Kindle Publishers, What Are Your Best Kindle Tips?

27 replies
Hi warriors! I'm trying to make money on Kindle. I have 2 books published and wish I could brag about how well they're selling but no such luck so far. Made a few sales here and there but there's still a long way until I'll get my first check from Kindle. That is why I'm asking you guys to share your knowledge with the warrior forum community and help those less fortunate .

Here are some tips I happen to "steal" from Ryan Deiss and others:

- enroll your book to KDP Select from where Amazon Prime Members can borrow it for free but you'll still make a good chunk of money.

- run a 5 day free promotion of your book every 90 days. The trick behind it is that the free downloads are counted as sales by Amazon and the more sales you make, the better ranking you'll get in the Kindle book store, which of course will result in more real sales after your promotion runs out. Also if more people download it, the bigger chances are that they'll leave more reviews. More reviews = better rankings!

- ask your family and friends to leave a review

- find 5 books related to your niche and leave a useful review with a link back to your book. This is where I get stuck. I haven't tried it yet and don't know if it's ethical and legal to do that. Have you guys done it? And if you have done it, how did you go about 'plugging' your link in the review?

Also how do you make the links clickable inside your Kindle book?
#kindle #publishers #tips
  • Profile picture of the author Laura B
    Originally Posted by ioan draniciar View Post


    Also how do you make the links clickable inside your Kindle book?
    If you insert the hyperlink within your original Word document, they will be clickable automatically.

    A Kindle tip I think is important is this: Make sure you have a professional-looking cover. A lot of people think that because they have a photo-editing or vector program, they are going to make a cover that's just as good as any designer. Usually not true. It's what's inside the designer's head that makes the cover look good, not the software.

    There are books I would have considered buying if it weren't for the horrible covers that look like they were designed in Word in 1991.
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  • Profile picture of the author superplatinum
    Along the same lines, how do you convert an existing PDF ebook to a Kindle ebook? Also, what are Amazon's rules for publishing? Are there certain requirements?
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    The #1 mistake most people make when selling on Amazon is putting an Ebook on the Kindle and then thinking it will just automatically sell and make them all kinds of money.

    My #1 tip is to market yourself as an author/brand and market your book via social media, website/blog, etc.

    In addition to sometimes going free on some of your books, I'd do some shorter free books that lead into your longer paid books. This has worked really well for many of the authors that we talk to on a regular basis.
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  • Profile picture of the author fern
    I'd say, write what you know or read. If you like romance, mysteries, etc. Then you will know what makes a good book in that niche.

    I haven't left reviews for any books in my niches but the other tips are valid. I usually offer the book for free for up to two days. Then go back to the regular price. You can also offer a free ebook in the same niche with a link to your other books.
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  • Profile picture of the author ioan draniciar
    Good tips guys, keep it rolling! I want more...
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    • Profile picture of the author aprilm
      Hey Ioan,

      Since the books are already written, I would focus on the following:

      Choose categories for your book that are easy to get into The Best Seller's List.

      Do the categories that your books are in now have Best Sellers in them? You can check this by going to the Kindle Best Sellers area to see if your categories show up. If they do, check the sales rank of the first 10 books of the paid listings. If the sales ranks are low numbers (10,000 and under), that means that books ARE in demand in these categories, and it may not be too long before your book starts showing up there too. As soon as it does, your book will gain more exposure which will lead to more sales.

      If the sales ranks are high ( like 30,000 on) it may be harder for your book to gain enough exposure to get the sales ball rolling.

      Placing your books in the best categories would be my first step.

      Second, you may want to re evaluate your cover, title, description, and your books' 10%. Your books' 10% is what the viewer sees when they use the " click to look inside" feature. Are all of these elements optimized to their full potential?

      On my very first book, changing the cover and title made a huge difference.

      Also, if you can get your hands on the special HTML Amazon allows you to use in your book's description, use it to add color, images, bold, centered, and even Amazon's own orange font color. (H2)

      Another thing you can do is create Listmanias. These are lists created by Amazon customers that list all products of the same nature. They are designed to help other customers determine what to buy when they are searching for solutions. For example, if your book is in the dog training niche, make a Listmania for others who are searching for dog training books .... And obviously place your book at the top of the list.

      One more area I always focus on is reviews. I know some people say that the reviews will come in their own sweet time, but as a buyer and seller of books, that hasn't been my experience. Reviews are important and powerful social proof. In my humble opinion, if you're neglecting this area of your business, you are leaving money on the table.

      What I have had success with is contacting the top reviewers on Amazon that have read and left reviews for other books in my niche ( preferably favorable reviews) and asking them if they would like to receive a complimentary copy of my book. I then gently request they leave me a review, but there is no obligation to do so.

