SPA Girls Podcast – EP34 – How Do I Get Reviews?
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This week – episode 34 – we talked about reviews – what they are, why you need them, and how you might go about getting some more!
The best thing about Amazon is the ability to leave reviews and to gather momentum for your books through word of mouth, and we love them for it. Even better, they’re pretty good at trying to make sure those reviews are legitimate reviews, rather than people trying to game the system (and okay, there will always be peeps trying to game the system, but at least they’re trying).
As well as our own stories around reviews, we also give a whole lot of options and ideas on ways you might consider trying to get reviews for your book up on Amazon. Hope it helps! 🙂
Reviews, (the good the bad and the ugly)
Why Do I Need Reviews?
-Reviews help readers decide whether to purchase a book also. Good and bad, depending on the feedback, can often entice a reader to buy your book.
-Supposedly the more reviews you have helps with the algorithms on Amazon, however there is no definitive proof regarding this.
-Some advertising sight will require a minimum number of review before they will accept your book.
-It’s a double edged sword for new writers, because you need reviews to get people reading your book, but how do you get them?
Caution-
-It is often the case that if you review friends or family Amazon will pull the review. Not sure how they know you’re linked, but it happens. The SPA girls cannot review each other, (believe me we know, we’ve tried.)
-Don’t buy reviews it is never a good look. Also never buy negative reviews for your competitors.
-Don’t try and review your own books. I doubt this would work without a secondary account, but if it does, don’t.
-Please do not ask your followers to go and down vote negative reviews on your books.
-Don’t beg for reviews, it never looks good. This happens on social media a lot. Hey, its okay to ask now and again, but do it in a way that is not pushy.
Reviews are important for many reasons but some writers (Wendy is one of these) do not like reading their reviews, so she gets someone close to her to do it. The reason why this is important is that if there is an issue with a particular book, for example a plot point or editing issue, you really need to know about this so you can correct it.
Negative Reviews
-Remember that some people are just plain mean and will write something nasty, so be ready for that.
-Sometimes they’re just having a bad (hey happens to us all right)
-Your competitors will post negative reviews.
-Negative reviews can be posted simply because the book did not download properly (often not your fault) but the reader will negative review you anyway.
-Often when you special your book at a low price, or put it out for free, you will get a lot of downloads from people who don’t usually read your work, and often not that particular genre, and consequently some of these will be negative, but that just comes with the territory.
TREAT PEOPLE HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. (don’t annoy people, it will bite you in the ass)
Our advice is do not respond to reviews, negative or positive, (of course that decision ultimately is yours to make) because reviews are the readers domain and they should have the right to say what they like without author interference. I have seen authors who do, and some of the results are not pretty.
REVIEWS ARE PART OF BEING AN AUTHOR – DEAL WITH THEM!
How to get reviews
-ARC (advanced reader copies). Build this list, because they get the book before it goes live. This ensures that their reviews will go up on the day it is live.
-Net Galley – is a site where book reviewers and other professional readers can read books before they are published. This is a paid service.
-Ask your email newsletter subscribers to post a review (nicely).
-Approach reviewers on Amazon who read books in a similar style and genre to yours. Offer them a free copy for a review.
-Goodreads is a reader based site. Treat it with respect, but you can get reviews there.
REMEMBER EVEN IF YOU GIVE A BOOK AWAY THE REVIEW WILL NOT NECESSARYILY BE A POSITIVE ONE!
If you are struggling to deal with a bad review check out your favorite author and find their one star reviews, because we guarantee they have them!
SPA Girls Podcast – EP33 – Getting Your Newsletter Started
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Welcome to another episode of the infamous SPA Girls Podcast, where we break down the journey to self publishing one step at a time. This week we talked about newsletters – what they are, why you should have one, and how to go about getting one sorted. Setting up an email newsletter is often quoted as being the number one top priority for a self published author – it gives a direct line between you and your readers, which can be invaluable.
