Support for Indie Authors discussion

I've seen this done in countless books. After the book ends the author gives a snippet of their next book by including a sample or chapter at the end of the book. Got it.

Can you do this after the books have been published for a while? Has anyone gone back and edited their book by inserting samples at the end of their books? If yes, is it a good idea to do if the book isn't a series and isn't in the same genre?

I totally get that this likely works 100% effectively for a book series but nothing says you can't do it for single books(I've seen Dean Koontz and Stephen Kind do it).

Thoughts? Experiences?

I don't add excerpts, but most of my books have an "also by this author" page. I've gone in and updated them occasionally, but not recently. I've considered adding like ks, but I've already got a universal link to my Amazon author page, so it seems like overkill. It is nice though when authors offer an excerpt for the next book. It usually helps me decide if I'm going to continue one with a series.

I think it's a great idea. I have a series and do an excerpt at the back. If I had standalones I would probably do it too. Good luck :).

I intend to do this. I have published one book so far and naturally it doesn't have any snippets or links to other books because I don't have anything else out yet. I intend to publish my second book next year - it will be a different subgenre and in no way connected to my first book - but I still think adding a snippet is a good idea to introduce readers to something else I've written. It can't do any harm, right? :)

Quite a few of the newer books I have read do this. My only objection is when the author is writing a series and they drop the reader in a horrible place leaving them wanting a resolution and then have the nerve to insert a snippet! Didn't read it. Don't care. Bring back the book I was reading for 200 some odd pages and take these 54 and... Well you know what I'm saying. Rant over. Do it cautiously.

Tamir wrote: "Quite a few of the newer books I have read do this. My only objection is when the author is writing a series and they drop the reader in a horrible place leaving them wanting a resolution and then ..."

I so much agree with Tamir. I like my books to have a proper resolution even if they are part of a series. If they don't I get very, very cross

At some point, when I have a greater volume of books to promote, I'll go back and insert a "See these other titles" page in the back of my books. I won't ever insert more than that simply because more pages in the book means higher cost on physical copies.

I freely write my other series names into my books. When a character is looking for a book to read, why shouldn't they read mine? Plus, a little free advertising never hurt.
As for a page dedicated to it, I have considered it in the past, and I probably will in the future. Though I like to think I'll include more than just my own works (Think like how big publishers do, when they put ads for other authors in the back of popular books.)

The most thing I might do, since I do have the first book in my series coming out next month. I will put in the bio section the next two books being released or being written in a short paragraph. That's pretty much it.

In my first book, I had two chapters from the sequel as bonus material. Smashwords advised to add bonus and if you didn't have any to use chapters from sequels.

I removed them. Why? Because I don't even read them. If I liked a book enough to continue, I will buy the sequel and not bother reading a bonus chapter or two.

In the sequel though I put tons of bonus material. Short stories (around 500 to 1500 words) about the characters childhood or things that happened on his planet before he crashed on Earth. I also have an alternate prologue that couldn't be used in the first book because it continues from the home planet.. an interview with the main character. Stuff that could be fun to read if you like the protagonist.

Now not many people have read the sequel so not many people will read the bonus material but since I had written it to help me understand the main character as I was writing his story, I already had these things so why waste them? :P

Lots of great responses, good to see! I notice a few people say they just list their other works on a page rather than insert a snippet which is also a good idea. I suppose it's an alternative to entering samples.

I have the blurbs for my other books at the end whether it's part of that series or not. I do specify whether it's a contemporary romance or romantic suspense. I've never added an excerpt though.

Justin wrote: "Lots of great responses, good to see! I notice a few people say they just list their other works on a page rather than insert a snippet which is also a good idea. I suppose it's an alternative to e..."

I just give a link to my website, both on the copyright page and the end matter. I figure that's sufficient, and if they like the book they can find the others with little trouble. I do the same with print copies, but it's just the website.

If your follow up book isn't a sequel to a series but an entirely different book and within another genre should you still insert a snippet in the previous book?

I've written Horror poetry, western horror, poetry and a crime thriller in that order. Would it be weird if I went back and inserted snippets of the next works or would it be fine?

I would just like some advice so I can ponder this and get it out of the way as having tried it or considered it. I'm going to be working on my first ever series soon so I may like to know for future reference too.

Not really sample chapters, but I also do the last page insert thing where I link to my other books.
I feel if the reader does like your work they'd want to know about what other stuff you're up to, even if it's not in the same series, and it makes you come across as a little more accomplished, because you're going "Hey, look at all this other stuff I wrote, wanna check it out?"

That said, since I only recently started doing adding an insert, I had to go back and add it to my previously published works, and I don't think Amazon specifically updates that for people who have already downloaded the book? I know they some odd rule where you can only contact them to consider your changes an "update" if you fix grammar/spelling, but not adding/changing story content. (I might be totally wrong/have misread that, though.)

Hmm. Personally, I chose a subscribe link as my call-to-action at the end of books. I've seen tons of authors do links to other books, though!

Justin wrote: "Can you do this after the books have been published for a while?"

Oops, forgot to answer this!

Yes. ^_~

This was a fascinating discussion. It's really got me thinking. Thanks to all who posted above.

I have a list of my books at the beginning of each book. I have blurbs in the back matter but only for the first books if they're part of a series or there's a sequel. I write in several genres, so for my Chick Lit books, I did a crossover character featured in 2 books. And, for my own amusement, I had a character on a plane reading one of my other books. Ha!

I've seen people put the same exact call to action at the front and back of their ebook.

They thank the reader for getting the book, tell them it'd be real helpful to leave a review where you got it at, and listed out their linked websites to click and visit. Author website, facebook, twitter, amazon author page, etc. They also put a clickable "other works by" list of links in the call to action.

