UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
Meet the Authors
>
Jim Webster, (In On a Chance! )
message 2701:
by
David
(new)
Sep 02, 2014 01:25AM
Even when you think you've got it right, and sales come as a consequence, it could actually be pure luck and have nothing to do with all the marketing you've set in place.
reply
|
flag
Absolutely David.It's a gamble, we're flying totally blind.
I think the best route is
1) Have a big web presence, perhaps be known on various forums where there's a lot of fan fiction.
2) Write a book
3) Let other people on all these boards know you're writing a book
4) Start organising a blog tour
5) Publish the book
Lots more books!It's a tough gig, standing in front of customers, waving one book and saying : Hey, I've got a series!
(Trust me on that, I've done it... It's a lot easier after book 3 comes out)
Hi Kevin, I'm the MTM mentioned. I have a series of four books out and I made the first one perma free. Thoughts so far, yes, it works, in that for the last two months I've sold 12 or 13 books rather than 1 or 2. I usually have someone, somewhere download my free book every day. I would say that in the UK about 20% of those who download go on to buy book 2. Out of the first chunk of just over 100 downloads here I had 20 purchases of the second book. In the US it took me about 900 downloads of the free book to get that number of purchases.There are various sites where you can advertise your free book and you do need to do that, and resubmit it from time to time, to get noticed and have downloads. The big one, BookBub, are fussy about who they accept, although the only two books I downloaded from them were actually great stories, shockingly badly told.
Also, I think it might be worth fluctuating the price so that it's not always free. It's a massive ballache though, so I haven't tried that thus far.
The review rate is very low, mostly it's friends or members of a book review circle I'm in the Rave Reviews Book Club - they charge an entry fee now but I joined when it was free. Anyone who does join, do mention my name won't you!
Um... yeh so reviews are normally mates which shows that you should use the forums as your watercooler. And blog. Blogging is good too.
Cheers
MTM
Hello MTM,Good to hear from you.
Thanks for this info, its great to hear that others are having or have had the same problems as me.
I have just persuaded my publisher to reduce the cost of my first book, The Belgae Torc, (Kindle copy) to £2.99. He wouldn't go any lower, but we will keep an eye on feedback and respond when necessary.
Regards
Kevin
If the price does get reduced then make sure EVERYBODY knows. If The Belgae Torcis reduced, the world deserves to know.There's a thread somewhere for price drops, there's your author thread, stick it on facebook, hope other friends mention it as well
£ 2.99 is a decent price point, Kevin.it raises you out of the horde of 99p authors and suggests that you value the work (plus it's one indication that you have a publisher behind you) highly, without being too costly for someone to have a punt on a new author.
Thanks Will,I like the sound of this!
Regards
And make sure that you have a functioning website and a separate (but linked) blog, too!
I have a website and a blog, (linked).Just need to find time to update them. :-)
Will wrote: "Ah, time..."I had some once.
Time? Not sure I understand the concept.
David wrote: "Time? Not sure I understand the concept."Its all that wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.
Honestly? I didn't do any worse at £2.99 than I'm doing now at £1.99. Despite what Amazon's wobbly bobbly graphy waphy might suggest.
What's going on in here? You all seem to have lost the ability to speak
They must have been drinking whisky.
That Smith fellow started it. Blame him.
What Smith fellow?
The one who invented wibbly wobbly timey wimey of course!
Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "What Smith fellow?"Matt.
Although I don't think he invented it -- Tenant was certainly using it.
Will wrote: "Ah, time..."I'm sorry, what's that?
I just wanted to say thanks for the review... Which I've only just found.Cheers
MTM
Hey, it's a cracking book.Actually I tend to look at all four books as one book, and they're a cracking read :-)
Jim wrote: "Hey, it's a cracking book.Actually I tend to look at all four books as one book, and they're a cracking read :-)"
Bless you! Thanks. I'm still very grateful.You're right about the one book in many respects it is one story which is divided up in three convenient places. And as an author it feels more as if I have my first book out after my fourth, because it's the first complete story arc, so to speak.
Cheers
MTM
And it holds together. It's got a real breadth and depth of vision. As I said, a cracking book
Interesting article, apparently e-books are the best way forward for those writing in different genreshttp://www.wired.com/2013/06/digital-...
It would be nice to think Sci-fi and fantasy sales are on the up, but by my experience thrillers are still king.
Do you think that follows on from the comment that ereaders are being used by those who read many books a month just for entertainment?
It does hold together. On holiday we called in to see friends and he had a bookcase filled with hardbacks, Lee Child and similar authors. But he's someone who tends to savour his reading and will probably re-read them.But I think we get people who read voraciously and they're the ones who will read a book a day and are really looking for the £1 e-books if only to keep the cost of their addiction down :-(
Romance is definitely where the money is. If I could write romance...(which is probably why one of my recent reviews said "obviously written by a man." Ho hum. )
I can't write romance either, Tim. I don't have a big enough sick-bucket!
I overdosed on Mills and Boon as a teenager, and now I'm allergic to romance. The only ones I can read without the sick bucket are Georgette Heyer.
My sister reads Georgette Heyer. That put me off ever looking at her stuff (not that I'm into romance, anyway. As my ex would happily tell you)
My mum used to read her. Ditto with the off-putting.
I read her and then got my mum interested.
Thank you again, Jim. I think I could write a romance. I'd kind of like to, although in my own terms of romance, I think I probably already have. I suppose there'd have to be a bit less of the idealistic stuff and a few more scenes like the one with General Moteurs and Deirdre behind the door.
I have to confess, my Mum loves Georgette Heyer and I read one and enjoyed it too. But then, they are really well researched. Heyer did loads of research in to colloquial Regency speech to get her characters right. And it has frock coats and swords in it. I'm a sucker for a sword fight... and a frock coat... and a snog at the end. Mwha ahahargh!
If I wrote a romance, though, it would have to ring truer than the usual types (I've tried reading some) where two people who are obviously destined together fall out and spend a whole book arguing about nothing... and I'd probably go and set it in space.
Cheers
MTM
And call it 'Lust in Space'?
Mwhahahharhg! What have you done. I'm seriously considering a spoof now, just so I can use that title.Cheers
MTM
Talking of which... have I introduced you to the Admiral Ackbar tomato? I've stuck the picture on my thread... feeling a bit naughty about using Jim's
I saw it on facebook. Excellent! Speaking of which, did you see the picture I put on your timeline?
Kath wrote: "I can't write romance either, Tim. I don't have a big enough sick-bucket!"I did write romance!
Stops as everybody goes quiet and turns to stare
It's one of the stories in Romantic Heroes
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KWAO856
Someone here read my contribution. It made her day, she got the chance to use the phrase, "It's Romance Jim, but not as we know it."
That's an opportunity which doesn't come round all that often
Now that's what I call a good review :-)
Jim wrote: "Someone here read my contribution. It made her day, she got the chance to use the phrase, "It's Romance Jim, but not as we know it." That's an opportunity which doesn't come round all that often "
At least I could get close to that...
Will wrote: "I don't recall Tennant using it?"From the Hugo-winning "Blink": http://youtu.be/vY_Ry8J_jdw
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a nonlinear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff."
UK Amazon Kindle Forum
Books mentioned in this topic
In On a Chance (other topics)Justice 4.1 (other topics)
Law 3.3 (other topics)
Plague 1.4 (other topics)
War 2.2 (other topics)
More...
