Promoting Books with Amazon's KDP Select

Do Amazon Promotions work?

Last month, I ran an Amazon Promotion with KDP Select to see if it would boost book sales and expand my audience.  If you are wondering if it is worth your time and effort, read on!

KDP Select Overview

By enrolling in KDP Select, Amazon is given exclusive digital rights for the sale and distribution of one or more of your books for Kindle Unlimited (KU) and Kindle Owners' Lending Library (KOLL) readers for a 90-day period.  As such, your work has the potential to be seen and bought by millions of readers worldwide.  What's more is, for every time pages are read for the first time, you can also earn a share of KDP Select Global Fund royalty payments.

To promote your book(s) to the Kindle store, you can either run a Free Book Promotion or a Kindle Countdown.  With a Free Book Promotion, each selected book is free for a limited time.  If you so desire, your promotion can run for 5 consecutive days, or on specific dates of your choosing.  With a Kindle Countdown, each select book is discounted for a limited time.  Both end after a 90-day period, and you have the option to re-enroll at its conclusion.  While I won't bore you with more of the particulars on the program, feel free to read Amazon's KDP Select.

Why I Did it

I never expected to be an independently published (indie) author.  Throughout my teenage years, when I'd first written the basis of what became my debut novel The Ellises Series #1 A Place to Call Home, I envisioned having an agent/publicist, and having my work picked up by a publishing house so that I would be featured in bookstores everywhere.  I may have been a tad overly ambitious, but at the same time, there were a lot of years where I saw so many authors gain notable mention and publicity because of their work, and so I fully expected that once I was published, it would all click into place.  Moreover, in print magazines, newspapers, and journals were all still the only way people had at their disposal during this time, because the internet wasn't even a thing.  And even when it was, not everyone had it in their homes (because smart phones didn't exist quite yet, either).  Scary times!  But that's all to say that my rationale was based off of what people did then, and so by the time I first saw my name in print for magazine and journal articles, and was also able to publish online articles, I began to see how much easier it was to "become a writer/author."  I didn't realize that it would also make it harder to market myself!

At the same time technology finally caught up, businesses started seeing the value of having websites for customers to find them more easily, so I enrolled in a certification program akin to an associate's degree in journalism to officially call myself a freelance writer.  It was where I learned to fine-tune the skills I'd started using, and how to approach potential publishers of all types.  After that, I enrolled in another certification program akin to an associate's degree in desktop publishing and design, which enabled me to know how to market myself visually, both in print and online.  Because of both certifications, I spent many years writing ghost blogs and articles, designing invitations and flyers, and typing resumes and letters as paying side-gigs, all while working a full-time office job in customer service.

What I knew then and now is that people are everything.  That's why I enjoy customer service - because helping others matters to me.  But what I found in the traditional publishing world is that there is a huge disconnect between how that works to bring people together with what they want (to read).  I've mentioned it before, but my novel was first published with a local, boutique press.  Advertising was minimal, but I naively assumed they had the tools to take me where I wanted to go.  Sadly, in under a year after the book released, my publisher made the decision to shut down because of the ease of self-publishing through Amazon affecting her bottom-line.  My options were to look for an even bigger publisher, or try Amazon for myself.  Right away, I saw Amazon as a double-edged sword in terms of helping and hurting traditional publishing houses, but it resonated with me in terms of wanting to get my novel back out there in print, and go forward with more of them, without having to soliciting manuscripts to publishers in hopes of getting a book deal in a few years.  I didn't have that kind of time to waste, not when I had a fan-base I wanted to maintain.

That was two years ago, and it's been a constant learning curve to keep up with how I'm supposed to "do things right" as an indie-author.  It's still a work in progress.  I participate in author groups, read all the blogs I could, and scour whatever free and low-cost resources are out there (mainly because of having a zero budget, but also because I have a penchant for good deals and am known for my frugality).  I've learned that to be successful, authors must achieve maximum exposure, while providing lasting value.  How that value is expressed is by how attainable and affordable my work is, as well as what others have to say about it (i.e., reviews).  So when I saw that Amazon KDP Select was FREE, I had to try it, just once, to see if it would be the marketing tool I had been waiting for.

Before and After Data Results

Prior to the start of my promotion, the Kindle version ranked (from Amazon's Kindle store):

• 788,816 in Top Paid Kindles
• 2,347 in Historical Christian Romance Fiction
• 4,840 in Historical Christian Romance
• 6,465 in US Historical Fiction

Compare that with the Paperback, which ranked (from Amazon.com):

• 2,660,671 in Top 100 Books
• 28,942 in Christian Romance
• 29,877 in New Adult and College Romance

Keep in mind, all advertising I'd done prior to this was word of mouth on social media, with an occasional boost from free advertisers on social media sites and email lists.  Additionally, I had 5 Amazon reviews, and 3 ratings on the book site Good Reads.

