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Martin Roy Hill

Amazon Bestseller Status Not All It's Said to Be
 

Looking for tips on how to game Amazon's bestseller listings? Well, you won't find it here. Despite the common opinion that a higher ranking will sell more books, writer Amy Harrop presents a solid case why you shouldn't pay much attention to Amazon's bestseller list.

Harrop, in a blog post for Judy Cullins' Nonfiction Book Writing, Self Publishing, & Marketing Coach website, insists "sustainability and engagement" are far more important to improving book sales than where you rank on Amazon. 

You can read Harrop's piece here.

Amazon's Crackdown on TOC Stuffing

 
 And while we're talking about gaming Amazon's system, the e-book distribution giant is cracking down on another sort of scammer -- authors who try to game the Kindle KDP Select Global Fund by stuffing their books with table of contents in the back of the book.

I know. Putting a table of contents in the back of a book makes no sense to me, but apparently it somehow tricks Amazon into thinking readers are reading more pages of a book than they actually are.

Ricci Wolman, writing for the Written Word Media website, explains the problem in detail and how it might affect indie authors. Read the article here.
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The Other Side of Book Reviews: How Writing Reviews Can Improve and Promote Your Books

You hear it all the time, the importance of reviews for selling your books. You work hard lining up colleagues, friends, even family members to read your book and leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads.

But have you ever considered how important it is for you to write book reviews? Posting book reviews on any of the sites mentioned above is a great and inexpensive way to get your own writing recognized. Moreover, learning how to produce a professional book review can help improve your own writing.

Let's take that last sentence first.

Reviews written by casual readers are usually quite simple. "I liked it a lot!" "Couldn't put it down." "Exciting, rip-roaring read!" What's usually missing is any explanation of why the book was enjoyable.

As a writer, you are not a casual reader. Any time you read a book, you should be taking it apart piece by piece. What is the plot, conflict, and theme? How well developed are the characters? How is the book structured? What is the pacing? What did the author do (or not do) to make the book stand out?

Researching the author can add to your insight. One of my favorite authors, thriller writer David Morrell, lost his father in WWII, had a bad relationship with his step-father, and later lost a young son to cancer. Father and son relationships are a recurring theme in many of his books. I recently read Karl Marlantes Vietnam novel Matterhorn. Looking up his biography showed his novel was based largely on his own experiences as a Marine Corps infantry officer in that war, particularly a battle in which he earned the Navy Cross for heroism. It took Marlantes 30 years to write the novel, probably as a way to exorcise old ghosts.

Analyzing a book this way does two things: it gives a greater understanding of what the author did (or didn't do) to make the book a success or failure; and understanding this will help you improve your own work.

Continue reading...

Sci-Fi Books on Trajectory for Higher Orbit


Unless you've been living in Plato's Cave for the last year or two, you know science fiction movies are big right now. Star Wars, Star Trek, The Martian -- all have been top ticket sellers.

But according to Dawn Ius, publishing trends reporter for the International Thriller Writers' The Big Thrill, science fiction is just as big in the book world as it is in the movie world.

However, before you dump the manuscript you're working on now in favor of a sci-fi book, there is a caveat: You have to do your home work and understand the sub-genres of science fiction, and which ones are doing well right now. And trying to ride a publishing trend can be as tricky as catching a wave in surfing.

Read Ius' article here.
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