Today’s blog post is by publishing industry expert, Dana Lynn Smith.
What are the differences between marketing a Kindle ebook and marketing a printed book?
The promotional methods used to drive traffic to your website and your sales page on Amazon are similar to that of printed books, but there are some differences in marketing Kindle ebooks:
- There are fewer competing books in the Kindle store, so you may have a greater chance of your book standing out in search results. The Kindle publishing platform makes it very easy for you to enter appropriate keyword tags for your ebook.
- Consumers expect ebook prices to be significantly lower than print books, especially for fiction. You can experiment with different price points, but for fiction books many indie authors report that they sell at lot more books at $2.99 than at higher prices. If you price your ebook between $2.99 and $9.99 (and it’s priced at least 20% less than the printed version) you can opt to receive a 70% royalty from Amazon, which is much higher than what you’d make on a printed book.
- The audience for Kindle ebooks is smaller, because not everyone has a Kindle, but it’s growing rapidly. Remind potential customers that they don’t need a Kindle to read Kindle ebooks—they can download a free reading app to use on their PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry and other devices.
What are the best ways for an author to capitalize on Kindle edition sales?
- Be sure to prominently state on all of your book marketing materials that your book is also available in Kindle format, and provide links directly to your Kindle page on Amazon. You can use a link shortening service to create a short, customized link to use for marketing purposes, such as http://bit.ly/AmazonEbook.
To make a customized link like this, go to http://bit.ly, paste the URL of your book’s Kindle sales page into the large blue box, click the blue “customize” button (beneath the blue box), enter a name for your link (such as AmazonEbook in the example above), and click on the “customize” button.
- Make sure that your print book and your ebook are linked together on the Amazon website. For example, the reviews for your print book should be showing up on your Kindle page, and the sales page for your print book should indicate that the book is also available in Kindle format. If you don’t see that linkage within a couple of weeks, contact kdp-support@amazon.com.
- Earn a little extra on each print and ebook sale on Amazon when you sign up for the Amazon Associates affiliate program at https://affiliate-program.amazon.com.
What are some common mistakes in marketing Kindle ebooks?
- One common mistake is failing to write compelling sales copy and enter the right keywords. The great thing about the Kindle publishing platform at https://kdp.amazon.com is that it’s easy to make changes. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different sales copy, keywords and price points.
- Other mistakes include pricing ebooks too high, failing to promote them as much as printed books, and failing to take advantage of the promotional opportunities available on the Amazon website.
DISCUSSION:What difficulties are you experiencing in marketing your Kindle book?
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ABOUT DANA LYNN SMITH: Drawing on her 16 years of publishing experience and degree in marketing, Dana Lynn Smith helps authors learn how to promote their books through her how-to guides, one-on-one coaching, blog and newsletter. Learn more about how to promote your book on Amazon in her ebook, How to Sell More Books on Amazon, available at http://bit.ly/AmazonEbook. For more tips, follow @BookMarketer on Twitter, visit Dana’s blog at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com, and get a copy of the Top Book Marketing Tips ebook when you sign up for her free newsletter at www.BookMarketingNewsletter.com. |
Self Publishing Advisor 
Great information. I’ve modified my sales copy a number of times to maximize its impact. They key is to always be looking for new and creative ways to engage readers.
That’s exactly it! Make sure your copy stands out from the crowd, and you will surely find your way into audience’s hearts.
Promotional opportunities on Amazon is mentioned in this blog. Where are these opportunities listed? I have not seen any. I have a banner ad going up on kindleboards.com on 6/10 – 6/12 for my novel, but I’m not aware of anything I can do directly on Amazon. Someone please advise. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing these tips.I forgot that someone buying the pdf might also want the kindle version!
Great advice Dana, as usual
Thanks! Refreshing to find someone who provides meat instead of just the promise of a sandwich. Most articles on promotion of Kindle books are fluffy or plagiarized – yours is practical and useful. I hope you start a series with the same title, so that more people can benefit from it!
Great tip about the kindle app. Thanks for sharing…
Thanks for all the great tips. I’m working hard on my sale copy and joining up all the websites too.
I didn’t know about the free reading app… thank you so much for that information. Just added it to my websites so customers have a choice to how they wish to read my books.
Great tips! I always have pictures of my kindle ebooks on my website and it sure helps!