Any authors in the KDP Select Program? Showing 1,001-1,050 of 1,505

[Steven]

That's possible. Boy, what I wouldn't give to know Amazon's secrets!

[Marc]

I'm not overly familiar with Amazon or how ads might work but this might be worth considering. The goal of Amazon is to retain as much of the money that flows through as it can. I would suspect that Amazon tries to match sales with advertising revenue, milk the host but not kill it.

If you are selling $80 worth of books a week then the goal would be to collect $60 in advertising from you, which when the commission is subtracted leaves you with very little.

No doubt Amazon knows who advertises and who doesn't, it's not that far fetched to suggest that Amazon would give preference only up to the point where sales might start exceeding advertising costs. For the most part the number of books that people will read a year are fixed (adjust for population growth or technology changes) there is only so much time. While best sellers are great, even better are large numbers of books selling low numbers that also advertise as more money stays with Amazon.

With a best seller a large percentage of the money leaves Amazon as little to no advertising is used, or so we think. Unless... do you think it might be possible that there are arrangements made to help create best sellers? In that the you might like suggestions or other books to look at are actually paid placements.

I have no doubt that Amazon knows exactly what is happening on it's site. I also have few doubts about how Amazon will use that information. Could the best approach to selling books be, do what makes Amazon the most money?

[Ardin]

Wow, good analysis Marc. I know Amazon doesn't let you advertise books on their product advertising at the moment. Steven's ads must be for a different site.
Incidentally, Amazon does have other advertising programs, including ads on kindle screens. The minimum spend is $10,000 to go that route.

[Steven]

Right, I advertised mostly on web-comic sites, not on Amazon itself. I advertised on a few book blogger sites, and also on Goodreads, but I found I received very few hits from those, and a lot of hits from the web-comic ads. On Amazon, what I was referring to was the recommendations that you see on your Amazon screen of books that have sold a certain number, not actual paid Amazon ads.

[June]

Marc wrote: "Cherie wrote: "It would be great if we could target the freebies to people interested in that genre, and who have some experience reading about it. "

I happen to have a very extensive number of li..."

I would love the list Marc. Thanks for sharing. juniemooncollins@hotmail.com

[Storm]

I enrolled my first three books in this but as I'm in Malaysia I can't buy Kindle books. Amazon doesn't even allow me to see prices.

So I changed my country setting to the UK. that worked but now Amazon say I have to change back to Malaysia. The fact that I've been a customer since 1996 doesn't matter.

Soooooooooo, I've taken my three books out of the KDP programme and I will publish my next book on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo etc. And when my three books come out of the contract in April, I will put them out on competing platforms.

I do wonder though why Amazon shoot themselves in the foot by pissing off loyal customers who are trying to help them make money!

[Ardin]

I'm going to be featured on Ereader News Today as Book of the Day on Friday 25th. From what I can tell, they usually lead to quite a few sales. I hope so as I'm paying $150 for the promo. But I'll report back my experience, how many sales I got etc. Should be useful for anyone considering using their promo service.

[Stephen]

Ardin wrote: "I'm going to be featured on Ereader News Today as Book of the Day on Friday 25th...I'll report back my experience, how many sales I got etc. Should be useful for anyone considering using their promo service."

I would be interested in your results as I have considered this too.

[June]

I just spent a total of $160 to advertise my recent 2 day free promo. My main expenditure was for Twitterblitz which I did for 48 hours. The result was 9026 downloads. Now I wait to see how that translates into book sales.
Next month I may try Ardin's EReader news Today IF he says it gets results. I shall post again later with sales results from my own promo. Too soon yet!
Thanks for tip Ardin.

[Elle]

June wrote: "I just spent a total of $160 to advertise my recent 2 day free promo. My main expenditure was for Twitterblitz which I did for 48 hours. The result was 9026 downloads. Now I wait to see how that tr..."

Good luck Ardin and June! I'll be interested to hear your results!

[Alex]

Hi June,

That is fantastic news about your 9,026 downloads! I appreciate your sharing any stats/thoughts in regard to advertising and promo days.

I've just started down the Indie pub route, I put Finding Round up the end of Sept and Treasure Life just a couple weeks ago. I have done zero advertising and promoting, other than a bit here on GR and CC/family/friends. I've got my first 'free promo' days coming up on Amazon Jan. 25-26. First we learn to write, then we must learn to promote. :)

Best of luck with strong sales after the promo.

