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Help With Kindle KDP Promotion! Only 20 free Downloads in 12 Hours?

by coreytucker
48 replies
Hi,

so I wrote a childrens pictures book and I have run the free promotion starting last night at midnight. I have only 20 downloads. What could the issues be? Could it be the sample is not long enough? If so how do I change the length?

Could it be the cover and description? I am just confused. It is priced at 2.99 but is free right now. I am just disapointed it only has 20 downloads in like 15 hours now. I am disapointed but will not give up. Thanks
#downloads #free #hours #kdp #kindle #promotion
  • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
    Where have you promoted the free book so far?
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

    Hi,

    so I wrote a childrens pictures book and I have run the free promotion starting last night at midnight. I have only 20 downloads. What could the issues be? Could it be the sample is not long enough? If so how do I change the length?

    Could it be the cover and description? I am just confused. It is priced at 2.99 but is free right now. I am just disapointed it only has 20 downloads in like 15 hours now. I am disapointed but will not give up. Thanks
    It could be anything. We can't judge the cover or description without seeing it. Not sure if it's allowed here or not but if so, link it up so we can take a look. In terms of the sample length, Amazon automatically creates that using the first 10% of your book (approx).
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    Thanks. Is there any way to increase the sample length? It only has my title cover and copy right page. Isn't there any way to make my sample longer?
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    could having no reviews hurt it alot?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
    Can you provide a link so we can properly critique the book and presentation?
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Corey,

      Where have you promoted it? If done properly you should get hundreds of downloads.
      Or did you just mark the book as free?

      If you need to know how to promote please check out the eBook I wrote on how to promote your free days.
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    I have not promoted it anywhere yet. Just did the promotion on kindle thats all.
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      I have not promoted it anywhere yet. Just did the promotion on kindle thats all.
      That is just not good enough.

      You have to promote the book. I have had up to 22,000 downloads in 2 days on one book and believe me it was because I promoted it. You can't depend on people finding your book just cus it is free without promoting it.
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  • Profile picture of the author KenJ
    Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

    Hi,

    so I wrote a childrens pictures book and I have run the free promotion starting last night at midnight. I have only 20 downloads. What could the issues be? Could it be the sample is not long enough? If so how do I change the length?

    Could it be the cover and description? I am just confused. It is priced at 2.99 but is free right now. I am just disapointed it only has 20 downloads in like 15 hours now. I am disapointed but will not give up. Thanks
    I think you have every right to be disappointed with those numbers. I also had one particular 'free day promotion' that almost defied belief. I ended up with 200 downloads over three days.

    So. The secret as far as I can make out is to get 4 or 5 positive reviews before you do a free promotion. There are many other tweaks that other warriors offer in their publications but I will not divulge their secrets - that is not fair to them.But I have bought them all. Getting sales and downloads is the holy grail of Kindle.

    Getting these 5 reviews is also a bit of a dark art. It is not easy. Anyone who says it is is lying IMHO. Pay 5 family members or close friends the cost of the book (Try $2.99) to buy it, and review it. Then do the free promo.

    Good Luck

    KenJ
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by KenJ View Post

      I think you have every right to be disappointed with those numbers. I also had one particular 'free day promotion' that almost defied belief. I ended up with 200 downloads over three days.

      KenJ
      Not to sound unkind but 200 downloads is not very many. To get a real bump in sales and other benefits you need hundreds to thousands of downloads on your free days.
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    I have made corrections to the description errors but the changes arn't live yet. I also made changes in the book itself but it has not updated yet either.

    What can you guys see thats wrong?
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    feel free to leave a review if anyone likes it LOL
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Post a link to it in this thread, Corey: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...giveaways.html

      You're allowed to "promote" it a little bit there, while it's free, and you can invite reviews and so on.
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    • Profile picture of the author KenJ
      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      feel free to leave a review if anyone likes it LOL
      Are you absolutely sure?

      KenJ
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      • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
        Originally Posted by KenJ View Post

        Are you absolutely sure?

        KenJ
        Are you saying you dont like the book? LOL
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        • Profile picture of the author KenJ
          Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

          Are you saying you dont like the book? LOL
          Book downloaded. My wife is going to read it to me at bedtime!

