Indie Authors Monthly Magazine For Authors and Readers discussion

Does anyone know how to run a free promotion without being in KDP Select?

Unfortunately you can't do a count down or free day without. You can change your price, so if you want the book at .99 for a few days, they usually are quick to change pricing!

Or you can sign on for the 90 days on KDP and then opt out after!

Hope that helps!

The problem I have with KDP select is you aren't supposed to list on other vendor sites. Maybe that's not true though.

True, for the 90 days you are exclusive with KDP...catch 22

If you do the KDP select, you are only allowed to list on Amazon for 90 days first. Sorry, I'm not much help, but I read the rules like 100 times and you can not list anywhere else digitally while in the KDP.

I contacted Amazon and did the price match thing. We'll see how it goes on the flip side. Thanks for all the great advice.

Stupid question: What's a KDP?

Serena wrote: "Stupid question: What's a KDP?"

No such thing as a stupid question...

KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. They offer the KDP select program. It offers some nice benefits, but you aren't allowed to sell your book on any other vendor sites if you are enrolled.

Gotta ya.

Publishing is still new to me. I've only really ever looked at Smashwords and that was just a little.

Thanks!

Serena wrote: "Gotta ya.

Publishing is still new to me. I've only really ever looked at Smashwords and that was just a little.

Thanks!"

Smashwords is a good place to start if you're formatting your own work. Mark Coker's books are free (on Amazon, too) and they'll take you through the process step by step. Once you pass SW's meatgrinder, you can modify that mss. for the others. It's a great way to learn.

Jacqueline wrote: "Serena wrote: "Gotta ya.

Publishing is still new to me. I've only really ever looked at Smashwords and that was just a little.

Thanks!"

Smashwords is a good place to start if you're formatting y..."

I agree with my first book I used Mark Coker's style guide and it was a huge help.

It's a good template, actually. Format for smashwords also works for Nook, All Romances, and Amazon. You just have to have the proper document type.

My first book I didn't use Smashwords but I used the style guide to format and it worked great

I'll have to look into it. I'm still into fictionpress, but plagiarism is becoming a bigger problem than ever before. No one has taken my stuff, but it's still a concern.

IME Smashwords was more trouble than it was worth. I've been doing the self-pub thing for about five years now, and 99% of my sales have always been through Amazon, so I finally caved and did KDP Select for all but two of my novels. Being able to run free promotions has had a significant impact on my sales. I think the best thing is that enough people have "bought" books while they were free that they now pop up as potential books that are "similar to the one you are buying" or however they put it. "Customers who bought X also bought..." and that sort of thing.

You're narrowing down your options that way though. You never want to put everything into a single basket.