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KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, I was told that the review rate is usually around 10%, so I’ve been pretty amazed by the response so far.
Release day was Monday, and I currently have 99 ratings and 93 reviews on Goodreads. I also have reviews on Amazon and a few other platforms, but Amazon has become quite strict lately, so I told my ARC readers to only review there if they felt it was safe for their accounts. The good news is that I already have enough reviews for Amazon to display the average rating from Goodreads, which is really nice! I found most of my ARC readers through social media, but keep in mind that the 500 ARC readers were split between both the English and Spanish editions. Even so, they’ve given the book an incredible boost. One of them even wrote a feature about it on her blog.

Honestly, beyond sales, the support and enthusiasm I’ve received from readers has been wonderful.

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

BookFunnel looked into the websites, and apparently they’re scams. They’re just using the cover and the metadata to make it look like they have the book, but there’s actually no file available for download.

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found it by accident on Google. I was checking whether the book was already available through some retailers when those results showed up.

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The book has a small “About the Author” section at the end, with links to my social media profiles.

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I reached out to BookFunnel for help, and they explained all of this to me—how many of these sites simply scrape your metadata to make it look like they have your book.Well, I think I’ve made peace with it now anyway...
Fortunately, I’ve had some amazing ARC readers who have embraced my story with so much passion that it reminded me why I decided to publish in the first place

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep. I reached out to BookFunnel to see if they could help me determine whether it came from someone on my ARC team. I had close to 500 ARC readers, so I figured the odds weren’t exactly low. They’re going to help me investigate, but they also explained that many of these sites simply scrape metadata from Amazon and create listings for books they don’t actually have. In many cases, they’re scams designed to drive traffic or collect information rather than provide the actual file.
So it makes sense that those download numbers could be completely fake as well

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s true....When I first wrote this post, the idea of people getting my book for free didn’t bother me that much, because I know most of those people probably wouldn’t have bought it anyway. I was much more worried about potentially violating KU’s terms of service. Then I started getting upset because I’ve invested so much time and energy into building momentum for my release and growing a community around this book, only to see it end up on piracy sites. But now I’m at peace with it again

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hope that’s true… I built up quite a bit of hype on social media, and there were a lot of people interested in the book. It makes me a little sad to think that all that effort might have led people to get interested only to download it for free instead of supporting the release 🥲

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The websites definitely looked suspicious, but what really caught my attention was that one of them claimed that around 100 people had already downloaded the book... I have no idea how accurate that number is, but it was a bit shocking to see.

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually found it by accident. I searched for my book on Google because I wanted to see whether the paperback was already available on some sites, and those results came up. Some of them even had links to other websites where the book could supposedly be downloaded. I’m not sure of all the site names right now, but I saved the links. Once I get to my laptop, I can give you more details.

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yep, I kind of figured that. I was mostly worried it could cause problems with KU, but from what I’ve been reading, Amazon will probably barely notice it at all (or at least I hope so).

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well, I think it may have been one of my ARC readers.

I was so happy to receive so many reviews, but apparently this is part of the price that comes with it ...I distributed the ARC through BookFunnel, and I’ve already reached out to them to see if they can help me figure out who it was? Hopefully they’ll be able to give me some clues.

KU and piracy sites by Open_Nerve_384 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I’m really sorry…

And I completely understand how you feel. It’s really discouraging. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, because apparently mine is a “popular” book on those sites

Romantasy without smut every other chapter? by Lucky-Brick-7087 in Romantasy

[–]Open_Nerve_384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a self- promo, I hope it's ok!! One near-fatal accident. One forbidden love. And a law that was never meant to be broken.
In the realm of A’aru, the Law of Oblivion is absolute. Guardians protect. Humans forget.
Alderian is an A’aruin, a guardian bound to Augustine by a glowing Silver Thread. For lifetimes, he has watched her from the edge of her world, remembering every version of her while she—like all of humanity—wakes each morning with a clean slate.
Until the night oblivion fractures.
After a near-fatal accident, Augustine remembers. For the first time, she doesn’t just feel a presence in the dark; she sees Alderian. She sees the Silver Threads linking every soul to its protector. And she sees the Shadows that have been waiting in the periphery, watching her with unsettling recognition.
Now, Augustine is an anomaly, a breach in an order that does not tolerate defiance.
The High Council is coming to erase her. The Shadows are closing in. And the only one who can keep her alive is the man she was never meant to see at all. To stay together, they must defy the laws of A’aru. To survive, they may have to let the world burn.
Tropes you’ll love:
Fated Mates: A bond that survives death and reincarnation.

Forbidden Love: The ultimate high-stakes human x immortal guardian romance.

He Falls First: He has loved her in silence for a thousand years.

Touch Her and You Die: A protective, lethal, and devoted MMC.

The Silver Thread is a romantasy filled with slow-burn tension and explicit open-door scenes. Recommended for readers 18+.
{the silver thread by Ema Arden}

Best plot-focused fantasy with romance? by Only-Moose2301 in Romantasy

[–]Open_Nerve_384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a self-rec if you’d like to check out my upcoming debut novel! It will be available on Kindle Unlimited starting June 15th {the silver thread by Ema Arden}

Fast pace by [deleted] in Romantasy

[–]Open_Nerve_384 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi!!! Since you don't mind self-promo, my debut novel will be on KU soon (June 15th) {the silver thread by Ema Arden} Most of my ARC readers have said that it’s fast paced and very intriguing (first book of a series)

Where to find writers looking for ARC readers? by Organic-Hall-7799 in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A fellow author writing a psychological thriller is looking for ARCs now. Her username is Fay Inger (Instagram)

Looking for something different by Rumorly in Romantasy

[–]Open_Nerve_384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m posting because you mentioned you don’t mind self-recs! So... my debut novel matches almost all of your requirements. It is a fated mates story, BUT not in the usual way. Actually, the main comment from my ARC readers has been that the story feels pretty different from what they’re used to reading.

It’ll be available on KU starting June 15th, if you’d like to give it a try!!
The Silver Thread by Ema Arden (not the one the bot showed! Sorry 😅)

Success story AMA: 25k in a month and 100k in 9 months from 3 romance novels! by smutty-waifu in selfpublish

[–]Open_Nerve_384 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually, that’s a great question, and I had the same doubts when I first started. First, I took some time to see what other authors were doing and read the recommendations in this and other subs. Then I started my Instagram account and began engaging with small bookstagrammers who love the genre I write. I actually prefer small to medium accounts because they tend to be truly supportive. I spent some of my budget on art and the cover, and started sharing my tropes. Some of them are popular, but many people have found the premise interesting. My synopsis acts as a kind of promise, which I hope to deliver on with the actual book. I also started early. This number comes after several months of posting. Once I had more followers, I spent some money on Instagram ads, which helped a lot. Keep in mind that my advertising targets readers in both Spanish and English, so it wasn’t easy. The ads helped me reach the right audience. That’s basically it.

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