Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

I think advertising can be useful for very specific certain kinds of books (very popular or trendy genres) but usually is going to cost you more than you make in sales.

Christopher wrote: "I think advertising can be useful for very specific certain kinds of books (very popular or trendy genres) but usually is going to cost you more than you make in sales."

For sure. I would have to get a sale on every click just to break even at a cost of over two bucks per impression. Or raise my price to seven dollars and still hope for a purchase on every other click to make some profit.

Longoria wrote: "Asa wrote: "Christopher wrote: "Unfortunately the bulk of advice available on line on how to build an audience or "platform" is out of date by 5-10 years, so its of limited use in today's market. B..."

Thanks. Yes, it was really helpful. Opened my mind on many things.

Join my new Goodreads group if you like: ttps://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1084870-...

https://www.amazon.com/Asa-Rodriguez/...

Asa wrote: "Longoria wrote: "Asa wrote: "Christopher wrote: "Unfortunately the bulk of advice available on line on how to build an audience or "platform" is out of date by 5-10 years, so its of limited use in ..."

I will. Thank you.

Longoria wrote: "When it comes to other author's work, I won't review it unless I can give it the high marks. Because that is what a supportive fellow author should do. ."

That's not what consumers' do in consumer reviews. So, when you post your "supportive fellow author" crapola as if it's a consumer review, please ensure you're honest enough to disclose that in your promotional copy "review".

Amazon Advertising works if you're strategic about it. You need to have a good idea of what books or authors your audience purchases. You should target these authors and titles and set the default bids on your Sponsored Brands or Sponsored Products ads to a level you can afford to support over a term of months. If you just use a set of generic terms and let Amazon pick your bids for you, you'll spend a ton of money for each sale.

I used to use Yasiv (now apparently broken) to get my also-boughts and targeted the most common authors with my Sponsored Brands ads. Very few of my default bids are above $0.55, and most are $0.35-0.45. I've been running ads for over eighteen months, selling 30-45 books a month, with a lifetime ACOS of less than 44% and my YTD ACOS at less than 34%. I have to pay attention to prune search terms that become unproductively costly, but otherwise the ads take care of themselves.

Lance wrote: "Amazon Advertising works if you're strategic about it. You need to have a good idea of what books or authors your audience purchases. You should target these authors and titles and set the default ..."

Do you have any experience with reviews....?? Today someone that I don't even know sent me this email: "I am a 23 year old student of English literature. Right now I am on a break from college so I am accepting book review requests. I read all genres. If you want to get your book reviews please contact me."

I don't know what this is. Is this to actually help me...?? To ask for money?? Should I email back?? What do you think??

Lance wrote: "Amazon Advertising works if you're strategic about it. You need to have a good idea of what books or authors your audience purchases. You should target these authors and titles and set the default ..."

Thank you, Lance. I will look further into these issues. I do find a majority of my clicks originate from some specific keywords. Perhaps I should limit how much I bid to make the budget go further. Thank you. Much to consider. Are you allowing amazon to adjust up and down for the bid on each impression?

Asa wrote: "Today someone that I don't even know sent me this email: "I am a 23 year old student of English literature. Right now I am on a break from college so I am accepting book review requests. I read all genres. If you want to get your book reviews please contact me."

Asa, I have received six or seven messages like this since I published my book in October. Each from a different person, but each with exactly the same text, word for word. Hmmmm.......

Krista wrote: "Hello,

I'm curious about this topic because I've read several websites with advice to provide copies to people to review on Amazon or elsewhere. If the person includes a disclaimer, isn't it fine..."

I just published my non-fiction book, "I always loved you. Creatures of eternal love." I have received a few emails from people offering to give me reviews. I don't know, but I don't trust. Hmmm...

https://www.amazon.com/Asa-Rodriguez/...

David wrote: "Asa wrote: "Today someone that I don't even know sent me this email: "I am a 23 year old student of English literature. Right now I am on a break from college so I am accepting book review requests..."

