The foolproof "easy" twelve point plan to successfully launch your Kindle book

[Bookbzz.com]

I didn't originate this - if whoever did wants to claim credit then they are very welcome to do so, but it explains how to successfully launch a book - particularly if it's the first one in a series and it works:

1) Enroll the new book in KDP Select for the first 3 months, without checking auto-re-enroll.

2) Use the pre-order option to set the release date to about 30 days ahead

3) Pick two subcategories for your book. One with low competition, another a bit harder to crack.

4) As soon as you have your pre-order sales page, search Amazon with your main keyword until you find it. Copy the link and use a URL shortener to make it click friendly. Use that link every time you send people to your book.

5) Open a new tab in your browser and list your book on http://bookbzz.com to try and build preorders. Remember **all your preorders count as sales for day one** so getting pre-orders is a great way to get a bigger "show" on Amazon etc.

6) Send a few dozen advance review copies to regular reviewers on http://bookbzz.com and elsewhere. Ask them to review on launch date and keep track of who does and who doesn't. Don't worry if some reviews come in later, it's more organic and will help your book rise over time. Amazon's algorithms will drop a book as quick as they pick it up if all they all come in together anyway.

7) Set the launch price to 99c and hustle to get some buzz for it in the first few days post launch. Do whatever you have to (within reason) to get 10 reviews, and enough sales to break into the bestseller ranking in your subcategories. Some categories need less reviews, others more, but 10 is a good target to shoot for.

8) Either make the book free for 5 days or (better) use the kdp pricing beta tool to find the best price for your book, and change the price. Don't panic about the drop in sales. Set a countdown deal for the earliest possible date (2 weeks after you change the price) and set it back to 99c, or use the price brackets available.

9) Using the bookbzz.com gateway promote your countdown deal anywhere and everywhere you can, and use http://bookbzz.com to track the results

10) Use the sales info you get from the countdown deal at each price point to determine the best price for your book to settle on when the post deal price lock ends (another 2 weeks.)

11) Leave the price on Amazon at the higher of their recommended price or the most profitable of the price points from the countdown deal.

12) If you still want to give the book away, or use a 99c price but still show the higher price on Amazon use Smashwords to get it into competitor's stores at your 'real' price and get someone (or a few people) to contact Amazon about the reduced price.