Tips for Self Promotion, Sales, and Advertising discussion
Amazon Tips
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How to hit #1 on Amazon...
Does this discussion apply to ebooks? I have two ebooks on Amazon, The Christmas Gift and 13 Horror Stories. My author page is here. I don't know anything about tagging. Incidentally, what are your thoughts about getting listed with Barnes & Noble and other publishers? Is there any downside to getting listed with as many online retailers as possible?
Arthur, the VoiceOver forward was intriguing! The chapter titles peeked my interest as I mentally attempted to correlate the forward with what you might discuss within each chapter. Tagging is something new I plan to learn shortly. Todd recently forwarded the new list. I am not yet listed on Amazon but expect to be within a few weeks (at the mercy of the distributor). As for marketing, I am new to this as well, but do realize how critical it is to get your work out there, whether it's through your own website, joining sites like goodreads, and having an author page on sites like Amazon. I also plan to exhibit at book fairs this spring. I have created bookmarks & business cards to distribute at the festivals. More on that later...Gale
Hi. If there's a February list started yet, could you please add me. I'll return the favor. I'll also go back and do January.My mass market zombie novel - chomp-
Empire of Salt
-Weston
John, yes tagging applies to ebooks as well.For those wanting to know more about tagging - please see this post:
http://tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.co...
Gale,Thanks for your encouragement. I am getting started now.
Art
New here. Went back and tagged all of the January authors. Hope mine gets in February.
Hey everyone! My name is Kait and I am a author/marketer, deadly combination (smile). One of my personal goals is to educate authors on how to use Amazon to promote their books. As we all know Amazon is a force you can not ignore. Ironically though I believe goodreads (more so than Amazon) to be one of the best places for sharing information on the subject . I have often found that the Amazon Discussion Boards can be a not so friendly place and unfortunately many authors fall victim to "cyber-bulling". None of that here!For the last few weeks I was attending the Taipei International Book Fair in Taiwan and let me tell you the desire to distribute foreign books into the U.S (as well as bring American "English" books into their region) is HUGE! It is all very exciting. One thing I noted which I felt everyone should know is that Amazon is the go to site for Foreign Rights buyers! Yup you heard me. Basically foreign publishing companies are realizing the value of Amazon and how it can essentially be used as a search engine when looking for new titles for rights purchasing. Having an amazon presence is more crucial now than ever as the site will only grow in the proceeding month/years in popularity.
That being said I wanted to let you all know I have created a blog to which I will be making 2 new posts a week all relating to Amazon. This blog will cover marketing tips, facts, and general information about Amazon. My aim is to help educate authors on using Amazon as this site should be treated by an author just as you would Facebook or Twitter. Social Media baby! ITS HERE TO STAY! Below is the link to my new blog! Hope you enjoy it and please feel free to leave comments!
How to Use Amazon to Promote Your Published Book
http://amazonauthors.blogspot.com/
Kait
Kait - Wonderful blog! Thank you for such detailed information...my book is not yet available on Amazon (hopefully within a couple weeks), but I'm looking forward to visiting author's central and setting up my author page. In your research, have you found statistics for sales of ebooks on Amazon with DRM vs. DRM free ebooks?I've bookmarked your page and look forward to frequent visits!
~Gale Minchew
author of Shadows of Destiny
http://www.galeminchew.com
Kait,I'm now following your blog and I've recommended it to members of two writer groups.
Kait wrote: "Hey everyone! My name is Kait and I am a author/marketer, deadly combination (smile). One of my personal goals is to educate authors on how to use Amazon to promote their books. As we all know Amaz..."Thanks for the info Kait, I am now following your blog :)
Cheers,
Rai Aren, co-author of the award-winning mystery novel SECRET OF THE SANDS
Weston wrote: "Hi. If there's a February list started yet, could you please add me. I'll return the favor. I'll also go back and do January.My mass market zombie novel - chomp-
Empire of Salt
-Weston"
Tagged you Weston!
~Rai
Hey everyone,I am all caught up on Todd's tagging blog & will go through this list to make sure I haven't missed any books :)
Reciprocal tags are most welcome:
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-ReadersF...
Thanks!
~Rai
Just posted my review for another TMBOA author - great romance novel!Check out my review here for Lyn Horner's book:
http://tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.co...
Todd wrote: "Just posted my review for another TMBOA author - great romance novel!Check out my review here for Lyn Horner's book:
http://tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.co..."
