Monday 21 October 2013

A word of thanks - and bit about free promotions!

I promise you will not see another book tweet of mine for at least 10 years!!! Well, maybe not that long... but ....

Before I begin with free promo stuff and words of thanks, I just wrote this to a friend in an email, and I think it sums the whole Amazon visibility/free promotion thing up!


Imagine the biggest library you know, and your one book at the bottom of one of the back shelves. It's only been taken out by a few people, and unless they recommend it to others you have to wait for someone else to chance upon it, which they may not do for days or weeks at a time. The free promotion is like having it picked out by the library assistants and having it put on the 'recommended reads' shelf, for a couple of days!!!


As many of my Twitter followers will have observed (serious yawn!!), I put my book Full Circle on free promotion this weekend just gone.  It wasn't wildly successful; I partly have myself to blame for that because, for all that I advise other people to do so (!!) I didn't prepare for it properly.  I didn't submit it to any of the sites that advertise free Kindle books because... I couldn't be bothered.  So for that, I paid the price, I guess!!  Also, I chose not to do any promotion with the sites on which you have to pay to be featured.  Gone are the days of 17K downloads and getting to number #1 in free downloads just by tweeting (with the resultant fabulous after-sales) as I did eighteen months ago; now, you need to do more, alas.  


Nowadays I think people only download a free book if they think they might really want to read it, not like when I first did a free promotion and seeing a book for free was such a novelty that everyone downloaded it anyway!  Thus, I also have to accept that this particular book perhaps does not have the wide appeal of some others, including some of my own (even though its reviews are outstanding, and I think it's my best one - oh well!).  I hope I will always be able to be realistic about these things, and not blame 'the industry' or make daft excuses!  The rock band-coupled-with-romcom-coupled-with-wife-of-an-alcoholic thing was always a risk; it's maybe not girly enough for the chick lit readers, and not blokey enough for the lad-lit lovers!  However, I did have far more downloads than I expected at first, from which there is always the possibility of new readers and reviews.  And I had far more actual sales of my other five books than I've had at the weekends recently, particularly Dream On, which is the prequel to Full Circle - so I'd recommend doing a free promotion to anyone - but do it right, not like I did!

(Incidentally, Dream On is still half price (96p/£1.53), simply because I haven't got round to changing it back yet....feel free!)


I would not have done half as well as I did if it wasn't for the help of others, and so I would like to give HUGE thanks to the following - and to everyone who downloaded Full Circle (or bought my others!) over the weekend:

Deena Rae of eBookBuilders and all her friends who tweeted my post thereon; Maria Savva (who did a blog post for me, too!), Dave Goodridge, Bert Murray, Susan Buchanan, Francis 'Vajazzle-Tastic' Potts, Carol Hedges, Darcia Helle, Rachel Thompson, Jenny Twist, Geoff West, Jenny Burnley, JD Hughes, Suzy Turner, Alice Huskisson, IndieAuthorLand, Zoe Saadia, Catterick Claire, Angela Thomas, Mandy Baggot, Alex Johnson, Mackenzie Brown, Soberistas, Rayne Hall, E L Lindley, Jackie 495, Zoe Saadia, Morton Balthus, Guy Johnson, Mary Coen, Evelyn Tidman, Jack Croxall, Jan Romes, Proofreader Julia, Jacy Brean, Carol Phipps, Dana Vickery, JE Ryder, Lisa Richardson, Diane Mannion, Electa Graham, Kimberly Biller, Karena Marie, Kitty Bittersplit, Peter Davey, Pam Howes, John Hudspith, Jan Ruth, Dave Perlmutter, Wendy Aizen-Smith, Janie Storer, Caitlyn Dawney, Terry Ridley, Marlena Hand, James Bryron, Michael Eging, Vonda Norwood, Wendy Potocki, Machel Shull, Suzy Ayres, Danny Kemp, Robert Bevan, Lisa Gillis, Jasmine Bath, Michelle Wilkinson, Sammy Sutton, Phillip Mayes, Ellis Vidler, Jenny Lloyd, Suzanne Jenkins, HE Joyce, Marc Mordey, Brian Menard, Phebe Bodelle, Mark Swain, Vanessa Wester, Josie Noonan, Glen Batchelor, June Kearns, Lindsay Townsend, Danielle Schnieder, Stephen Jennison-Smith, Jerry Beller, WC Hewitt, Polly Iyer, Chuck Bluestein, Lynette Creswell, Teresa Hamilton, Lisa Buist, Kate Hanney, Claudia Burgoa, Caroline Easton, Derrick Bickley, Toya Richardson, Wendy Storer, Blondie Waters, Neel Kay, Elizabeth Ziko, Jenny Kreeve, and everyone else who retweeted for me and posted on Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere for me over the weekend - I tried to remember everyone, and I apologise I've left you out of that list.  I did try to return as many RTs as possible but I needed to do things like eat and sleep, too!