          KenJ
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          • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
            Originally Posted by KenJ View Post

            Book downloaded. My wife is going to read it to me at bedtime!

            KenJ
            Haha ok cool. I made some changes to it grammer wise that have not updated. So please excuse the errors. Also it displays correctly on tablets and phones held in the book position. For some reason on the PC kindle it does not display quite right.

            Thanks a ton for reading the book I hope you like it. I am new at this but have a lot of children books I am writing right now.
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    Also for some reason it doesn't display correctly on the PC kindle. It displays fine on kindle, phones and tablets though.
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    How come my ranking is:

    #4 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels

    Isn't that good?
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    so guys is my cover ok? Maybe that is the problem?
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    • Profile picture of the author KenJ
      OK Corey. There is only one problem I can see.

      In the description you have three different age groups. You should only have one. The three age groups are very confusing.

      The story is great. I couldn't wait for my wife to read it to me!
      The cover is ideal for a children's book IMHO.

      I would take it off free promotion for now and get the reviews done. Then prepare for a much bigger promotion using author forums and book listing sites. I'll post a review once I have read it to a person from your target audience.

      KenJ
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      • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
        Originally Posted by KenJ View Post

        OK Corey. There is only one problem I can see.

        In the description you have three different age groups. You should only have one. The three age groups are very confusing.

        The story is great. I couldn't wait for my wife to read it to me!
        The cover is ideal for a children's book IMHO.

        I would take it off free promotion for now and get the reviews done. Then prepare for a much bigger promotion using author forums and book listing sites. I'll post a review once I have read it to a person from your target audience.

        KenJ
        I will fix the age description thing. LOL...I thought it might help me to put it that way. Thanks for offering a review I really appreciate that! I am so glad you like the book I hope your wife gives you some cookies and milk too when she reads it to you haha jk.

        But yea I need a few more reviews. I might pull the free promotion tonight and make the changes you suggest. I think the cover too is good so im not sure if changing that would help or not too. Do you know of any good author forums and book listing sites? Thanks a ton!
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    Maybe its my category? I mean im ranked #4 in the free section of the Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels.

    I just looked and im actually #4 in the top 100 free in that category. The problem is there are only 5 books listed in the top 100 free for this category. This tells me maybe this category gets no traffic hardly?
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      Maybe its my category? I mean im ranked #4 in the free section of the Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels.

      I just looked and im actually #4 in the top 100 free in that category. The problem is there are only 5 books listed in the top 100 free for this category. This tells me maybe this category gets no traffic hardly?
      Yes exactly.

      That does not mean however, your book cannot do well. You can do well and rank in other categories.

      However, it does mean that the category you are currently ranking in has few books ...likely no one looking there and few sales. Sorry but true.
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  • Profile picture of the author d3communications
    Corey...hate to say it, but your cover isn't very good. Look at the top-selling children's books and compare what you have to what they have. For a free promo, the cover and the sample (which yours is only the cover pic again) are how people judge the book. You have about 2 seconds to make an impression, and if the book looks anything less than what you'd see on a bookshelf at a Barnes and Noble (i.e. pro level quality), you're going to hurt for downloads.

    As an aside, I'd also use a pen name that sounds more children-book friendly. Come up with a bunch and ask your friends and family (or WF) which sounds like a fun/child-friendly name.
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    • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
      Originally Posted by d3communications View Post

      Corey...hate to say it, but your cover isn't very good. Look at the top-selling children's books and compare what you have to what they have. For a free promo, the cover and the sample (which yours is only the cover pic again) are how people judge the book. You have about 2 seconds to make an impression, and if the book looks anything less than what you'd see on a bookshelf at a Barnes and Noble (i.e. pro level quality), you're going to hurt for downloads.

      As an aside, I'd also use a pen name that sounds more children-book friendly. Come up with a bunch and ask your friends and family (or WF) which sounds like a fun/child-friendly name.
      Hmm interesting points Do you mean the cover is bad because of the shape and not looking like a book cover? Or is it the art work itself? I looked at many children book top sellers and many didn't have great covers it seemed to me. But you might be right. I know it is very important.