We’ve tried to keep it simple so there’s not too much in the way of overwhelming information, and we also made sure that we explained all the terminology that you might come across along the way. Any questions, remember you can always contact us via email, on our Facebook page or via the website!
You need to have an e-mail newsletter! So everyone will tell you, including us.
Why do I need a newsletter?
It is the only way that you can consistently reach your fans directly, no matter if you are traditionally or self-published. It should be your go to, before any other form of social media, including Facebook and twitter.
Social media comes and goes, but your website and your newsletter are, and will always be, the most important tools, after writing, that you have. They are yours and no-one can take them from you.
It’s a well known fact, that e-mail newsletters have a higher return than any ads you may run.
How do I get my list?
To begin you will need to sign up to a provider like ’Mad meme, Mailchimp or A Webber. These are the main ones that we know of, but there are many of them. (The alternative is doing it all manually with a spreadsheet. Do this if you have all the time in the world and enjoy pain!)
The above sites can be used for free up to 2000 subscribers (Mailchimp, definitely – not sure of the others) until you need to pay. Because it’s free, you can start with one and move on to another if you don’t like it or find it too hard to use.
You should also have an e-mail dedicated to this. Since Gmail may put your newsletter in spam or in the promotions tab ensure that you have your own email eg Suzybrown@suzybrown.com. If the subscriber uses Gmail, then you could add to your opt in a note to: ‘Find me in your promotions tab or check your spam folder.’
Note: different providers may use different names for your fans eg. Mail Chimp – Your List, Mad Meme – the Audience
How do subscribers get on my list?
Your provider will give you the ability to load a Signup form that you create.
Once they subscribe they will get an e-mail to confirm this.
You might want a double opt-in so that anyone serious about being on the list will confirm and those that don’t probably weren’t as interested.
Auto responders will make life easier once you get a few subscribers but you won’t be able to use this until you pay. Auto responders go out at designated intervals and are generated from previously written text by you, thanking them for signing up and offering incentives to stay like free excerpts and videos etc.
Who should I target for my Newsletter?
Use the collection of people that have subscribed to your list. They are genuinely interested in you as an author and your products. Never manufacture your list with e-mails you haven’t received permission to use. It’s not worth being unsubscribed from, or worse, them complaining to the provider.
Quality subscribers eg. hot (knows your work and likes it) versus cold (potentially found out about you from a free offer – they could become warm with the right approach)
It is better to have 50 real people than 500 that are not there for you.
How hard is it to manufacture a newsletter, and how often do I send one?
If you can use word, then you can do this. Each site will offer templates and you can start with something easy. Look to other authors. Sign up to their newsletters and see how they do it.
Suggestions are: Courtney Milan, Barbara Samuel O’Neal, Nalini Singh
We have different views on how often you should send your newsletter. The main thing to remember is that it is a lot of work to begin with and then as you get into the flow it will become much easier. It must be what you can you do, not what you think you must do. If it is too onerous you will tire of it, or put up a bad product.
We do agree that you shouldn’t leave it too long in case subscribers forget who you are. Or too often so that they feel they are being spammed. If you have the right kind of content, you can send more frequently
This is your opportunity to connect so do it sooner rather and later. What is your workload? Monthly is a great place to start, but if you take longer to put out your releases then bi monthly or quarterly might be best. Whatever you decide, make sure what you promise is what you deliver.
Content and What should it Look Like?
Check out the people you like and subscribe to them to see what works for them and for you. If it grabs your attention and holds it for the duration of the read, they could be on to something.
Know your content – know your fans – why are they reading your work?
Remember that your subscribers are real people. Treat them as such. Use a casual friendly tone. Don’t be formal and distant.
Don’t just talk about your book – recommend other authors. Share the love and use them as a filler if you don’t have a new release or your own news and your newsletter is due.
Be professional and treat it like any body of work you send out into the world. Edit it properly.
Make it short and sweet, no rambling.
