When Readers Return

I'm up to my eyeballs this week and had to delay the planned marketing post. But I came across an angry post about Amazon's return policy and the issue of "serial returners" (those who buy, read, and return so they get a free read.) A tiny comment sprouted from my fingers and grew.

My take on returns is similar to Neil Gaiman's views on piracy (in fact, he helped my view on these subjects evolve.)

I'm an author. Obviously, I don't support piracy or serial-returners, but perspective is everything.

First, we can't assume all returners have read the entire book. We can't assume every return is a scammer. Amazon doesn't tell us if they read one page or 300 for sales. Literature, like all art, is wonderfully, woefully subjective. They may have read half and decided it was awful. Maybe a scene they hated ruined the whole book for them. Maybe, just maybe, the book sucks on an objective level for one reason or another. Yeah that hurts, but it happens. And if an author has a high percentage of returns, something ain't right. It's not normal. Perhaps they need to offer samples so readers have a sense of what they're getting. Perhaps they've targeted the wrong audience or misrepresented the work. Or perhaps the list price is too high for the quantity or quality of work. $2.99 for a book under 20 pages? I'd be ticked. Lots of errors, either in the writing or formatting? It's like going out for breakfast and getting a plate of burnt eggs and raw bacon. I'd send it back. It's possible some are abusing the return system, but a high percentage of returns is a huge sign the author needs to take a look at their work and their business model because something they're doing isn't working.

Is it ethical to return it at after a full or even half read? Probably not. Amazon does punish those they find abusing the system. However, returns are within Amazon's policies, and their policy of easy, universal returns is part of what's made them so powerful. If they refused to allow returns, they wouldn't be who they are and we (indie authors) wouldn't exist as we do now. That policy is a huge part of their--and our--success.

The ability to return makes the process less risky for readers. Indie authors had better appreciate that, because an unknown indie is a huge risk for a reader. There are a lot of crappy (subjectively and objectively) books out there, and a heck of a lot of them are indies. Indie publishing has opened the world of authorship to people who never would have published a word, and overall, that's a great thing. It's also lowered the bar for what's acceptable to publish. It's the bane of those of us who work extra hard to produce quality because it's often hard for readers to distinguish good from bad before they buy. We have to accept that we must give readers incentives to try us and reduce the risk, and allowing returns is a way to do that.

Also, the fact is that it gains fans. There will be some who like it and go to find more of my books, and they may buy those or recommend them to friends who buy. These are people who may not have heard of me otherwise, or wouldn't have realized they like my work without getting deep into it. I'm willing to accept some marginal "losses" (but as mentioned, it's not a loss if they wouldn't/couldn't buy it outright) if it gains fans.

I fully believe I should be paid for my work, even if it's just a small amount (okay, it's always a small amount.) I want people to value my work enough to pay for it, and most of my readers do. I appreciate that beyond words. I'm not for a second saying I want to give license to those who try to rip authors off.  As authors, we often struggle to get paid. It's frustrating when people don't value our work, but while I dislike piracy or serial returns due to the sneaky nature of it, I think we have to keep it in perspective.

I believe in the power of literature and that people need to read. It's imperative for society. But billions (yes, billions) of people can't afford to buy ALLTHEBOOKS or don't have access to them. Not everyone can afford ten books a week or a even a KU subscription, and not everyone has a library down the street. People have loaned books to their friends for centuries, and that's the purpose of libraries--people understood that few can afford to buy or have access to tons of books, but they wanted people to READ. So if I accept Aunt Gertrude loaning my book to her friend from church and I support libraries--which is essentially free books--how can I get up in arms about a few people essentially borrowing a book? It's really the same thing. They borrowed it. Just because it shows up on my sales report doesn't change the nature of what happened. Would I be that mad if I saw how many times Gertie loaned my book to her friends or how many times it was checked out of the library? Nah. I'd appreciate the fact that people are reading. I'd be pretty happy that Gertie bought it in the first place and liked it enough to recommend it. And I'd accept that one or two of those friends hated it, rolled their eyes when they returned it to her, and thought she has awful taste in books...and might have asked for their money back if they'd paid for it.

The world isn't perfect. I think I should get paid millions for what I do. I think everyone should love my work. And I think all the ice cream and chocolate should be free. But that ain't reality. The reality is there are benefits and downsides to everything. Return policies have them, too. But allowing returns is overall far more beneficial--or companies the world over wouldn't do it. It allows customers to try something without risk. The vast majority keep it if you've done a good job, a tiny fraction return it due to dissatisfaction (whether objective or subjective,) and an even tinier fraction abuse the system. Amazon punishes the "abusers." It's the cost of doing business, and a small price to pay in the big scheme of things. We need to keep it in perspective.