      In my experience most people are usually honored that you asked them, and I have ever gotten a bad review this way. It doesn't hurt to try!

      As far as the links to your books go in your reviews for other books in your niche..... I have never tried this, but I have seen it done. Amazon does allow you to insert links to books in your reviews, but they say it can't be blatant self promotion. Total grey area in my opinion. Just be careful with this.

      Good luck to you!
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      • Profile picture of the author FrontpageContent
        Originally Posted by aprilm View Post

        Hey Ioan,

        Since the books are already written, I would focus on the following:

        Choose categories for your book that are easy to get into The Best Seller's List.

        Do the categories that your books are in now have Best Sellers in them? You can check this by going to the Kindle Best Sellers area to see if your categories show up. If they do, check the sales rank of the first 10 books of the paid listings. If the sales ranks are low numbers (10,000 and under), that means that books ARE in demand in these categories, and it may not be too long before your book starts showing up there too. As soon as it does, your book will gain more exposure which will lead to more sales.

        If the sales ranks are high ( like 30,000 on) it may be harder for your book to gain enough exposure to get the sales ball rolling.

        Placing your books in the best categories would be my first step.

        Second, you may want to re evaluate your cover, title, description, and your books' 10%. Your books' 10% is what the viewer sees when they use the " click to look inside" feature. Are all of these elements optimized to their full potential?

        On my very first book, changing the cover and title made a huge difference.

        Also, if you can get your hands on the special HTML Amazon allows you to use in your book's description, use it to add color, images, bold, centered, and even Amazon's own orange font color. (H2)

        Another thing you can do is create Listmanias. These are lists created by Amazon customers that list all products of the same nature. They are designed to help other customers determine what to buy when they are searching for solutions. For example, if your book is in the dog training niche, make a Listmania for others who are searching for dog training books .... And obviously place your book at the top of the list.

        One more area I always focus on is reviews. I know some people say that the reviews will come in their own sweet time, but as a buyer and seller of books, that hasn't been my experience. Reviews are important and powerful social proof. In my humble opinion, if you're neglecting this area of your business, you are leaving money on the table.

        What I have had success with is contacting the top reviewers on Amazon that have read and left reviews for other books in my niche ( preferably favorable reviews) and asking them if they would like to receive a complimentary copy of my book. I then gently request they leave me a review, but there is no obligation to do so.

        In my experience most people are usually honored that you asked them, and I have ever gotten a bad review this way. It doesn't hurt to try!

        As far as the links to your books go in your reviews for other books in your niche..... I have never tried this, but I have seen it done. Amazon does allow you to insert links to books in your reviews, but they say it can't be blatant self promotion. Total grey area in my opinion. Just be careful with this.

        Good luck to you!
        Great suggestion, I liked it so much I immediately purchased your ebook in your signature explaining how to do this the easiest way - $5 is very cheap for saving me the hassle of trying to figure out the easiest ways to do this myself.

        Very nicely written with no fluff and its very easy to take action from your guide.

        Also this is something I havent seen mentioned in any of the many high priced Kindle courses I bought...
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  • Profile picture of the author joefizz
    Always make sure you have:
    1. Correct keywords established from Google Tool.
    2. Call to action to get on your list (at the end).

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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by superplatinum View Post

      Along the same lines, how do you convert an existing PDF ebook to a Kindle ebook? Also, what are Amazon's rules for publishing? Are there certain requirements?
      I'm going to assume you're serious here...

      You can upload a PDF to your Kindle account (assuming you have the rights to do so) and Amazon will do the conversion. If you have the source document, you might be better served using that, as PDF can introduce some weird formatting after converting.

      As for the requirements?

      http://kdp.amazon.com

      :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author ioan draniciar
    Great tips, aprilm! I also agree that changing the cover and title makes a big difference. The title should focus more on the buyer's needs and not so much on the author. Asking top reviewers to review your book is an awesome tip as well as Listmania - first time I hear about them.

    This is probably a dumb question but how exactly do you offer a free copy to top reviewers if your book is already listed as paid? Do you offer them the original raw doc file? Would you care to elaborate on the exact steps for creating the Listmania - where exactly do you list it on Amazon?

    @joefizz, choosing the right keywords and a list building call to action are great tips for success.

    Thanks a lot guys!
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    • Profile picture of the author aprilm
      Originally Posted by ioan draniciar View Post

      Great tips, aprilm! I also agree that changing the cover and title makes a big difference. The title should focus more on the buyer's needs and not so much on the author. Asking top reviewers to review your book is an awesome tip as well as Listmania - first time I hear about them.

      This is probably a dumb question but how exactly do you offer a free copy to top reviewers if your book is already listed as paid? Do you offer them the original raw doc file? Would you care to elaborate on the exact steps for creating the Listmania - where exactly do you list it on Amazon.

