Where are most of your books selling? - Page 2

MichaelJScott · 03-31-2011, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmessina

Wow, well I feel like I'm doing something wrong. I've sold like 3 on amazon and like 19 on smashwords. How are you guys advertising to push traffic to the amazon end of things?

What is your book and how long has it been out?

For my part, I've set up Google alerts with key words (like Civil War or Militia), and inserted my opinion into discussions wherever I can (and where appropriate). Yahoo Answers is a favorite, because, based on the question being asked, I can often cite my book as the source material (just posted one on Cultural Marxism the other day). Whenever I do so, I always put in a signature line with a link to the Amazon book.

Facebook and Twitter, of course. I update to them via my blog, which I write on several times each week. And the link is on my book trailer on youtube, and in every email I send out.

Basically, it means putting a link to your book in every conceivable place.

And dare I say it, for Amazon, I'm active on the Kindle boards forum, as well as this one. That helps drive sales, too.

mmessina · 03-31-2011, 10:40 AM

Actually that's all good info. My book is sci-fi and hasn't been out long. I don't get much time through the day to shamelessly self-promote, as it were. Primarily though I can see you're basically pushing traffic through the kindle link though, versus others, right?

MichaelJScott · 03-31-2011, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmessina

Actually that's all good info. My book is sci-fi and hasn't been out long. I don't get much time through the day to shamelessly self-promote, as it were. Primarily though I can see you're basically pushing traffic through the kindle link though, versus others, right?

Yep. I determined early on that I made more money via the Kindle link than through Smashwords or anywhere else, so that's where I put my efforts. Though recently, I've been pushing the CreateSpace link as well, because the book is in print now.

Have you signed up for the Amazon tag exchange? That'll help, too. You can find one here, and there's also Tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.com. It's quid pro quo, so set some time aside to go through and tag everyone else's stuff.

The challenge is to get onto people's radar screens, and that won't happen without a lot of effort. It's like launching a rocket. Most of your energy will be expended just getting it off the ground. Far less in flight.

MichaelJScott · 04-01-2011, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelJScott

I've committed myself to not obsessing over sales, meaning I only check 2x a month. So I don't have current numbers.

I can say that most of my sales are through Amazon. Some through Sony. I've picked up one or two from B&N, Apple, and Smashwords. And as of mid-month, I'd sold eleven print books through CreateSpace (just released March 1st).

Okay. Now I've got hard numbers. Since July, selling only one book, I've done the following:

Amazon 42 (includes 4 print books)
Barnes & Noble 1
Sony 9
Kobo 3
Apple 4
Smashwords 2
print books 10

No way to make a living yet. I'm hoping these numbers will pick up once I start releasing more books.

amkuska · 04-01-2011, 01:17 AM

I don't have any books out yet, but I've found the results being put forward fascinating.

dworth · 04-01-2011, 05:04 AM

There seems to be a sort of tipping point with regard to sales. Once you get your book far enough up the rankings it gets more attention, makes more sales, and then goes even further up the rankings and starts to sell itself. My book was only making a handful of sales each week until this year, when sales via Amazon.co.uk suddenly shot up without me doing very much myself, though I think a number of very positive reviews there certainly helped (as well as making me happy). I think in this case I benefitted from the smaller size of the UK market, having been on the UK site since it launched, as my book was always in the top few thousand even though I was only making a few sales at first. I'm still only making 10-15 sales per month in the States where my book seems lost amidst the vast number of other titles who have massive lead on me, sales wise.

MichaelJScott · 04-01-2011, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dworth

There seems to be a sort of tipping point with regard to sales. Once you get your book far enough up the rankings it gets more attention, makes more sales, and then goes even further up the rankings and starts to sell itself. My book was only making a handful of sales each week until this year, when sales via Amazon.co.uk suddenly shot up without me doing very much myself, though I think a number of very positive reviews there certainly helped (as well as making me happy). I think in this case I benefitted from the smaller size of the UK market, having been on the UK site since it launched, as my book was always in the top few thousand even though I was only making a few sales at first. I'm still only making 10-15 sales per month in the States where my book seems lost amidst the vast number of other titles who have massive lead on me, sales wise.

Yeah, I think you're right about that. It's a matter of getting on the radar screens of enough people to generate word of mouth. Book bloggers can help in that department, as do positive reviews--and, IMHO, having lots of books to sell (they'll feed sales to one another), if the quality remains high.

Greenkeeper · 04-06-2011, 04:27 PM

I'd say I get 70% of my sales from Amazon US, with next to nothing from the UK store. Guess I don't have much pull overseas. The rest I get from Smashwords, though usually these sales are pretty evenly distributed between Sony, Apple, B&N, and Kobo rather than Smashwords itself.

horse_girl · 04-07-2011, 11:20 PM

I'm also selling better on Amazon with B&N a far second, Kobo and Sony a ways behind them, then Apple, and last of all smashwords. So, definitely Amazon FTW.

