UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
Author Zone - Readers Welcome!
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Helping Readers Help Amazon Authors - resource
That'll be of great help, Darren! Nice!
That's great. These are so obvious but many people don't bother. It takes so little time and authors are small fish in a big pond - they need a little help from their readers!
They are obvious, but I think a lot of readers are not aware of them. I wasn't aware of most of them as a reader, before I started publishing to Amazon.I think readers do not realize the power they wield in these matters.
I heard someone sales went up massively recently because his book was mentioned by ONE reader in a review that reader wrote on Amazon for a best-selling book.
Hope it helps :)
Good idea, Darren. I'll try to promote that post. Karl - you and me both!
You are right in that, I certainly didn't realise some of the options, I will try to do better ;0)
Problem is, I'm a prolific reviewer but I rarely read best sellers! I should read the latest Rowling and suggest that she goes back to writing books like Serpent!
Good advice, I've done most of these things except for mentioning a different book in a review (I have books by the same author, but not by a different author..)and I've never properly looked a listmania. Must check that out. I haven't visited the amazon forums for quite a while now - I was too disgusted by the latest bullying of damaskcat and haven't been back since. Used to visit every day although I started limiting myself to a few threads - don't even do that now...
Does it have more impact if a book is mentioned on the amazon forum than it does on here, KUF or other independant kindle forums?
Does it have more impact if a book is mentioned on the amazon forum than it does on here, KUF or other independant kindle forums?
Thanks for sharing!lol@Ignite - perhaps the Moon of Gomrath would be better? *grin*
Karen, I'm not sure - I'd guess Amazon, GR and KUF in order of decreasing effect. Anyone know better? I've noticed http://www.mobileread.com forums seem to generate a lot of Google search results when you have a post there.
I always mention good stuff on Amazon. I use the 'Just finished, just started' thread on the main forum too. I'm never sure if readers (except the oddities like me) use MOA as much.
Perhaps I should start to brave my way back there again in the interests of promoting....
I know it's a negative place Karen but I feel that the authors have been but in the impossible position that they can't promote their work on the main forum, just in the sort of ghetto that MOA has become. If I can, I tread in there for them. After all, I've nowt to lose. I'm not an author.
You can join the latest assaults on my personal integrity at:http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle%20...
;)
Pffft - the .com forum sucks the most! I've voted up your comments.
I think you've been very brave, Darren, in wandering into that particular bear-pit. I'm not quite sure why authors are so reviled over there, but I guess that's just the way it is. From experience, I wouldn't rely too much on 'common sense' working with them, it seems to only add to the feeding frenzy ;-)
Great article - I've posted a link on my blog. Hopefully my readers will follow them :-)
Karl wrote: "I hate when they downvote the original comment in a discussion, how can it not be relevant when it's the point of the discussion"I can only assume it's because of the link, however tenuous, to the book. For some on Amazon, this has become something equivalent to blasphemy ;-)
I upvoted, like Karen. I feel I shall fail to reason with people who think like this though. Poisonous twerps.
I despair of so called 'book lovers' who don't realise that the books they read are written by real, live people, most of whom I'd be happy to call friends.How can one not like and want to support anyone who has the potential to bring so much joy into your life?
Thanks, everyone :)If you don't hear from me by tomorrow, send out a rescue party! :)
LolI've up voted, of course.
Sorry, I can't be bothered to poison myself by posting in there though.
You're a brave dood, dood.
It's almost a gang thing, isn't it? They seem to feed off each other.A psychologist could have the makings a good thesis by observing in there.
Ooh, I sense a book plan coming together - where's Rosen? ;)
Good point.Where IS Rosen?
Bet she off writing or some such silliness.
D.M. Andrews (GoodReads Author) wrote: "You can join the latest assaults on my personal integrity at:http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle%20......"
Don't forget those guys are all here on GR, too. One of their crowd put my book on a 'Bully Author - Do Not Read' shelf after I fell out with them on dot com....
Blimey this is all a bit sad... Some people just like being bah humbugs don't they?
Karl wrote: "It seems you're more likely to get a negative review than a positive one, unless you're really lucky. Assuming you can get a review in the first place.4,000+ sales and only 36 reviews, not exactl..."
Sounds pretty good to me!
I think that all the reasonable readers get so sickened by this attitude that they join other forums - we're not the only amazon spin off who left the main group in disgust, another one formed recently with some of the old regulars who couldn't get their heads around goodreads. I've lost my bookmark for that group though..
Gotta say that getting the impression that I OWE an author a review really puts me off.And 36 reviews on 4000 downloads is remarkable.
Isn't the expected ratio something like one review per 1000 downloads?