When Doves Fly is just $2.99--pick up the ebook. If you do, I hope you love it. (Please don't return it.)



.
Image courtesy of  lekkyjustdoit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Marketing a Debut Novel, Part 2: Into the Jungle

Part 1 is here

Which Jungle?
One of the biggest decisions a debut author will make is which digital platforms to publish on. It seems simple—ALL THE CHANNELS—but there are some wrinkles to iron out. With myriad options, it’s easy to get lost. Most of us know we'll want to publish with Amazon (KDP), but what about the other outlets like Barnes & Noble or Kobo?

Rather than publishing individually on the smaller single-site publishers like Nook or Apple, it’s much easier to use an aggregator like Smashwords, Lulu, or IngramSpark that distributes to most of those. However, easy is relative, and none are user-friendly, in my opinion, so order a case of wine before you even turn on the computer.

Genre is a big consideration, because some do better with some outlets like Kobo or Apple—depends on your audience and where they shop. But for most authors, more than 90% of sales will come from Amazon. Conventional wisdom says the best strategy is to publish to KDP for Amazon, then if you want to add other sites, use one of the aggregators to distribute everywhere else. But hold on. You have a decision to make first and may not need the other platforms right away, at least for ebook.


KDP Select
The decision is about KDP’s optional program, KDP Select. It allows readers to loan books within the program for free through the Kindle Lending Library (KOLL), or download through Kindle Unlimited (KU) for a low monthly subscription, but you still get paid—with a catch. You must subscribe for 90 days (opt in at any time and no limits on how often,) and the ebook must be exclusive to KDP during that time. It cannot be available at any other retailer (just the ebook, not print.) So you have to put all your eggs in one basket. But you're saved from dealing with the other platforms, and that's a relief, trust me.

Author payment for KDP Select has been controversial (and there are some very harebrained conspiracy theories about it … something about aliens and anal probes.) They recently changed the pay schedule; it used to be a flat fee per download, now it is based on a per-page-read schedule (number of pages is standardized to account for different font size, etc,) and the money comes from a monthly fund from which all authors draw. So far, it’s worked out to an average of around $ .005-6 per page. This was implemented to combat a sneaky trend of authors flooding Select with 20 page books and getting the same payout as a 400 page book. This means shorter works like short stories or novellas won’t earn as much as a novel—which is perfectly reasonable, in my opinion—and likely won’t benefit from the program as much. It also means a book people don’t read all the way through will suffer. My answer to the critics: Write longer, better books.

However, like many, I was quite skeptical of Select. My book debuted just after the payment overhaul, with the rumblings of mutiny at a fever pitch. After I investigated the critics’ claims and found them exaggerated or blatantly untrue, I took the leap.

Here’s why:
There are over 2.5 million books published every year now, around 500k of them in the U.S. Readers have a lot of choices, but limited money. When we look at reader habits, we have to recognize various levels of budget and willingness to try new authors--and recognize that those two things are directly related. We also need to get paid. Select is a way to straddle that divide. We still get paid and may gain a fan for future works, while the reader can take a chance at a lower cost, without feeling burned if they don’t like the book.

The next issue to consider is payout. As I said, shorter works suffer a bit in Select. The longer a book is (to a point,) the more reasonable the payout. Mine is 87k words. At the average payout over the last few months—$ .005—I earn around $2.60 if they read the whole thing. With my book priced at $2.99, that’s a higher royalty than if they bought it. Until and unless the payout rate changes a lot, I’m way ahead there. I’ll likely bump my price up in the next few months. Even if I price at $4.99 (the highest I’d go even once the second book is out,) I’m still losing less than a dollar on the sale…or not losing anything.

There are a lot of KOLL/KU readers, and they’re often the ones most likely to give an unknown a chance because their budget within Select is unlimited—so they’re less likely to buy at retail. They probably won’t stumble on my book and buy it for $2.99 when there are tens of thousands of books they can choose from in Select. So I’m gaining readers and royalties I wouldn’t otherwise have.

Finally, the biggest concern a lot of folks—and I—had about Select is the exclusivity. We’re aghast at the idea of cutting off other channels and “losing so many sales.” As I pointed out earlier, genre and audience are a big factor here, but the majority of debut authors won’t have a lot of sales on the other channels. A generous estimate is around 90 to 10 in favor of Amazon vs all other sites combined.

