This post summarises a lot of thoughts in April, as I didnt want to interfere with the A to Z Challenge. It was a busy month – the Challenge itself, the promotion to visitors to the site who in turn increased my number of followers (hi, follower!), the last free promotion of the second book on Amazon (it came off KDP Select exclusivity today), a promotion with IAN for books under $5, as well as work on the third book to bring that up to publishing readiness.

I read Mark Coker’s excellent book The Secrets  to Epublishing Success.  This suggested I was doing the basic things right.  Maybe I could write and in particular do the book description (blurb) better.  I will review the blurb and I have some ideas about testing the first book’s alternative opening here (or maybe on the Princelings series website).  The links I’ve made with all sorts of author websites and fora are the right things to do.  I should chat more instead of just pushing the books.  “Be useful” is a good motto.  I should also not worry so much about the book sales and whether I am pushing them enough/too much.  I am doing the right things for launches and special offers but it is reader word of mouth that is the most important thing to get further readers. And that requires a good product and a good platform (this blog being part of that).  Most of all a good product.

And actually, getting my third book out is crucial.  And the fourth.  Then I should get back to writing.  Although getting the four books ready for Print on Demand is a nice idea too.  I nearly put ‘real books’ down.  Ones printed on paper and bound, standing on a bookshelf looking nice.  The author’s dream!

So first to finish editing Lost City, doing the illustrations and getting that out.  Despite the discussions on the dangers of exclusivity, I think the free days in Kindle Direct do get me in front of people who might otherwise not find me.  I think until (or unless) the books gather a reader following strong enough to lift them all off the eshelves, I will continue with this model of publishing to Kindle for 90 days then publishing the Smashwords edition for all the other retailers.

How to promote them to the owners of other e-readers?  The same way I’ve been promoting them already.  Do more talking on forums.  Write out a schedule for myself to make sure I do get round all the ones I want to be on regularly. Find a children’s book one I feel comfortable on. Reviews would be nice.

If you’ve read my books, please review them!

What I learnt in April
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: