The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Trying Out Self-Publishing

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
I'm much more of a lurker on forums and I don't usually post anything, but there are quite a few self-publishing threads on here, it seems, so I thought I might as well add another one. Also, I'm proctastinating right now, so... :D

Anyway, I started publishing just over a week ago on the 27th October 2014, and since then I've been writing between 5k and 8k words per day. They're all fiction. Some are stand-alone, some are parts of a series, but right now, I'm pretty much just trying things out to see how things work. The only platform I'm using right now is Amazon, because most of my income so far has come from borrows. I'm not sure how much borrows will be worth this month, but I guess it's a waste of time trying to guess... ;)

I'm doing erotica/erotic romance right now, but want to try and branch out into other types of romance in the future to see how that does. I want to write in a few other genres, too, but that will probably just be for fun. I did dabble in non-fiction for a little while, but I kept falling asleep while I was trying to write, so I decided that it would be the best decision for everyone involved if I just stopped.

Results after 1 week:
Book 1 (published 27th Oct): 11 borrows
Book 2 (published 29th Oct): 13 borrows
Book 3 (published 30th Oct): 41 borrows, 2 sales
Book 4 (published 31st Oct): 4 borrows
TOTAL: 69 borrows, 2 sales

Nothing spectacular, but I'm still learning. They're all in the same kind of niche since I was trying to build my catalogue, but I'm going to try and branch out a little more this week, just to see what happens. So far I've done no marketing, but I'm going to try out some free promos one day to see what happens.

Process:
Right now, my current process is:
1. Research bestsellers on Amazon, note down trends (takes about an hour).
2. Research bestselling authors on Amazon, note down trends (takes about an hour).
3. Pick one of the trends, use a beat sheet to think of a storyline, sum it up in a single paragraph (takes about 5 minutes).
4. Buy image from dollarphotoclub, order cover from fiverr.
5. Write, write, write (takes between 4 and 12 hours).
6. Edit, edit, edit (takes about an hour and lots of coffee breaks).
7. Write blurb and choose keywords (can take about an hour, this is probably the most important part, aside from the cover).
8. Publish, publish, publish.

Rinse and repeat.

Some stuff I've learned so far:
To be completely honest, I've only been doing this for a week, so the stuff I've learned so far is pretty limited. The only thing I can honestly advise is: just publish it. I've already spoken to so many writers who sit obsessing over a book for weeks, months, years without getting it published, simply because it's not 'perfect'. The truth is, it's never going to be perfect, and even more importantly, unless you're planning to be the next Austen or Fitzgerald, nobody's going to CARE if it's perfect. Get your spelling, grammar, and punctuation right, and you're good to go (unless your story sucks).

Also, before you spend 4393 days of your life writing something and then paying £5000 for editing and a cover, make sure there's actually a market for it.

Goals:
I wanted to try and get 50 books out by Christmas, but I think my brain might implode before I make it, so I'm lowering the target to 30. 30 books out by Christmas would be awesome, and then I'll take it from there. I don't really have a monetary goal, since that's not something I can control, so for now I'm just sticking with production numbers and word count goals. I try to hit around 5k words every day, but some days I do more and some days I do less, so I guess it kind of evens out.
I'm going to use whatever funds I get from this to try and outsource some of the writing in the future, and possibly even translate some of the more popular ones, but once again, not entirely sure...going to set aside some for a side business that I'm working on, too, because as much as I love writing, I'm not sure I feel comfortable placing all of my eggs in the (undoubtedly fickle) Amazon basket.

I've probably passed my daily 5k word goal by just writing this post, but hopefully it's helped someone (although I'll openly admit that I don't really have much of an idea what I'm doing right now), but either way, it'll help me track my progress, I guess.

Oh wow, this post is a monster. Apologies for rambling. My books aren't this boring...honest! :D
Time to start writing again...aaah. :p
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

Thriftypreneur

Silver Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
156%
Jun 8, 2013
477
743
Welcome to the club. Keep us posted.
 

Gymjunkie

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
50%
Jun 17, 2009
1,833
910
35
I gotta say I admire the work ethic and production rate! And borrows seem to be doing well already. If you get 30 of them out by Christmas, you'l have what, 30-50 bucks a day just from them alone without promos? That would already be great start!

Good luck!

P.S. What if you try a series of romance shorties with small romantic adventures, even a sequence of dates, from 1st date to like a wedding etc.. story unfolds like that... hec, could it be first series like that ever? :p
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
Hecks yeah. I'm doing the same, although I started out writing them, now since school started I outsource it all. Don't forget to bundle bundle bundle.
Thank you. :) That's awesome! I've read through your threat and it was very inspiring, definitely motivated me to try out outsourcing at some point. Hoping to have a bundle out later this week!

Welcome to the club. Keep us posted.
Thanks very much! :)

I gotta say I admire the work ethic and production rate! And borrows seem to be doing well already. If you get 30 of them out by Christmas, you'l have what, 30-50 bucks a day just from them alone without promos? That would already be great start!

Good luck!

P.S. What if you try a series of romance shorties with small romantic adventures, even a sequence of dates, from 1st date to like a wedding etc.. story unfolds like that... hec, could it be first series like that ever? :p
Thank you! Yeah, that's what I'm going for, haha. It's a lot of effort, but I'm hoping it will pay off. Much more fun than my last part time job at McDonald's (and it pays more). Onwards and upwards. :p
That's a pretty sweet idea, actually. I'm sure it could be a very fun experiment. Thanks for that!
 

EricZ

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
128%
Oct 18, 2014
226
289
Germany & California
Awesome!
Thanks for you participation and updates - keep them coming.
You are another author who just executes - no big launches etc. etc. - great!

So you are doing only borrows now?
When are you going to switch?

Keep us updated!

Here are some other authors here who are going fastlane - fast!


https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/my-take-on-self-publishing.49869/
and
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/hello-from-denver-self-publishing-success.46006/

and
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...kenhawks-self-published-fiction-ebooks.47885/
 
Last edited by a moderator:

MayaMagpie

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
99%
Jul 11, 2014
91
90
London, UK
Pretty awesome! I wish I could write that fast/much in a day... My personal best is 3,000 words, and I felt completely drained after that. But then, it was for a full length novel, and I find those much harder than shorter stories. Congrats on your progress so far, keep us posted!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Gymjunkie

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
50%
Jun 17, 2009
1,833
910
35
Thank you! Yeah, that's what I'm going for, haha. It's a lot of effort, but I'm hoping it will pay off. Much more fun than my last part time job at McDonald's (and it pays more). Onwards and upwards. :p
That's a pretty sweet idea, actually. I'm sure it could be a very fun experiment. Thanks for that!

Go get them!!! ;)
 

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
Thank you very much! :D I actually stalked all of the other authors here and read through their threads before I decided to venture out on my own, and they certainly have been more than useful. I'm super grateful for all of the help everyone's given!
Readers have an option to either borrow or buy, but as most of the stories I write are shorts and can be read in under an hour or so, I guess it makes more sense for them to borrow as it's cheaper in the long term if you read a lot of that stuff.

Pretty awesome! I wish I could write that fast/much in a day... My personal best is 3,000 words, and I felt completely drained after that. But then, it was for a full length novel, and I find those much harder than shorter stories. Congrats on your progress so far, keep us posted!
3,000 words is great! Yeah, I'm the same. I can write a short story pretty quickly, but novels take much longer, they seem to drag on much more for some reason, especially the middle section. That's usually the part where I question myself and convince myself that everything I've written so far is awful and I should just give up and stop writing, haha. With shorter stuff, there's no time to do that. It's just write, edit, publish. :D Thanks for your support!
 

COSenior

Gold Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
171%
Jun 22, 2013
950
1,628
Colorado
I've been lax about reading new threads lately, but I'm glad I took a flyer on yours. You seem to get it, and your progress is astounding. Sounds like you may have hit on just the right strategy for you.

I'd encourage you to go ahead and stretch your comfort zone with the length. Novellas are now selling for what full-length novels sold for when I started about a year ago. I'd be willing to bet that as indies get more confident about their work, they'll be able to command the price that the trad-published authors get. With a backlist that you'll have by Christmas, you could be making a full-time living at writing before you know it.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
I've been lax about reading new threads lately, but I'm glad I took a flyer on yours. You seem to get it, and your progress is astounding. Sounds like you may have hit on just the right strategy for you.

I'd encourage you to go ahead and stretch your comfort zone with the length. Novellas are now selling for what full-length novels sold for when I started about a year ago. I'd be willing to bet that as indies get more confident about their work, they'll be able to command the price that the trad-published authors get. With a backlist that you'll have by Christmas, you could be making a full-time living at writing before you know it.

Thank you very much! It's great to hear from you, I've read through your thread and learned a lot, so thank you for that, too! I hope everything's still going well.

Thanks for the suggestion, I think I'm definitely going to give that a go. I actually prefer writing novellas as opposed to shorts overall, they're much more interesting. I guess I'm just experimenting with stuff right now to see what works. Hopefully I'll find my niche soon enough. I've been writing short serial episodes recently of about 12k each, and at first I thought everyone would 1* me to death, but it appears that's not the case. Although now that I've said that, it'll probably all change... :D
 

ChickenHawk

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
468%
Aug 16, 2012
1,281
5,991
Butt in Chair
Congrats on your stellar beginning and amazing word counts!

The only thing I can honestly advise is: just publish it. I've already spoken to so many writers who sit obsessing over a book for weeks, months, years without getting it published, simply because it's not 'perfect'.
This is excellent advice!

Also, a quick note... Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything in your posts to indicate that you've set up a mailing list. If you haven't done that, please consider doing that asap. If you have a strong mailing list, that can be a huge benefit in launching your books and helping to make sure that Amazon doesn't completely "own" you. (BTW, for my mailing list, I use MailCheat(Chimp). It's easy to set up and free if you have less than 2,000 subscribers.)

Good luck as you move forward!
 

COSenior

Gold Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
171%
Jun 22, 2013
950
1,628
Colorado
Thank you very much! It's great to hear from you, I've read through your thread and learned a lot, so thank you for that, too! I hope everything's still going well.

It's going very well, thank you. Thanks for reading my thread!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Ziva

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
275%
Feb 14, 2014
44
121
47
Awesome!! Way to take massive action. I'll definitely be following your progress :)
 

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
Congrats on your stellar beginning and amazing word counts!


This is excellent advice!

Also, a quick note... Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything in your posts to indicate that you've set up a mailing list. If you haven't done that, please consider doing that asap. If you have a strong mailing list, that can be a huge benefit in launching your books and helping to make sure that Amazon doesn't completely "own" you. (BTW, for my mailing list, I use MailCheat(Chimp). It's easy to set up and free if you have less than 2,000 subscribers.)

Good luck as you move forward!

Thank you, ChickenHawk! :D Your threat was another very helpful one that I read all the way through before starting, so thanks for all of your advice.

Yup, I totally agree. I was a little late on the mailing list front since it took me a couple of days to figure out HOW to actually do it, but I've shoved the link at the beginning and end of each of my books now, so I'm hoping to get some signups. I think I could already have had a few by now, but oh well, you live and learn. :p

Awesome!! Way to take massive action. I'll definitely be following your progress :)
Brilliant, thanks for the support, I appreciate it. :D
 

M Collins

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
17%
Jul 1, 2014
6
1
33
You'll be killing it soon sure enough. I was where you're at right now about six weeks ago. Just a matter of scaling up. Good job! Not sure if the seven keyword selection is really all that useful other than category placement though, still mulling over that myself.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
You'll be killing it soon sure enough. I was where you're at right now about six weeks ago. Just a matter of scaling up. Good job! Not sure if the seven keyword selection is really all that useful other than category placement though, still mulling over that myself.
Thank you! I really appreciate it. :D Yeah, I don't think anyone really knows how it works, haha. It's better to be safe than sorry, though, I guess. It doesn't take that long, either, in the grand scheme of things.