Emulate other successful authors.
Don’t put in too much personal information but make sure you tell them how to contact you. Insert a link to your sign up form which will automatically be set up by your provider, and put it in the back of your books.
Recipes, crafts etc. are winners if they’re applicable to what you write.
Use graphics, text and hyperlinks to your books. Look at your posts – FB and Twitter etc and see which ones have attracted the most attention
Add value and be consistent.
Keep it to one call-to-action and make it very clear that you want them to click on a specific link without hounding them to buy your book.
Send it out to connect in same genre as you write.
Subject Line
Make it immediately engaging but not too gimmicky. You should engender curiosity but not use ridiculous punctuation or misleading words that could see people unsubscribing and just as bad, your newsletter gets blocked or put into spam folders.
The words – free/ sales/ giveaway, may trigger spam filters.
You could: Ask a question/ mention ‘My latest release’/ A ‘Contemporary Romance Release’
The better open rates use a subject line that ‘just says what it is’.
Testing 1-2-3
How it looks on the screen is not how it looks always in the e-mail, so start with 3 e-mails you own or know, as a test list and send your newsletter there before it goes to your subscribers.
FYI – an open rate over 50% is fantastic. Don’t panic if yours isn’t as there can be all sorts of reasons why that might not be your fault. (see above re reasons why this happens)
Unsubscribers
Don’t panic and don’t take unsubscribes personally. Think of it as natural pruning. If someone isn’t interested, then why waste time sending them e-mails?
Is your newsletter interesting and engaging?
Perhaps you’ve used words or punctuation that has driven your newsletter to their spam folder or it’s been blocked.
Maybe they just changed e-mails.
Links and ideas for Newsletter tips
Case study from Joanna Penn: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/…/fiction-email-list-subscr…/
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/06/10/email-marketing/
Dan Blank’s site http://wegrowmedia.com/ tips for newsletters
Ray Edwards has a list of top e-mail headers.
Larissa Reynolds – The Reader Army
The Modern Tog
Check out other newsletters – creative Industries often have very interesting and eye-catching newsletters.
Ask your writing community how they do it.
Don’t forget u-tube or any tutorials
It should be fun as you get into the swing of it but, if it never feels right for you then bite the bullet, and get someone else to do it.
SPA Girls Podcast – EP32 – Getting The Price Right
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In this week’s episode we tackle the always-changing topic of pricing in self publishing. It’s a biggie, and it’s sometimes hard to distill this one down, especially because most people who are new to self publishing just want those who are older and wiser (haha) to just say – “You must do it this way!” Unfortunately there is no “one true path” for pricing, especially given the vast array of differing goals and aims of authors, and the constantly changing nature of the industry. What worked two years ago won’t necessarily work now.
We suggest that you research the price of other books similar to your own (in genre, length etc), and then determine what your overall strategy is for the launch (eg discoverability vs sales), before you decide what to price your book at. The main thing to remember is that you can always change it later if you decide you’ve done it wrong. That’s the best thing about self publishing, you can test and experiment to find out what works best for you! 🙂
Pricing
There is no one right price for every single author. You need to think about what you are trying to achieve and work out a strategy to implement it.
Things to think about when pricing your book;
You may be publishing your first book.
You could be publishing the third book in a series.
Is it a single title?
What genre are you about to publish?
How long is it?
Are you seeking discoverability or are you looking for more sales, or is your aim to climb the rankings?
Remember this is self-publishing so anything you do, you can change.
Price also determines the percentage of royalty you will receive:
| List Price | Amazon.com | BN.com | Apple iBookstore | Other Retailers |
| $0.99-$2.98 | 35% | 40% | 70% | 40%-55% |
| $2.99-$9.99 | 70% | 65% | 70% | 40%-55% |
| $10-$199.99 | 35% | 40% | 70% | 40%-55% |
You have to agree to sell the book for the same price everywhere, so you can’t sell your book for $2.99 on Amazon and more on BN.com to make up the royalty percentage difference.
