Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

I've been trying to make my book free on Amazon.com and I've tried putting it for free on Smashwords.com and telling amazon it's cheeper somewhere else. If anyone can offer help or any suggestions to what I'm doing wrong that would be great :)

Here are the links to both websites:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
http://www.amazon.com/Revival-ebook/d...

Did you sign up for Prime on Amazon? That may be the thing, as the Prime members get your book for free.

If you sign up for KDP Select, Amazon will give you five free promotional days over a 90 day period. You get to choose which days these are, and on those days, your book is free to everyone. But by signing up for Select, you lose your freedom to publish on Smashwords or anywhere else. That wasn't a problem for me, but some people like to have more than one avenue of sale.

You can go free on Amazon if you join KDP Select, but you only get five free days, though the contract is for ninety days. This means you have to cancel it with smashwords and other sites for 90 days and therefore can't do Giveaways anywhere else. You do get exposure with Amazon on the free days. My children's book, Rascals Sing at The Opera House, had over a thousand downloads during that five free day period and I sold quite a few of my other books too, both ebooks and paperbacks. However, when the free period stopped, so did the sales unless I market like mad, and I can't give that book away now until the 90 days is up. It's still for sale on Amazon kindle and Amazon books though and can be taken out in their library. I do miss being able to give free copies for promotions and it's not available on smashwords until my 90 days are up.

Amazon used to match the free price, but I don't think they do since the KDP Select came in. So you have to chose where you want the free book to be. Amazon or Smashwords.

I hope this helped.

Thanks Patricia for the summary.

I debated about whether to do this or not but after seeing the results from other authors, I signed up.

I am well pleased. You can break up those five days of promotion. I chose to make my book free for two days - yesterday and today. Time is from midnight PST to midnight PST.

As of a few minutes ago, I have had 1655 downloads. Not only has it increased my exposure, but the sales of my sequel have bumped up too!

I plan on doing this on all my first books in each series. Cave of Forlorn

http://www.amazon.com/Cave-Forlorn-Sh...

King regards,
R.C.

Dale wrote: "Thanks Patricia for the summary."

You're welcome, Dale.

Would you help me. I put my fantasy, 3037, on the KDP. It's doing nothing. Now I keep hearing about this week promotion. I didn't see anything about that when I signed up and I can't find where I can choose these dates. I went back and read all the instructions I used when I put it on there but can't find it. Where?

you have to go to your KDP bookshelf and check the box beside the book you wish to have a week free and you will. Under the 'Actions' drop down box, you will have the option to Manage promotions at the very bottom. By selecting that option it will bring you to a window where you can set up a campain for the selected book.

Hope that helps :)

Thanks so much, honey, I appreciate it. I'm still struggling on this computer but I can always get help from someone. I'm just meeting the nicest folks on goodreads and twitter.

i find the nicest people on goodreads, it really is an amazing site.

Trynda wrote: "I've been trying to make my book free on Amazon.com and I've tried putting it for free on Smashwords.com and telling amazon it's cheeper somewhere else. If anyone can offer help or any suggestions ..."

This is the second time I've heard this happen in the last week. Looks like the price switch dealy might be done. Amazon has likely changed their policy due to a flood of freebies.

Probably better for everyone in the long run. Good books on a five-day giveaway still get huge attention,apparently.

it deffanatly seems that way, thats to bad i would like to give away some of my books free. I'll still keep trying, maybe i'll find a new solution.

:)