I've been pretty busy, so I haven't been hanging around forums very much, but I wanted to update my results so I can look back on them in a couple of months or whatever. These are my results taken from a couple of days ago (Tuesday the 11th):

Pen Name #1:

Book 1 (standalone, Oct 27): 16 borrows
Book 4 (standalone, Oct 31): 7 borrows
[These were a terrible idea, they pretty much just flopped. Thinking of releasing one before to make a bundle, but there is so much other stuff I need to write at the moment that I just don't have time...]

Series 1:
Book 2 (series (vol 1), Oct 29): 32 borrows, 2 sales
Book 8 (series (vol 2), Nov 7): 6 borrows, 1 sale

Series 2:
Book 3 (series (vol 1), Oct 30): 95 borrows, 8 sales
Book 9 (series (vol 2), Nov 9): 3 borrows

Series 3:
Book 6 (series (vol 1), Nov 4): 18 borrows, 5 sales

Mailing list sign ups: 4

Pen Name #2:
Book 5 (standalone, Nov 5): 23 borrows, 4 sales
Book 7 (standalone, Nov 7): 20 borrows, 9 sales
Book 10 (standalone, Nov 10): 1 borrow, 1 sale

Mailing list sign ups: 0

Total overall after 2 weeks: 221 borrows, 30 sales
Total this week: 152 borrows, 28 sales


What I've learned this week:
No matter how much of a good idea it might seem like at the time, don't be an idiot and start 3 different series' at the same time if you have no idea what you're doing. Just no. No. Stop.

Right now I'm just focussing on finishing the different series' I've started, aiming for about 8k words a day to try and get them finished by next Tuesday, if possible, then I can bundle them or something. In the future, if I do a series, I think it will probably make more sense to release them all at once, as opposed to waiting a week or so between releases. Especially kicking myself about series 2, I didn't expect that to be so popular. Also kind of kicking myself about the mailing list, I think I could have got quite a few more sign-ups if I'd started a little earlier, but not too bothered. To be honest, I didn't expect anyone to actually sign up, so I'm pretty happy, I think. I reeeaally want to start some longer works, but need to finish off everything I've started first...oops. :D

These aren't amazing results by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm just experimenting right now more than anything, I suppose, so I'm more than happy. Not sure how long I should wait before I bundle the 3 shorts from pen name #2, was thinking about leaving it a few days since they're all selling pretty well by themselves right now, and if I put the bundle into KU, I'll essentially be throwing borrows away...? But not sure.

This post was far too long, and I'm not sure if it even makes sense to anyone except from myself. Will stop now.
 

Gymjunkie

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
50%
Jun 17, 2009
1,833
910
35
Well, congrats on good results! Keep at it, focus on winners for a while!

How many email lists do you have? 2? Hopefully you'll see more and more sign ups!
 

SinJin

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
100%
Jul 3, 2013
1
1
Northeast US
Congrats. You're really hitting the ground running. I'm still chewing through the big self pub threads from HfR and ChickenHawk. Out of curiosity, what are borrows worth these days? I know it varies as AMZN changes what's available in the "pot" so to speak.

Again, congrats.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Member

Bronze Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
101%
May 2, 2013
115
116
Can you put a link at the end of each book in the series to the next book in that series? I don't know if you're already doing that, but I imagine something that contains a little blurb with a direct link would increase the number of people who realize that it's a continued series and will follow along.

Also if you don't get paid more for a customer borrowing a bundle than 1 standalone book, I think you should only have the bundle as an option for purchase and not for borrow.
 

COSenior

Gold Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
171%
Jun 22, 2013
950
1,628
Colorado
Thank you! I really appreciate it. :D Yeah, I don't think anyone really knows how it works, haha. It's better to be safe than sorry, though, I guess. It doesn't take that long, either, in the grand scheme of things.

I've been pretty busy, so I haven't been hanging around forums very much, but I wanted to update my results so I can look back on them in a couple of months or whatever. These are my results taken from a couple of days ago (Tuesday the 11th):

Pen Name #1:

Book 1 (standalone, Oct 27): 16 borrows
Book 4 (standalone, Oct 31): 7 borrows
[These were a terrible idea, they pretty much just flopped. Thinking of releasing one before to make a bundle, but there is so much other stuff I need to write at the moment that I just don't have time...]