So if you put your book at 0.99, you would need to sell more to make as much money, if say you put the price of $2.99. However, the lower price may help you with discoverability and long term you possible will sell more books.
There are also those readers out there that do not like to purchase books in the 0.99c price range, because they do not perceive those books as good quality.
The Author Earnings report which is done by Hugh Howey and Data Guy every six months, looks at Amazon bestselling ebooks and gives an average price of what’s selling. They tend to be between $2.99-$5.99.
Look at top selling indie writers in your genre to see what is selling and at what price. (do your homework)
Remember also, that the bestsellers can command a higher price, because they have a following of readers who want to purchase their books.
As a starting author and if this is your first book, you are possibly looking toward pricing for discoverability.
If you are a traditionally published author who has just received her back list back, and is looking to self-publish, then you may want to look at putting the first book in a series at 0.99c. Put links of your other books in the back and this will promote the rest in the series.
If you put a book out a 0.99c then it is sometimes best to have another book that the reader can purchase afterward, if not, then pricing higher can be a better option in the early stages of your career.
Lower pricing can also help boost your books rankings.
Supposedly no one prices their books at $1.99. (Not entirely sure why)
Different markets have different expectations for pricing. When you load your book, you can opt to put in a specific price for each market place i.e; Amazon UK, Amazon Australia etc. If you don’t use this option, the prices will be set against the US dollar taking into account the exchange rate, and often the prices will be irregular numbers and not end with .99c. Also different countries price differently like India. So look around and see what’s selling and at what price.
Perma free/free ebooks
This is when you set your book price as free permanently. Authors often do this if the book is the first in a series, or if they want to create interest in their work. To do this you cannot be exclusively with Amazon.
Amazon will not set a book at free as the other platforms do, but they will price match if you alert them to the fact. But do so politely, and remember they can still say no. Readers can also send a message to Amazon that they can purchase the book for free on another platform.
Once you get your book perma free, remember to keep checking the price stays that way, as sometimes Amazon will put the price back to the original one. This is important when you are advertising your book, as readers are not pleased if you promise them something free but it is not.
Sometimes you can give a book away to people to help promote your email newsletter, and grow you subscribers.
Remember if you have a pema free, make sure you have the links to the other books in the back of that book. The book must also be really good quality because this is often the first experience for a reader of your writing, and you want to make a lasting impression. You want them to buy the next book.
There are several different options for pricing. For example you get 5 free days on Amazon to market you books. There is also the rolling price options.
Remember if you are going to do a short term discount on price then you need to do some marketing also.
A warning here- if you put your book out for free or a lower price, then be prepared for some negative reviews. This is something that comes with the territory.
Links
KDP pricing support –https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A3KL1PS548IZK2
Author Earnings – http://authorearnings.com/…/february-2016-author-earnings-…/
Janice Hardy’s Fiction University- http://blog.janicehardy.com/…/indie-publishing-paths-whats-…
Let’s Get Visible by David Gaughran – https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Visible-Notice…/…/B00CPQ6YYI
Fiction University – http://blog.janicehardy.com/2015/12/indie-publishing-paths-whats-your.html
Blue Ink Review – http://www.blueinkreview.com/ebook-pricing-hitting-the-sales-sweet-spot/
Author Basics -https://authorbasics.com/determine-best-price-ebook/
SPA Girls Podcast – EP31 – Self Editing for Self Publishers
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This week, in lucky episode number 31, we talk about self editing – what we all do, the kind of techniques and strategies that we use to make sure we don’t make mistakes in our work, and how we work in with professional editors to make sure we catch as many of the mistakes that we can. And that’s a very valid point – no matter how good you think you are, you will ALWAYS miss something in your own work, which is why it’s vital to get outside people looking at your work, as well as editing it yourself. Don’t miss another fascinating episode of the SPA Girls!
