Can you upload a single short story to Amazon? - Page 2

Hitch · 11-05-2010, 04:15 PM

Well....how about this? Why don't you bundle your paid book with your freebie shortie as the first chapter, which would be your freebie sample? That way, everyone gets what they want, and you can advertise it as "bonus free content," and people can dl it for free?

HTH,
Hitch

mr ploppy · 11-05-2010, 05:13 PM

How is this done? This would be the sort of thing I would want.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haven/dp/B00...=discounter-21

Hitch · 11-05-2010, 08:16 PM

That author obviously had his/her title on SW before Amazon stopped taking delivery from same a year ago due to content formatting quality issues, and SW set a price of $0.00 (through the author's control panel). SW is, for all intents and purposes, a "big publisher" with the same privileges on Amazon as, say, Harper Collins, which is to say that they can set freebies or give out discount coupons, etc.--which is not available at this time to individual authors.

Also don't know if Amazon.uk has relaxed quality standards (taking shipments again from SW) in order to "bulk up" the UK store with titles, particularly freebies, like they did here when they launched Kindle originally. Title may have downloads, but 0 reviews--which is kinda the kiss of death with a book downloaded that much. It's easy to get "sales rank" with freebies, every publisher knows that; sales rank only counts with paid titles on Amazon.

Like I said, there are as many readers on Wattpad, etc., as there are on Amazon for free content. If you're that determined, put a post in an Amazon forum with a link to your shortie, wherever you put it. Put it here on MR. If you're any good, people will find your other paid titles. Good luck.

Hitch

nomesque · 11-05-2010, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

How is this done? This would be the sort of thing I would want.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haven/dp/B00...=discounter-21

Sheer luck, at the moment. That seems to be a Smashwords distribution, which is interesting in itself... *ponder* but Amazon will occasionally (if last month's anything to go by) spontaneously set to 'free' some indie titles which have a Kindle 99c list price and are offered free on other retailer sites.

No harm in putting it on Amazon for 99c. Just mark it carefully as a short story, give the word count, and you shouldn't get annoyed customers.

Or, put it on Smashwords as a freebie, and be very very patient, waiting for them to distribute it to Amazon.

BTW, for free content distribution, I like feedbooks.com.

Hitch · 11-06-2010, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomesque

Sheer luck, at the moment. That seems to be a Smashwords distribution, which is interesting in itself... *ponder* but Amazon will occasionally (if last month's anything to go by) spontaneously set to 'free' some indie titles which have a Kindle 99c list price and are offered free on other retailer sites.

No harm in putting it on Amazon for 99c. Just mark it carefully as a short story, give the word count, and you shouldn't get annoyed customers.

Or, put it on Smashwords as a freebie, and be very very patient, waiting for them to distribute it to Amazon.

BTW, for free content distribution, I like feedbooks.com.

Agreed on sheer luck, and agreed on feedbooks. For younger audiences, I think Wattpad is as good a place as any, and it has widespread distro on iPhones, iPods and iPads--has very viral potential, IMHO.

Hitch

mr ploppy · 11-06-2010, 11:47 AM

Maybe I'm not explaining it very well. I'm not really interested in people who look for free books, if I wanted to reach them I would just put it on all the pirate sites. I would want people who liked the short story to buy a longer one featuring the same characters, and for that they would need to both be in the same place. Ideally on Amazon because that is where I think most of the paying readers are.

Luke King · 11-06-2010, 07:19 PM

You can get the short story into Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, Kobo, Diesel and Smashwords by distributing it through Smashwords. You can also distribute the story you want people to pay for to these places through Smashwords. And you can also choose to distribute both these books to Amazon, the short story for free, and the book for a price, but at the moment, Smashwords isn't distributing to Amazon.

Your best bet would be to go to Smashwords, if you haven't already done that, and get the books into Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, Kobo and Diesel stores.

mr ploppy · 11-07-2010, 03:56 AM

What if you put it on Amazon for 99p, Smashwords for 0p, then reported the lower price to Amazon through a different account? Would they discount it to match the Smashwords price or just bin it off?

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11-05-2010, 04:15 PM	#16
Hitch Bookmaker & Cat Slave Posts: 11,503 Karma: 158448243 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Phoenix, AZ Device: K2, iPad, KFire, PPW, Voyage, NookColor. 2 Droid, Oasis, Boox Note2	Well....how about this? Why don't you bundle your paid book with your freebie shortie as the first chapter, which would be your freebie sample? That way, everyone gets what they want, and you can advertise it as "bonus free content," and people can dl it for free? HTH, Hitch

11-05-2010, 05:13 PM	#17
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	How is this done? This would be the sort of thing I would want. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haven/dp/B00...=discounter-21

11-05-2010, 08:16 PM	#18
Hitch Bookmaker & Cat Slave Posts: 11,503 Karma: 158448243 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Phoenix, AZ Device: K2, iPad, KFire, PPW, Voyage, NookColor. 2 Droid, Oasis, Boox Note2	That author obviously had his/her title on SW before Amazon stopped taking delivery from same a year ago due to content formatting quality issues, and SW set a price of $0.00 (through the author's control panel). SW is, for all intents and purposes, a "big publisher" with the same privileges on Amazon as, say, Harper Collins, which is to say that they can set freebies or give out discount coupons, etc.--which is not available at this time to individual authors. Also don't know if Amazon.uk has relaxed quality standards (taking shipments again from SW) in order to "bulk up" the UK store with titles, particularly freebies, like they did here when they launched Kindle originally. Title may have downloads, but 0 reviews--which is kinda the kiss of death with a book downloaded that much. It's easy to get "sales rank" with freebies, every publisher knows that; sales rank only counts with paid titles on Amazon. Like I said, there are as many readers on Wattpad, etc., as there are on Amazon for free content. If you're that determined, put a post in an Amazon forum with a link to your shortie, wherever you put it. Put it here on MR. If you're any good, people will find your other paid titles. Good luck. Hitch

11-06-2010, 11:47 AM	#21
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Maybe I'm not explaining it very well. I'm not really interested in people who look for free books, if I wanted to reach them I would just put it on all the pirate sites. I would want people who liked the short story to buy a longer one featuring the same characters, and for that they would need to both be in the same place. Ideally on Amazon because that is where I think most of the paying readers are.

11-06-2010, 07:19 PM	#22
Luke King Member Retired Posts: 173 Karma: 200000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle 2	You can get the short story into Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, Kobo, Diesel and Smashwords by distributing it through Smashwords. You can also distribute the story you want people to pay for to these places through Smashwords. And you can also choose to distribute both these books to Amazon, the short story for free, and the book for a price, but at the moment, Smashwords isn't distributing to Amazon. Your best bet would be to go to Smashwords, if you haven't already done that, and get the books into Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, Kobo and Diesel stores.

11-07-2010, 03:56 AM	#23
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	What if you put it on Amazon for 99p, Smashwords for 0p, then reported the lower price to Amazon through a different account? Would they discount it to match the Smashwords price or just bin it off?

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