Kindle Quality Book Journey

[outscrape]

congratulations on coming so far. It feels good to know that no matter what you feel like it was worth the effort because you are proud of the result. More need to recognize this - in IM, if you are only selling crap, it is easy to give up when the crap doesn't sell because you didn't put any heart into it. But if you put heart into it, much easier to stay committed, figuring out problems and solutions, until it works.

Are you going to promote it on affiliate sites? Do you have experience writing sales pages? I recommend giving away the first chapter on your squeeze page, or a framework or some results, free in exchange for email. This way you can email them with why the book is so valuable to convince sales.

 

[ju111]

Update

So, this week-end I did the following actions:

• I bought a low-budget VPS (4$/month). I installed the mailing system (Mailinabox) in a LXC Container.
  
• I configured LAMP with virtual hosts, and I installed PHPList, Wordpress etc.
  
• The website (basically landing page) is almost finished
• I modified a WP plugin to be able to do the link between WP / PHPList to subscribe users
  
• I made the cover of the Tome 2 of my ebook

So, a lot of work has been made this week end.

Setting up a full email system might be "overkill" for my needs (instead of using mailchimp, aweber, etc.), but at least I know how to do it quickly now.

Issues

I had some issues.

- The configuration of the Reverse DNS (needed to not be flagged as spam) does not work for now. I ve contacted the VPS provider, no answer so far.
- Mailinabox in the LXC was a bit buggy. I missed something in the install so I finished by restarting a new LXC container from scratch. Loss of time (a few hours).
- I had the surprise to see my ip address in a blacklist. I removed it successfully.

Questions

Are you going to promote it on affiliate sites? Do you have experience writing sales pages? I recommend giving away the first chapter on your squeeze page, or a framework or some results, free in exchange for email. This way you can email them with why the book is so valuable to convince sales.

Thanks for your questions. No promotion through affiliate sites for now, i will see what will be the result with FB ads and my own site first. Not a big experience in marketing, but I am not bad at making websites and in design, so let's try!

 

[ju111]

An update...

What I did recently

- Tested the email system (PHPList). Some issues to translate the content of the emails in my language
- Always PHPList: set up an "autoresponder" plugin.

On the content:

- Re-read my ebooks and correct typos and mistakes - 250 pages take some time to read, and request to be concentrated.
- The "free gift" is ready, and sent automatically by PHPList when someone give its email. Basically, it is a PPT with very nice graphics.

Psychological issue

Ok, this is the main part of this post. Psychological issue is under-estimated here, and we find only a few posts targeting this issue.

I am just a few steps away to launch a product that may bank well (or not at all, I don't know). I put a lot of energy in this stuff, writing a 250 pages ebook and brand it correctly is not an easy task. I did 99% of the job, and I am surprised to see since several days that my mind is already "away" this project, with the willing to start a new one (with a lot of ideas). I really dont know what is the rationale behind this: Am I worry to succeed? Am I just a builder and not an opportunist liking wining money? Do I prefer to be unsuccessful? Is it cultural? Is it linked to my education or my experience?

This is not the first time it happens, more I am near the end of a project, less I am motivated, and it is not a question of time needed to complete it. This is just a strange phenomena when I am almost done with a project, when it is time to check if it was relevant to start the project.

I am sure that this psychological stuff explains why some people succeed and not others. Thinking about it, I am persuaded that some people has a part of their brain that do not want to succeed, and I am part of them. Very nasty.

Writing this help me to put words on a thing that remains perfectly strange for me, to bypass it. The most strange stuff is that winning money or not will have a little impact on myself. For me this will not be a failure, just a try, and I am not sure it is a good thing to think like that.

Next step

Well... Just need to test one or two more things, and convert my ebooks into PDF, add the paypal button, and do the Facebook ads. I will do it this week-end. Wow! I even don't know if my website will convert well, and if I will have positive feedbacks from readers.

Side-thought

I think this forum should really promote Agile methods. I am not good at it: I am very serious when I build a project, but it is too much. So I make a promise to myself for the next one:

- Hire someone for the long-tasks
- Sell a first version first to validate the idea, as soon as possible, even buggy (for a software), or bad-written or shorter (for an ebook).
- Improve if successful, and iterate.

 

[ju111]

Hi all,

Here is an update.

Big issue I met

So, everything was ready: I had a website to sell my ebooks, with a mailing subsystem, with a free stuff to give upon subscription, and with the ebooks to be sold.
Unfortunately, as soon as I published some ads on Facebook, I was banned. I sent several messages to FB, but nothing to do. The shutted down my ads account for life-time. I even don't know which mistake I made, this is crazy.

So, I have been strongly discouraged. Until three weeks ago.

Kindle / Amazon

• I dropped my website for now, and I publish my two ebooks (one with 70k words, other 15k words) on Amazon. I also publish the paperback versions.
• I published also a first fiction - branded as a true story - and based on the two other ebooks (personal development) - 12k words
• I ve almost finished the second fiction. The two fictions will be part of a serie.
  
• I ordered a good cover on Fiverr. And i learnt also many things about Inskape to learn how to do a good cover myself.

Results so far

My first ebook in the personal development field lead to 1200 KENP-read in one week, without ads. I don't know the amount it is, but according to my estimate it is like a few dollars, 5 or 6. Not a big amount but let's say it is a start.

I have sent a new email to FB, as I believe that without ads, it will be very difficult to raise the rank of the ebooks.

 

[ju111]

An update.