[Ardin]

Wow June, 9000 dl's is an excellent result. What is Twitterblitz? for us cavemen living in the dark ages :)

[June]

I forget but I found it on google when I hit in 'book promotion sites'. I also did Freebooksy for one day. They are good too. Freebooksy cost me $45 for one day. It is the second time I've used them. The first time, I got 2,6oo DL's from them. I don't know what their % of the 9,000 + was this time but I have previously recommended them on GR. Good luck with your promo.

[June]

P.S. I have tried most of the free promotion sites and the results have never been great.

[Ardin]

Ok, thanks for the info June.

[June]

O.K Ardin, Alex, Elle,
I just checked and here are my results to date. I have had three new reviews TODAY. (5 star, Thank God).Since the promo ended a few days ago, I have sold 60 books and loaned out 59 through the library. So my costs have already been recovered. My numbers are beginning to climb up again in the ratings but I hope they don't go as high as they were previously. I'll leave it there and you can judge if its worthwhile. You can check this out on my amazon ebook site. I don't know if we are allowed to put our book links here but my book is Goodbye Junie Moon by June Collins.
Good luck to all of you. Promoting is not an easy battle and this is my first encouraging promo.

[Alex]

Hi June,

Thanks for sharing your stats-to-date from your latest promo! Congratulations on getting those five-star reviews and 60 sales/59 lends!!!

[Monica]

June, Congrats!

FYI when I tried the links to Amazon and Amazon Kindle on your Goodreads book page they did not work. It is easy to find your book on Amazon, just not by using the Goodreads links.

[June]

Thanks for telling me that Monica.
From past experiences, the uplift of a promo never lasted long. That is why I thought you might want to check out my Amazon ratings. I hope they never go back to 450,000 - where they were a couple of weeks ago. But who knows?

[D.M. Andrews (author)]

Someone told me my GR links don't work either - but I can't see what the problem is. I don't fully understand GR book links on the book pages, tbh...

Good luck with continuing fortune, June. My sales have dropped the past week or so but were good during December and early Jan.

[Elle]

June wrote: "O.K Ardin, Alex, Elle,
I just checked and here are my results to date. I have had three new reviews TODAY. (5 star, Thank God).Since the promo ended a few days ago, I have sold 60 books and loaned ..."

That's great June!

[Omar]

June wrote: "Thanks for telling me that Monica.
From past experiences, the uplift of a promo never lasted long. That is why I thought you might want to check out my Amazon ratings. I hope they never go back to..."

June, this is great! This also goes to show, even with an outstanding book like you have, one must still dedicate time to market and promote their book.

[Marian]

June wrote: "O.K Ardin, Alex, Elle,
I just checked and here are my results to date. I have had three new reviews TODAY. (5 star, Thank God).Since the promo ended a few days ago, I have sold 60 books and loaned ..."
Congratulations, June! Thank you for sharing. We can all learn from each other.

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Uhm...librarian looking at your books. Combining the duplicate editions and checking link issues. It is okay to post links to amazon or anywhere (cannot use bookseller data but goodreads doesn't censor your links). Usually if you use the "add book/author" above comment box to get to your goodreads book data page the links work.

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Looks like the kindle edition was all by itself and not part of your work/book. The paperback edition looks fine. The third edition not specifying a format has a wonky isbn-10 number that looks like could be a chopped off isbn-13 number. (The edition at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15... )

What format was that supposed to be? ebook? hardcover? Do you know the last three digits of the chopped off isbn-13 that starts "9780646580 __ __ __" or what the isbn-10 should be?

Or are there only supposed to be two editions, a paperback and a kindle?

[June]

Thanks for input Debbie. The trouble is I'm a total cyber klutz. I've been reprimanded so often for mistakes. e.g. posting in the wrong forums etc.etc. so now I rarely comment on GR. Except I wanted to share these latest results to maybe help others. (After seeing Ardin's helpful post).
I don't know why GJM would be on GR three times. There is only ebook and paperback. Maybe the other isbn was for the Khaki Mafia - a book I co-authored many years ago which is now out-of-print. I did not place The Khaki Mafia on GR though. Maybe my daughter did????? No good answer - sorry!!

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Sorry you got reprimanded, I'll stick a comment blaming me on the books for what I'm going to do (*gasp* actually edit an isbn ) because I think all that happened is that a paperback edition almost got made but the isbn13 was misentered so got chopped off. And caused the purchase links to not work. I didn't just go ahead and do without asking because ebook editions including nook can start with same numbers.

