Anna’s Comments (group member since Mar 21, 2017)

Anna’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

Thanks, Ted. Amazon is trialling a new Reports section, I haven't looked at it but I wonder if it incorporates some of these useful features and maybe we shall have them available soon within Amazon.

Or not...

Ooh... thank you.

I keep notes on all advertising, dating back to my very first ads several years ago - I'm just made that way!

I'm also aware that if I use a site too frequently with the same book, the returns diminish .

I'm noticing that these days all attempts at advertising rarely return profits except, perhaps, in the long run. The best way seems to keep plugging on with the writing (as we all know) and to recognize that there are many more millions self publishing now than there were just a few years ago.

I thought I should flag up a particularly disappointing return but also mention that perhaps my choice of genre may have contributed to it. I'm just trying to make people aware that it doesn't work for everyone. Alex has got it sussed for him and I am pleased to hear that and sharing his strategy is very, very useful. It's similar to mine but I don't have enough books!!!!

As you say, Dale, we have to keep at them, and I know I must take the hit on the pocket. If I make too big a profit - the taxman will take it anyway!

I can tell you one that didn't: Bargain Booksy - I paid $70 for my Time Travel Romance and received 18 sales on the day (and, of course, the book was reduced to 0.99). Possibly I received another 10 in the following days but if I take into account other ads on those days, then I think the total could not have been above 20. I'm wondering if the genre was not the best (paranormal romance).

On the plus side My Book Cave cost $15 and produced, probably, 30 sales. Still not a profit, but better than most.

BookBub Ads have also been disappointing. That's not the featured ones but the ads at the bottom of the newsletter. Perhaps my budget was too small?!!!!

I haven't got a blog...

It seemed like one more job to do...

If I can think of any group promotion type things, I'll let you know. For instance, are we allowed in GR groups to promote not only our own book, but also similar ones in the same post? If so - I could definitely rattle on about mine and one or two other authors/books in as many groups as allow me to do so! I expect that to be upwards of 10. I think they'd have to be reasonably similar so I can make a link.

I could include crime books for my smuggling books , for example, by saying something like "If you want something more up-to-date try "Title" by "Author" as they're reckoned to be very good and sell at only $x.

Or is this a silly idea?

Thank you, Carole, but I am only half with-it. I've brought two souvenirs back - snuffles and lethargy.

Maybe tomorrow I shall be up and running (well toddling) again. I've missed you all.

I've kept my first book in the Dark Moon series in KU but reduced the price to 0.99 for at least a month. It has taken a while, but sales have increased a little. Let's face it, we all try different combinations of 'how to sell', and some work and some don't, so it's good to share.

Sorry for being so quiet - I've been in China... It's taking me a while to get back into the swing of things.

I've been away - China - but I like the idea of this thread so I'm just giving it a bump in the hope others will contribute.

Oh yes... something to take away with you and think about.

I'm just going to take a look at my own last sentences!

Your favourite, Ted?

Good luck, Ted. We await your awesome report!

I've just thought of another - BookBub take adverts for their newsletters and I think they just take whatever price the book is offered at, i.e. it doesn't have to be discounted.

I've used them before and not found them to be profitable so for others reading this post, it might be best not to splash out but try a low budget to start with and see how things go. Your books might take off better than mine.

Thanks, Alex!

I have reduced the first of my trilogy from $2.99/£1.99 to 0.99 and I am going to leave it at that price for a while to see if it gets kicked to near the top of the charts. I can hope.

This means I cannot put it in the usual KCD, so I am wondering if any of you know of advertising sites, like Bargain Booksy, that will take books that are permanently 0.99.

Anyone who's been there, done that? Got any info? Please :o)

I've been pleased with Amazon Ads, Initially .com worked well, but lately it's costing too much and doesn't produce many sales. .co.uk is doing fine and paying for its keep at the moment.

Ah... got it, Alex! Sorry.

BookBub is 11.5 million, Alex, and Freebooksy has 530,000.

That's the traffic to their websites in a graph.

The other figures relate to their ranking, so the lower the figure the higher the rank.

Sorry to disappoint you :o) BookBub is the absolute tops.

Congratulations! Writing is not known for encouraging/rewarding most people very well... so well done.

I've been using a site called similar web which compared all these sites. They showed the number of visitors to each website and much more. It was very useful and I seemed to be able to use it free. I haven't used it for a bit as I had a handle on most of the sites and their value.

Then Google crashed and wiped all my bookmarks including similar web. I was just going to look up the numbers for the sites on Alex's post and it now wants to 'talk to me' to see how it can help me, i.e. pay, I suspect.

https://www.similarweb.com/website/bo...

This link will take you to the Bookbub page and if you use the 'compare' button, it will show you a comparison with Freebooksy. But that's all! It's blocked me out when I tried to put in a site (at the top of the page).

Dratted Google. It crashed for no apparent reason. It was there when I went to lunch, it wasn't there when I came back. I told my daughter who works in a major international company and she said it happened to her but she just told IT and they restored it again. I've been able to get Google up again but I've lost all my bookmarks - and admission to similar web.

I've been pleasantly surprised with the sales of paperbacks too. I imagined selling one a month...