And if any of you are doing a free promotion - just let me know and I'll gladly help spread the word!



19 comments:

  1. I'm sure you're right about people being less enamoured with the free download these days, so if you're getting any you can count it as a plus. I sent a link to my entire mailing list and I know some of them downloaded it and at least 3 are reading it. I am reading it myself and loving it (of course).
    Keep writing, Terry
    xxxxxx

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    1. I got over 500, Jenny, so not too bad, but not like the good old days, ha ha! Thanks SO much for all your help and support - just let me know the next time you go free! xx

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  2. I messed up the days of my last freebie and only had 4K downloads. This is different than when I started with 60K downloads and great after sales. Now you have to pay dearly to compete. Times they are a'changing. That's why I'm leaving the KDPS program and am putting my books with a distributor who makes them available to foreign wholesalers and libraries. I know I'll take a hit in sales/money, but I'm looking for the long term. I'd like people to read my books because they want to, not because they're free. So I'm experimenting.

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    1. Ah, I'm not in paperback anyway, yet, Polly. I do know what you mean - I hadn't done a free promotion for a year so I thought I'd give it another go - then when I came to it I felt so bogged down with everything (I've done SO many guest posts and interviews and stuff lately) that I just felt too tired to do all that site submission stuff, to my cost. Also, I'm really loving the new book I'm writing, and I just wanted to to do that for the last couple of weeks - I'd keep telling myself 'today I will do the free site submissions' and just not doing it!!!!

      I don't think people read them BECAUSE they're free - I think of how I've discovered my favourite authors, and more often than not it's through a library. I rarely BUY books by unknown authors myself - apart from about 50 I've bought since seeing them on Twitter!!! So the free thing is just a chance to try out someone new, isn't it?

      Anyway, I am sure with your huge catalogue and reputation success will follow whatever you do, so good luck with it - not being in paperback I'm not at your stage yet! Thanks for reading and commenting - and for all your RTs! xx

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  3. Terry, I wouldn't worry about paperbacks. I only have them because I do all the work, including the covers. But I sell very few. One's reputation is only as good as their sales, and right now mine aren't very good. Worst ever, in fact. Why should people buy a book when if they wait they'll get them for free. I'm going in the opposite direction. I even raised my price. We have to keep trying things to see what works. Who knows? I might be back in the KDPS rat race again. I never say never. Good luck with whatever you choose to do. And thank you for all the tweets. (I really hate tweeting, but don't tell anyone.)

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  4. I think most people's sales are the worst they've ever been at the moment, apart from those who do consistently well whatever the trends, Polly! I WAS really against free promotions, because I think it's all the free ones that stop everyone's from selling, but my two rock fiction novels have never sold as well as my four contemporary fiction/family drama type ones (rock fiction is rather a niche market, I - they're too bloke orientated to capture the romance market), so I thought I'd just give them one more blast! I've got a short story collection coming out soon that I'm going to put out free on publication, but aside from that I'm going to calm down the whole promotion thing a bit after Christmas and just write - I'm slightly changing genre with the next one, and will have to research a slightly different market. I might even have a stab at traditional publishing again! Re Twitter - actually, I basically really like it!!!! But I do know what you mean - sometimes I think, oh God, I can't face doing all those RTs, AGAIN....!