36 reviews on 4000 dloads is remarkable. That's almost a review for every hundred!My debut novel has about 18-19000 combined sales/downloads and has a little under 40 reviews combined from all Amazon sites. I think 1 review per 500-1000 dloads/sales is typical.
I'll see if I can find it again for you, Karl, as long as you acknowledge that this group is the greatest! ;0)
It started mainly as a craft group, which is why I joined it, but now seems to be more slanted towards the kindle than to craft.
:0)
It started mainly as a craft group, which is why I joined it, but now seems to be more slanted towards the kindle than to craft.
:0)
I've always been immensely chuffed when anyone has taken the time and trouble to provide a review. Even if it isn't exactly positive, at least it demonstrates that the book has generated some interest. When all's said and done, readers are customers and should be treated and valued as such. Anything else is a bonus ;-)
Blimey, I've got 90 total downloads and something like 13 reviews spread over the various platforms - this forum has been the main place I've hung out since publishing my book, so I guess UKAKF folks are just a lot more supportive of authors already!
Threads like this are why I am on this site. I believe I know how to write. I definitely know that I am useless at 'getting on' in this online whirlpool of hope and despair.
I've learnt a lot from reading this thread and the comments D.M. has drawn from readers.
And again I'll say the less than glowing reviews are usually the ones that make me buy a book.When I bother with reading reviews.
The reccies from people in here influence my reading much more than any review could.
I do accept that the market is just a tad larger than our group though.
But we're getting there!
Right - did some detective work and found it really quickly by looking on amazoo for the original thread inviting people to join.
http://kindlerscrafting.englishboard.net
When I put that in I was redirected to another site - http://kindlersclub.englishboard.net/ Looks like they may have dropped the craft content, and I can't get in any more as my membership seems to have expired (I think they delete you if you haven't posted for a while :0(
Anyway - it takes me enough time to keep up here with the occasional forays into kuf, so I don't think I'll renew my membership if they've dropped the craft aspect; but any friendly forum is good news for authors hoping to expand their readership - so good luck with it, Karl.
:0)
http://kindlerscrafting.englishboard.net
When I put that in I was redirected to another site - http://kindlersclub.englishboard.net/ Looks like they may have dropped the craft content, and I can't get in any more as my membership seems to have expired (I think they delete you if you haven't posted for a while :0(
Anyway - it takes me enough time to keep up here with the occasional forays into kuf, so I don't think I'll renew my membership if they've dropped the craft aspect; but any friendly forum is good news for authors hoping to expand their readership - so good luck with it, Karl.
:0)
This is a very Indie friendly forum, Patti, made possible by the robust moderation. There are not many places out there like this group.
Prior to coming to GR I was on a lot of forums where the only people who posted were authors - posting their books ;)GR is great. It's like facebook for readers ;)
Woohoo!I'm robust!!!
Does that mean I 'she who likes cookies'?
robust... round bust?
I actually think the moderation here is mild but people are polite. They are directed to the right place to post if they are new and post somewhere inappropriate. That helps us all. People don't have to be banned for being rude and inflamatory here. It has a gentlemanly feel to it - and I mean that in a totally inclusive way. It includes ladies. And even me!
The moderation is mild, but consistent. But yes, there does seem to be a better character of member here than other sites which I frequent. I've blogged about my 'promotion' and concluded that the only thing I'd done properly was join Goodreads, and that that was more about finding a brilliant site to talk about books than it was about pushing my own title.
There seems to be an assumption here of the best possible meaning to what is posted, which means people can relax and enjoy the conversation. On the Zoo it is the opposite, and offence is assumed where it wasn't intended. So everyone is either defensive or on the attack all the time.
I suspect it comes down in part to accountability. Here a lot of people have signed up via their Facebook accounts and things. I've heard rumours that there are occasional fake or duplicate GR accounts, but it's not in the same league as Amazon, where everyone could be absolutely anyone. If I act like a moron on GR, absolutely everyone can see that I'm acting like a moron. I could do the same on Amazon across a dozen different identities until the heat death of the entire universe.
I haven't got a facebook account. It's just me. What you see is what you get!
Gingerlily (or Cyberlily..) wrote: "There seems to be an assumption here of the best possible meaning to what is posted, which means people can relax and enjoy the conversation. On the Zoo it is the opposite, and offence is assumed w..."There are a few pleasant places to hang out on Amazon, GL. But mostly it's a tough place, and the US version is a bear pit for self confessed authors.
Yes, I know which ones you are talking about Will...
Which are the pleasant places, Will? I've dabbled in the Amazon forums the last few weeks, but still finding my feet.
I find MOA is reasonably civilised - you don't get all the downvoting and threats of reporting.
http://www.writers-and-publishers.com...