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Is Amazon Free Promotions good for Ebooks?

by mikehende
16 replies
Looking at one Youtube video on advertising ebooks on Amazon, it is showing amazon Free Promotions option is best mainly for building email lists or Affiliate offers but not ebooks, is this accurate please?
#amazon #ebooks #free #good #promotions
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  • Profile picture of the author agmccall
    There are many good kindle forums and discussions, you should search for them. They all seem to say that free promotions help with getting reviews and the reviews are listed as "verified purchase" so it builds credibility. but, research this on your own.

    One thing for sure is it can not hurt, unless your book is crap

    al
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  • Profile picture of the author Medon
    You should however note that the free promotions mainly help in getting more reviews. So, if you are skeptical about your own writings it's best to avoid them. This is in a bid to avoid the negative reviews.
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by mikehende View Post

    Looking at one Youtube video on advertising ebooks on Amazon, it is showing amazon Free Promotions option is best mainly for building email lists or Affiliate offers but not ebooks, is this accurate please?
    The free books will boost your rankings and get you some reviews.

    But much of the results I get on selling books on Amazon is their paid advertising.

    I spend about $5 a month total, advertising 6 books, and it generates about $1,000 in profit on the books...from that one source alone.

    Look at any book sales page on Amazon. The books listed under "You may also be interested in" (or something similar) are paid ad placements.

    Another way to generate sales is to buy books in the same category (from Amazon), and post a review after you read it. Mention in the review that you write similar books.

    And post a video book review on Youtube. People who buy your book are also buying other books on the same subject. Those are your best buyers.

    Also....buy a copy of your own book from Amazon, and buy a copy of the best selling books in your category. On every sales page there is a listing of "Customers who bought this item also bought..." And these are FREE listings. They generate sales.

    Your video book reviews will generate sales of the other author's books...but also sell your book. And these combined sales increase the number of times you'll be listed under "Customers who bought this item also bought..."
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    • Profile picture of the author Jeffery
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      The free books will boost your rankings and get you some reviews.

      But much of the results I get on selling books on Amazon is their paid advertising.

      I spend about $5 a month total, advertising 6 books, and it generates about $1,000 in profit on the books...from that one source alone.

      Look at any book sales page on Amazon. The books listed under "You may also be interested in" (or something similar) are paid ad placements.

      Another way to generate sales is to buy books in the same category (from Amazon), and post a review after you read it. Mention in the review that you write similar books.

      And post a video book review on Youtube. People who buy your book are also buying other books on the same subject. Those are your best buyers.

      Also....buy a copy of your own book from Amazon, and buy a copy of the best selling books in your category. On every sales page there is a listing of "Customers who bought this item also bought..." And these are FREE listings. They generate sales.

      Your video book reviews will generate sales of the other author's books...but also sell your book. And these combined sales increase the number of times you'll be listed under "Customers who bought this item also bought..."
      ^ Golden Nugget ^
      No wonder why they call you The Stable Genius. Mean that in a good way.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by Jeffery View Post

        ^ Golden Nugget ^
        No wonder why they call you The Stable Genius. Mean that in a good way.
        Thank you. I mean that in a good way.

        Another idea about free e-books is that the most prolific authors have one free book and the rest are paid for. The free book acts like a "sample'. It builds a fan base of sorts.


        For a few months years ago, I offered my Kindle versions for free. Lots of downloads. A few more reviews....but it's a different crowd. People that actually pay for their e-books (even 99 cents) are at least interested in the material. Some people are just "free book" buyers.

        And they never turn into actual book buyers.

        Even if your book is a content rich sales letter for additional offers (what every business book should be) the buyers of the book are the ones that buy your additional offers.

        My e-book buyers (at $3) read the books...but all my clients and additional upsells come from people who bought my paperback books (at about $11). It's a different crowd.

        And 5 times more people get the e-books than buy the paperbacks.
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    • Profile picture of the author mikehende
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      The free books will boost your rankings and get you some reviews.

      But much of the results I get on selling books on Amazon is their paid advertising.

      "
      Sorry the late response and thanks for the help guys.

      Claude, I very sincerely appreciate all of your advice and help!