I better stay away. One ignores people's true intentions.

https://www.amazon.com/Asa-Rodriguez/...

David wrote: "Asa wrote: "Today someone that I don't even know sent me this email: "I am a 23 year old student of English literature. Right now I am on a break from college so I am accepting book review requests..."

Yes. I guess it's safe to consider that these review authors may have a group of reviewers who are working together, maybe to be able to post reviews under different names.

I'll tell you what, when I first started my Goodreads page and website I had requests to read my book in its beta stage, I'd contact them, then immediately I'd start receiving spam for reviews and book marketing after giving my email. The truth is I felt threatened. Like they knew who I was and that they could just as easily give me bad reviews and damage my hard work. I felt like my work was being held hostage. Threatened. It's unfortunate that some people who want to make a buck will exploit writers. Exploit anybody. But there is a difference between some that do positive things and others that well... Everybody has to make a buck. I just think of writers as dreamers who are proactive they aren't bleeding a whole bunch of people. They sit down alone and weave dreams. There are some who want to create indy empires with influence on every media outlet and so forth but some of us just want to sit down and write a story. Then people come around and act like opportunists with little real regard for that effort and care.

There are some reviewers selling their services who aren't capitalizing on the drive to get more amazon reviews. Those people usually have a website and they will do a nice write up on their website that has some traffic and it's a win win for all parties. They aren't putting up paid fake reviews on the sales platforms. It's more of a marketing service. I can respect that. But when you give your email to one person in a beta exchange situation then you get a flood of wierdo sounding emails it's creepy. It's psychological warfare. And then when you get that one star review out of the blue with no written review you don't have to wonder too much whether it was posted by some bitter person looking to be cruel. Someone with an agenda.

You should check out my new one star review all the way to the source and you'll see it's been shelved on their Not Even If You Paid Me Shelf. You decide.

Longoria wrote: "Are you allowing amazon to adjust up and down for the bid on each impression?"

I haven't been until now. I'm experimenting with it on my newest campaign. I figure if it works, I can start doing it with my other campaigns; if it doesn't work or the cost starts ballooning, it's easy enough to shut it down.

Lance, I appreciate your input into this thread. AMS ads are the set I've had the most difficulty getting traction / decent CPC with. Your post was helpful, and I will bear it in mind when I try them again. Thanks!

Since I wrote my latest book Creative Ways with Money, I had reviews come in via text, but no reviews on places that count. How can I get a reader to review on places like Kobo, Amazon or Goodreads? Or even a mention on a blog would be nice.
Cheers

Have you got a link to your review page at the back of your book?

Everyone one give me a great review and I will let you know how it goes!!

The Estate Plan Workbook is a tool you can use to establish your wishes to be included in your Will, your wishes related to your personal care, healthcare, and how your property is to be managed while alive. This book does not provide legal advice but provides information from lawyers and the public domain on getting your estate planning completed.

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The vast majority of avid readers, for whatever reason, choose to never post a rating or review. Those that do are merely expressing their personal, and therefore subjective, opinion. One reader's "Best book ever!" may very well be another reader's "Worst book ever!".

Many novice authors are unaware that sales drive reviews, not the other way around. Strive to continuously improve upon basic writing, narration, promotional, and marketing knowledge and skills rather than obsessing over reviews and they will begin to appear.

The odds against any author achieving commercial success within this extremely competitive field are great. That said; some have. There is no reason why you might not eventually become one of them. I wish you success.

The problem is that we authors - particularly those of us in the early stages of getting established and recognised - have fragile egos, and want to curl up and die when we get a bad review, while doing a high five for a good one.

In addition, a review is, for some of us, the only serious critical feedback that we get on our writing. While sales are a good indication of how well the book has been taken up, they never tell us why.

Any review is a good review. They leave something behind. A good review boosts our confidence and the motivation to surge ahead while a bad one gives the direction to walk on and the weeds to clear in the path of success