Series 1:
Book 2 (series (vol 1), Oct 29): 32 borrows, 2 sales
Book 8 (series (vol 2), Nov 7): 6 borrows, 1 sale

Series 2:
Book 3 (series (vol 1), Oct 30): 95 borrows, 8 sales
Book 9 (series (vol 2), Nov 9): 3 borrows

Series 3:
Book 6 (series (vol 1), Nov 4): 18 borrows, 5 sales

Mailing list sign ups: 4

Pen Name #2:
Book 5 (standalone, Nov 5): 23 borrows, 4 sales
Book 7 (standalone, Nov 7): 20 borrows, 9 sales
Book 10 (standalone, Nov 10): 1 borrow, 1 sale

Mailing list sign ups: 0

Total overall after 2 weeks: 221 borrows, 30 sales
Total this week: 152 borrows, 28 sales


What I've learned this week:
No matter how much of a good idea it might seem like at the time, don't be an idiot and start 3 different series' at the same time if you have no idea what you're doing. Just no. No. Stop.

Right now I'm just focussing on finishing the different series' I've started, aiming for about 8k words a day to try and get them finished by next Tuesday, if possible, then I can bundle them or something. In the future, if I do a series, I think it will probably make more sense to release them all at once, as opposed to waiting a week or so between releases. Especially kicking myself about series 2, I didn't expect that to be so popular. Also kind of kicking myself about the mailing list, I think I could have got quite a few more sign-ups if I'd started a little earlier, but not too bothered. To be honest, I didn't expect anyone to actually sign up, so I'm pretty happy, I think. I reeeaally want to start some longer works, but need to finish off everything I've started first...oops. :D

These aren't amazing results by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm just experimenting right now more than anything, I suppose, so I'm more than happy. Not sure how long I should wait before I bundle the 3 shorts from pen name #2, was thinking about leaving it a few days since they're all selling pretty well by themselves right now, and if I put the bundle into KU, I'll essentially be throwing borrows away...? But not sure.

This post was far too long, and I'm not sure if it even makes sense to anyone except from myself. Will stop now.

That's a really outstanding result, actually, especially for short works that you've spent so little time on. 10 titles in a two-week span? Incredible, even if they're short stories. That shows real focus and drive.

If I thought you'd give away your secrets, I'd ask how you got that many borrows for your first book in series 2. I agree, though, don't scatter your efforts that way, especially when you're first starting out. However, at least now you know what works and what doesn't. I'd now focus on that pen name, if I were you. I assume the two pen names are for two different categories?

I have a resource for you, to help you track your results. All sorts of spreadsheets available at http://coffeebreaksocialmedia.com/books/resources/, including one for words written per day that aggregates weekly, monthly and yearly. Another tracks rankings and calculates a ballpark for what you're earning.

BTW, in response to the person who mentioned not bundling unless you make more for a borrow on a bundle than on a single book, I presume you know that all borrows are paid the same amount, which is based on the pool divided by the total number of borrows. The pool changes monthly, so the pay for a borrow might vary quite a bit, but not from book to book; only from month to month. Pricing your title higher also doesn't affect the pay per borrow. In fact, if your titles are priced at .99, you make more per borrow than per sale. If yours is $2.99 and mine is $8.99, we each make the same amount per borrow, but I'm making much less per borrow than per sale, while you're making pretty close to the same for either. So, as you become more recognized and can make more per book, the borrows become less valuable than they are right now.
 
Last edited:

Gymjunkie

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
50%
Jun 17, 2009
1,833
910
35
BTW, in response to the person who mentioned not bundling unless you make more for a borrow on a bundle than on a single book, I presume you know that all borrows are paid the same amount, which is based on the pool divided by the total number of borrows. The pool changes monthly, so the pay for a borrow might vary quite a bit, but not from book to book; only from month to month. Pricing your title higher also doesn't affect the pay per borrow. In fact, if your titles are priced at .99, you make more per borrow than per sale. If yours is $2.99 and mine is $8.99, we each make the same amount per borrow, but I'm making much less per borrow than per sale, while you're making pretty close to the same for either. So, as you become more recognized and can make more per book, the borrows become less valuable than they are right now.

