group of high school students brought together by protagonist Tom Patterson and his childhood friend Justin Fischer. Initially created as a study group aptly named the Supernatural Prodigy, its members develop intricate relationships, travel the road to self-discovery, and delve into the realm of supernatural awareness. Together, they test the limits of science, challenge the possibilities of technology, and discover the power and unpredictability of the human mind. Presented in a time-shifting format, author C. L. Currie successfully moves The Supernatural Prodigy between the 1990s and 2015. Both engaging and entertaining, the story is solid, well written, and edited to shine. The Supernatural Prodigy prompts the reader to question societies’ understanding of the mechanics of time, the notion of reality, and the workings of the human psyche. Excellent read.”
Promoting your book
If you’re a new author, my message to you is don’t despair. Find ways you can afford to let people know what your book is about and discover their interests. Your audience is out there. All you have to do is find them.
Know other ways to get your book known and promoted? Help others by writing your experience in the comments.
