Sunday, November 13, 2016

Book Review: Kindle Success Hacks business realities insider secrets

If you're struggling to make more sales (and aren't we all?), this book may provide the necessary spark you need to ignite your sales.



Be forewarned, the book doesn't contain any new ideas, tips, or suggestions - but the author does put his own spin on many oldies, but goodies. And, I think he'd be the first to admit, that's not all bad. In the section on book titles, Morgan reminds us, "Creativity...is not necessarily 'originality.'" Borrow portions of titles that have worked for other authors, and piece them together, so they make browser's stop, and ask themselves - is this book worth reading?

For me, the most useful section focused on book descriptions. I don't know how many times I've just said the hell with it, and cut and pasted a pertinent section from my book. Needless to say, it rarely works out for the best.

Morgan suggests the key to an effective book description is curiosity. Give readers just enough to whet their appetite, and make them ask - What comes next?

If you can make your description irresistible, sales will follow.

As far as book reviews, Morgan says you need them, and sticks with the time-tested minimum of six. That gives you three expanded reviews and three more abbreviated reviews to the right of the others. As far as getting reviews, he "poo-poo's" contacting Amazon Top Reviewers. From my own experience this ploy hardly ever works - unless they've reviewed one of your other books. Then it's worth a shot.

Pricing is a crapshoot, no matter how you look at it.

Some people will buy your book at 99 cents, some at $2.99, and a smaller number of people will buy it at $9.99. A few years back Steve Scott wrote a book, Is 99 Cents the New Free? At that time it was, or at least, it seemed to work. Today major publishers are jumping into the fray, launching new books at $1.99 for just a few days, and the strategy appears to be working.

Will it work for you?

All I can say is give it a whirl. Some books will take off, some won't. Accept that price is just one piece of the puzzle.

Morgan's suggestion on audiobooks somewhat scares me. He says authors should read their own books, not engage professional talent. For most of us, I think that would be a major faux pax. I've always used a professional narrator. And unless you've got an amazing voice, I would suggest you do the same.

The final section of the book was written by Derek Doepker, a professional book coach, who has written numerous books on self-publishing.

He gives seven key tips every author needs to know. Number one is the most important: "People aren't buying what you say, they're buying HOW you say it."

Face it. There's nothing new under the sun.

The only difference is you!

It's your spin on an old idea that makes it intriguing. Your voice and style are what bring a story to life. Many books about history come off as stiff and droll, but they don't have to be that way. In his books about the old west, Mark Lee Gardner brings the characters to life, by talking about his lifelong interest in the subject matter. About going to reenactments of the Great Northfield Minnesota Raid. And, then he goes into the story, giving intimate details of the locations where the stories took place, which we all know are accurate because he told us in advance that he had retraced every step of the territory. Kenneth Roberts is another author who turned the world upside down with his spin on historical events in the 1930s and 1940s. He reinvented Benedict Arnold, transforming him from a traitor to the hero he was before that fateful day at West Point. His books were packed with details only someone intimately familiar with the locales would know.

You make the story. Nick Vulich might tell a boring story about Alexander the Great, but someone familiar with the territory, and ancient Greek history could bring the story to life.

Kindle Success Hacks is a short book, it's not packed with details, but it's definitely worth a look.