      Do I need a cover with more action or something? Also how can I make my kindle sample longer without actually having to make my book longer? I want to let readers sample at least the first few pages but dont know how to do that. Thanks a ton for the help I really appreciate it
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeffery
    Maybe you should consider that many parents do not want to impress their children that it is okay to make friends with a rock. And certainly not to make friends in a forest with anything or anyone.

    Dissect the title. What is a rock? It could be any inanimate object that does not interact with society. What is a forest? It could be a dark alley where bad people lurk and prey on small children.

    Think about the title and the negative cogitation it conveys to a parent that would rather teach their children how to socialize with people in a positive way.

    Jeffery 100% :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
      Originally Posted by Jeffery View Post

      Maybe you should consider that many parents do not want to impress their children that it is okay to make friends with a rock. And certainly not to make friends in a forest with anything or anyone.

      Dissect the title. What is a rock? It could be any inanimate object that does not interact with society. What is a forest? It could be a dark alley where bad people lurk and prey on small children.

      Think about the title and the negative cogitation it conveys to a parent that would rather teach their children how to socialize with people in a positive way.

      Jeffery 100% :-)
      Do you really think that is possible? I dont see how anyone could see a rock as a bad thing. I also doubt people see a forest as a dark place. I mean you could be right but I don't think it's my main problem. But for my next book I might take a more upbeat approach. But the story is a happy one overall.
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  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    In order to get massive downloads, you have to sign up with a lot of the bigger promo sites that have large lists of people waiting to get notices on free kindle ebooks in their desired niches.

    Using just the list below, I got well over 1,500 downloads of my ebook during a 3 day promo...

    Pixel of Ink:
    Free & Bargain Kindle Books | Pixel of Ink

    E Reader News Today:
    Ereader News Today

    Free Books Only:
    Free Books Only

    Books On The Knob:
    Books on the Knob

    Bargain E Book Hunter:
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    Free Booksy:
    Freebooksy | Free eBooks, Free Kindle Books, Free Nook Books

    Awesome Gang:
    Where Awesome Book Readers Meet Awesome Writers.

    Free Book Dude:
    Free Book Dude

    Digital Book Today:
    Digital Book Today - Helping Readers Find Authors In A Digital World | Digital Book Today | Helping Readers Find Authors In A Digital World

    Kindle Book Reviewer:
    The NEW Kindle Book Review

    Kindle Book Promo:
    Kindle Book Promos

    EBooks Habit:
    eBooks Habit | Feeding your Free eBooks Addiction

    Author Marketing Club:
    Author Marketing Club - Free Book Marketing Resources & Tools For Authors
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    MILLION Dollar Copywriter Offering Written Sales Letter or VSL Script Worth $5,000 - Just $500!
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  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    Check out Joel Comm's ebook "how to write a book in 7 days" and Price Rich by Von Money. and if you can find it, Brad Callen's Kindle crusher book.
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    • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
      Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

      Check out Joel Comm's ebook "how to write a book in 7 days" and Price Rich by Von Money. and if you can find it, Brad Callen's Kindle crusher book.
      Shawn thanks so much Should I pause my free promotion first and change my cover maybe and get more reviews before using the list you gave me? Do you see any errors I need to fix just by looking at my description page etc? I know there are some small grammer errors but they have been changed and are updating.

      Also do you know how I can make my sample longer? Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    any other tips guys?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
    Thanks for providing the link. It helps a lot when we can see the big picture.

    The cover absolutely has to be cleaned up. Just because there are poor quality covers in the Kindle store doesn't mean you should lower your standards to their levels. First impressions are lasting impressions in the children's section and artwork is very important. It can even inspire moviesmovies .

    When you do a free promo, you actually need to promote the event. Using the list above will guarantee more downloads and hopefully attract a few reviews. While it's free, ask family and friends to download and review the book. And tell them they can read it on their PC for free if they don't have a Kindle or tablet.

    Since Kindle is showing your Copyright page, switch it up. Page 2 doesn't have to be your Copyright page. It can be a deeper teaser for the story, a link to your blog, or a blatant freebie that point to an optin page (so you can sell them book #2 and #3).

