Kindle select out of the chute?

ripple · Mar 21, 2012

Hi, I am days away from taking the plunge with my first middle grade novel.

Plan A is to publish with Amazon and smashwords.

For Amazon, would people suggest going the 'normal' kindle route, or the Kindle select program.
Or would you start with one or the other, and then switch depending on performance?

Thanks....

FOTSGreg · Mar 21, 2012

Do the normal route. If it takes off like a rocket, you can go Kindle Select - but remember that, if you do, you'll have to opt out of all Smashwords distributions.

J. Tanner · Mar 21, 2012

If you're considering select at all, I believe the time to do it is before launching on any other distribution platform.

So prepare Amazon first, opt into Select and immediately set it so it doesn't re-enroll you automatically. Set up your free days as desired to seed the recommendation engine with your book.

Barring your book taking off in the online library and generating significant money there, more free promos tend to lose their impact so let Select expire after the initial 90 day period and go about getting your book available everywhere you can.

2 cents. There's no established "right" answer for everyone.

NewKidOldKid · Mar 22, 2012

I would suggest Select first. After all, you only have to do it for 90 days and then you can opt out of it. Select can be a great way to bring attention to your book and you can then move on to other platforms.

ripple · Mar 22, 2012

I have this theory. I read that middle grade and YA books are not yet huge ebook sellers. Hunger Games, for example, is purchased mostly by adults. In any event, I think that kids might be more likely to have ipads than kindles, which would add to the importance of smashwords.

FOTSGreg · Mar 22, 2012

Ripple, Smashwords distributes to most, if not all, of the major platforms including Kindle, Kobo, Sony, iBooks, Stanza, etc. Even though they still do not officially distribute to Amazon you can download a mobi. (ie Kindle format) copy of a work from Smashwords. Most of my sales via Smashwords have been to the Sony platform.

Kids may want iPads, but let's be serious - an iPad costs between $500 and $900. A Kindle Fire costs $200. The kids already have iPhones (or some other cell phone) and iPods. Responsible parents won't put an iPad in a 12-year old's hands when they can do the KF or another tablet instead for less money (basic Kindle is $79, for example). At least, that's the way I hope (yeah, frikkin' dreamer).

J. Tanner · Mar 22, 2012

I think I've still got zero sales at Sony. I've had a bit of luck at Apple but for me all other stores combined aren't even 10% of Amazon. (Note small numbers all around for me since it's all short stories.)

I don't really buy in to the kids with iPads theory so much either. It seems to me that the typical iPad/iPhone user still prefers to use the Amazon store for ebooks over the iBook Store so even if they're on the device they aren't necessarily avoiding Amazon.

ripple · Mar 23, 2012

If you don't go kindle select, can you still make books available for free for promos?

Also, whether you are in select or not, is there a way to deliver "free" books... say to some sort of reviewer?

Right now I am slightly leaning toward the select route.

Thanks...

brianjanuary · Mar 23, 2012

Plus, Amazon has free apps available for PC, Mac, iDevices, Android, Blackberry, etc., so they already have these covered.

J. Tanner · Mar 23, 2012

ripple said:
If you don't go kindle select, can you still make books available for free for promos?

If you're in Select, your book will be available exclusively through Amazon. For each 90 day Select enrollment period you'll be able to schedule 5 free promotion days.

Also, whether you are in select or not, is there a way to deliver "free" books... say to some sort of reviewer?

You can send out review copies without violating your exclusivity clause (assuming you're in select.) You just email the reviewer a copy of the file. You don't send them to a bookstore to get it. Due to the glut of ebooks and the limited number of reviewers it's very difficult for a new author to find reviewers who aren't already committed to months and months of book reviews--so it's one of those things that's nice if you luck into it, but not something you should really be expecting when you start out.

veinglory · Mar 23, 2012

I would kind of say the opposite. It makes sense to start Select (if you use it at all) to use the free promo, ranking bump and lending option then go general and into wide distribution once sales start to build. If sales are great in general, why would you drop out of non-Amazon channels? Especially if that is where a lot of the sales are coming from?

merrihiatt · Mar 23, 2012

veinglory said:
I would kind of say the opposite. It makes sense to start Select (if you use it at all) to use the free promo, ranking bump and lending option then go general and into wide distribution once sales start to build. If sales are great in general, why would you drop out of non-Amazon channels? Especially if that is where a lot of the sales are coming from?

This is what I'm doing now. I'll offer new books exclusively with Amazon for 90 days, then let Select expire and make my e-books available through other channels.

Kindle select out of the chute?

ripple

FOTSGreg

Today is your last day.

J. Tanner

NewKidOldKid

diplomat

ripple

FOTSGreg

Today is your last day.

J. Tanner

ripple

brianjanuary

J. Tanner

veinglory

volitare nequeo

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!