In a little less than 90 days in KU, I had over 45,000 pages read, equating to about 87 books. That’s 1/5th of the sales I had in that period. If we compare numbers, I might have lost around 35 sales from other channels (but that’s likely a huge overestimation,) while gaining 87—at a higher royalty rate than any platform—from Select. Select had probably triple the sales I might have had on other outlets. I’ll take those numbers any day.

Obviously, your mileage may vary. But Select has been great for me, and I believe it’s worth a try for most. If it doesn't work, you can quit in 90 days and put the book on the other platforms and see how it plays out, after getting a boost from Select.

In my next post, I’ll cover the Kindle Countdown Deal and the promotion sites I used during the sale. While the Countdown Deal is only available for those enrolled in Select, promo sites can be valuable for any sale, so there’ll be something for everyone. Rest up and stock up on liquor. The swamp gets worse from here.


Part 3: Kindle Countdown Deals & Promo Sites

Image courtesy of mapichai at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Marketing a Debut Novel: Bring Wine, Waders, and an Iron Will

The launch of When Doves Fly, my debut Historical Fiction/Western, has been a whirlwind, and I’m still a bit dizzy. I discovered that authors, especially indie authors, are no longer just writers. We must wear many hats to ensure success, and my most recent chapeau is that of Book Marketer Extraordinaire. I’m certainly no expert, but I have gained some knowledge, and I’ll explain the different options I've tried and detail my experiences (and mistakes) through a series of posts. I hope it sheds light on the process and makes it a little less overwhelming for those learning how to pimp their wares.
 

 

I immersed myself in research about how to sell books. It’s involved a great deal of time, frustration, and strong cocktails. The first thing I learned is there’s little reliable information available for newbie authors. Few authors are willing to let others in on what’s worked for them—or if they are, they write a ten page book, charge $10 for it, and proceed to tell you that you need to invest in a sandwich board and a bell. Take any advice you glean from some random “bestselling” author who “sold” eight million books in a day with a huge block of salt (chances are their rank lasted for 5 minutes on Amazon in an obscure subgenre that contains 5 books, and the "sales" were free downloads.)

Much of the advice bandied about is contradictory; use Facebook, Facebook sucks; offer a giveaway, giveaways don’t work; make your book free, free books are bad. There’s also a lot of downright false information and a good number of people advocating unethical practices contrary to various platforms’ rules, either due to ignorance or lack of integrity. Familiarize yourself with the guidelines for each platform and follow them. Don’t take shortcuts or shoot yourself in the foot by breaking the rules—it’s not worth it. Wading through all of this is exhausting, and it often feels like you’re no further ahead than when you started. But if you educate yourself, you’ll be in a position to take advantage of opportunity.

The second thing I learned is that there’s no magic bullet or formula that will work for every author or book. We must tailor our approaches to genre, audience, platform, budget, time, moon phases, and planetary alignment. A debut author with no backlist will need a different approach than an author with ten books. Marketing plans need to be individualized and flexible. I adapted strategies to meet my needs, and you should do the same. My novel is a debut that straddles genres, and it’s not in a “hot” genre, so I’ve had to find ways around those hurdles. A YA author will typically have more options and need to use different platforms, or an obscure genre will need to target much tighter and be able to focus resources rather than spreading them around. You’ll need to analyze your genre and audience to find the best ways to reach them. Your readers’ habits will determine which strategies work best for your book. So your first task is to figure out who your readers are, where they hang out and look for books, their spending habits, and their underwear sizes. Some of the answers may surprise you.

Then, decide your goal before implementing your marketing plan. Some marketing will focus on long term results, and some is more about short term. One strategy might gain exposure, while another will produce sales. Some tools require more time or money, or both; figure out which resources you have and focus on the methods that utilize those.

In the three months since the launch, I’ve worked on both exposure and sales, and found methods that work and ones that don’t. In short, Amazon ads produced the most sales; Goodreads ads and a giveaway produced good exposure and some reviews. Book bloggers, especially a team of reviewers, are excellent advocates, but finding the right ones is tricky. Enrollment in KindleUnlimited was a good decision; the Kindle Countdown deal, while not as successful as I hoped, did give a good bump in sales. Some promotion sites I used during the Countdown deal had a good ROI (Return On Investment,) some did not. Facebook ads were a miserable failure—but I concede that for certain genres, with a lot of work, they could be successful. However, I don’t believe they offer a good ROI overall. Of course, all of these require a strong presence on social media, and it goes without saying that your success will depend a lot on the quality of your book, cover, and blurb.

Stay tuned over the next month for the nitty gritty and feel free to ask questions.


ON TO PART 2

 

Find Lauren's book on Amazon:

US 

http://amzn.to/1Vtd7ZF

UK

http://amzn.to/1VrD0E0