Maybe he meant that it's better to have few books getting Borrows than one Bundle getting one Borrow. Purely numbers game. Why lose Borrows when combining stuff, instead of multiple options.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Member

Bronze Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
101%
May 2, 2013
115
116
Maybe he meant that it's better to have few books getting Borrows than one Bundle getting one Borrow. Purely numbers game. Why lose Borrows when combining stuff, instead of multiple options.

Exactly.

And thanks COSenior for a good explanation of exactly how the borrow system works. Based on it I think bundling the books for KU would be a bad idea because you would be reducing your number of borrows. Wouldn't you agree?
 

COSenior

Gold Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
171%
Jun 22, 2013
950
1,628
Colorado
Exactly.

And thanks COSenior for a good explanation of exactly how the borrow system works. Based on it I think bundling the books for KU would be a bad idea because you would be reducing your number of borrows. Wouldn't you agree?

Yes, I do. Should have spelled out the conclusion. :) From both the reduction of borrows and the reduction of royalty vs. price, it doesn't make sense.
 

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
Well, congrats on good results! Keep at it, focus on winners for a while!

How many email lists do you have? 2? Hopefully you'll see more and more sign ups!
Thank you very much! Yup, 2 pen names, 2 mailing lists right now. :)

Congrats. You're really hitting the ground running. I'm still chewing through the big self pub threads from HfR and ChickenHawk. Out of curiosity, what are borrows worth these days? I know it varies as AMZN changes what's available in the "pot" so to speak.

Again, congrats.
Thank you very much! :) I think borrows were about $1.50 last month, but it fluctuates. Numbers for October borrows are released...tomorrow? I think. :p

Can you put a link at the end of each book in the series to the next book in that series? I don't know if you're already doing that, but I imagine something that contains a little blurb with a direct link would increase the number of people who realize that it's a continued series and will follow along.

Also if you don't get paid more for a customer borrowing a bundle than 1 standalone book, I think you should only have the bundle as an option for purchase and not for borrow.
Thank you! Yup, I have been doing that. :) Hmm, yes, I've been toying with that idea, I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do yet. I was going to stick the bundle up for $3.99 and keep it out of KU, but on the other hand, I thought that sticking it in KU might help it rise up the rankings faster, thus converting into more sales overall when the other 3 books begin to lose popularity and slide down the rankings? As I've said, I'm completely new to this, so I'm not sure.

That's a really outstanding result, actually, especially for short works that you've spent so little time on. 10 titles in a two-week span? Incredible, even if they're short stories. That shows real focus and drive.

If I thought you'd give away your secrets, I'd ask how you got that many borrows for your first book in series 2. I agree, though, don't scatter your efforts that way, especially when you're first starting out. However, at least now you know what works and what doesn't. I'd now focus on that pen name, if I were you. I assume the two pen names are for two different categories?

I have a resource for you, to help you track your results. All sorts of spreadsheets available at http://coffeebreaksocialmedia.com/books/resources/, including one for words written per day that aggregates weekly, monthly and yearly. Another tracks rankings and calculates a ballpark for what you're earning.

BTW, in response to the person who mentioned not bundling unless you make more for a borrow on a bundle than on a single book, I presume you know that all borrows are paid the same amount, which is based on the pool divided by the total number of borrows. The pool changes monthly, so the pay for a borrow might vary quite a bit, but not from book to book; only from month to month. Pricing your title higher also doesn't affect the pay per borrow. In fact, if your titles are priced at .99, you make more per borrow than per sale. If yours is $2.99 and mine is $8.99, we each make the same amount per borrow, but I'm making much less per borrow than per sale, while you're making pretty close to the same for either. So, as you become more recognized and can make more per book, the borrows become less valuable than they are right now.

Oh wow, thank you very much. It means a lot! :D

I think I just drilled down further into the niche for series 2, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I'm going to throw out a few more like it when I have time and see if they do as well, but it probably won't be until at least a couple of weeks. Yes, the pen names are for different categories, and I'd actually say that pen name 2 is more successful than pen name 1, simply because it takes about 3 hours to write a story for #2, and about 8 hours for pen name #1. I prefer writing for #1 than #2, though, so I'll keep them both going for now. :p

Thank you, that's excellent! I purchased the book that you posted a link to on your thread too, so I'll definitely give that a read sometime.