    BTW - I don't entirely agree about the reputation/sales thing - I know loads of people who have nothing but wonderful reviews but don't sell very many at all. I think the attitude to that sort of thing is slightly different in the UK, though. I reckon that by nature we're a bit less proven-success orientated. Or 'oriented' as you say there, ha ha! Thanks again xx

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  5. I was thinking more of the movie directors who say they're only as good as their last movie--that means success or failure. I wouldn't have all the reviews if my books hadn't been free. My latest, Threads, was never free, and I only have 10 reviews compared to my other books. I love the UK. I have some nice reviews there. Bottom line, Terry, is to write a good book, one you love. That's the best any writer can do. Whatever happens after that, well, is whatever happens.

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  6. Ah yes, I see what you mean - and I've found the same with reviews, too! Before this weekend I'd only ever put You Wish, Nobody's Fault and Dream On out for free, and they have far more reviews than the other three. You're absolutely right about the rest, too!

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  7. You are welcome, TT.. even though I disagree with free promos as I believe they skew the already dodgy Amazon ratings and lead people to undervalue all our hard work, I will always support a mate. Even if I disagree!!! Have been having a ''frank exchange of views'' with a writer who lambasted me for not charging an arm and a leg for school visits, as they do, but cannot see the dictotomy of doing free promos to push their books up the charts. Cant' bloody win.Sigh.

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    1. Carol, I've always felt the same; not because I think it undervalues our work (because people in all fields of the creative world will give things for free sometimes), but because all the free books make it hard for everyone to get sales. However, the two books I had on free/half price have always sold less than my other four as they're primarily about a rock band, something that doesn't have widespread appeal, so I thought I'd just give them one last shove before leaving them to their own devices. I'll be doing another free promo in Nov when my short story collection comes out....!!! Just thought I'd give the 'free on publication' thing a go. I very much appreciate you still helping me even though you disapprove - some won't, and I totally understand that. Oh - and I know about the school visits thing!!

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  8. Good luck. I think every writer nowadays needs a little of it. I'll watch for you on Twitter when I psych myself up to go on. :-)

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  9. Really interesting, Terry. I'm relatively new to this, so I'm always curious to hear about other people's experiences in the past compared to now. One of mine will be free this weekend, so I look forward to seeing what happens there! x x

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    1. Again, it depends on what you've done to prepare for it, but also your market, Kate - Twitter might be enough for you to get loads and loads, as you write New Adult (I believe that is the term now???!!!) (Or is it still Young??!) - I imagine that's a very popular genre. I'm afraid I'll be away this weekend coming, but it's possible I may quickly go on a lap top and if I do I'll RT you! I have two other friends whose free promos I shall miss, too. Good luck, anyway xx

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  10. Great piece Terry and you're spot on, you must work harder than ever before to have a very successful promo at the moment, but I'm sure you'll get plenty more rave reviews off the back of this one.

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    1. I don't think it's even enough to work hard at it now, Mack - you have to make sure it's on all the right sites, and pay, too! Re what Polly said, above. I used to be able to guarantee thousands, just by tweeting it - no more! Though as I said, I have to take into account the appeal of the book as well.

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  11. I completely forgot the last time I booked to do a Select freebie, so I know where you're coming from. It had to cope on its own! I keep one of mine (the 1st in the series) on a long-term free thing with SW's and rarely promote it. Amazon price-matched it a year ago and it still ticks over free on a daily basis. It's probably only downloaded now as and when someone really wants it and serves as a push for the others. It keeps its place in the top 100 sagas so gives me visibility. Maybe one day I'll un-free it, but for now, it can stay as it is. Thanks for the mention Terry and glad we could help get the word out. :-)

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    1. That sounds like a very good strategy, Pam! Wonderful idea if you have a series. You sound as though you have that sussed - it's something I've often meant to get round to thinking about, though I get that it wouldn't work as well without a series. Glad you're doing well!

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  12. I did a free promo for my debut novel soon after it was published - probably too soon (not successful) and stayed with the KDP Select programme until some weeks ago. My intention (like Polly) is to distribute my novel through wider channels (have't gotten around to it yet, though). I can see that free promos may bring in more reviews, but right now I don't think I'll do another one.

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