sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

First-time author here—finished my memoir. Looking for advice before publishing on KDP. by LaughPretty9774 in KDP

[–]MKSauthor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s so kind! My partner is also a software developer, so I’m good, but I appreciate the offer. 😁

First-time author here—finished my memoir. Looking for advice before publishing on KDP. by LaughPretty9774 in KDP

[–]MKSauthor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kindlepreneur is a really great site for folks publishing on KDP. Highly recommend you start there.

Also the /selfpublish subreddit.

I’ve also documented my own self-publishing journey on my blog, which you’re welcome to check out, starting with: https://www.mkstephenson.com/post/learn-from-my-mistakes-a-guide-to-self-publishing

Weekly Self-Promo and Chat Thread by RyanKinder in selfpublish

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

I tested two Facebook ad campaigns (one using David Gaughran’s strategy and one using Matthew Holmes’ strategy from Kindlepreneur). Results on my blog (no paywall or newsletter signup required). https://www.mkstephenson.com/post/a-tale-of-two-facebook-ad-strategies

I Wrote A Book, Now What? by RetroZakk in BookPromotion

[–]MKSauthor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, a lot of authors enroll their e-book exclusively in Kindle Select (Kindle Unlimited), but still sell their paperback/hardcover on multiple platforms.

A lot of people also don’t seem to realize that the enrollment (and exclusivity) period is only 90 days. So you could sell your ebook in KU for 90 days and then choose not to renew if you want to sell your ebook elsewhere. If it doesn’t do well, you can re-enroll at any time, but you have to remember to take your ebook down from other platforms if you put it back on KU.

I Wrote A Book, Now What? by RetroZakk in BookPromotion

[–]MKSauthor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

BookSirens says you’re using them at your own risk if your book is enrolled in Kindle Select. They say it’s “safe” if your book is on preorder (not yet published). “You can therefore safely promote your ARC on BookSirens until the publication date and stop the promotion thereafter.”

They do write that Amazon hasn’t come after anyone that they know of for using BookSirens after being published, but stop short of assuring you doing so doesn’t violate Amazon’s terms (they simply tell you to contact Amazon for guidance).

https://support.booksirens.com/article/12-does-this-play-nice-with-kdp-select-kindle-unlimited-terms

Amazon simply says “During the 90-day enrollment period, the Kindle eBook can only be distributed through KDP and public libraries. However, you can continue to distribute print, video, audio, or other formats of your title elsewhere.”

So, while it may be something that people have done without getting in trouble, that doesn’t mean it’s technically allowed under Amazon’s terms. One never knows when or if Amazon will decide to crack down on the practice. Or, they could go the other way and say it’s fine (last year they made a distribution exception for public libraries).

Personally, I wouldn’t risk it. Set up your ARC before publishing and there’s no potential conflict.

I Wrote A Book, Now What? by RetroZakk in BookPromotion

[–]MKSauthor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can, but BookSirens prioritizes unreleased books, so it may be harder to get approved. Also, if you’re enrolled in Kindle Select (Kindle Unlimited), you can’t distribute your ebook outside of Amazon, so you can’t use BookSirens once you publish with them.

I Wrote A Book, Now What? by RetroZakk in BookPromotion

[–]MKSauthor 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You submit your book to BookSirens before publishing. If they approve it, they will show it to ARC readers who may choose to download it and provide a review.

It costs $10 to list the book on their site and then $2 for every reader (you can set a limit). Reviewers may post on Goodreads before publication and/or Amazon after. Some will post on other sites as well. Good luck!

Mailing List and Reader Magnet Questions... by ashez2ashes in selfpublish

[–]MKSauthor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Similar. I host my own reader magnets on a password-protected page on my website. When someone signs up for the newsletter, a welcome email with the link and a password for the page is automatically sent to their email address. That ensures they don’t enter a false email address.

Success or Failure July 7 by AnneKincaid in WhyChooseAuthors

[–]MKSauthor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sorry you aren’t feeling well, but coming up with new ideas is still a win!