Good review, Todd! I just voted that it was helpful :)
Cheers,
Rai
I've not posted anything on here about my book before so here goes.A Kindle format of The Crossing has now joined the ranks on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. It's doing pretty well in the charts , so if you'd like to check it out please feel free to do so! The reviews have been amazing - mostly 5*'s with a couple of 4*'s. I look forward to receiving any comments from you.
Cheers
Faith
Thanks everyone for your comments! Gale actually yes we have a lot of statistical data on how Amazon operates and are currently working on formalizing our research and putting it all together in a more comprehensive manner! Hopefully I will have this aspect ready sooner versus later but as we all know everything takes time! Hope everyone has a great Monday!
Kait wrote: "Thanks everyone for your comments! Gale actually yes we have a lot of statistical data on how Amazon operates and are currently working on formalizing our research and putting it all together in a ..."Kait - I look forward to hearing more about your research when everything is compiled!
~Rai
Hello, all! I haven't posted for so long that many of you may not remember me. I'm baaaaack!Kait, I just signed up to follow your blog. Look forward to future developments.
Todd, I'm slowly tagging my way through your site. Tedious, but I notice people have been reciprocating.
Hi, Rai!
I've got two new books just out. They have gotten really good reviews, which is heartening. I'll attach links.
So long for today,
Sandy Nathan
The Angel & the Brown-eyed Boy The Angel is a sci-fi in the tradition of 1984, set on the night before nuclear Armageddon. It's also a tender love story.
Tecolote: The Little Horse That Could Tecolote is a kids' book about a premature horse born on our ranch. Tecolote triumphs over all sorts of obstacles. Illustrated with photos taken while the action was happening.
So good to see you, as always Sandy! Congratulations & big success to you on your new books! Great news :)(I've tagged them both, too).
Cheers,
Rai
Tag, I'm in, finally!Todd, Weston, Rai, and J.R. - I have tagged your books! I am currently working on Dec 2010, Jan and Feb 2011 lists...wow, what a great collection of books!
I posted to the submission page for the next Tag Your It! list...this is very new to me, but I believe I am doing it right!!
My book,
, was just listed on Amazon, and I would appreciate any tags when you have time!! The link is http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Destiny...Thanks and good luck to all my fellow goodreads authors!
~Gale
Hi Gale,I've been traveling but hope to update the site with the remaining February books and will let everyone know when they are up and ready to tag.
Welcome aboard!
T
Gale wrote: "Tag, I'm in, finally!Todd, Weston, Rai, and J.R. - I have tagged your books! I am currently working on Dec 2010, Jan and Feb 2011 lists...wow, what a great collection of books!
I posted to ..."
Thanks very much Gale! I've clicked all of the tags on your hardcover edition & manually added four tags to the kindle edition to get you started there :)
I hope it helps!
I've also tagged all the new books listed so far for February & everything before that.
Happy tagging peeps!
Rai Aren, co-author of archaeology adventure novel SECRET OF THE SANDS
Thank you, Rai! I'm still working on the past 3 lists! I think it will go so much quicker once I am up to the present! And, I appreciate you noticing the ebook. I uploaded it to Amazon after my posting here, so I thought I would just have to wait until next time for tagging! Nice surprise...~Gale
Gale wrote: "Thank you, Rai! I'm still working on the past 3 lists! I think it will go so much quicker once I am up to the present! And, I appreciate you noticing the ebook. I uploaded it to Amazon after my..."My pleasure! I'm happy to help :)
Gale wrote: "Tag, I'm in, finally!Todd, Weston, Rai, and J.R. - I have tagged your books! I am currently working on Dec 2010, Jan and Feb 2011 lists...wow, what a great collection of books!
I posted to ..."
Thanks, Gale. I tagged your book, too.
What a wonderful blog, thank you for sharing. I admit until now I have found Amazon a tad intimidating, simply because I didn't mnow how to maximise its potetnial. So thanks for sharing all the information I've spent hours, in the past, searching for.
J.R. wrote: "Thanks, Gale. I tagged your book, too."Thank you, J.R.!
Rai wrote: "Weston wrote: "Hi. If there's a February list started yet, could you please add me. I'll return the favor. I'll also go back and do January.My mass market zombie novel - chomp-
Empire of Salt
-..."
Thanks Rai
Weston wrote: "Rai wrote: "Weston wrote: "Hi. If there's a February list started yet, could you please add me. I'll return the favor. I'll also go back and do January.My mass market zombie novel - chomp-
Empir..."