Sometimes people don't read past the last line of the story in their ereader so its helpful having it in the front matter. It might encourage a reader to buy your book if they can see it in your "look inside" preview on your sales page. Some readers skip the front matter, so they'll see the call to action at the end.

For paperback copies, I've seen authors put their author website url and a list of "other works by" in either the front or back matter.

I add the list of my books at the end of each book. I feel that placing this list at the beginning sounds too much like self-promotion and might actually turn off readers that try the "look inside feature" in Amazon. On the other hand, if they encounter the list immediately after reading something they like, it's more likely that they will at least have a look.

For Kindle, I also add an universal link to the corresponding Amazon site for each book. I have noted that providing an actual link drives sales, because I have a significant percentage of readers that buy a whole series and even some that have actually bought books in a different genre because they liked what they had read (I know because some have actually stated so in their reviews).

Given that I write in different genres, I do however list after the title also the genre to which it belongs, so as not to deceive my readers. If they willingly want to change genre because they like my writing, so be it. But I am not going to trick them into believing that all my books are in the genre of the book they have just read. Playing tricks with the readers ultimately discredits you.

I also list the genres of each of my books because I write in different genres. I group them together as well.

We list all our books in the back matter. At first, we listed them in the front matter, but then we figured if people don't finish the book, they are unlikely to want to read another, so putting them at the back was less obtrusive.

For the first book, we added a snippet from the next book. For the third book, we added a section of an upcoming story that explains an important event that happened off-camera. What good these do, I have no idea. I doubt it has any real effect. We won't be doing it in future volumes.

I debated adding sample chapters at the end of my first published book (still editing) but I read on another site where readers were annoyed by it and said they'd see on the Kindle they had 11% left and suddenly find it's the end of the story because the extra chapters are being counted in the 100% of the book of course. So this made me think it wasn't such a good idea, especially as a book blogger who posts a lot of reviews said she found it a total turn-off. So instead I was going to add just a 'forthcoming books' info page. The idea a couple of you have mentioned to have a universal link to your author page on Amazon is a good one - I'll have to google how to do that.

I used to put a list of "other books" at the end of each story, but since my styles are so varied, I've changed to leaving a note and recommending other stories similar to the one they just read.

I only put a sample at the end if it's the next book in the series. Otherwise, if it's a Kindle ebook edition, I put in a list and a link to my Amazon author page. Ebooks through other retailers have a link to my website.

Never done this. May be missing an opportunity

I've noticed on here if some don't do it they add links which is just as good if not simpler.

I paid for such a page in my second book that referred to the first. Have no way of knowing if it was worth it. Probably much easier to just put a page in the front listing previous titles. Less expensive and probably just as useful. I can tell from my Amazon activity that people are reading both of my books. So they are finding the first one, if they start with the second.

I have a list of my other books in the front matter and list them in the back matter with blurbs and links, especially sequels to the book just read or if in the same genre.

Goodness yes, never waste an opportunity to get a reader to read your books. You should have a whole raft of stuff in the back of your book not least of which is a list of all your publications and links to where to get them.

Also have a think about the front of your books, especially ebooks. Why waste the contents page or the front pages with just a title? Use the space for nice comments about your book and how about getting that contents page enlivened with titbits to lure a reader to read on. Don't forget your books have a free look inside part and you need to make that as lively as possible with review snippets and other hooks.

Does anyone know if we can use Amazon reviews (in part, like snippets) in our books as advertising?

Yes, Dorothy, you can use a snippet from any of your reviews and that includes Amazon.

Other than snippets in the back of a new book, has anyone had any other success in pointing back to older works? Aside from relinking and giveaways (or heavy discounts) I haven't come across much.

Let me expand my question to this, is it easier to do for e-books than is it for paperbacks? I feel as it's easier to go to Amazon Kindle and upload your new backpage then it is to go to Createspace and upload a new file for your paperback. It feels like it's the same thing but at the same time I feel e-book changes make more sense. Thoughts?

Justin wrote: "Let me expand my question to this, is it easier to do for e-books than is it for paperbacks? I feel as it's easier to go to Amazon Kindle and upload your new backpage then it is to go to Createspac..."

Yes, an ebook update is much easier. With a paperback, adding an excerpt will change the length, which will require a cover update. If you add more than a certain number of pages, you'll be required to call it a 2nd edition and get a new ISBN.

You are better off not making these changes to a paperback. Before ebooks and POD, books would be printed with only what information was available at that time. Future runs would include updated info, maybe. Now, it's better to just add an about the author that includes how to keep up with releases on social media.

Well said Christina I agree. I figured there was a bit of complications with paperbacks.

All the advice I have gathered here has been great. I did insert the first chapter to my first book in the manuscript for my second book even though they are not related. I think I will keep it as it is and see what happens. If people don't like it then I won't do it for any new releases. Thanks for all the advice.

The only reason I decided not to include samples at the back of an ebook is I've seen a few readers on forums saying they hate this - that it looks as if they have so-much percentage more to go and then suddenly they are at the end and the extra material, apart from your about the author and links is a preview chapter when they thought it was going to be a longer story. So I thought maybe not such a good idea to include a sample.

Personally, I never add any extra information on the title page, especially ebooks. From what I’ve learned over the years, when people look inside, they want to start reading the story right away without having to read superfluous material. If they want to read reviews, even snippets, they’ll check them out on their own after reading the first part of the story.
I do put the first 2 chapters of the next book at the back, along with a list of my books, a clickable link to my author page on Amazon, and one to my website. Keep in mind that all my books are part of a series, so I have no experience with mixed genres.