      I am facing 3 issues now, if you and anyone else can advise me on it will be nice:

      1] I am writing a mini ebook of maybe 8 pages or so on Affiliate Marketing. Since this will be my first ebook and only ebook on this subject I don't have anything else to upsell in it. So should I give it for free in the 5 day promotion? It was and is my intention to do paid ads.

      2] In my research I had come an article on "Patenting", is this necessary to do for a one time mini ebook?

      3] I am not understanding why KDP is maybe the top option since I hardly know anyone who has or uses a kindle?
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by mikehende View Post

        Sorry the late response and thanks for the help guys.

        Claude, I very sincerely appreciate all of your advice and help!

        I am facing 3 issues now, if you and anyone else can advise me on it will be nice:

        1] I am writing a mini ebook of maybe 8 pages or so on Affiliate Marketing. Since this will be my first ebook and only ebook on this subject I don't have anything else to upsell in it. So should I give it for free in the 5 day promotion? It was and is my intention to do paid ads.

        2] In my research I had come an article on "Patenting", is this necessary to do for a one time mini ebook?

        3] I am not understanding why KDP is maybe the top option since I hardly know anyone who has or uses a kindle?
        1) an 8 page mini book will be really hard to sell. But give it away? Sure.

        2) Patents have nothing to do with books, on Amazon or otherwise.

        3) Lots of people use Kindles.
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        • Profile picture of the author mikehende
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          1) an 8 page mini book will be really hard to sell. But give it away? Sure..
          I see, thanks. I was thinking mini ebooks are a great way to give concise accurate and only relevant content with no frills. This way the reader too won't need to have to read too much content to get the gist of the ebook's message so I am not understanding why a reader would want to read tons of pages to get the value?

          Could this be because most people who enjoy reading want lots of content so the more they have then better the sales? If yes, would you be able to tell me what the least amount of words or pages an ebook should have in order to have the best chances for success please?
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          • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
            Originally Posted by mikehende View Post

            Could this be because most people who enjoy reading want lots of content so the more they have then better the sales? If yes, would you be able to tell me what the least amount of words or pages an ebook should have in order to have the best chances for success please?
            Mike, it's partly an issue of perception. Calling it a book - even an ebook - suggests a comprehensive product. 8 pages isn't a book in most people's minds. And a mini ebook just sounds confusing.

            You'd probably have more success describing it as a report or even a cheatsheet. That way you're shifting the reader's focus from the medium to the message.
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  • Profile picture of the author mikehende
    Makes sense [thanks] but still I am thinking there has to be a minimum amount of pages or words to call it a book or "comprehensive product" as you put it? if you yourself would be writing a book you would need to know what's the minimum content it would require I am assuming.
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
      Originally Posted by mikehende View Post

      Makes sense [thanks] but still I am thinking there has to be a minimum amount of pages or words to call it a book or "comprehensive product" as you put it? if you yourself would be writing a book you would need to know what's the minimum content it would require I am assuming.
      Personally, when I think of a book, I think of something over 25,000 words long. Others might put that figure as low as 10,000, but to me that's essay length. You could probably get away with a shorter book if it's digital - it doesn't have the same product "feel" as a physical book.

      But the overriding consideration is to ensure the book is long enough to cover all the info you're looking to impart, in the most accessible and readable way you can. If you try to flesh it out to reach a page target, you'll usually only dilute the effectiveness.
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      • Profile picture of the author mikehende
        Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

        But the overriding consideration is to ensure the book is long enough to cover all the info you're looking to impart, in the most accessible and readable way you can. If you try to flesh it out to reach a page target, you'll usually only dilute the effectiveness.
        Ok now THAT I can understand, appreciate it!
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  • Profile picture of the author Greenlee
    Thanks. Useful information.
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  • Profile picture of the author 3936296
    YES 100 Times...
    It is the best platform to promote ebooks.
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  • Profile picture of the author oncalljobservice
    I published many ebooks on amazon kindle and they are available since years but not a damn one of them buys my ebooks.
    So cannot say if video promotions work as I myself made many videos and promoted it on many social media platforms with null results.
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    • Profile picture of the author agmccall
      Originally Posted by oncalljobservice View Post

      I published many ebooks on amazon kindle and they are available since years but not a damn one of them buys my ebooks.
      So cannot say if video promotions work as I myself made many videos and promoted it on many social media platforms with null results.
      Maybe your books are not all that good.

      al
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      "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

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