A Look at Amazon's World

Amazon can be a jungle for an author in the promo and marketing world. And by a jungle, I mean if you don't learn to swim in the river, the piranhas will get you.

I've seen authors try to get the word out about their books with no luck and I've seen authors take off due to the success of the Select and Prime programs. Today, I'm just going to give you an overview of the Amazon Prime, Select, KDP platforms and touch on using their message boards. Mind you, only you, the author, can decide what's the best way to proceed with your promo and marketing endeavors. If you think the Amazon tools are worth taking advantage of, follow up with your own research and determine on your own if they'll work for you.

AMAZON PRIME
This platform is geared for die-hard Amazon fans, readers, and viewers. The cost for Prime is $79.00 a year. Some of the benefits include:

Free 2 day shipping in the US

In the US, you can access free, unlimited movies and TV shows through Amazon Instant Video (This feature reminds of Amazon's version of Netflix) I have a Kindle Fire and Amazon offers a wide variety of video content.

There's a lending library where you, as a reader, can get a book on loan like checking it out of the library for free.

If you have Prime, then those books in the Select Program are free or sold at a discount for you.

KDP Select

KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. This is a service where authors self publish their books with Amazon. If you choose to use KDP Select, there are 2 things they require:

1. That the book is available through them EXCLUSIVELY
2. For a min. period of 90 days.


Where Prime and Select meet:

If you're an author in the select program, one of your promo tools is the free promo you can offer your book free for readers up to 5 days during a 90 day period. What does this do? Give your book exposure to the massive amount of readers on Amazon. As a reading member of Prime, you can have free access to the book. The thought is if readers like your writing, they'll download/buy more of your books and the boost you see from using this Select tool will carry over to your other titles.

I know several authors who have taken advantage of this option and have seen their Amazon rankings and sales rise.

Amazon Message boards

Amazon readers hang out on the Amazon message boards. They are a great way to find more books. I've noticed readers will recommend favorite books and recommendations can go viral. That said, as an author, just be mindful where you post. Lurk first and get the feel of the board. Post your promo in the MEET THE AUTHORS forum only. If you venture into other forums, participate in the discussions, but don't give any promo of your book. That's not cool on Amazon. Readers want to discuss books in those forums. It's so important to respect these rules. If you don't, you'll be called out, making your promo efforts harder instead of easier.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, concerns and feedback. Do you have a success story to share?

Writing Tuesday - Marketing tips for Twitter

Social networking can be a challenge for many who are just starting out in the writing world. Social networking is a necessary tool that the author can use to promote their book. I thought I'd take a look at how you can maximize your time on Twitter.

The Pros of Twitter:
It's cheap (i.e. free)
It's fun (once you get the hang of it)

The Cons of Twitter:
It is intimidating
It is confusing

At some point, you have to get your feet wet and join. Whatever your role in the writing world – author, illustrator, marketing, etc., these tips can prove very helpful.

For me, the main goal of Twitter is to increase my followers. The more followers you have, the more people you reach out to.

Tip #1 – You don't want to spend more than 10-15 mins on Twitter at any given time. Trust me. You have other things to do and social networking should not consume your day. Make it a point to check your Tweets 10-15 mins a day. The "optimum" goal should be once in the morning, and once at night, but if you can't do twice a day, strive to be on Twitter at least once a day.

#2 – Friend 5 people a day
I use the recommendations on the side, but I also follow my favorites which include Anne Rice, The New England Patriots, other 911 dispatchers, and even Chum Lee from Pawn Stars.

#3 – Retweet 5 posts a day
(this shows others you are supportive by retweeting their posts. In turn, fellow tweeters are generally inclined to retweet your posts)

#4 – Tweet 5 posts a day
These can be anything. For examples
Quotes from your favorite writers or authors. I like to quote HG Wells, Emily Dickinson and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Share YouTube links – this can be your book trailers or some of your favorite videos on you tube.
Amazon links to your books. If your book is on sale, mention it.
Places were you want fans to follow you like Good Reads, LinkedIn, Writing.com, etc.
Links to reviews for your books.
Links to book reviews you've done.
Announcements for what's on your blog.
Announcement if you're visiting someone else's blog.
Announcements on any contests or giveaway you're doing.
Gush and give shout outs to your favorites: movies, authors, books, music, etc. I usually give a shout to coffee and chocolate during the week. It's okay to be a little cheeky and show off your personality. Readers like to see a little bit of your fun side.



You may not feel an immediate effect, but you'll see difference by the end of the week and even a bigger difference by the end of the month. Remember, it's all about growing your followers.

Tip #5 - #hashtags
These are "quick" tags that highlight popular posts. If you post "Check out my book on Kindle" (with the link) use #kindle at the end of the post. If other people are on twitter and check out the popular posts highlighted on the side, they should pull up a majority of post with the hashtags. If you have your post marked with a hashtag, it should, in theory, pull up.

Tip #6 - @ sign

If you talk about someone, let them know. They'll appreciate it and usually reciprocate. For example. Me: Just finished reading @StephBurkhart's book. Two thumbs up.

If anyone has any other tips, please feel free to share.
Go out there and tweet. And have fun with it.

PS: You can follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart
I'd like to encourage a twitter exchange. Leave your twitter addy and I'll go ahead and follow you. Go ahead and follow others and you'll increase your following. (ie Twitter Birds. hehe)