Then your links should work (most are keyed to the isbn).

I butted in trying to figure out; actually I expected I would be redirecting you to post in librarian group but broken links might have been a bug. Normally, book issues do go on librarian group threads (monitored by librarians even on the weekends) and other bugs/questions/suggestions to feedback group. When you select "groups" on the righthand side there's a section with the three "official" groups--including this one.

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

@June, done—give it a few minutes for goodreads to update the thumbnails and you should have one paperback edition and one kindle edition. Both should have working "get a copy" links (although only amazon site will find the kindle specific edition).

[June]

I appreciate your help Debbie. Now I will sit down and absorb it. I'm sure I got the info but did not read it carefully enough.

[June]

D.M. Andrews (GoodReads Author) wrote: "Someone told me my GR links don't work either - but I can't see what the problem is. I don't fully understand GR book links on the book pages, tbh...

Good luck with continuing fortune, June. My sa..."

Don't become despondent. They seem to go up and down. But wouldn't we all like to see them on a steady rise?

[June]

Omar wrote: "June wrote: "Thanks for telling me that Monica.
From past experiences, the uplift of a promo never lasted long. That is why I thought you might want to check out my Amazon ratings. I hope they nev..."

Omar, you are kind to comment that way. I wish you well.

[June]

My last comment for awhile. I just found the site of my twitterblitz. It is kindlemojo.com

[Carlos]

I have a question. So, lets say I enroll a 50 page short story to KDP select. If in the future I want to try to publish a short story collection (including that same story), do you think I could put that up on amazon without KDP? I should probably just ask Amazon.

[M.L.]

Carlos, that's a question for Amazon. It "feels" ok to me as long as you stay on Amazon, but I'd get that answer from the horse's mouth.

[Omar]

Carlos wrote: "I have a question. So, lets say I enroll a 50 page short story to KDP select. If in the future I want to try to publish a short story collection (including that same story), do you think I could pu..."

Carlos,

I agree with M.I. that's a question for Amazon. It also depends on how far into the future this happens. The KDP select program is only for 90 days. You can take advantage of the free promo for the first 90 days and then leave the program. After that, you can publish one story or the entire collection elsewhere.

[Carlos]

Thanks guys. That really gave me an insight to how KDP select works.

[Jill]

Carlos wrote: "I have a question. So, lets say I enroll a 50 page short story to KDP select. If in the future I want to try to publish a short story collection (including that same story), do you think I could pu..."

I agree also, Carlos because it's hard to know with Amazon.
In my case, I self-published a book that had previously been published by a publisher. One which I had got my rights back on. It had never been published as an eBook by the publisher and was out of print.
I enrolled it with KDP Select and a couple of weeks later, Amazon contacted me to say that it would be removed from the program because it was also being sold on iTune.
I found that the publisher, since giving me my rights back, had published it as an eBook. Bad communication within the publishing house there.
The point of the matter is, even though my self published version has a lot of different content, a new cover and published by me, I am unable to enroll it again in KDP Select until the publishers edition is removed from iTune. It doesn't seem that that is going to happen any time soon. I should have changed its name!

[Carlos]

Jill wrote: "Carlos wrote: "I have a question. So, lets say I enroll a 50 page short story to KDP select. If in the future I want to try to publish a short story collection (including that same story), do you t..."

With so many people enrolled in KDP select, it seems as if Amazon has nothing better to do. Shows how strict Amazon is! But the revenue earned is based on a multi-million dollar fund, so I guess the best option for you might be to just publish on Amazon without KDP select.

[Jill]

Carlos wrote: "Jill wrote: "Carlos wrote: "I have a question. So, lets say I enroll a 50 page short story to KDP select. If in the future I want to try to publish a short story collection (including that same sto..."

That's what I've decided to do, Carlos. Cheers.

[Laura]

I'm not sure how I feel about it. I am worried to be honest. My book is finally taking off and finding a following after a year since first being pubbed on Smashwords. I really loved Smashwords for the opportunity they gave me AND it's completely risk free to upload your work to them. They don't charge a red cent.

At the same time, while I certainly sold some books with SW, I sold much more once I made the move to publish with a real brick and mortar company so that I could also offer readers a paperback. The publisher I went with in England has done a tremendous amount of PR, and they aren't expensive to work with. In 4 mos. I sold more books with them than I did in an entire year with SW.

