Tag: amazon.com

The Power At Our Fingertips

In this week’s post, I want to demonstrate the power of what Mark Coker calls the “rise of the indie author collective” (The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success). Indies Unlimited is every bit a part of that rise, that revolution really, one that has eroded the power of traditional publishing and significantly democratized the entire process.

Now, there are as many tips and tricks out there for helping independent authors “maximize their brand” or “utilize the tools of the internet” as there are slightly dodgy-looking punters at a female mud wrestling contest, and the debate continues to rage over the effectiveness of reciprocal Facebook “liking” or Amazon “tagging” every bit as fiercely as it does over that of Mona’s standing moonsault and tilt-a-whirl crossbody press on Dolores back in the Fifth Round.

And I have no more answers to those questions than your average… well, dodgy-looking punter at a female mud… But enough of that; in the tradition of great pitchmen everywhere… I wanna tell ya about what works, folks! Continue reading “The Power At Our Fingertips”

Department of Justice v. How we make a living

I’m shifting gears a bit today. This has been bugging me for awhile. You see, I’m a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon. Who am I? Nobody really—but that’s the point. Less than a year ago, nobody knew who I was, who Van Stone is or had never heard of The Card. Actually, to be honest, I had not heard of The Card yet either, because I hadn’t come up with the title yet.

How can that happen, you ask? Simple. The world of eBooks has allowed thousands of writers publish their material and either sink or swim in the big world of bookselling. Believe it or not—that may all be about to change. Continue reading “Department of Justice v. How we make a living”

Tutorial: Make Your Very Own Book Store

K. S. Brooks' Book StorePeople ask me how to sell books from their web site. It’s easy, actually – there’s no stocking, shipping, or coding involved. All it takes is a one-time set-up using the aStore tools provided by Amazon.com. You can embed the store directly into your own web site, or if you don’t have your own web site, you can make the store a stand-alone and send people there. No matter which way you do it, it’s one more venue where you can sell your books – and you make a commission on top of it. Continue reading “Tutorial: Make Your Very Own Book Store”

Listmania – why is it important? by Rosanne Dingli

Author Rosanne Dingli. Photo Credit Jill Beaver
Author Rosanne Dingli. Photo Credit Jill Beaver

Amazon is the mecca for readers of all kinds, and it is fast becoming one of the world’s most innovative publishers. So it has turned itself into a place for authors and readers to interface. Few others do it so successfully and with such apparent ease. The facilities Amazon offers make it the online traffic cop for books. It’s where people look first for direction. If a book is not on Amazon, it’s virtually invisible. Whether or not people make actual purchases there, it’s where they go to seek books. One way they look for the next thing to read is on Listmania!

In an age where the sheer quantity of available reading material can be overwhelming, readers like recommendations of different kinds. Listamania! is where lots are to be found. Recommendations in list form are rather special, because they group books by certain criteria. They can save time, they can prevent confusion and disappointment, and they can introduce a reader to new books and authors, sometimes in unusual combinations. Continue reading “Listmania – why is it important? by Rosanne Dingli”