I'm throwing them right out there, so I can
This final ad was with Bargain Booksy. It was my most expensive one at $70. I sold 7 books that day.
Here's what I learned from using book ads:
- They are unlikely to have a great affect on sales unless you're offering your book for free. There is so much free content out there right now, and good free content, readers won't even consider dropping 99c for an author new to them.
- They may have a decent affect on sales if you're offering a novel for over 75% off its normal price. This won't attract any attention if it's a short work. Novels do sell better.
- Ads work best for books that are part of a series. If readers pick up something and they like it, they will want more.
From my experience, I can conclude:
a) Readers who might enjoy my books don't read ads, or don't subscribe to those venues I had ads with.
b) The indie publishing world is going through a major slump.
c) My cover and/or blurb aren't strong enough to draw readers in.
OR
d) I suck.
Some days, I just want to quit. I'm not a marketing-minded person. I'm a writer. That's all I want to do! But authors have several hats they must wear these days, and it's depressing at times.
Don't worry. I won't give up. I'll keep on trying new things, and maybe one day, I'll find out what works for me. (What I think would really work is if Joss Whedon made my books into a TV series!)
Have you tried anything new with promotions recently?
Hi Christine - don't give up - go with the flow. I'm sure you're on the right track .. you're writing, giving us series .. the books will market themselves and will helped along the way - you're creating and being creative ... so good luck - all will be well - Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteOr E, there are just so many books that the ads have no effect. When people are inundated with free and discounted books, and the newsletters and sites featuring them, it all becomes a blur.
ReplyDeleteYou do not suck! I wish I had more time to read because the two books I've read were outstanding.
You certainly don't suck!
ReplyDeleteSome things are just out of our control. We do what we can - which you did! - and we keep learning, keep trying, keep going. We're in this writing thing for the long haul. :)
Thank you, folks. You are awesome. I will keep on pushing ahead!
ReplyDeleteFor one thing, you don't suck, so don't waste your time there. From everything I hear, you sometimes have to wait until everything comes together and people start noticing your books. It can happen anytime, and the trick is to make sure you have plenty of books to sell them once they do.
ReplyDeleteI've got a Bargain Booksy coming out on Friday, so I'm curious to see how it does. I think having a series and putting the first book (or some intro novella tied to the series) on perma free is probably your best chance of catching and holding readers.
ReplyDeleteYou don't suck. I love reading your stories.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you on the conclusion about buying an add for a sale. If it's not free, not much happens. The best bet is to put book 1 in a series free and then hope people buy the rest of the series later.
Hang in there. I think genres like yours and mine take off more through word of mouth, and that's slower.
ReplyDeleteSo far the only thing that's worked for me is giving away the first book in the series, or rather my publisher giving it away. I don't like 'free' but 85,000 books have been sold or given away. Making my take .09 cents a book. Not sure I can call that a win, maybe if it had been 850,000.
ReplyDeleteWorst thing about 'free' is the one star reviews that start with "I didn't even read the book!" But, a review is a review!
Yes, keep trying, it's all we have. Something's got to work! Good luck!
It's also important to know that Amazon recently changed some of their algorithm parameters to favor traditional publishers more. That in and of itself is a whole headache. It's such a hard world to navigate.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're feeling discouraged. I know for sure you don't suck!! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us even though things didn't turn out as you'd hoped. This sure is a tough world to navigate. Take care!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely keep trying! This whole world is like a jungle. I know it's hard not to be discouraged. But it's okay to feel discouraged sometimes. For a little while. Not too long. :)
ReplyDeleteI commend your promo efforts! You're doing way better than I have ever done. I once spent $50 on an ad, they got my info wrong, and I didn't sell anything. I gave up after that. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteBTW, You don't suck.
I really enjoyed the analytical look into all of this, and while I laughed at D, no, you do not suck! I think what's most fascinating to me as a writer is that what works for one almost never works for another. We all have to find our own way to success, and you rock (aka don't suck) just based on the fact that you're so willing to keep trudging through on your quest to find what works for you.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry these ads didn't work as well as you hoped, especially with how pricey some of them ended up being. I definitely don't think it means you suck. Your writing is amazing, and your covers/blurbs never fail to reel me in, either. Even though I've never done ads, I still market in other ways constantly, and my attempts almost always end abysmally. Definitely makes it hard to keep trying, sometimes. Hope you're able to find a marketing technique that works well for you sooner rather than later!
ReplyDeleteYou do not suck. You have been encouragement and inspiration. You can do this.
ReplyDeleteCheck out this two post of Dean Wesley Smith. He has some good and interesting points. They are about two workshops I hope to take in the future I think will help me when I am ready, which I am hoping will be 2017. See what you think.
http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/business-and-writing/
http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/copyright-and-the-fear-of-learning/
You do not suck. You ROCK!
Juneta
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit