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Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, book promotion, book sales, e-books, E-Publishing, Gold Train, Goodreads, Green Desert, Indie Publishing, KDP Select, Kindle, market share, Shelfari, Stepford USA
After hearing some success stories with Amazon KDP Select program, in May I finally decided to enroll GOLD TRAIN, STEPFORD USA and GREEN DESERT. I got some borrows, but borrowing wasn’t my goal.
It appeared that the program was effective for the previous authors when they made their books free for up to 5 days. Usually, lots of copies would get downloaded during the free period, which made the book jump in the Kindle rankings. After the book came off the free period, it would retain the imprint of its free ranking, which would make the paid ranking jump as well. At least, this was the theory.
But the reality proved different…
Before I go into the story, I want to say that regardless of my feelings about the program, I am very happy and grateful that thousands of readers were able to download and enjoy my books for free. The most important thing for any writer is to be read. I wish all my readers a wonderful journey through the tantalizing world of Jade Snow! Enjoy!
And here is my story.
I made Green Desert, a Jade Snow Prequel set in Iraq, free for 5 days during the Memorial Day period. I didn’t expect too much, because it is just a short novella, and those don’t sell as well as novels. Although, as 5 star reviews from readers demonstrate, it is a darn good one! Green Desert promo was to be my test. I decided, if I liked what I saw, I’d run similar promos for my other books.
In five days, close to 1000 copies were downloaded in the US, UK, Germany, Spain and Italy. There were no downloads from France.
An awesome surprise was that I quickly received 3 unsolicited and unexpected, but very lovely, FIVE STAR reviews on Amazon. 2 of them also posted on Goodreads and Shelfari. On top of that, one of the satisfied readers added Shelfari book extras for Green Desert. Thank you, thank you, thank you! As a side benefit, for the first time I discovered Shelfari for myself (how out of the loop am I?).
The bestseller rankings jumped quickly and kept climbing. The highest I saw (I didn’t watch them all the time and only recorded some) were these:
US: #1780 Free on Kindle; #26 in Mystery/thrillers/ women sleuths
UK: #760 Free on Kindle; #16 in Mystery/thrillers/ women sleuths
DE: #1283 on Kindle; #25 Krimis (Mystery); #31 Thriller
ES: #700 on Kindle; #9 Policiaca, negra y suspense (Mystery/thriller/suspense)
IT: #811 on Kindle; #11 Gialli e Thriller (Mystery & Thriller)
Find out more about the GREEN DESERT free promo here!
I decided that 5 days was way too long, and as Green Desert was winding down, I made STEPFORD USA, Jade Snow Book 1, free for 2 days.
My first unpleasant surprise was that the promo didn’t start on time. It was about 5-6 hours late in the US and more than 12 hours late in the UK, which cut into the promo time. As a result, there was less exposure, and rankings suffered as well. The other countries were even slower. I finally emailed Amazon regarding the problem and they assured me they corrected it. A fellow author, who was running his free promo at the same time from the UK, only had his book listed free in the US. His book was never made free in the UK, which was his primary market. Needless to say, he was quite disappointed.
Despite all the delays, Stepford USA quickly shot up in rankings and kept climbing. Over 2200 books were downloaded in the US, UK and Germany. There were no downloads at all in Italy, France and Spain (I’m guessing, because of the “USA” in the title).
I didn’t get any new reviews so far, probably because it is a much longer book, although several nice readers wrote to me that they were enjoying the book and would definitely write a review. Thank you and looking forward to that! 
These are the highest bestseller rankings I noticed for Stepford USA (again, I didn’t follow them all the time):
US: #193 Kindle FREE; #29 Mystery & thrillers; #9 Mystery; #8 Women Sleuths
UK: #358 Kindle FREE; #14 Mystery & Thrillers/ Women Sleuths
DE: #259 Kostenfrei Kindle; #5 Krimis & Thriller/ Krimis (mystery); #50 Populare Belletristik (popular fiction)
So far, so good!
Find out all about STEPFORD USA Free Promo here!
Meanwhile, Green Desert came off the free promo, and that’s when I had my biggest, and VERY unpleasant, surprise.
Not only the new paid ranking didn’t reflect the free ranking, but it actually was worse then the book’s pre-promo rankings! Due to how the Amazon rankings algorithm works, because Green Desert was off the paid shelf for over five days (it took extra 5-6 hours to get it re-listed) and no PAID purchases were made during that time, it lost its prior position. I realized that something changed and Amazon no longer took into account the free rankings in order to compute its paid rankings.
But as after-promo sales started, Green Desert ($0.99 or UK/Euro equivalent) initially went up to #35,000 paid in the US, then tapered off as sales slowed down.
So the theory that free rankings help improve paid rankings had to be thrown out the window. In the end of this article I’ll discuss what is behind this, what’s really happening with KDP Select, and how it affects you.
When Stepford USA came off its promo, I was already prepared for the aftermath. Sure enough, after the book re-gained its paid status ($2.99 or UK/Euro equivalent) its ranking suffered, too. It was all of a sudden in the #400,000 category in the US. Then sales picked up and in 2 days it was #20,000 in the US for a brief time.
I think an explanation is due here: Again, I didn’t watch the rankings all the time and this was the best I noticed. But I was told that it probably went much higher than that, because at one point dozens of books were downloaded in the US alone within a couple of hours. Then, as fewer books were being downloaded, the familiar scenario of sales tapering off together with rankings occured.
As I observed all this, I decided it wasn’t worth running the free promo for GOLD TRAIN. At the same time, Amazon placed Gold Train on sale. Regular price was $3.99, sale price $2.99. One would think that sales should have picked up because of this. But interestingly enough, once I started the free promo for Green Desert and Stepford USA, sales of Gold Train, which was my bestseller at the time, stopped cold turkey on Amazon. It’s like all the energy was zapped out of Gold Train in favor of the other two books. Or was it because the reader now expected Gold Train to be available for free as well?
Ironically, Gold Train sales actually picked up on B&N, Kobo and Sony, where the book is priced at $4.99.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. I believe that Amazon has done a lot for the writing community. On balance, Indie authors and publishers have to be grateful to Amazon for pushing the envelope, for opening up the market and for the ease with which Indie titles can now be listed on digital shelves. The company deserves big credit for evening out the field.
2. However, in its relentless pursuit of the market share, Amazon is becoming ruthless, elbowing out competitors and insisting on exclusivity through its KDP Select program. The danger is now that it may become a monopoly, which in the end will hurt both Indie and Big 6 authors.
As a result, Amazon has been in a war with Barnes & Noble, as well as independent retailers. B&N and others have threatened to ban some Amazon authors from their shelves.
3. An important piece of the puzzle: I have found out that in the spring Amazon changed its KDP algorithm, so when the books come off the free promo, they lose their standings and have to compete anew to regain it.
Here is the reason Amazon changed its algorithm: The Big 6 publishers were unhappy that Indie authors gained standings and visibility by simply making their books free for a few days and then transferring those rankings into paid category. That hurt sales and rankings for the Big 6 books. So, Amazon bowed to pressure and changed its rankings algorithm to favor the Big 6, essentially taking away the only effective promotional tool Indie authors and publishers possess.
4. Amazon’s KDP Select is essentially a race to the bottom. If the readers are trained to receive books for free, they will hold off buying until the title they want goes free. Therefore, authors who value their work, perhaps because it’s worth it, get punished.
The worrying trend is: Amazon pushes everyone into this race to the bottom, thus devaluing all authors’ work.
5. If you tried KDP Select, you know that in order to enroll, you have to de-list your book from other retailers. This may result in a loss of future sales, as well as your ranking with those retailers. Plus, re-listing later is a huge hassle. That alone makes you think twice before enrolling.
And with the recent change in KDP algorithm, is KDP Select worth it?
On a much more pleasant note, many thanks to all my readers for downloading and reading my books! It means a lot for any author to be read and appreciated. If you liked my books, please consider reviewing them on Amazon, Goodreads and elsewhere ( I will also be re-listing on Smashwords, B&N Nook, Sony, Apple and Kobo in October). You can find all the buy links at my Book Store.
My books are on Goodreads, so if you have an account, consider posting there, and also on Shelfari.
Always remember that you can make an author’s day by writing a simple review!
Thank you very much and see you on pages of my books!
Warmest regards,
Lada Ray
P.S. Some time after this post, STEPFORD USA, GREEN DESERT, and especially GOLD TRAIN, started hitting some bestseller lists, albeit briefly. Read more about this, and about my KDP Select experience 2013!
Publishing Paradigm Shift. What is Better: KDP Select or Broad Distribution?
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Very interesting!
BTW – your are prolific!
Thanks, I try
I really enjoyed this post. I’ve been curious about KDP select, which at first seemed to be getting good publicity. As of late I have spoken with fellow authors or read posts were the authors had a similar, not so great experience. I was reluctant because I also sell via BN and didn’t want to limit myself to Kindle. You mentioned the word monopoly, and I think you may be right about this. That is surely what it seems like. The restrictions and your observations make it so I can check this off my list of marketing techniques.
I think, Cassandra, many people will soon be coming to the same conclusion as you and I did. Some of the trends I am seeing in the publishing industry are troubling.
I am currently looking for better ways to promote and cross-promote my work. Any interesting suggestions are welcome!
Thanks, Lada! This is a great analysis. I’ve got one book in the KDP program and don’t plan to use it for any more books. I don’t think it’s worth the lost sales.
Unless I see a change, I don’t think I’ll be listing any of mine any more, Mike.
Great post, Lada. I’ve avoided going KDP Select simply because I do not want to remove my book from other outlets and thereby jeopardize sales and standing. It seems that KDP Select may be a terrific way for indie authors to promote their work and gain both recognition and readership – I’ve written at least one very favorable review for a book I got that way – but it seems to come at a price. I think I’ll keep my book listed as it is and continue to rely on self-promotion and the relationships I am building with other indies and their readers to generate actual sales. The KDP Select option still just seems too risky. Thanks again for this very informative and eloquent post!
Welcome, Jeff. I agree with you. I wanted to experiment and this experience, despite mixed results, has been valuable. Plus I got to write this post – can’t beat that, right?
Going forward, I’ll be doing what you’re doing: building relationships with fellow authors and readers. I am open to any interesting suggestions and partnership opportunities.
Cheers!
Reblogged this on 1earthnow and commented:
Valuable info, thanks Lada! KDP is not free.
There’s always a price, and Amazon is the big winner. Great article deconstructing the KDP program.
So true, Maddy! You hit the nail on the head, as always!
By the way, read your new review of that spiritual (sort of) book on Amazon. You are a total riot! And your review generated quite a debate! Wow! I added my half a cent. too.
Great analysis of KDP Select. I enrolled two of my books in the program back in March and at the time, I had great success. But as you stated, the algorithm change afterward greatly affected sales, so the program is just not as effective anymore (at least, not for me). I’ve decided to never use it again. You can read about my experience on my website.
I agree. Thanks for your input!
An excellent analysis and breakdown Lada and I really appreciate the insights you’ve provided. I have to say, I have wondered about doing the free promo slots but decided against it for many of the reasons you highlighted from your own experience. I think if all authors approach the KDP facility and the value of their work from the perspective of a marathon rather then a sprint, I think all authors could benefit in the future. Always appreciate your thoughts. My best wishes. Jason
Well said, Jason! The WISE authors approach it as a marathon.
This is very interesting and informative, thanks. It also sums up some of what I am now experiencing with kdp. I’m opting out. The good times with kdp are done.
Sadly, yes. But I hope better things will come instead. I am watching for future trends and hopefully, will share them on my blog.
Agreed.Publishing is in a very unsettled state right now. Please do!
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I got 18,000 downloads of my free KDP select title, but then I had a backlash you don’t mention (it’s one Dean Wesley Smith has discussed on his blog): unlike you, I received 2 horrible, mean spirited reviews from people who got the novel free. Smith has noted that readers seem to be inclined to bad-mouth a free novel because they haven’t paid for it. After more than 20 five-star reviews, these two one-star reviews are a real blight. I will never offer my novels for free again, and I wish we could unite — all of us — to discontinue the process. Let the public know that they have to pay for our work.