Then Amazon notified them that they were going to remove my book from KDP Select because they noticed it available on Smashwords and its affiliates as an ebook. I was getting quite a few hits on KDP Select and I agree it would be more lucrative to remove the book from Smashwords.

Now Amazon has rejected an attempt to resubmit my book to KDP, but it might be because for the moment, a couple of SW affiliates still have my ebook, along with B&N. I had already announced to my audience that I had to take my book away from Smashwords. Now I'm worried that they won't be able to find my ebook anywhere. I think it's rather rough for Amazon to be this strict. We are indie authors, and I feel that Amazon would benefit from allowing fair competition. Readers who can choose for themselves in a huge market...how can that be bad?

If they keep rejecting my new attempts to get my book back to KDP, I thank God for the ability to pull my book out of the archiver in Smashwords. Just one more thing I appreciate about them :) Oh yeah, I also like the fact that if you're not getting too much from KDP, there's that 90 day thing.

[A.L.]

You should be able to still your books on Amazon through KDP but NOT through Select. Select is the exclusivity programme - no copy of the e-book anywhere else and you get the borrows and the freebie days. If however you wish to keep your book elsewhere you should be able to sell through Amazon KDP and not tick the select box.

I am not sure KDP would boot you out of KDP entirely for that but as you can't get back in it sounds like they might. I suppose it counts as a breach of ToS.
I know people who have been removed and it is a pain to get back in but you would need to make sure your book is NOWHERE in e-book form to be allowed back to Select.

Many people mistake KDP select as the same as KDP so you are not the first to fall into this trap.
If you aren't getting many borrows and don't want the freebie days you may as well stay with the other platforms as well.

You could email them, say you have removed your book from SW etc and you merely want to publish to KDP but NOT select unless you know for sure no where else has the book. They MIGHT agree, it is worth asking. Or you could agree not to use Select and just go with plain KDP. It is possible they might stop you uploading any books to KDP as if they do consider you have broken ToS they sometimes do. However I have heard of people being allowed back when whatever the issue was is sorted.

If not - Publish back to smashword and I know Lulu let you publish to Amazon for free but you would not get select and you would have to publish via Lulu but that is not too difficult. On the plus side Lulu pay via paypal as well.

Good Luck.

For the record Select only applies to e-books, you can be in Select and have a copy of the book in print any where you like.

[Laura]

Thanks Alexandra...I am gonna keep trying to get back into Select, but if after I am pulled from all the SW affiliates (not sure how long this is going to take) and they still won't let me in, I will republish on SW and just sell thru Kindle's regular KDP. I was getting a lot of borrows before they pulled it, and it's a disappointment. But that's the learning process. My publisher is going to give me a PR boost if all else fails.

[A.L.]

To be honest are the borrows worth it? Are they worth the agro and losing the sales elsewhere?
AT least you have plans:)

[Laura]

Well my editor says I was doing quite well on the borrows before it went south. I'll decide after a few weeks if it's worth it to keep on. I already miss Smashwords. I felt such an indie kinship with them. I have 2 short stories there still, so I didn't leave them behind altogether.

[A.L.]

Hehe, the borrows are a bit hit and miss, but then again so are sales I suppose.

[Laura]

I'll definitely go back to Smashwords if I find that all this KDP Select business is for the birds in the long run haha!

[A.L.]

:)
They may well not let you back in. Oh how do SW distribute to? I am probably going to branh out next month.

[Laura]

They distribute to Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Diesel, Sony, and Apple/iTunes. They recently added Baker Taylor, though I never saw my book there. It took Kobo forever to add me, then for reasons unknown, Apple and Kobo deleted me from their stores shortly before the KDP thing came up. I sold the most ebooks on B&N though anyway. It takes pehaps a few weeks to 2 mos. for all of SW's affiliates to list your book. You first have to be added to SW's premium catalogue as well.

[A.L.]

Oh hmm Ok. I doubt that suits me then. I have elements of erotica and I heard that restricts you. I might take a look but I am tempted to just use Lulu as I have an account there anyway.

Sounds like a lot of bother to me. I am tempted to just stay with Amazon only.

[Laura]

Well, I write gay erotica and Smashwords never had a problem with it. There was that Paypal censorship thing about a year ago, but that seemed to fade into the woodwork fairly quickly. Erotica is too big a market for these people to risk losing money for the sake of puritanism. Diesel, Sony and B&N never have had a problem with my erotica. I'm not sure about Kobo or Apple though LOL. Maybe that's why they took my books down not long ago.