The Write Conference (SummerCon 2016)

Amy DuBoff on Wattpad to Bookstores(The Self-publishing Path)

-Get a website with a custom URL, if you can, or at least a blog.

-Set up a mailing list (I recommend Mail Chimp) and start getting signups as soon as possible.

Distribute Advance Reader Copies (ARCs). In preparation for book launch, get a group of reviewers who can post reviews on Goodreads and sales sites for the launch. Though review count doesn’t have any impact on Amazon’s ranking algorithm, there is a psychological component for potential readers; the more reviews you can gather early on, the more it will give a sense of “social proof’ that the book is worth checking out. Further, most marketing services have a minimum review threshold (ranging from five to 25+), so provide free copies of your book to anyone and everyone willing to read it. NOTE: Even beyond the initial launch, the quest for reviews is never-ending, so always be on the lookout for readers on Wattpad, Goodreads, or even sites like Craigslist who would be willing to receive a free book in exchange for an honest review. When it comes time to post these reviews on Amazon, just instruct reviewers to note something like “I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review” so Amazon recognizes why it wasn’t a “verified purchase.”

PUBLISHING “WIDE” VERSUS “EXCLUSIVE”

Your book is ready. You have a marketing plan. Now, where do you sell it?

I highly recommend starting with Amazon exclusivity. I know the prospect of going “wide” with distribution is tempting, but unless you already have a huge following, it will likely make it difficult for a new author to gain traction. Initial success is all about visibility. A higher sales rank helps bring a book to the forefront. So, why dilute sales across multiple platforms where those sales could be concentrated in one place?

By going Amazon-exclusive, you can enroll in KDP Select, which puts your book in Kindle Unlimited (KU) and allows borrows for Amazon Prime members and anyone with the KU subscription. Since readers can read your book for free (while you get paid on a per-page basis), you will get a boost in sales rank from the borrows. The higher your sales rank, the easier it will be for other readers to find your book, which will result in more sales/borrows. When you combine this self-sustaining cycle with new releases in a series and the occasional promo to reignite reader interest, it’s possible to quickly build momentum.

“Wait!” I hear you shouting. “But some people will never buy from Amazon. Don’t I want to capture as many readers as possible?”

Yes, but keep in mind that Amazon represents approximately 70 percent of the ebook market. Unless you’re selling millions of copies, that’s a pretty huge pool to exhaust. Further, Amazon’s free Kindle reading app means that friends and family can still check out your book on their computer, tablet, or smartphone.

KDP Select terms are three months long. I suggest you launch in the program and give it three months to see how your sales and borrows go. If borrows are consistent, stay enrolled for another term; if not, you can drop out. Either way, the boost from the KU borrows to your sales rank will be helpful upfront.

Tips for publishing with KDP:

-You will likely want to make some tweaks to your book at some point, so being able to quickly and easily update the file is a must. I have had great success just using *.docx files directly uploaded in KDP, though I know that won’t fit the needs for everyone. Formatting is limited, but unless you have Vellum, it may be easier to just product a decent document in MS Word to facilitate easy updates. If you do go straight from MS Word, be sure you have emdashes, smart quotes, and proper ellipses in the document.