Promotion days were strategically set for 5 day in May: the 5th, the 11th-12th, the 27th, and the 29th., and I advertised with the sites Awesomegang, eBookasaurus, It's Write Now, Indie Book of the Day, eBookLister, Five Star Reads, and Frugal-Freebies, as well as some Facebook groups (see here for a list of ideas on social media promotions and hashtags to use).  I also Googled the book a few times, and saw a few other random sites that also listed the promotion without my having to - bonus advertising!!!

While not ALL of the sites I submitted to listed me consistently (some only let me choose one date per 30-90 days at a time, versus needing continuous dates, or just one date at a time) I immediately gained mention on It's Write Now and saw the most activity on May 5th's promotion, which carried over into May 6th, generally between 9 a.m. EST and midnight, with some but not all of those sales from KU readers.  

Best Rankings on May 5th for Kindle included:

• 89 in Top Free Kindles
• 2 in Christian Historical Romance
• 2 in US Historical Fiction
• 8 in Religious Romance

And while the paperback was NOT in any way free throughout my promotion days, I thought I would keep tabs on how it did, too.  Surprisingly, removing the Kindle version from all digital platforms except Amazon actually hurt the paperback's rankings:

• 3,414,225 in Top 100
• 33,031 in Christian Romance
• 33,327 in New Adult and College Romance

Kindle sales were amazing!  1,109 free on that first day, with 5 more that carried over to the next day, as well as 3 paid sales and 68 pages were read.

Best Rankings on May 11th-12th for Kindle included:

• 724 in Top Free
• 3 in US Historical Fiction
• 4 in Historical Christian Romance Fiction
• 22 in Religious Romance

Sales started as early as 6 a.m. EST, with 97 sold on the 11th, 96 sold on the 12th, and 2 that carried over to the next day, as well as 2 paid on the 18th, 1 on the 20th, 1 paperback on the 21st, and 1 paid on the 22nd and 26th each.  Pages read during this time varied, but started out at 180 pages on the 11th, to 331 on the 12th, 138 on the 13th, and then I also received two book inquiries on the 20th.

For the rest of the dates, sales dropped off considerably.  On the 27th, I only sold 43 free, with 1 carrying over to the 28th.  14 sold on the 29th, with 2 carrying over to the 30th.  

As of today, June 7th (which happens to be my mom's birthday!!! 🎂 🍰 🎉 🎁 ), I now have 9 Amazon reviews and 11 ratings on Good Reads, a few more followers and likes on social media platforms, and my rankings for Kindle are:

• 125,103 in Paid Kindles
• 933 in Historical Christian Romance
• 1,776 in US Historical Fiction
• 580 in Historical Christian Romance

Compare that with the Paperback:

• 1,746,082 in Top 100 Books
• 25,767 in New Adult & College Romance
• 23,621 in Christian Romance

As you can see, both sets of stats are greatly improved in the span of just one month!  It's also important to note, that I'm still in KDP Select the remainder of the 90 day period, so future rankings may dwindle once I'm no longer in it - who knows!  That's not to say I've not ever sold Kindle or Paperback copies of the book before, because I have and continue to see sales roll in for both ever since its release.

3 Things to Change for Future Promotions

Overall, I have been pretty pleased with how things turned out, but these are the things I would do differently:

1. Mention promotion days on social media ahead of time using hashtags and visual advertising posts a month in advance where applicable (with this round, I had a couple weeks lead time before starting the first promotion day).  On the day of, I would vary advertising posts so that there are different ones used, and not the same one over and over to bore people to death.  I created a total of 4 which I will definitely eventually re-use at a later time.  Also, some groups and sites I post to will only let me submit on the day(s) of the promotion, so even more advance planning will be necessary to ensure I don't forget to do them when I need to!
2. Offer promotional days consecutively or in intervals that coincide best with listing policies by advertising sites used.  This was my biggest downfall, especially when I wanted to be listed again on It's Write Now but couldn't because of it being too soon to be re-listed.
3. Enroll in KDP Select more than once.  I do plan to go back to having my other digital platform versions reinstated after KDP Select terms have ended, so I may have to check my rankings then and see what happens.  I will keep you posted!

Talking Books with Award-Winning Author Melody Carlson

This month I got to chat with another one of my favorite authors, Melody Carlson.  She's a woman who wears many hats, so I was honored that she agreed to be interviewed!  As a recipient of the RT Career Achievement Award, she has authored countless best-sellers, including Christmas by the Sea, Harbor Secrets, The Mulligan Sisters, Under the Summer Sky, Against the Tide, Diary of a Teenage Girl...and much more.