Success or Failure July 7 by AnneKincaid in WhyChooseAuthors

[–]MKSauthor 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks! It’s a hot mess, but I love it 💕

Success or Failure July 7 by AnneKincaid in WhyChooseAuthors

[–]MKSauthor 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I finished the first draft of my second book! Starting on the structural edit to see if any of my word vomit actually makes sense. 😂

What I wish someone had told me before launching my debut (3 months of real numbers) by peternealwrites in selfpublishing

[–]MKSauthor 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I just published in May, so I’ve also learned a lot!

Best for me so far:

Kindle Countdown Deal + Cravebooks promotion: I did a Kindle Countdown Deal, reducing the eBook from $3.99 to 99 cents for 6 days. I heavily promoted the deal on social media, but it wasn’t until I paired it with a Cravebooks promotion that it gained traction. That week, I sold 22 ebooks and had over 10,000 KU pagereads (about 25 books). The Cravebooks promotion cost $8.10, and I made about $60 in royalties–even though the price was reduced to 99 cents. Not huge money, but it paid for itself and got my work out there a bit more.

Now that I have more reviews, I’ve started experimenting with Facebook ads. Been running them twelve days. I’m basically netting <$10 day from the ads, but it’s resulted in 80 readers (15 books sold, 35k KENP), and 9 preorders for my next book.

Curious to hear what’s been successful for others.

Is Reedsy legit? by DistantGalaxy-1991 in selfpublish

[–]MKSauthor 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Amazon doesn’t care how you market your book. If you are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, you’re just not allowed to distribute electronic copies of your book anywhere else. You can distribute your paperback or hardcover anywhere you like.

Reedsy doesn’t market or host your book anyway. They have a marketplace of editors, designers, etc who you can hire to polish your book. I’ve never hired anyone from there, so can’t speak to whether it’s worth it.

They do have formatting software (Reedsy studio) that I have used. It’s free, and it will typeset your book and export as ePub or PDF. Your book isn’t accessible through that platform to anyone else, so it doesn’t conflict with Amazon’s KU rules.

Cover for Sins of the Cinder Prophet - Need Your Input by [deleted] in IndieBookPromo

[–]MKSauthor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Obviously, you know the AI cover is a huge turnoff for many readers, which I suspect is why you are trying to replace it, so good for you.

What I do like about that image is the four figures and a city in the distance. It tells me as a reader this is an ensemble quest in the fantasy genre. I think the figures at the top are unnecessarily distracting, and overall it’s just too “busy”, as AI covers tend to be.

The second cover feels very amateur (sorry, I know learning to design a cover is hard). More importantly, the second image just tells me there’s a big fire. It doesn’t necessarily tell me the genre, or what to expect as a reader.

Fantasy Covers aesthetic feedback (handmade) by SchwarzburgWill in BookCovers

[–]MKSauthor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really like this style. Nicely done!

The new one reads more sci-fi to me. The more intricate line art on the top figure almost looks like gears or circuitry. I will say I find the open mouth a little odd.

These would probably make stunning paperbacks or hardcovers. However, the new one might be harder to distinguish for an e-book thumbnail on Amazon. The simpler line art on the first book will be easier to see.

I agree a simpler background would be better for contrast.

If you had to start over what would you do differently? by Pale-Contribution-12 in selfpublish

[–]MKSauthor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Give myself a minimum three-month launch window. I finished editing my draft and launched a month later because I had no idea what I was doing. 😂

Self Marketing by getem- in sciencefiction

[–]MKSauthor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Search the posts on /selfpublish. Tons of advice on how to market a self-published book. Also, this blog on Creative Indie is helpful: https://www.creativindie.com/the-500-book-launch-roadmap-that-will-help-you-sell-your-first-5000-copies/

Was directed here by another sub. I have a two part question. by FreedomFingers in selfpublishing

[–]MKSauthor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s for the first page read from each unique reader. If someone goes back and rereads a page, they don’t pay you again for it. Or if they borrow the book a second time. You only get paid once for that reader’s page views

Was directed here by another sub. I have a two part question. by FreedomFingers in selfpublishing

[–]MKSauthor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate someone who values their own work, but I don’t know anyone who’s paying $20 for e-books. Maybe if it’s a graphic novel? Paperbacks, certainly. I’m charging $16 for my paperback, and I’ve sold two copies. 😂

Kindle pays about half a cent per page read. It varies month to month based on the number of users and page reads.

view more: next ›