Features

Articles, how-to’s, opinion and tips and tricks in the self-publishing arena

Is Amazon Censoring Customer Reviews? Seems Like It.

Lately, there has been much said about censorship of writing in the United States. But now it seems Amazon has got on the morality bandwagon with the slashing of customer review content.

Amazon has rightfully always had its standards when it comes to customers writing product reviews. But now it seems that words used in reviews are being judged as “hate speech” when they are simple criticism or review of a subject discussed in a book.

Mary, a reviewer from Colorado, says, “I bought and reviewed a book about hitting fifty and reaching the Menopause. I was pleased to have […]

2023-10-03T16:47:26+02:00October 3rd, 2023|Categories: Features|Tags: |

Twelve Must-Read Books on Self-Publishing for 2023

It’s hard to know where to start with such a wide range of books out there claiming to be written by experts for self-published writers. Here are our picks from Amazon for writing, marketing, and publishing your book.

The Successful Author Mindset: A Handbook for Surviving the Writer’s Journey” by Joanna Penn

Joanna Penn is a veteran self-publisher who has made a decades-long career in writing and speaking about her journey.

On Writing” by Stephen King

Yes, that Stephen King. King used to be a writing teacher, and he was a fabulous one. Here, he imparts […]

2023-09-26T22:59:18+02:00September 26th, 2023|Categories: Features|

How To Rank in Amazon Kindle Categories

SPR’s Cate Baum takes a look at what methods work and don’t work this spring for ranking higher in Amazon’s Best Seller charts with your Kindle eBook.

Amazon categories

Amazon has been messing about with its categories quite extensively, but does this mean ranking is going to become more difficult? Yes and no.

Genre is relevant

Now categories are expanded with search terms, it’s more important than ever that you stay in your genre and categories.

Indie romance books will still be able to gain very high ranking when they make sales due to advertising within a niche market. However, without […]

2023-09-27T10:54:59+02:00April 21st, 2022|Categories: Features, Resources|Tags: |

What’s Happening With Amazon’s Ranking Right Now?

There’s something going on with ranking on Amazon again, and there’s been lots of speculation this week without much real evidence being posted on various blogs for authors. So we’ve done some real-life tests on ranking, and here’s a set of live findings so far on real book promotions, offered without too much speculation.

FINDINGS JAN 17 2022 – FEB 06 2022

Real data conclusions from Amazon promotions run in this period of various genres.

The main finding, and not always applicable, is that there is a general lag in ranking of about 18 – 24 hours right now on […]

2023-09-27T10:54:50+02:00February 8th, 2022|Categories: Features|Tags: |

Five Ways I Hate Your Dinkus

dinkusThe dinkus. You know, the three asterisks beloved of a certain kind of fiction writer to split the chapter into some kind of sub-chapter. The three asterisks that boldly chop a book into TV scenes, as if watching it on a screen, and… DINKUS! FADE TO BLACK!

Here’s why, as a book editor and reader, Cate Baum can’t stand this beloved flowery operator, and why you should stop using it so lavishly in your book.


1. Formatting your book is suddenly a massive pain

When I receive manuscripts to format into paperbacks or eBooks, I cannot do what I would […]

2021-08-26T04:12:41+02:00August 26th, 2021|Categories: Features|Tags: |

Mythbusting – The Truth About Paid Book Reviews in 2021

MYTHBUSTING 2021Authors worry relentlessly about ‘paying for reviews.’ What are the concerns, and are they founded? What are the differences between the services offered online? Cate Baum, resident Amazon mythbuster steps in to calm your concerns.

When should I pay for a book review?

MYTH: NEVER! OR YOU AND YOUR BOOK WILL BURN!!

TRUTH: You should pay for a professional book review when you need a respected opinion to use as copy for promotional purposes. This is exactly what any author, from Stephen King to JK Rowling does when they hire a publicist. You then own the copy and can use […]

2021-08-03T07:25:11+02:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: Features|Tags: , , |

2021 – How To Get Amazon Reviews Without Breaking The Rules

There are various discussions about getting Verified Amazon reviews for your book, but there’s only one sure way that works.

While the humble mailing list has been touted in many corners of the publishing world, it still rules as the only definite way of selling your book and getting Verified reviews.

But not all mailing lists are equal.

Amazon Rules

While it seems easy enough to add friends and family to your mailing list, here’s what to bear in mind: Once they bought your book, you can’t keep touting them for business.

The second issue is that Amazon does not […]

2021-07-21T02:11:16+02:00July 20th, 2021|Categories: Features|Tags: , , |
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