      @joefizz, choosing the right keywords and a list building call to action are great tips for success.

      Thanks a lot guys!
      Hey Ioan,
      No prob. Not sure if you can do this in every country, but on Amazon.com you can give your book as a gift right on your book's sales page. You have to actually buy your own book, but it's still considered a sale so you will make some of that money back. You can then just email the book.

      If your country doesn't let you gift, you can download the preview .mobi file on your book's edit page and email that. The reviewer can then open that . Mobi file in their Kindle or Kindle App.

      As far as Listmania, visit your profile page, click the "edit your profile" button at the top right hand corner, click the Lists tab on the contributions Section of your profile, and then click " create your first one now".

      From there it is pretty self explanatory. Here's a quick tip...you can stick content at the top of your list describing what your list is all about. Optimize this content with high searched for keywords in your niche. Your Listmania will show up in Google just like any other content. SEO it.

      Another way to gain exposure for your books are to write a "So you would like to....guide" on Amazon. SEO that as well. You can read more about them here:

      Amazon.com Help: So You'd Like to . . . Guides

      Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author pizzatherapy
    I think it is also helpful to set up an author page.

    According to Amazon:

    "Add your biography, photos, blog, video, and tour events to the Author Page, your homepage on Amazon.com."

    I've uploaded videos, blog and twitter to my author page....
    I cannot say this helps tremendously, but every little bit helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author BernardR
    Hi Ioan

    I posted this thread earlier this week ... it is not my Kindle success but someone else's.

    Anyway it may inspire and direct you a little.

    BERNARDR

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...s-19-days.html
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  • Profile picture of the author cashcow
    Build out your author platform. That means a blog, Facebook fan page, twitter and setting up your account at Author Central.

    Link to your blog, fan page, twitter in your books.

    Write books that are on the same topic. Kindle isn't a get rich quick scheme its a self publishing platform so the best way to take advantage of that is to publish lots of books (in a related niche/genre) and try to get those people to be your fans. More books = more ways for people to find you. Plus when people pick up your book for free, they will want to buy your other books (if you have written a good book).

    Link to your other books, or one other book in the back of each book.

    Make one book permanently free. To do this publish on Barnes and Noble or apple with the price at $0 then try to get Amazon to price match it (could take months). Please note that you can't have the book in select if you publish on other platforms.

    Publishing books can be very profitable, but it is a long term business - you have to act accordingly and build the business.

    Note: I've found that using the free days 2 at a time works best. You need to get at least 5000 free downloads for it to make a difference in your rankings, if you aren't getting that many and you don't see a lot of borrows, then don't opt in to select again after the 90 days and publish the book on other platforms.
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  • Profile picture of the author Auzan
    Banned
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      • Profile picture of the author Your Brand Ebooks
        From this thread and the one referenced above,
        I'm getting motivated to dig into the many
        get-rich-with-Kindle WSOs that I purchased but never read.


        .
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        ONCE UPON A TIME there was a Warrior named Bob. He was sad. And frustrated. You see, Warrior Bob spent every last nickel on Internet Marketing e-books. But nothing panned out. No traffic. No sales. He was one sad Bob. Then one day Bob found a bottle. He rubbed it and out came a Genie who granted him 3 wishes. For Wish #1 Bob asked for a pet Dragon. Wish Granted. For Wish #2, Bob wanted Warriors' websites seen by 53 million TV viewers, for under $5 per broadcast. The Genie said... (click here)
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    • Profile picture of the author Money on the Side
      Originally Posted by Auzan View Post

      Pick a good title. A good title can make your kindle selling very fast.
      Yes, you need a good title to grab attention. That gets people to check out the back cover of the book (in the case of Kindle, your back cover is now your product description). This description needs to get them to "Look Inside." Then, the portion of your book that is visible in the Amazon "Look Inside" function should work to close the sale of your book.

      I see a lot of people dropping the ball on selling their book and focusing on reviews, SEO, tags, etc. Yes, those help get noticed but without doing everything you can to SELL the book, you're never going to get the rankings you want, which of course, throws you back into that vicious circle.
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  • Profile picture of the author bhuff85
    Best thing I ever did was join the Warrior Book Club here. It was responsible for me writing and releasing my first book on Kindle (which went live this week). TONS of info that will help you truly help you build a sustainable business with Kindle (as long as you can write great books that people will love).
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  • Profile picture of the author TycoonRob
    Test and tweak. If you get <1000 downloads on a free day, something is wrong. I would probably change the cover. I've put up books where I thought the cover was the best I've ever done, but it got 300 downloads. Then I changed it and got 800 downloads. OK, still not 1000, but better. My best seller to date got almost 6000 downloads in one day. So I think the free download numbers can translate into big sales.