J. Strnad · 04-09-2011, 08:11 PM

I sold a few copies on Smashwords early on, but sales have stalled out completely there in the past few months. I've just gone direct with B&N and PubIt! and discontinued sales to B&N through Smashwords in hopes of getting more timely reporting.

Which means that virtually all of my sales the past few months have come through Amazon. Sales there have been going up slightly but steadily.

DArenson · 04-09-2011, 09:19 PM

99% of my sales are at Amazon.

Dodge · 04-10-2011, 02:36 AM

Mostly Amazon... a few Sony... a B&N. Amazon is the big seller for now.

Dean M. Cole · 04-10-2011, 11:15 PM

Since the end of February I've sold 41 books through Amazon and 9 directly through Smashwords (pre-Premium Distribution). Also, I've been on Smashwords Premium Distribution for a few weeks now and I know some have sold through B&N and Apple. As someone else mentioned, it takes a long time to get those sales figures through Smashwords.

I've considered getting my own ISBN numbers and self publishing direct to B&N, Apple, Kobo, Diesel & Sony. However, until those sales values are known I'm not sure it would be worth the investment.

Any thoughts or experiences in this area would be greatly appreciated.

Mike Cooley · 04-12-2011, 03:07 PM

Amazon for me too. About 4 to 1 over Smashwords (and those are the only two sites I sell on right now).

--Mike

04-10-2011, 11:15 PM	#28
Dean M. Cole SECTOR 64: Coup de Main Posts: 19 Karma: 25000 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Houston, Texas Device: iPhone	Since the end of February I've sold 41 books through Amazon and 9 directly through Smashwords (pre-Premium Distribution). Also, I've been on Smashwords Premium Distribution for a few weeks now and I know some have sold through B&N and Apple. As someone else mentioned, it takes a long time to get those sales figures through Smashwords. I've considered getting my own ISBN numbers and self publishing direct to B&N, Apple, Kobo, Diesel & Sony. However, until those sales values are known I'm not sure it would be worth the investment. Any thoughts or experiences in this area would be greatly appreciated. Last edited by Dean M. Cole; 04-10-2011 at 11:34 PM. Reason: Added Smashwords Total.

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03-31-2011, 10:40 AM	#17
mmessina Author-saurus-rex Posts: 33 Karma: 88 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: harrisburg, pa Device: kindle	Actually that's all good info. My book is sci-fi and hasn't been out long. I don't get much time through the day to shamelessly self-promote, as it were. Primarily though I can see you're basically pushing traffic through the kindle link though, versus others, right?

04-01-2011, 01:17 AM	#20
amkuska Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Sony E-Reader	I don't have any books out yet, but I've found the results being put forward fascinating.

04-01-2011, 05:04 AM	#21
dworth Zealot Posts: 140 Karma: 2094632 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bradford, UK Device: kindle pc	There seems to be a sort of tipping point with regard to sales. Once you get your book far enough up the rankings it gets more attention, makes more sales, and then goes even further up the rankings and starts to sell itself. My book was only making a handful of sales each week until this year, when sales via Amazon.co.uk suddenly shot up without me doing very much myself, though I think a number of very positive reviews there certainly helped (as well as making me happy). I think in this case I benefitted from the smaller size of the UK market, having been on the UK site since it launched, as my book was always in the top few thousand even though I was only making a few sales at first. I'm still only making 10-15 sales per month in the States where my book seems lost amidst the vast number of other titles who have massive lead on me, sales wise.

04-06-2011, 04:27 PM	#23
Greenkeeper Connoisseur Posts: 67 Karma: 520312 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Texas Device: Kindle	I'd say I get 70% of my sales from Amazon US, with next to nothing from the UK store. Guess I don't have much pull overseas. The rest I get from Smashwords, though usually these sales are pretty evenly distributed between Sony, Apple, B&N, and Kobo rather than Smashwords itself.

04-07-2011, 11:20 PM	#24
horse_girl Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 100001 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook, Motorola Droid	I'm also selling better on Amazon with B&N a far second, Kobo and Sony a ways behind them, then Apple, and last of all smashwords. So, definitely Amazon FTW.

04-09-2011, 08:11 PM	#25
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	I sold a few copies on Smashwords early on, but sales have stalled out completely there in the past few months. I've just gone direct with B&N and PubIt! and discontinued sales to B&N through Smashwords in hopes of getting more timely reporting. Which means that virtually all of my sales the past few months have come through Amazon. Sales there have been going up slightly but steadily.

04-09-2011, 09:19 PM	#26
DArenson ebookworm Posts: 268 Karma: 100026 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo, Kindle	99% of my sales are at Amazon.

04-10-2011, 02:36 AM	#27
Dodge Sparks fly off my pages! Posts: 123 Karma: 250002 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Device: Kindle	Mostly Amazon... a few Sony... a B&N. Amazon is the big seller for now.

04-12-2011, 03:07 PM	#29
Mike Cooley Mike Posts: 24 Karma: 396886 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Minnesota Device: Kindle	Amazon for me too. About 4 to 1 over Smashwords (and those are the only two sites I sell on right now). --Mike

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