Re: www.yourownbestseller.com - Gilbert & McColl, Any re
Oops! Sorry I didn't chime in here. Yes, I did use this program in 2003 with Outwitting Writer's Block, and yes, I was really thrilled with the whole experience.
It wasn't a course then, though-- it was an ebook/audio book that cost about $95.
I learned a great deal about promotions in general, and my Amazon rank stayed high for the next few weeks as the buzz kept building. Amazon wouldn't confirm numbers for me, but I think I sold about 700-800 books on the "big day" and the following day.
The only real problem for me came in because my publisher didn't prepare for the demand. At the time, my initial print run (which was small-- only about 2500-3000, I think) had already almost sold out. They ran out of books on that day and took almost a month to restock. So I was literally getting e-mails from bookstores asking if I had any of my own stock left to sell them because customers had placed orders that now wouldn't be filled until after Christmas.
Bookstore availability went up, though it didn't have as dramatic a long-term effect as I hoped it would, possibly because of that month-long lag where my publicity efforts were wasted.
Keep in mind that mine was a niche book for writers, so to see it at #4 on Amazon's list was kind of amazing.
That led to more reviews, more interviews, etc. The buzz would not have continued if it were a bad book. But I do believe it's a good way to jump-start a good book that's not getting any attention. In my case, my publicist hadn't even sent galleys to the trades in time (I don't know what happened there) and stores hadn't ordered it in. I knew I had to do something to kick things off, and my editor and agent approved.
I had some things in my favor, though-- first, my own Absolute Write Newsletter with 75,000 subscribers who know my work, and second, friendships with nearly every other editor of writers' e-zines. Moira Allen put my book announcement above her own on her website. Other editors wrote to cheer me on and keep me awake as the numbers climbed. I was awed by the kind of generosity shown to me during that promotion.
I don't see it as a manipulation... I really did have to outsell Stephen King on those days to get that ranking. And if it took a few bonuses to convince people to take a look at my book... well, that's okay with me. Those same people went on to buy my next books. And I like getting "extras," too.