Do you suggest that I don't put the bundle in KU at all, even though it will most likely fall down the rankings a lot quicker? You're obviously much more experienced at this stuff than I am, and any advice is greatly appreciated, haha. :D
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Jam Wheel

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
130%
Jul 14, 2014
77
100
UK/US/SE
Girl, you look like you could use a reference thread. Check this one from kboards - its pretty definitive on the pricing and bundling aspect and may answer a lot of your questions:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,162157.700.html

Check in around pages 12-15 or so for the info you are looking for, although the original author does repeat himself a bit (wondering if hes on here...)
 

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
Girl, you look like you could use a reference thread. Check this one from kboards - its pretty definitive on the pricing and bundling aspect and may answer a lot of your questions:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,162157.700.html

Check in around pages 12-15 or so for the info you are looking for, although the original author does repeat himself a bit (wondering if hes on here...)
Awesome, that's a brilliant thread. I actually started reading it a while ago and got about half way through and then forgot about it. Should probably finish it off sometime. Thanks for reminding me about it! :D The pricing stuff really does help, I'm kind of just wandering around aimlessly at the minute, need to focus.
 

Jam Wheel

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
130%
Jul 14, 2014
77
100
UK/US/SE
True but better to be wandering in the wilderness now with a product than standing on the edge wondering what if :D I love reading your updates, so keep going!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

COSenior

Gold Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
171%
Jun 22, 2013
950
1,628
Colorado
Do you suggest that I don't put the bundle in KU at all, even though it will most likely fall down the rankings a lot quicker? You're obviously much more experienced at this stuff than I am, and any advice is greatly appreciated, haha. :D

I have two answers to that. Held for Ransom said at one point that he didn't see any drop-off in sales between the individual stories and the bundles. That never made any sense to me as a reader. If I knew someone was going to bundle and probably give a bit of a discount, I'd wait for that, most likely. Apparently I'm not typical, though. Also, that was before KU. So, from that perspective, assuming things were still the same as they were the last time he was active on the forum (which I don't think they are), I'd bundle, but maybe not put it on KDP Select.

Now for my answer. If I were in your shoes, with the momentum you have going with these short works, the only reason I'd bundle is to get the higher commission on the bundled set, which wouldn't work out very well if you had them in KU. About $1.50 per book, instead of say $2 for a $2.99 price.

Now, KU puts a different slant on things than when I started out, and I think we're all still trying to figure out how it's going to work for us. If you're going to continue to turn out short stories at the rate you have been, KU is going to be in your favor for two reasons; one, you can get a higher royalty for a borrow than you'll get for a sale, and two, your name is going to get familiar to the readers in your genre just because of the sheer volume of titles. However, you have no control over future royalty for borrows. What if Amazon stops artificially propping KU up? In fact, you have no control over anything Amazon does.

So, here's what I would do, and it's purely a personal preference; I have no data to back it up as any more viable a plan than what you're doing right now. I'd continue to churn out the shorter stuff in the pen name that's doing better from your perspective because they take less time to write. I'd also begin to work toward longer titles in the one you like to write better. It's my perception that longer works have more staying power, with standard-length novels (around 100k words) having the best staying power. You will eventually want to take a week off. It would be nice if you could do that without losing your audience. But, because you'll already have a good-sized catalog and a recognizable name, KU won't necessarily be required to get your newer, longer stuff off the ground.

@ChickenHawk is on record as stating that it seems to be harder for non-KDPS works to get traction, because Amazon is pushing KU so hard (all KDPS titles are automatically included in KU unless you specifically ask that they not be). I agree to a certain extent. However, it is and has always been common knowledge, backed up by some people who do actual data gathering, that more titles equals more sales of each title. There's a synergy that boosts backlist any time you publish a new title. For that reason, once you have a significant catalog, your longer stuff will be found by your audience with or without KU. You seem to have found a niche where there's an eager audience for your work, that doesn't mind short stories. Keep feeding that, but begin to stretch toward more mainstream, longer works with more staying power.

