Is Smashwords eBook Week Boosting Traffic?

mrickert · 03-06-2013, 10:16 PM

I was wondering if anyone is seeing extra traffic to their book/books this week? Traffic to my book is consistent with any average week. I am hoping sales at Smashwords can increase with some promotions. I continue to get a little bit better sales numbers through iTunes/iBooks and am currently featured on the "What's Hot" list for Marketing and Sales category.

[link to self-promotion removed - moderator]

crich70 · 03-07-2013, 01:45 AM

I'm not a published writer but I can't help but think that it will increase sales for those who sell at Smashwords in the long run. I mean say a given writer has their work at $4.99/book usually and is an unknown to a reader who goes there. And they set one of their books at $0.00 with the coupon this week. So a new potential customer picks up that book and reads it. They like it, and want more by the same author. A person is more likely to buy from an author whose work they've sampled (traditionally via library loan or borrowing a friends book) than one whose work they've never had access to before. At least that's how I see it.

avantman42 · 03-07-2013, 03:51 AM

I don't sell much at Smashwords, but the number of books I've given away this week (all my books are free during RAEW) is about the same as the total number of books I sold at Smashwords last year. I suspect free gets a lot more downloads than 25% or 50% off.

I've also noticed that four people have now added me as a favourite. Last time I looked there were two, so I suspect two of those have appeared during this week. I can't be certain, though, because I didn't check at the start of the week.

VydorScope · 03-07-2013, 06:45 AM

Yep, I have seen increased traffic, and have every time I have taken part. It works because it is a short period of time, and they press it hard for that short time. If it dragged out a month or more... it would not work.

cromag · 03-07-2013, 11:14 PM

I only have one book for "sale" at Smashwords and I've had six times as many downloads since Sunday as I've had since I published it. (Of course, I'm new and an unknown quantity, so I didn't have all that many to begin with.) Since my other works (so far) are always free the only way I can see this paying off is if some readers post positive reviews. Either way, I don't think I've lost anything. I suspect most of the people who were motivated to download would probably not have been buyers.

Interestingly, my free books have both experienced big boosts in downloads, so I assume people have encountered them while going through the promotion lists. That's not bad, either.

Lima Bean · 03-08-2013, 12:53 AM

I have two books on Smashwords. Zero sales last week. Zero sales this week. One sale would be an increase, but it hasn't happened.

avantman42 · 03-08-2013, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lima Bean

I have two books on Smashwords. Zero sales last week. Zero sales this week. One sale would be an increase, but it hasn't happened.

You don't appear to have enrolled either of your books into the Read an Ebook Week promotion, so I don't really see why you'd expect an increase in sales this week.

morriss003 · 03-09-2013, 02:54 PM

No increase for my books that are discounted, but a little increase for my book that is free.

M.T. Miles · 03-11-2013, 06:03 PM

I certainly saw an increase in downloads of my book.

03-06-2013, 10:16 PM	#1
mrickert Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2013 Device: iPhone	Is Smashwords eBook Week Boosting Traffic? I was wondering if anyone is seeing extra traffic to their book/books this week? Traffic to my book is consistent with any average week. I am hoping sales at Smashwords can increase with some promotions. I continue to get a little bit better sales numbers through iTunes/iBooks and am currently featured on the "What's Hot" list for Marketing and Sales category. [link to self-promotion removed - moderator] Last edited by dreams; 03-06-2013 at 11:48 PM.

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03-07-2013, 01:45 AM	#2
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I'm not a published writer but I can't help but think that it will increase sales for those who sell at Smashwords in the long run. I mean say a given writer has their work at $4.99/book usually and is an unknown to a reader who goes there. And they set one of their books at $0.00 with the coupon this week. So a new potential customer picks up that book and reads it. They like it, and want more by the same author. A person is more likely to buy from an author whose work they've sampled (traditionally via library loan or borrowing a friends book) than one whose work they've never had access to before. At least that's how I see it.

03-07-2013, 03:51 AM	#3
avantman42 Wizard Posts: 1,090 Karma: 6058305 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I don't sell much at Smashwords, but the number of books I've given away this week (all my books are free during RAEW) is about the same as the total number of books I sold at Smashwords last year. I suspect free gets a lot more downloads than 25% or 50% off. I've also noticed that four people have now added me as a favourite. Last time I looked there were two, so I suspect two of those have appeared during this week. I can't be certain, though, because I didn't check at the start of the week.

03-07-2013, 06:45 AM	#4
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Yep, I have seen increased traffic, and have every time I have taken part. It works because it is a short period of time, and they press it hard for that short time. If it dragged out a month or more... it would not work.

03-07-2013, 11:14 PM	#5
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,009 Karma: 459735575 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I only have one book for "sale" at Smashwords and I've had six times as many downloads since Sunday as I've had since I published it. (Of course, I'm new and an unknown quantity, so I didn't have all that many to begin with.) Since my other works (so far) are always free the only way I can see this paying off is if some readers post positive reviews. Either way, I don't think I've lost anything. I suspect most of the people who were motivated to download would probably not have been buyers. Interestingly, my free books have both experienced big boosts in downloads, so I assume people have encountered them while going through the promotion lists. That's not bad, either.

03-08-2013, 12:53 AM	#6
Lima Bean Groupie Posts: 172 Karma: 527094 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: USA (near Lima, Ohio) Device: Kindle	I have two books on Smashwords. Zero sales last week. Zero sales this week. One sale would be an increase, but it hasn't happened.

03-09-2013, 02:54 PM	#8
morriss003 Evangelist Posts: 438 Karma: 3409790 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maui Device: kindle	No increase for my books that are discounted, but a little increase for my book that is free.

03-11-2013, 06:03 PM	#9
M.T. Miles Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 471046 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Brisbane Device: none	I certainly saw an increase in downloads of my book.

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