Well, as of today my first Kindle book went free.
http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Valentines-ebook/dp/B0075XA4HO
I’ll have to e-mail my publisher to find out just exactly how many copies were given out today – but I can tell you that at this moment BAD VALENTINES has risen to #915 in the Top 1000 Free Kindle E-book list.
What does that mean in actual sales?
Well, that is something I am going to have to wait and see on – but the way that this strategy is supposed to work is that the higher you rise on the list the more likely other readers are supposed to notice your free book and buy it.
(just heard from my publisher that we’ve moved 219 copies as of 8:30pm tonight)
Then, after I’ve given away so many copies the resulting visibility is (theoretically) supposed to give a boost to my other books – which are listed – complete with links – in BAD VALENTINES. Other writers I have spoken too have noticed an improvement in sales of their free books as well.
So far, only theoretical.
I have been very pleased to see how many of my virtual friends and acquaintances have reposted and shared and retweeted all of my many announcements.
I am a little worried that I might be glutting my followers with too many announcements and I intend to tone that a bit down over the next few days. But, with this book out there and SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME also fresh on the market, I need to do a certain bit of marketing.
I sent notices to several different free e-book sites. Here’s a link to a list of some good ones to try.
http://www.squidoo.com/going-free-kindle-ebook-promotional-campaigns-for-authors
I had very little luck getting more than a bit of mention on these sites. Partly, because I chose such a popular day. There was a shit-whack (that’s a technical Amazon term) of e-books released today. Partly, I believe, because I’m still just an up and comer in this genre.
I’ll post again tomorrow night and let you folks know how things are shaking down. This is the kind of game that is played in the long run. Results slowly develop.
Those folks who want to read the first part of this experiment can catch it here.
https://stevevernonstoryteller.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/my-e-book-experiment-so-far/
For the meanwhile I’m going to get back to working on my next novel and trying to figure out how I can get that bus strike negotiation crew on strike pay and walking barefoot in the snow – maybe that would build their incentive a little to find a solution for this rotten Halifax bus strike!
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
YOURS IN STORYTELLING... 