I’m trying an experiment today. I had heard from some self-published authors that using Amazon’s free book giveaways (via KDP Select) is a good way to bring attention to yourself. I’m not sure if that’s true, so I’m offering the first part of my latest story for free today, as a test.
What do you guys think? Has this worked for anyone? I’d appreciate your thoughts.
Oh, by the way, here’s the link to that story… if anyone wants to check it out. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AUGCIHM
—- CJ
Cover via Amazon
I published my first novella on Amazon in May 2012. It was a… unique experience for me. I had originally planned to write a book and try to get it published the traditional way. But once I found out about Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) program, all thoughts of letting someone else publish for me flew out the window.
I have nothing against traditional publishers at all. In fact, I would love to have their marketing capabilities and contacts. But I have enjoyed having creative control from start to finish. For someone with my self-contained personality, it seems to work okay.
So far, I have not had a bestseller doing things this way, and I don’t know how long I will continue to do it. But I just want to share what I think about KDP in the few months that I’ve used them to publish.
First, it was cool that first time to see my book for sale on Amazon. Seeing the sales come in, getting my first good review, my first not-so-good review, getting my first royalties. It was all exciting… for a while. Then, it was maddening–especially when sales slowed.
I’ve learned the effects of good and bad reviews on sales. Then, I learned to ignore reviews. Some people will like what you write, some people won’t. But at the end of the day, you have to be happy with what you put out there. Otherwise, writing is just another chore. And if I wanted that, I could go back to my old job. It paid a lot more.
I’ve learned what image I wanted to put out there. I found that I am low-key in terms of things like cover art and sex scenes. It’s why my covers so far don’t feature couples in some torrid embrace. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just not me. And if I’d gone the traditional route, I wouldn’t have much say so on this point.
I don’t write explicit sex scenes very well, so I mostly leave them out of my work. But I have learned that like with most things, sex sells.
Lastly, I’ve learned that I don’t care for giving away my work for free. I’ve tried this for the first time, recently, and I didn’t like it. It just takes me too long to write for me to feel comfortable with it.
Of course, I could say more about my experience, but I think this is a good place to stop. I’ve enjoyed publishing so far. And I don’t think I would have learned any of these things if it hadn’t been the ability to put out several pieces of work in a short period. I recommend Kindle to anyone. Even if you’re only testing the waters before you go the traditional route.
— CJ
Chellby Jaye 