Yes, I read this kind of feedback on other blogs. As of the time of this blog post, I only received three 5* reviews for Green Desert. However since then, I also got a 5* + a 4* review for Stepford USA. Which was a step down, since Stepford only had 5* reviews before that.
But when I decided to post my bestselling title, Gold Train, just as an experiment to see how it stacks up against the others, the situation changed. I got over 8,000 downloads. At the time, Gold Train had ten 5* reviews. But just a few days ago, all of a sudden, two pretty slanderous 2* reviews and one 3* review appeared. On the other hand, as of this writing, three more 5* reviews have been posted as well.
I will try to do an update to my post in the near future. I do agree that people who get the book for free don’t value it. There also seems to be a very strange malicious gloating that comes across in these reviews. Really ugly stuff. Because of that, I don’t think I’ll ever use the free promo option again. This race to the bottom is truly alarming. Authors have the right to be paid for their work! I am afraid, Amazon is creating a monster here.
I like your suggestion of uniting. I don’t think in the long run it is a good thing for anyone.
Yay! Let’s see what we can do —
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Very interesting reading! I’ve been pondering whether or not to take advantage of the ‘free’ days – sounds like it may well not be worth it. Just out of interest, do you know if it is compulsory to use those days?
I feel even more strongly now that it’s not worth it, for a variety of reasons, the main being: you get some kind of viciously negative reviews that in my case simply misrepresented my writing. I heard similar feedback from other authors as well. It really is very unfortunate.
P.S. There is no rule that says you have to use free days if you don’t want to.
Good luck!
Lada
Wow! I can see how all that would turn you against the scheme! I’ve read in a number of places that you should only approach reviewers who you think might enjoy the genre of your books, and now I can see even more clearly how true this is.
Thanks so much for the advice – really appreciated!
Very welcome!
As a reader with a Nook I have always detested KDP select! Hopefully more indie authors will begin to publish for other outlets now that Amazon has shown itself to be the 800 lb gorilla in the room. One thing though, I think free CAN work. If you have a trilogy (or many books in a series) and make the first book free I do think it helps readers discover a new to them author. Then if they like the book they buy the other two (or at least I do!) But I am talking about making the first book free all the time, not for a short time as KDP select does.
Helen, thank you for a terrific comment! You are right on the money and I too hope that more and more people start seeing the light. I am very happy to report that all my books will be returning to B&N Nook, Kobo, Sony, Apple and Swashwords in October. More here: http://www.ladaray.com/book-store.html
I can’t wait, because all these KDP Select imposed rules start feeling like bondage.
How’s this for bondage! I got an email from KDP stating that I can now get 70% royalty on my books sold in India (before it was 35%) but only IF I stay with KDP Select! I have lots of fans in India, but I don’t think I’ll stay with KDPS, because sometimes I feel like I am suffocating, especially when I get ugly and unfair reviews for my books after I’ve made my hard work free!
As to making one book in a series free, I totally agree with that as well! I also agree that it should be free all the time, or at least for a while, not for one or two days!
I just pubbed CATHARSIS, Legend of the Lemurians, on Smashwords (soon on Nook, Sony, Kobo, Apple). It is first in the new Earth Keepers Chronicles series of shorts, plus, it’s a prequel to my soon-to-be-released flagship trilogy of novels: THE EARTH SHIFTER.
I made it FREE to introduce The Earth Shifter trilogy and the Earth Keepers series. It can be downloaded here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/235546
Very informative, Lada! I’d just like to add that one of the problems with all the free books is that readers download them and DO NOT read them. Why? Because they have so many FREE books on their Kindles/reading devices to choose from, and no time to get around to all of them. With new free books coming up on Amazon every day, readers are downloading as much as they can, and then rethinking what to read next.
I agree with that, absolutely! Sure, there is a glut of ebooks, especially indie and self-pub books on the market. And this is one of the downsides of the new publishing paradigm.
I am planning a new article soon discussing the new realities of publishing. Stay tuned!
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