Books published

• 1 non-fiction book - Tome 1 (70k words) - End of April
  
• 1 non-fiction book - Tome 2 (13k words) - End of April
  
• 1 fiction book (part of a serie) (12k words) - May 5
  
• 1 fiction book (part of a serie (11k words) - May 11 - I promote it so it costs 0€ for 3 days. Let's see what happens.

Results so far

No sell.
Some KENP read, see image.



What I learnt

• Amazing the amount of progress you make while writing. We make all a lot of grammatical mistakes. I have now some "tools" to help me to find them.
• Typography: there are standards that need to be followed. Not so easy, but now that's ok.
• Ebook formatting: difficult at the start, now this is ok.
• Covers: I learnt a lot about GIMP and how to make a good cover. It takes time however.

Next

I really don't know if I will continue. I have several options:
- Continue my fiction serie
- Write another non-fiction book
- Start to promote them with MassPlanner or something like that.
- Do something else.

I am not sure that Kindle is a good strategy, at least for non-english people, except if we have a big talent and some luck. This is very time-consuming for low results.

 

[blackbeans]

Well, I really like this journey, let me join with my story.

I started to write a quality book in eSports niche at the end of 2014, I am not a native English speaker but I never bothered to launch the book in other languages, maybe if I would speak Chinese.
I finished the paperback book in October 2015 approx 33.000 words.
The translation took approx. 8 month (it could be shorter with a fast translator, but I wanted quality), the edition was really quick so in May 2016 finally launched the book on Amazon. Cover and website were already finished for the lunch, thanks to the time while the translation was in progress.
After the release in a month, I launched the Kindle version at price 9.99 (later it seems that it is too high for an ebook, I lowered 4.99, which is still pricey amongst e-books) with a 70% royalty payout on KDP.

My marketing repertoire:
- One page website (later I made a blog section in addition)
- Facebook, Twitter later Instagram
- Followliker for Twitter and Instagram for accounts progress (now about 9.000 followers on Twitter, 1.800 on Instagram)
- 2 Press releases
- Guest post service on high PR websites (found on BHW) (I'm working with 30 keywords now in my niche)
- Manual backlinks with a standalone article about the book (book and ebook lists etc.)
- Auto backlinks with GSA SER (approx. 14.000 backlinks)
- 2 independent book award entry
(I highlighted the list items that has good impact)

Results
- Approx 160 EUR in revenue (both Kindle and paperback on Amazon), 10-15 sales a month (which seems really low to me)

Today
I have very limited revenue from the book, even if I feel the book itself is a great one, with a lot of good stuff for the readers.
I think I miss something in the marketing steps, maybe it is the result that I was newbie in several things.

Anyway, I am very grateful for this forum and the forum members, because I learned a lot from the people here. THANK YOU BHW!

Instead of guest posting for SEO, how about guest posting for actual audience reach and access?

 

[jadezoole]

I really like this journey. I want to share and exchange some knowledge in this topic.
I published my quality 30k words book on Amazon and Kindle in May 2016. Well the book received several positive feedback, but the hardest part was the following: Marketing the book.
What I done:

• Website (as in this journey) and SEO for this website - since it is a niche it is well targeted with "niche keyword" + "book", the traffic is low, but at least relevant. One thing I didn't know that I can't rank my site for high traffic keywords, or simply it needs a lot of effort (I bought several backlink service here on BHW)
• Amazon - since Amazon isn't as famous in EU as in US, it was really tough to collect some positive ratings for my book, I try to avoid false or fake reviews, but I completely understand if someone uses such a service. I reached only 20 reviews on Amazon which isn't enough, I would need at least 50 to gain further visibility
• Goodreads - It is one of my success story, it really works. However my main readers aren't located on Goodreads, but it really helps to sell your book. Ratings are also essential here, but much easier to collect them. Listopia lists! It's not so known part of the site, but hardcore readers are using frequently. I always ask my readers to give a vote if they liked the book, I also tried Goodreads giveaway, easy to use with an average result, but giveaway is a must in every new book
• Social marketing (Facebook groups, Fiverr Gigs for sharing the book) - not worth a penny, I subscribed to every relevant groups with up to 5k members and shared several times my book. 0 sales and even 0 like or share. Sharing the book to up to 50k readers resulted 1-5 likes and maybe 1 share. The same result if you use a Fiverr Gig (I just subscribed the same groups on FB)
• Facebook ads - slightly other issue, it works but it cost more than the revenue generated with it. I am also not sure whether I should target Amazon sales page or my webpage (I targeted the last one)
• Google ads for the website - I have a good landing page that converts, but the targeted traffic couldn't be as relevant to give you so much sales that covers the ads, maybe if I would have up to 5 books available on my website
• Smashwords (reseller for iBooks) - I had several (max 10) sales in a year, with no targeted traffic or Marketing for that platform (iBooks) so I kept with 70% royalty in KDP (not worth reselling in many platforms)

Ok, overall results: 1000 EUR in royalty in the first year 70% paperback sales (Createspace) and 30% Kindle (KDP). In terms of numbers the sales are equal 50% CS and 50% KDP.
The worst thing I have to pay local taxes after the revenue so I should pay almost the 40% of the royalty to taxes. At least it is completely whitehat story.
I hope you find some relevant information to your journey that may help. Feel free to discuss any part of it.

 

[saju2014]

Good luck boro

 

[Shana Walters]

I love Kindle Publishing. I am definitely going to keep an eye on this one.