A good sales rank as well as high ratings are an authors dream — because they normally mean more sales. DRACULAS has accomplished both, and on their launch date.
Take Your Cue From a Blood-Sucker
I am sure you may be tired of me talking about DRACULAS, but there is more to this novel than a great plot. Late September, Joe Konrath (along with co-authors Blake Crouch, Jeff Strand and F. Paul Wilson) sent a call out for readers interested in reading the new manuscript DRACULAS, prior to it’s release. I, like many others, jumped at the chance to be chosen. On October 6th, I received the pre-release manuscript for DRACULAS. My desire, besides reading a novel prior to its release (which is pretty cool), was to determine if this pre-marketing strategy was effective.
I watched the sales rank for the Teaser chapters, and reviews. Slowly the book moved up from high 6 figures to lower 6 figures. Not great. But the first wave hit the bloody shore on October 18 – a massive onslaught of reviews hit the pre-review stage. The sales rank moved up dramatically to just under 500. That was phenomenal.
Today, October 19th, DRACULAS is released to the public for only $2.99/Kindle on Amazon. And as I scroll to the sales rank I am astonished. “#114 Paid in Kindle Store.” (as of 1pm October 19th). I anticipate DRACULAS to reach the top #100 by the end of the day. Quite an accomplishement for a new release.
What DRACULAS did right
- They clearly labeled the $0 DRACULAS book as Teaser chapters. There was no question as to what was being offered for the no-cost price.
- They asked for honest pre-reviews by a deadline. This tactic was to inundate Amazon with a multitude of (positive) reviews, to push up the sales rank quickly.
- They wrote a compelling and quality book. If the book had been any less than stellar, the ratings would have suffered.
- They delivered the final project on-time (October 19th).
- They are selling the full Kindle book, including extras, for a reasonable price (only $2.99). No price gouging.
Conclusion
This case study shows that creating a “buzz” prior to launch can be effective. It worked for DRACULAS, because they had all the right criteria: well-written novel, good reviews, low price, and expected delivery. When authors and publishers think and implement the process of promotion correctly, the ultimate result is proper Amazon tags, higher sales, and happy (repeat) customers.
A pre-release buzz can also help promote an unknown author into the “known”, especially if the work is exceptional.
5 Steps for Effective eBook Marketing
Writing a compelling and quality book is only part of the rating system. Readers will ding your rating dramatically if they feel the ebook price is too high, if there are typos, even if the font style is hard to read.
- Format your book properly. Don’t try to use fancy fonts or strange leading. Use the standards set by Amazon. Kindle readers want uniformity when reading books. ALL books. If you use a strange font, or fail to indent each paragraph – they will rate you accordingly.
- Clearly label Teaser Chapters in the Title. If you are offering “teasers” for the $0.00 price, then clearly label it in the title. Don’t use a different graphic or simply “forget” to say tell your readers it is a teaser. If you do, you will be dooming your pre-release to an onslaught of nasty and low rating reviews.
- Ask for honest pre-reviews by a deadline. This tactic will quickly push up your sales rank in Amazon with a multitude of (positive) reviews. Your goal is for positive reviews. Negative reviews can kill your project just as quickly.
- Announce your (Full Novel) delivery date. Build momemtum to your release.
- Sell your ebook at a reasonable price. (max $9.99). No price gouging. Trust me on this – anything higher than $9.99 is publication suicide.
More: Ebooks and The Ease of Publishing, by J.A. Konrath
View the current sales ranking on Amazon for DRACULAS, A Novel of Terror, by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn (aka J.A. Konrath), Jeff Strand and F. Paul Wilson.