My pleasure! :)
Thank you one and all for the wonderful "hidden" feature of Amazon connects. I will make a point of sending a contact note to all those using my website, "New Book Journal" for their press release. What a terrific way to build a community of fellow authors. R. K. Alan
http://NewBookJournal.com
All February 2011 books are now up on the site! Come by and tag your fellow authors here:http://tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.co...
I just added my first book.I've been trying to educate authors on this feature as well! It can mean the difference between a couple sales and hundreds in a month.mike
http://www.amazon.com/Judas-Syndrome-...
I'va also added book 2 of the series.Thanks so much! I will visit all the other authors now.
http://www.amazon.com/Rebirth-The-Jud...
Michael wrote: "I'va also added book 2 of the series.Thanks so much! I will visit all the other authors now.
http://www.amazon.com/Rebirth-The-Jud......"
I've got them all tagged! Including multiple editions :)
Cheers,
Rai Aren, co-author of SECRET OF THE SANDS
I have tagged a great looking book on appetizers. Will try to get back later.Hope someone will tag my inspirational Christian Life book.
One Touch from the Maker, Second Edition
Thanks.
WOW !!! Thanks for all the WONDERFUL TIPS, Todd !!! I love the idea of tagging !!!
Shirley : Ha ! HA ! I'm a computer embryo TOO !!! ( I love the way you put that ! ) But, I too will learn ! I'm looking forward to the day when my Sidhe Trilogy is on Amazon !
Hi everyone. Would someone please explain tagging to me. My book "Omar Blue and K-9 Town, USA" is on Amazon Books, http://www.amazon.com/Omar-Blue-K-9-T...
Kindle and Smashwords ebooks. I'd like to join this group. Sounds like you're having fun in addition to making sales. Sure wish I could get step by step guidance. I'm excited about this.
I also have an exciting blog, "My Dog Leads Two Lives." http://omarblue.blogspot.com
In addition to the above, I've put my entire book on Goodreads and I hope some of you will find time to visit and comment.
Julia, Pat W., and O.- I just tagged you!I'm still working on the current tagging list myself!
If you haven't started Todd's tagging list, you can find my book, Shadows of Destiny, at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615...
I am still relatively new to tagging, but I can aspire to be as proficient at tagging as Rai!
Good luck to you all, and may the tagging (for you) begin!
~Gale
Gale wrote: "Julia, Pat W., and O.- I just tagged you!I'm still working on the current tagging list myself!
If you haven't started Todd's tagging list, you can find my book, Shadows of Destiny, at http://www..."Thank you. I tagged yours as well.
Thanks Gale but I can't play yet. I don't have a kindle. I'll be back. I think I understand.
O. wrote: "Thanks Gale but I can't play yet. I don't have a kindle. I'll be back. I think I understand."You don't need a Kindle to tag, just your book on Amazon. Just scroll down the book's page on Amazon to the Tags section. There is usually a list available with a box next to each tag name. For example, your list only had 2 available tags. Click the box next to the tag you want and that's it. For your book, I clicked on the 2 available tags. You can also create your own tags. Tags help others find books that are about certain topics...K9, for example. Todd has a much better explanation if you scroll up through this thread.
Good luck!
~Gale
Todd wrote: "John, yes tagging applies to ebooks as well.For those wanting to know more about tagging - please see this post:
http://tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.co..."You told a story about raising Bob Dole's rank. Where do you look to see a book's rank?
Thanks Gale. I appreciate it. Back to the drawing board. I'm determined.
I think I'm on my way tagging. I received a slew of the "submit your book" emails. I went into each one to the authors page and clicked on it. I've seen some beautiful covers.I'm going back to your original instructions Todd to see how to get to the monthly lists and/or what to do next.
Gail, thanks again for your help. Feel free to advise. lol.
I'd love to get a few more tags to my book located here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/tags...I'm looking to build my tags for Angels, Post-Apocalyptic, End of the world, dystopian.
Thanks!
I'm actively working my way through everyones tag requests as well.
Michael wrote: "I'd love to get a few more tags to my book located here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/tags...I'm looking to build my tags for Angels, Post-Apocalyp..."
Ok, clicked all of your tags, Michael!
~Gale
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Welcome. I too am recently published (The Badass Bureaucrat)with minimum help but have gotten on Amazon. The PR and marketing phase is next. I also could use some advice on tagging which I have read about but unsure how to begin. A voiceover has consumed my time lately and I hope to publish that version soon. Could use your advice on marketing and tagging when you have the time. Meanwhile I will find your website to read Shadows of Destiny. Good luck!
Arthur