I've got a few short stories written in my world and a couple more ideas floating around. By the end of the year I'll have about 5 or 6, with a total word count around 60-70,000 words.
One way to use a short story is to offer it as a freebie to anyone who signs up for a newsletter. I get that--it makes easy sense. I might, but I'm not talking about newsletters here.
What I'm specifically wondering about is the best way to use them on Amazon, in order to help build readership and drive traffic to the novel(s).
Option 1: Put them all together as a single novel-length anthology from the world. This was my first intention, because it's the sort of thing I grew up with before the internet/amazon. I'd make the volume ebook and paperback.
Option 2: Put them out individually, spaced in time, ebook only, and priced at 99c or 2.99. I don't know what I think about this. That feels like I am trying to 'milk them for all they are worth' and I just don't know. But I do understand the idea of putting regular content up--I get the idea of regular installments, it just feels intuitively like I'm slashing the actual value of the product by going this route. It feels sort of like what if a person cut their novel into chapters and published each chapter for 2.99. And yet, a lot of people in my groups are plumping for this approach and similar tactics. I'm not a gamer.
Option 3: Same as Option 2 but make them permafree (can I do that?) That would at least get me past the sense that I was trying to hoodwink a customer.
Option 4: Other? Advice?
I appreciate your thoughts and perspectives, as I 'build my brand.' I expect the next novel will be ready sometime in 2021, and will be ebook and print. So between now and then, what to do with these shorter stories sort of weighs on my mind. What do you think?
One way to use a short story is to offer it as a freebie to anyone who signs up for a newsletter. I get that--it makes easy sense. I might, but I'm not talking about newsletters here.
What I'm specifically wondering about is the best way to use them on Amazon, in order to help build readership and drive traffic to the novel(s).
Option 1: Put them all together as a single novel-length anthology from the world. This was my first intention, because it's the sort of thing I grew up with before the internet/amazon. I'd make the volume ebook and paperback.
Option 2: Put them out individually, spaced in time, ebook only, and priced at 99c or 2.99. I don't know what I think about this. That feels like I am trying to 'milk them for all they are worth' and I just don't know. But I do understand the idea of putting regular content up--I get the idea of regular installments, it just feels intuitively like I'm slashing the actual value of the product by going this route. It feels sort of like what if a person cut their novel into chapters and published each chapter for 2.99. And yet, a lot of people in my groups are plumping for this approach and similar tactics. I'm not a gamer.
Option 3: Same as Option 2 but make them permafree (can I do that?) That would at least get me past the sense that I was trying to hoodwink a customer.
Option 4: Other? Advice?
I appreciate your thoughts and perspectives, as I 'build my brand.' I expect the next novel will be ready sometime in 2021, and will be ebook and print. So between now and then, what to do with these shorter stories sort of weighs on my mind. What do you think?
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