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Yes to all of this – except caution on the Goodreads ad. I paid $25 for an ad, and I did not see much growth on my book on others’ TBR lists. A better investment would be to take that $25 or $100 and put it towards getting a couple print copies of your book and do a giveaway. I saw HUGE increase in additions of my book to to-read lists after the three giveaways I did this year. Also, your giveaway winners are more likely to write you a review.
Also, pre-orders are available on all the major platforms now (amazon, itunes, barnes and noble), so utilize those to your advantage. It also gives you 2-3 months “buffer” time to fix any small errors or formatting mistakes you catch before the book goes live (if you’re like me and read and reread your book fifteen times). You also have the ability to capture sale at the point of contact, and all of those sales take effect on the same day, potentially increasing your numbers on Amazon’s chart.
For me, I’m planning on releasing multiple books a year, so I’ve got a 3-4 month writing period, 2 month content edit/beta reader period, 1 month copy-edit period, 1 month formatting/final qa check period, and 2-3 months pre-order and pre-release marketing buzz. I’m still refining the timelines, but so far, it seems to be working for me.
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I’ve gotten the best results from Goodreads ads, personally. To each his/her own, I suppose. Either way, advertising in some form is a must. That pre-order feature is the best thing to happen to indie authors since KDP, imo. Once you get a good, solid draft of your MS you can set the publication date for 3 months out (on Amazon) and plan all the rest around that day. It’s great when you hit a groove that works for you, kudos!
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Great post, Jess! I especially appreciate your recommendation to credit those who helped in the process. I’ve always wondered why this wasn’t done more.
Reply Thanks, MJ. You know I’m fairly new to all of this, so I was really surprised to find out artist and editor credit isn’t typically done. I just assumed that was a common courtesy. I do hope it becomes one.
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My 2 cents: I have always given credit as well. One of the writers I’m in a group with advised against it because she feels it looks as if the book is a collaborative writing effort. I disagree, because Amazon and others are very clear in designating exactly who does what (i.e., editor, graphics, etc). I’m all for giving credit where credit is due as well!
Reply That’s a great point, too, Rachel. When adding contributors to your book in Amazon, you have the option to specify who did what. A book is, typically, a collaborative effort, even if it isn’t co-authored. The only reason I would assume a book was a collaborative writing effort is if the description specifically states by Author One and Author Two. I don’t believe including other types of contributors in any way infers a collaborative writing effort. Thanks for bringing that up!
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An interesting and helpful guide. I’ve tried it all and do my best to be professional, although lack of funds force me to do it all myself.
Reply We have to do the best we can with what we’ve got. This is another reason why I love the writing community. Sometimes you’ll find another writer who’s in the same boat, but with a different skill set and you can trade services and save money. I got very lucky with my novelette. I had a few good friends, each talented in their own way, in my corner helping me out. I’ve been saving money for future projects, doing the freelance thing to feed my fiction addiction. 😉 But I do get that not everyone has that option. We all have to find our own way, make our own plan according to what works for us. Thanks for reading, and best wishes!
~ Jess
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