Pivoting with KENP+Novellas

[James]

I am a new writer. I haven't been doing this writing thing for 20 years. My plan was to write a bunch of novellas to learn the craft and slowly gain readership. Once I had a solid grasp on the subject, I would move to novels, then series/serials.

I now have to pivot with the new KENP change (how many pages are read). I am still working on building my email list/social media, so I am not including that. Here are a few of my ideas. Can anyone think of additional ideas?

* Add more pictures

* Build a KU reader group with other authors (providing feedback)

* Combine several stories together (Do people buy short story compendiums?)

* Convert all novellas to free and point towards a long winded novel

* Remove my stuff from KU, move novellas to Smashwords, build some kind of coupon program? (Is there a place where Smashwords coupons have decent traction?)

* Add giveaways in the middle/end of books


Any other ideas? Thoughts about these ideas?

[Owen]

James wrote: "I am a new writer. I haven't been doing this writing thing for 20 years. My plan was to write a bunch of novellas to learn the craft and slowly gain readership. Once I had a solid grasp on the subj..."

I'm not clear on why you believe you need to pivot? The new program is just a week old. You have plenty of time to see how it will work for you.

Edit: Just to throw out some numbers, a 100-page novella (print) will have a KENPC value roughly 200. At the estimated KU payout rates, that would net ~$1.20 if someone read the whole thing. That is much better than the royalty on a sale if it was priced at $0.99 and quite a bit better than if it's priced at $1.99 (on Amazon).

Of course, we'll have to see what the payout actually is, but depending what you work is priced at, KU could be a bonus.

[BR]

I would have to know what you call a novella. Are we talking 50 pages? 100 pages? Most novellas are priced between .99 and 1.99 for a sale with a 35% commission, so you'd have to see if staying in KU made sense.

Some people do well on B&N, KOBO, Apple, etc., some don't. As for a Smashwords coupon, their major value is to send to reviewers.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

James wrote: "Any other ideas? Thoughts about these ideas?"

I think our strategies are much the same. I've done a lot of short stories and a couple of novellas. Novels will come in time. I have started a couple but am in no hurry to finish them, yet. The fan base is growing. Slowly, but it is. The sales are picking up. Slowly, but they are.

I haven't seen a need to make drastic changes to my strategy, yet. There have been a lot of rumors going around that Amazon is trying to kill the short story, that Amazon feels novellas are not as good as novels and want to discourage them, etc. but there doesn't seem to be any logic in the rumors. I wouldn't pay much attention to it. Change will often strike fear in people, fear will get the imagination going and worse case scenarios will start to develop. Remember Y2K? We made it through that okay, right? I think this will not be the world's undoing, either. Relax. Write. Enjoy it. Publish stuff. Write more. Edit. Edit. Edit. Write. Publish. Have fun.

[James]

Owen wrote: "I'm not clear on why you believe you need to pivot? The new program is just a week old."

Yeah... my KU has near flat-lined. Previously it was a half a dozen borrows per week. Makes me feel like the impulse items near the grocery store checkout. Then again, I need to remind myself I am a new writer learning the craft. I have years to go still.


B.R. wrote: "As for a Smashwords coupon, their major value is to send to reviewers."

I was wondering about that! I tried out a Smashwords coupon and advertised it, with not much luck.


Dwayne wrote: "Remember Y2K? We made it through that okay, right?"

I am sure someone is still eating canned beans they bought for that event. The only think Y2K did was reset the clock on my printer/copier.

I am still fairly new and learning the trade... so I haven't yet developed a skin for these changes. Every shift is a major shift because I haven't been through a bunch of them yet. I'll keep on, keeping on. I am excited about being a writer, or more specifically, my own favorite writer.

After all, who else is going to write about dinosaur poop, angels, Frankenstein, and other oddities? (Thinking about Vampire Cave Diving at the moment)


James

[Owen]

James wrote: "Owen wrote: "I'm not clear on why you believe you need to pivot? The new program is just a week old."

Yeah... my KU has near flat-lined. Previously it was a half a dozen borrows per week. Makes me..."

Maybe they read slow. Time will tell. "Keep on, keeping on" is always good advice. Victory goes to those who keep showing up, no matter the odds. "They might'a kilt us, but they'll never whup us." Vampire Cave Diving sounds fun.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

James wrote: "I am still fairly new and learning the trade..."

Same here, really. Well, I've been writing for years, but I've only recently begun to publish. And it's a bit overwhelming at times, trying to sort out how to go about marketing on a very slim budget. But, one thing I have learned is not to panic. Roll with the punches instead of into them.

[J.]

I'm not worried about the new KU/KOLL payout scheme for a few reasons.

1) It's fairer than the old way

2) I'm just getting started and didn't have time get used to the old system

3) While I have a couple of novel ideas in development, my novella series is planned far enough ahead that it would be stupid to abandon it now

4) I don't get borrowed anyway! With the two novellas and two novelettes I've got out right now, I've had exactly three borrows total in the 7 or so weeks since I started publishing. So income? Not really affected.