Mythbusting The Amazon Algorithm Part V: Amazon Categories and Keywords
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How to Get Book Reviews in 2018 (Without Going Crazy)
So you want to know the best ways of getting book reviews for your book now it is finally written? Here are some ideas for those glowing reviews to come flooding in, updated for what works in 2018.
What Works in 2018
Use a Reader eMailing Service – Success Rate – 100% + 1- 5% quota met as advertised + high ranking and exposure on Amazon
It’s getting harder to get Verified Customer Reviews, which are the reviews that have most weight for ranking high on Amazon. The only true way to do this is to have access to lists […]
Mythbusting The Amazon Algorithm Part IV – Is Amazon Ranking Broken?
Cate Baum examines the latest author outrage that Amazon is Broken.
Many blogs have been shouting about how Amazon has a loophole that means authors are scamming the system and stealing mountains of cash from the KDP Global Fund. Some authors are being strung up and called out. These shady goings-on must be examined! Welcome to the notorious Mythbusting, Part IV.
MYTH: Amazon’s Ranking is Broken.
Truth: Amazon Ranking is not ‘broken’, but there’s a front-facing issue with how ranking is displayed when switching from Free to Paid that is confusing people.
After reading about several authors that seem to […]
What Book Promotions Are OK and Not OK on Amazon Now
This is the first in a series on author internet outrage and Amazon adventure by Cate Baum.
There’s been a fair amount of internet hysteria lately regarding Amazon’s court cases against authors, and confusion about getting book reviews through promotional services. Here’s how to tell what’s acceptable, and what’s not, and the truth about those court cases.
First, let’s start with what book promotion techniques are acceptable to Amazon.
What’s OK
1. Using promotional services that promote to reader lists
Examples: BookBub, SPR’s Kindle Promotion Packages, BookGorilla.
Why is this OK?
A UK or US-based service that has built […]
Best Free Book Marketing Sites
Most know that BookBub is very expensive, as well as very difficult to get into. SPR’s own BookBub alternative (starting at $199) has no barrier to entry, but it’s also expensive if your budget is…zero. There are a number of BookBub-style newsletter services that allow for free submissions. These submissions aren’t guaranteed, and many offer a paid option to guarantee inclusion, but it’s still helpful if you really have no budget for book marketing, or you want to pad out your paid efforts with some other services.
As with pay sites, it’s best to spread out these listings over 3 […]
15 Places for Authors to Write a Guest Post
Blogging is an essential part of book marketing. It’s always a bit mystifying to hear authors say, “I don’t know what to blog.” You’re a writer! It’s part of the job. If readers like the way you put together a post, they’ll be more likely to check out your book.
However, blogging can also feel like writing into the wilderness, especially if your site gets scant traffic, which is usually the case for new writer’s sites. If your blog (or book) is hurting for viewers, a good practice is to post on a blog with a built-in audience.
CreativIndie has […]
Essential Knowledge For Every New Self-Publisher
Self-publishing can be equally exciting and overwhelming. On the one hand, it’s the best opportunity for most of us to realize our dream of publishing a book. Who wouldn’t be excited by the thought of expressing their ideas creatively and hopefully making some money in the process? There’s a heck of a lot to learn. Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur takes a look.
Writing a book is only part of the process. To experience success, self-publishers must be effective in many different areas, including marketing and strategy.
It can be tricky to know exactly where to focus our limited time […]
How Authors Can Use Amazon Smile to Raise Money For Charity
When it comes to charity, we’re adept at giving online, especially when it doesn’t cost a dime to support your favorite cause. Amazon Smile is a tool that authors can leverage to sell books at the same time as making some money for just about any organization there is.
Amazon Smile is a subdomain of Amazon that sells exactly the same products, but gives users the opportunity to choose a charity to support.
“AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you […]