I hope that made some kind of sense. It isn't what I'm doing with my titles right now, simply because with longer works, the catalog can't be built as fast. Therefore, we're trying to build audience with KDPS and KU. Eventually, when they're well established, we'll remove the books from KDPS and publish them on other platforms.
 

Aimee

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
409%
Mar 3, 2014
106
434
27
I have two answers to that. Held for Ransom said at one point that he didn't see any drop-off in sales between the individual stories and the bundles. That never made any sense to me as a reader. If I knew someone was going to bundle and probably give a bit of a discount, I'd wait for that, most likely. Apparently I'm not typical, though. Also, that was before KU. So, from that perspective, assuming things were still the same as they were the last time he was active on the forum (which I don't think they are), I'd bundle, but maybe not put it on KDP Select.

Now for my answer. If I were in your shoes, with the momentum you have going with these short works, the only reason I'd bundle is to get the higher commission on the bundled set, which wouldn't work out very well if you had them in KU. About $1.50 per book, instead of say $2 for a $2.99 price.

Now, KU puts a different slant on things than when I started out, and I think we're all still trying to figure out how it's going to work for us. If you're going to continue to turn out short stories at the rate you have been, KU is going to be in your favor for two reasons; one, you can get a higher royalty for a borrow than you'll get for a sale, and two, your name is going to get familiar to the readers in your genre just because of the sheer volume of titles. However, you have no control over future royalty for borrows. What if Amazon stops artificially propping KU up? In fact, you have no control over anything Amazon does.

So, here's what I would do, and it's purely a personal preference; I have no data to back it up as any more viable a plan than what you're doing right now. I'd continue to churn out the shorter stuff in the pen name that's doing better from your perspective because they take less time to write. I'd also begin to work toward longer titles in the one you like to write better. It's my perception that longer works have more staying power, with standard-length novels (around 100k words) having the best staying power. You will eventually want to take a week off. It would be nice if you could do that without losing your audience. But, because you'll already have a good-sized catalog and a recognizable name, KU won't necessarily be required to get your newer, longer stuff off the ground.

@ChickenHawk is on record as stating that it seems to be harder for non-KDPS works to get traction, because Amazon is pushing KU so hard (all KDPS titles are automatically included in KU unless you specifically ask that they not be). I agree to a certain extent. However, it is and has always been common knowledge, backed up by some people who do actual data gathering, that more titles equals more sales of each title. There's a synergy that boosts backlist any time you publish a new title. For that reason, once you have a significant catalog, your longer stuff will be found by your audience with or without KU. You seem to have found a niche where there's an eager audience for your work, that doesn't mind short stories. Keep feeding that, but begin to stretch toward more mainstream, longer works with more staying power.

I hope that made some kind of sense. It isn't what I'm doing with my titles right now, simply because with longer works, the catalog can't be built as fast. Therefore, we're trying to build audience with KDPS and KU. Eventually, when they're well established, we'll remove the books from KDPS and publish them on other platforms.

Oh, wow. This is brilliant, thank you so much for being so helpful!

I agree with everything you're saying, and I understand where you're coming from. You're completely right that Amazon could stop propping KU up at any minute and that I pretty much have no control whatsoever, which I suppose is part of the reason why I'm trying to write so fast, haha. I want to try and get as much done before Christmas, at least. And yes, Amazon are definitely, definitely pushing KU much more than the regular books.

Yeah, I've been thinking about doing longer stuff too, although it's undoubtedly much more daunting, haha. I suppose I have a little more confidence after releasing the shorter stuff, so I think I might give it a go once I've finished writing all of those series' I've randomly started, haha.

It definitely made lots of sense, and it's reassured me a lot, so thank you. I'm pretty much trying to do the same thing (eventually). I hate relying on Amazon for everything, but KU makes things too tempting for beginners. :p I might try experimenting with some shorter stuff outside of KU over the next few weeks, but I'm not sure just yet. I'm glad everything's going smoothly for you, too! You deserve it!
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top