An Amazon Appeals Process is Long Overdue – Part 2
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on January 14, 2022
In part one of this blog, I went over an issue that recently affected a number of authors in which their Amazon accounts were wrongly terminated, and the hassle and pain they had to go through to exonerate themselves. I spent a lot of time discussing what happened, how and why I think the current system works the way it does, and the realities of what I believe is unlikely to ever change (and why). But that doesn’t mean the system can’t be vastly improved upon, we just need to make sure to ask for the right things. Today I’ll go over the changes I think Amazon would have a hard time arguing against, while still providing authors with a defense against the devastating consequences of having their entire careers unfairly ripped away. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things… Read More >
An easy way to generate keywords for non-fiction
By: Ginger | Posted on December 31, 2021
When it comes to finding relevant search keywords for your book, not all of the techniques you may be familiar with work for all types of books. How readers search for the book they’re interested in is a big factor in how you come up with your keyword list, and this is specifically relevant when it comes to whether your book is fiction or non-fiction. To generate keywords for non-fiction books, it’s not simply a matter of finding similar authors or analyzing the also bought list. Fortunately, there are tools available that can help, and Ginger is here to give you some tips on which ones to use and how to use them. Advertising on Amazon has a notoriously steep learning curve. However, if you self-publish non-fiction books, there is one tool at your disposal that can help shortcut a lot of the hard work. The secret to effective… Read More >
“A Novel” is not a suitable subtitle for your book
By: Ginger | Posted on November 5, 2021
As a self-published author, you have probably heard the advice not to re-invent the wheel, and that sometimes it’s not a bad idea to pay attention to current trends, in case there is something you can use to help attract more eyeballs to your own book. One example of that would be looking at the covers of best sellers in your genre to get a feel for common concepts or elements that are currently attracting attention, and then incorporating some of those into your own design. But that doesn’t mean that everything is worth copying, and sometimes you have to really consider whether something is actually a good idea, even in cases where you see other authors doing it. After all, just because Billy jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge doesn’t mean you have to, right? (Hopefully some parents get that…) So today, Ginger is here to warn you against one… Read More >
Kindle Unlimited can still be worthwhile…
By: Ginger | Posted on September 17, 2021
Kindle Unlimited is one of those programs you either love or hate: If you’re a reader you probably love it, and if you’re an author, you probably hate it. That’s because while readers pay one low monthly fee for an unlimited buffet of reading, participating authors are forced to sell their words for fractions of what they’d normally go for under the assumption that sheer volume will make up the difference. Unfortunately, the veracity of that assumption varies from author to author, which means the program definitely isn’t going to work for everyone. For those of you trying to figure it all out, Ginger is here to go through some of the reasons he decided to stick with KU, as well as some tips on squeezing as much value as possible out of it. In October of last year, Isabel Jolie shared a case study about experiences of “going… Read More >
My Radish Experiment – Part 2
By: Craig | Posted on August 13, 2021
Now that the final book of my Radish series is fully published, I wanted to go over my latest numbers one last time so that others can use it as an example of how this platform works and performs. Of course, every author’s experience will differ, but the more information you have about something you haven’t tried before, the better the decision you’ll be able to make as to whether you think it’ll be the right fit for you. To help with that, I’ll also give some of my own thoughts on this whole experiment and which sort of authors or books I think it will benefit the most. Not long ago I began an experiment with Radish Fiction by publishing an old 3-book romance series on their platform to see how it would do. In part 1 of this article, I published the sales numbers and my analysis of… Read More >
Market to your genre, but write for your audience
By: Ginger | Posted on June 4, 2021
One of the benefits that self-publishing has brought to the book world is a breadth of genres and sub-genres that were previously underserved (if not completely nonexistent). While those sub-genres may not have been profitable for a big publishing house to chase, due to their smaller overall size, they can still be profitable for an author making the much higher commissions that self-publishing brings. That’s why it can pay to write to your audience if you’re passionate about a type of story that isn’t typically the biggest sellers. The trick is finding that audience that shares your interests and wants to read those stories, which means that even though your story may be unique or different than what’s expected within your genre, your marketing efforts should still continue to conform to norms. Otherwise you may not be able to find and attract that core audience in the first place. … Read More >
The Logistics of Selling Signed Paperbacks
By: Ginger | Posted on May 28, 2021
I love eBooks, and I admit that it’s been a while since I’ve cracked open a paperback, but there’s no denying that I sometimes miss the feel of holding an actual physical book in my hands. Of course, there are plenty of other readers that prefer hard copies over electronic. But regardless of which end of the spectrum you fall on, there is still something special about getting a signed copy of a book you love. Often these copies are handed out, or sold, in-person by the author at a conference or bookstore signing, but just because you’re a self-published author that never attends these things doesn’t mean you can’t also get in on the action. Here are the steps that Ginger uses to sell signed copies of his books, but you can also use them to send out free copies as gifts, prizes, or even rewards to valued members… Read More >
Designing Covers by the Numbers
By: Ginger | Posted on May 21, 2021
There’s a reason we keep circling back to the importance of a solid cover. It’s the first thing readers see when confronted by a sea of other choices, and if it can’t entice a click to your product page, it doesn’t matter how great your book is. I see it all the time with the ARC program as well, because readers are even picky about the books they get for free. Covers that fall flat end up with way fewer sign ups than similar books in the same genre with well-designed covers. Not only should a cover look like it was done by a professional instead of homemade, but it needs to contain the right genre-specific elements to sell the reader on the idea that this book is the one they’ve been looking for. So just as we argued last week in terms of using data to plan your ads,… Read More >
Facebook book advertising on a shoestring budget
By: Ginger | Posted on April 9, 2021
Book advertising has become an essential step to success, and when done right and with a desirable product, a bigger budget will lead to higher rewards and a faster path to success. But not everyone can afford to spend large amounts on ads, especially when just getting started. That doesn’t mean they should be ignored completely, though. There is still value in running small budget campaigns, and Ginger is offering up a few suggestions on the best ways to spend those dollars to get the most value in return. I recently blogged about how you need to have courage when you start advertising your book – and I specifically called out the temptation to start a $5 a day advertising campaign as ineffective, and ultimately unprofitable. However, what happens when you’re a brand new author and you don’t have $30 a day to spend promoting your book? How can… Read More >
Learn Something New With These Non-Fiction Reads
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 9, 2021
In 2020 we found ourselves in the middle of a pandemic. Not only did it change the way we were living, it challenged our thoughts and goals. Many of us took an interest in learning new skills and taking the time to educate ourselves on topics that interested or intrigued us. There truly is a non-fiction book out there for everyone on every topic imaginable. Take a look at the list we’ve curated below based on popular non-fiction reads that Hidden Gems ARC readers got to enjoy for free recently, you just may learn something new! The IRA and Retirement Plan Owner’s Guide to Beating the New Death Tax by James Lange If getting your finances in order is on your to-do list this year, don’t skip this one. Retirement plan owners can use the practical, proven, and strategic defenses found in this book to protect their financial legacies…. Read More >
