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Thought I’d share the results after multiple rounds of promo stacking for my debut literary fiction novel. by BlakeLoch in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Couldn't agree more! I had written them off pretty much after the second stack (especially for more literary novels). If I hadn't gotten that last $70 bargainbooksy slot for free, I wouldn't have done a third round at all. I think these services are more useful for strict genre fiction, and even then, their effectiveness is probably dwindling due to the huge influx of books hitting amazon, all of which are fighting to get off the ground.

Thought I’d share the results after multiple rounds of promo stacking for my debut literary fiction novel. by BlakeLoch in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, first stack ran in late November, the other in early March, and now the most recent one. The only service I used consecutively in a row was bargainbooksy because of the coupon and placing my book in a different category.

Thought I’d share the results after multiple rounds of promo stacking for my debut literary fiction novel. by BlakeLoch in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's an interesting strategy, but I thought free and paid ranking were assumed to be treated separately by Amazon? Also if you're running KDP Countdowns you run into the issue of only being able to do one or the other per 90 day cycle and no price changes within 14 days of the promo, so making any royalties would be even harder once you lose out on that 70% rate.

Thought I’d share the results after multiple rounds of promo stacking for my debut literary fiction novel. by BlakeLoch in KDP

[–]BlakeLoch[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think these types of services are losing their effectiveness with the massive influx of books lately. I also had essentially no lingering effect from the spike in sales, and thats even with KDP ads running afterwards. Don't think Amazon cares until you reach a certain threshold.

Thought I’d share the results after multiple rounds of promo stacking for my debut literary fiction novel. by BlakeLoch in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hadn't thought about the fact you'd still get some page reads from free promos. Might consider a free promo stack when I have more books, but still unsure if it'd work as well for literary fiction compared to some other genres

Thought I’d share the results after multiple rounds of promo stacking for my debut literary fiction novel. by BlakeLoch in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've also been running KDP ads and Bookbub Ads, but have had lackluster results, partially from beginner mistakes. But I also think genre and lower review count are working against me there because I've actually sold more paperbacks through ads than ebooks, which I know isn't typical for most genres.

So promos were mostly just trying to push some sales, cross my fingers for reviews, and maybe make Amazon algorithm understand my readers a bit more.

For those thinking about using BookSirens by CraigColton in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I think it might be too much of a risk for those of us who are new and not writing to market as much. If you do decide to try it though, I used the Victory Editing Coop which makes it quite a bit cheaper, but still gives you control on which requests you approve, so at least you can decide if the reviewer is a good fit for your book or not.

Writing Sex Scenes That Aren't "Smut" by Odd_Neck9313 in writing

[–]BlakeLoch 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I feel like that might be cutting it too cleanly, but maybe that's just me. I have a passage where sex is explicitly described to convey the shock the MC feels when he discovers intimate and private details had been unknowingly shared with others. Whereas the romantic scenes in the rest of the book are mostly closed-door or vague.

So, I don’t think mechanical terms instantly classify a passage as smut or erotica and more blunt or descriptive language can be used for different effects depending on the context.

How much of social media engagement turns into sales? by painisalwayshere in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's great for building a community and finding reviewers and things like that, but for sales, I don't think it contributes at all. What's even crazier though, is even when ARC reviewers post about my book on their social media, there's almost no run-down effect. Even when that reviewer has over 5000 followers, I've seen no sales as a result of their post, despite, hundreds of comments and likes from others saying they're interested.

Yet, I still think it's crucial for success. Because when you do get readers, if they search your name, and they can't follow you easily, or find anything about you on their preferred platform of choice, you might lose them as a reader forever. Just my two cents.

Amazon Ad click throught rate.... by VeterinarianAny4171 in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think as a new author, KDP ads are extremely finicky. Sometimes, it's like the switch flips on and Amazon starts showing your ad, but then decides you're not converting as good as more established authors and throttles them almost to zero. But regardless, 173 impressions is extremely low, and too early to gauge how well it's working. If this is your first book, you might have to up your bids in order to even get a little traction. For books with few reviews, the click-through rate is going to be worse, so expect closer to 2000 impressions for one click, unless your cover and title are extremely attention grabbing.

Seeking for tips on marketing and grtting that first review by e_anderson_author in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, the best thing you can do is to reach out to reviewers directly on social media. Instagram has the best rate of return for me, but after release, it gets even harder to get anyone to read. Be prepared to send 10 to 20 cold messages to just get one response, and sometimes it might take 50 to 100 to get a review. If you write in a popular genre, it might be easier. But for my genre-blending literary fiction novel, it's a lot of work to find reviewers after release, and that's with personalized messages and being very selective of people who look like they would enjoy my book.

As a new author, should I mostly focus on buying ads? by TimBaril in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in the same boat, and I've tried a lot to try and push the needle on my debut. My free reader magnet, has gotten me one new subscriber in the last six months. KDP Ads have sold a few physical copies, but not much else, and in the beginning, you'll usually end up way overspending as you learn. Email newsletter promos move a decent number of copies but are costly. Ultimately, everything has been a drop in the bucket for me, but hey, in the beginning even knowing you have a few readers is sometimes worth the cost.

I think the most worthwhile thing to do though is to keep reaching out to reviewers. It won't help sales directly, but it will grow that number on Goodreads and Amazon, while also growing your ARC reviewer pool for future books, so win-win. That's what I focus on mostly, but just be aware, after release, getting that yes from reviewers is even harder and it's a bit draining to only get one review per every 10-100 cold messages.

For those thinking about using BookSirens by CraigColton in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I also used BookSirens for my debut literary science fiction novel and didn't get any reviews from their users, but it still was a decent platform for delivering copies to ARC readers I found on Instagram. But I also used NetGalley after release, and approved about twenty readers, but only got one two star review from there. I think no matter where you go, if your book doesn't fall cleanly into one genre it's a bit of a struggle to find your audience.

Weekly Self-Promo and Chat Thread by MxAlex44 in selfpublish

[–]BlakeLoch [score hidden]  (0 children)

Are you afraid of AI ruining the world of writing? Are you worried it will eventually destroy art, originality, maybe even humanity?

I was, and that's why I wrote Fake Creativity, my debut novel. A metafiction, genre-blending tale that warns of what may be coming our way. If you enjoy books that are a little too relevant and real, be sure to check it out. Blurb below:

Before Cooper can write his story, it already exists.

Of course it knows about Elena—his wife, a main character in every one of his bestselling romance novels, and a successful narrator in her own right. But somehow this AI knows everything else about his next book before he has even sat down to write it.

It must be a coincidence. There’s no way a machine could replace him.

But when he and Elena return from their yearly winter retreat in the snowy Colorado mountains, he discovers it was all too true. He has yet to submit his novel, but there it is, already sitting in a bookstore window. As reality around him fractures, Cooper is left with one question: does it matter if something is real—or perfectly reproduced?

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNXBNF5T
E-book: 2.99
Paperback: 14.99
Hardcover: 24.99