N: You are a busy lady!  Not only did you recently release Courting Mr. Emerson (which was refreshingly funny!!!) and Riptide Rumors, but you've also got your latest Christmas novel coming out this fall - Christmas in Winter Hill.  I'm looking forward to reading it!  What do you hope people remember about the book (CIWH)?

MC: I guess I am still pretty busy (I even have some releases that didn’t make your list!) but, believe it or not, I’ve slowed down a bit in the past several years.  Our world is in such need of (God's) grace these days, and so I try to inject some into each book and hope it will stay with the reader even after they end the story.  My hope for Christmas in Winter Hill is that readers will be uplifted and encouraged - ready to take on the holiday season.  Because Christmastime, while delightful for some, can be difficult for others.  Sometimes a good story can help.

N: Tell us about any literary pilgrimages you've gone on?

MC: I’ve done numerous ‘research trips’ over the years. From following part of the Oregon Trail to Martha’s Vineyard . . . not to mention touring Europe or living in a third world country. All these diverse places have found themselves in one or more of my novels. Writing really is a good excuse to travel.

N: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

MC: Mostly it energizes me, but sometimes—like if I’m crunching a deadline—I might feel a bit exhausted afterward. But it’s a good sort of exhaustion, like a sigh of relief.

N: How do you select the names for your characters?

MC: After writing around 200 novels for women and teens, finding character names can be a challenge - and I'm afraid I've used some more than once.  But I try to think of a name that somehow suits the character - although that can be pretty subjective.  Sometimes I'll use a placeholder name while I'm writing in the hopes that the perfect name will present itself before I'm done.

N: If you had to pick a super power, what would be yours?

MC: I like the idea of weightlessness, so either flying or being able to swim underwater without resurfacing sounds like fun.

N: Do you read your book reviews?  How do you deal with good or bad ones?

MC: I read book reviews from sources like PW (Publishers Weekly) or USAToday (forwarded to me by a publicist) but I barely read reader reviews from online bookstores like Amazon or B&N, etc...Because even if almost all are good, it's the one harshly worded negative review that will stick with me for days.  So, I just tend to avoid them altogether.

N: What's your favorite line from any movie?

MC: That's a hard question because I love so many old movies, but I know I've used Scarlet O'Hara's line from Gone with the Wind a lot.  "I'll think about that tomorrow."  It comes in handy sometimes.  "After all, tomorrow is another day."

N: Are there any surprises you learned along the way in your career?

MC: There have been a lot of surprises - from publishing so many books (which still staggers me) to getting some pretty cool awards.  I guess I'm surprised that I'm still writing - and enjoying it!

N: What are you creature comforts?

MC: I like my creature comforts.  I like being surrounded by beauty - not extravagant beauty - like simple beauty like you find in nature.  Right now, I enjoy sitting in a comfy chair on my patio, near the fish pond, surrounded by flower pots, tinkling wind-chimes, and hummingbirds.

N: Do you believe in love at first sight?

MC: I do believe in love at first sight.  But I also know it's easy to be tricked by infatuation.  But I think some people experience something magical or chemical or spiritual at first meeting - and they just know.  That's how it was for my husband and me.  Although he seemed to get it first.

N: Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?

MC: I remember a time, as a young Christian eons ago, that I thought fiction was sort of frivolous.  Then I read a really good novel that made me see people and situations differently - and it was like the light-bulb went on.  I realized that story was a fantastic tool for teaching about life.  After all, Jesus taught through story...we call them parables.

N: What life experience has tested your faith the most?

MC: Raising my sons has been my biggest test.  Their lives have not been easy - not on them nor their parents.  Again and again...I have to give it to God and to trust Him for the final outcome.

N: How many pets do you have?

MC: Right now, I have one dog, a twelve-year-old yellow Labrador retriever named Audrey.  She always comes to work with me (in my studio) and she's a sweetheart.  And, oh yeah, I have a bunch of pond fish that are like pets too.

N: What period of life do you most enjoy writing about (childhood, young adult, adult, middle age)?

MC: I actually like writing for all ages.  It depends on what I'm working on.  My Courting Mr. Emerson characters were older than usual, but I also am doing a tween series and absolutely loving those quirky young girls.

N: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

MC: I feel like there are almost always 'secrets' in my books.  Sometimes I don't even realize it myself until I'm done.  That's just one more thing that keeps writing fun for me.

N: List 5 adjectives to describe yourself.

MC: Creative, diligent, hopeful, loyal, sensitive.

N: Fill in the blank.  Someday I want to...

MC: Someday I want to get into our motor-home and travel across the country, making stops at libraries, bookstores, schools, and national parks.

N: Tea or coffee?

MC: Coffee mostly.  But I like tea too.

N: What's your motto in life?

MC: I'm not sure I have a 'motto,' but I'd like to it be: 

I love God with all I've got and I love others with equal enthusiasm.

For more information about Melody Carlson, visit:

http://www.melodycarlson.com