    One trick I've learned is in your preview (the Look Inside feature) you want the potential buyer to get right to the good stuff - not the cover page, copyright, dedication, etc. - all that stuff is NOT selling your book. Just find the place where you want the reader to start reading - maybe the intro, or the first chapter. Then in Word (assuming you're using it), just add a Bookmark and call it "Start". Then when people look at your book preview, they will skip over the junk at the very beginning and will go directly to the Intro or where ever you want them to go. Easy, but it works!
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by Your Brand Ebooks View Post

      From this thread and the one referenced above,
      I'm getting motivated to dig into the many
      get-rich-with-Kindle WSOs that I purchased but never read.


      .
      Many of them are better left unread. If you find anything that recommends using PLR for anything but inspiration, putting up public domain books as fast as you can, or compiling publicly-available articles into ebooks, close that WSO and delete it. It could cost you your account.

      Same for anything recommending buying reviews on Fiverr, etc.
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      • Profile picture of the author mervp
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Many of them are better left unread. If you find anything that recommends using PLR for anything but inspiration, putting up public domain books as fast as you can, or compiling publicly-available articles into ebooks, close that WSO and delete it. It could cost you your account.

        Same for anything recommending buying reviews on Fiverr, etc.
        If the slapdash content from PLR or Fiverr is sufficiently punched up or updated it may still serve as a decent freebie, in a funnel that leads to sales of a well-written, new Kindle book. As in all publishing, there are different levels of quality---some are writing War and Peace, while others are just writing obits. Well-selected second-rate writing can have a useful role in a planned IM campaign.
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by mervp View Post

          If the slapdash content from PLR or Fiverr is sufficiently punched up or updated it may still serve as a decent freebie, in a funnel that leads to sales of a well-written, new Kindle book. As in all publishing, there are different levels of quality---some are writing War and Peace, while others are just writing obits. Well-selected second-rate writing can have a useful role in a planned IM campaign.
          No argument here. That wasn't the context, though.

          I was responding to a post about going through some of the "get rich on Kindle with no effort" WSOs and other courses that were very popular and still floating around.

          If you plan to post PLR material to Kindle Marketplace, it had better be "punched up or updated" to the point it's unrecognizable as PLR. If it isn't, it will be rejected. Do it enough times and the person uploading it will find themselves rejected...
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  • Profile picture of the author Elvis Michael
    Quick things i've learned from publishing erotica, as I haven't written much else yet:

    - You will NOT get many 'borrows' from KDP Select/Prime members. At least not with erotica, from what i've seen.

    - You will, however, get leads and build a list if you play your cards right. That being said, the following tips should apply to any genre:

    *Create an author site, make it interesting and insert your list-building form.
    *Publish several books on KDP Select (any genre).
    *From these books AND within the salespage description, encourage users to visit your site to download additional books absolutely FREE (when they sign up to your list, of course.). Feel free to offer anything else they might enjoy. It's up to you and your imagination.

    ONCE YOU HAVE A NICE SUBSCRIBER LIST: RANKING YOUR BOOK

    Price one of your best books at 99 cents for a few days, then immediately pitch it to your list. This is a great way to rank your book and bring it down to the low thousands on Amazon. Your mission is not the money; rather, the objective is to help your book rank. The money will follow over time.

    P.S. You can make this method work even if your list is composed of freeloaders. Publish a lengthy compilation for 99 cents on Amazon; your list will appreciate getting SEVERAL books packaged into one due to the very low price. Do you have a trilogy, for example? Pack it into one and pitch it away. Freeloaders will love it.
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  • Profile picture of the author danr62
    Lending in regards to KDP select has nothing to do with other people loaning out your book (that is a separate program). Rather, the KDP lending is for Amazon Prime members, who get to borrow one book from Amazon per month. Your earn from the KDP Lending Pool for each of this type of borrow.
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    • Profile picture of the author Elvis Michael
      Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

      Lending in regards to KDP select has nothing to do with other people loaning out your book (that is a separate program). Rather, the KDP lending is for Amazon Prime members, who get to borrow one book from Amazon per month. Your earn from the KDP Lending Pool for each of this type of borrow.
      Exactly what I meant, but with much more terrible wording.
      In any case, not much luck in the 'borrow' department, not with erotica, at least.
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      • Profile picture of the author cashcow
        Originally Posted by Diablo2 View Post

        Exactly what I meant, but with much more terrible wording.
        In any case, not much luck in the 'borrow' department, not with erotica, at least.
        Most people borrow the higher priced books because it saves them more money, so if the erotica is priced at 99 cents that might explain why.
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