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After languishing in KDP purgatory, I decided to run my first free promo on Kindle. The result? I'm happy to report that I was able to get as high as No. 9 on the free chart in the below subset of the Kindle Store.
Kindle Store -> Kindle eBooks -> Mystery, Thriller -> Suspense -> Mystery -> Hard-Boiled -> No. 9
It wasn't as easy as turning on the free Kindle Select promotion, though. That certainly was the first step. What followed was massive exercise in pimping which, for some writers, may be a soul-crushing act (not so much for me). You really have to embrace your inner-huckster (but more on that in a sec).
Importantly, though, my goal was to not spend a lot in promotion and, since it was my first time out of the free gate, I wanted to see the organic power of what a free book could really do.
So ... A few days before the promotion kicked in, I spent the day signing up my book BOURBON & BLONDES to be on several daily e-mail blasts. You'll be shocked to learn that there are dozens upon dozens of web sites that offer this service for free. That said, you get what you pay for and there ARE paid services (ala BookBub) with robust e-mail lists and a proven track record that writers can easily explore but often they are extremely selective and very very expensive.
I was going to do this on the cheap. My budget was going to be only $21. I would pay BK KNIGHTS (DBS Publishing) to promote my book on their web site and Facebook page as well for as inclusion in their daily newsletter. I found them on the site Fiverr, an online service where users can get all sorts of tasks done ridiculously cheap. After some mild research, they seemed to be very honest and on the up and up.
Once I booked BK Knights, I concentrated on the the freebie sites. They included:
AwesomeGang
Book Goodies
Free Booksy
Book Praiser
Ebook Lister
Indie Book of the Day
Jungle Deals and Steals
Free and Discounted Books
Choosy Bookworm
100 Free Books
Kindle Book Review
Reading Deals
Ebookasaurus
Digital Book Today
The E-Reader Cafe
It's Write Now
Kindle Book Promos
These free sites make no guarantees that your book will be included. Some offer a definite spot on their list for a small fee (usually around $5). I didn't want to pay extra so I took my chances.
That was the first half of this two-pronged approach. The social media onslaught was next as I designed roughly 3 different ads to post each day on several Facebook groups and Google+ Community pages.
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DAY 1
☛ CYBER MONDAY FREEBIE ☚ : Snag a FREE copy of 'Bourbon & Blondes' for a limited time. Read the 5★ rated collection that's a boozy mix of old-school pulp, shadowy noir, risky romance and hard-boiled double-crosses. ~ Bottoms up http://amzn.to/12dY5h2DAY 2
☛ STILL FREE! ☚ : ❝The Cyber Monday deal has been extended. Snag your FREE Kindle copy of 'Bourbon & Blondes.' If your bag is a boozy mix of old-school pulp, shadowy noir, risky romance and hard-boiled double-crosses, be sure to read the 5★ rated collection that splatters onto the page at 90 proof.❞ ~ Bottoms up! http://amzn.to/12dY5h2and finally, DAY 3:
☛ LAST DAY AT FREE! ☚ : ❝Today is the final day to snag your FREE Kindle copy of 'Bourbon & Blondes.' If your bag is a boozy mix of old-school pulp, shadowy noir, risky romance and hard-boiled double-crosses, be sure to read the 5★ rated collection that splatters onto the page at 90 proof.❞ ~ Bottoms up! http://amzn.to/12dY5h2Scattered throughout each day (for three days), I would share the post on my own Facebook wall as well as in the following Facebook Groups with my designed piece of art and the link, as shown above:
Books,Readers and Authors
Crime, Thriller & Mystery Reader's Cafe
Pulp,Pulp Everywhere, and lots and lots to read.
KindelMojo
Book Place
The Kindle Hub
Amazon Book Clubs
Authors, Reviewers, & Book Lovers
Amazon Kindle GoodReads
The Book Nest
All About Books
Authors Promoting Authors
Book Promotion
E Books Rock
Creative Designers and Writers
Authors and Book Lovers Discussion Group
Film noir
Online Book Publicity Group
Writers who believe in supporting Writers
Indie Author Book Promotion Page
Books, Books and more Books!!!
Passion for Books
Amazon Books, Likes and Rankings
Indie Author Group
Book Promotions
Film Noir
Passion for Books
Awesome Free Kindle Books Here
Reader Writer Reviewer Co-op
Indie Author Book Promotion page
Since my book was heavily inspired by film noir as well as bourbon, it was also shared on the FB page of the Humphrey Bogart Estate, The Jazz Age, Turner Classic Movies, The Bourbon Review, Maker's Mark, Jack Daniels and Evan Williams Whiskey.
Google+
In addition to a public share on my Google Plus profile, the same was shared in the following Google Plus Communities. I still maintain that Google+ is here to stay and will become even more important as Google's algorithm skews more social in nature. Here are the communities:Google Plus Books Club
Writer's Discussion Group
Book Club
Book Reviewers
Indie Authors and Readers
Writer's Corner
Books that I like
Reading
GOODREADS
I set up a rather unsuccessful GoodReads event announcing the price drop of the book.MAIL CHIMP
I sent an announcement to my rather small subscriber list. If you're an author and do not have a a mailing list set up, DO IT NOW.LINKED IN
The post was also shared publicly across my Linked In network.KBOARDS
I also created a message on Kboards announcing the book as free. By the way, the Writer's Cafe area on K Boards is one of the best and informative communities for scribes anywhere online.RESULTS:
DAY 1: 342DAY 2: 250
DAY 3: 105
697 in total
Was that good number? Not sure. I'm happy with it. Only time can tell if it was a good campaign. I would say so, however, if even a fraction of those who downloaded B&B returned to review the book, thus helping to boost it the Amazon algorithm. Another bonus would be if I saw an eventual uptick in my other book 'Front Page Palooka.'
So there you have it ... That's how I moved almost 700 books in three days. Lots of work, but hopefully worth it in the long run.
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