    I also agree that the age groups are a turn off. A 12 year old will not like the same stories as a 4 year old.

    That said, congrats on publishing a book. You're ahead of the game already. Don't stop and please take the criticism in this thread constructively. Contrary to what other authors believe, we're not trying to steal niches, we're just trying to help.
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    Thanks guys. How could someone steal my niche? The childrens book niche is big haha. I appreciate the feedback Jesus. But how do I switch out my preview pages? I dont see that option anywhere.

    When you say clean up the cover do you mean crop it and make it look more like a book?
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    LilBlackdress how did you promote? Should I promote when I have no reviews? My dad left a review but amazon deleted it
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      LilBlackdress how did you promote? Should I promote when I have no reviews? My dad left a review but amazon deleted it
      I use free sites to promote my books and social media.
      I have written an eBook on eBook marketing which you can find if you look at my signature.

      There are two schools of thought when it comes to running free days without reviews. Some feel you need reviews to get the downloads and others feel it will help you get reviews. It is really your personal preference.
      I would definitely NOT advise it if you write cookbooks but for other books it depends.
      BUT IMO you should still be able to get a bunch of downloads even without reviews if you promote properly.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brenda Trott
    I tweeted your book with the hash tag #FreeKindleBooks...it often helps. I agree the cover could really use some improvement. The promotion list above is great, but I would also find some Free Kindle Books groups on Facebook and ask other authors to trade reviews. Good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
      Originally Posted by Brenda Trott View Post

      I tweeted your book with the hash tag #FreeKindleBooks...it often helps. I agree the cover could really use some improvement. The promotion list above is great, but I would also find some Free Kindle Books groups on Facebook and ask other authors to trade reviews. Good luck!
      wow thanks a lot I really appreciate it! I just changed the cover and its updating. I think it might look more professional now.

      Lilblackdress I really appreciate your help too. You guys have been so helpful. Do the search categories matter too? LOL....there is so much to figure out with kindle.
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    Oh also I thought my free offer might look more attractive priced at $2.99 but should I change it to 99 cents? I figured people might think they are getting a better deal at $2.99.
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      Oh also I thought my free offer might look more attractive priced at $2.99 but should I change it to 99 cents? I figured people might think they are getting a better deal at $2.99.
      Yes it does look like a better deal at 2.99 but doubtful that is making that big a difference considering your current strategy
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    How do I change the sample? I think that alone is really slowing me down since none of my pages show.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      How do I change the sample? I think that alone is really slowing me down since none of my pages show.
      You need to change the actual book, then re-upload it to Amazon.
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      How do I change the sample? I think that alone is really slowing me down since none of my pages show.
      Yours may not be showing if it is very short. They only show a % of the beginning of the book. So you can book mark a page to start in a different section. Or if you think there is an error reload the book.

      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      I notice some on this list want me to submit 3 days before my free promotion? How do you manage to line things up where you have all of these places going at once? Im just a bit confused on the best strategy for this.
      I use the spreadsheets in my Kindle Promotion eBook

      Originally Posted by coreytucker View Post

      LOL I guessed I should have researched kindle more before starting. But it looks like its really hard to make money with this. I mean in theory one could launch 50 books that make $100 a month each and make a good living.

      But I have been using the KDP calculator and see that you need to be in the top 3000 books to make good money off just one book. Im so confused. I am aiming to make 6k a month with kindle Hope I can do it.
      It is very doable
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    are people even making money with childrens books? I mean im starting to wonder if this is a wasted niche. Im talking about people making thousands per month. Is this possible and realisitic in this niche?
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    LOL I guessed I should have researched kindle more before starting. But it looks like its really hard to make money with this. I mean in theory one could launch 50 books that make $100 a month each and make a good living.

    But I have been using the KDP calculator and see that you need to be in the top 3000 books to make good money off just one book. Im so confused. I am aiming to make 6k a month with kindle Hope I can do it.
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  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
    Thanks a ton guys. How do I bookmark my book to start at a different location? Does my cover look better guys? LOL....I am ranked #77 in the paid kindle store for mammals yet I still havent made a sale.
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