Can I warn you that this might be more of a venting post, than my typical happy updates and snippets? Still here? Okay…let’s get to it.
For those of you who have grabbed copies of any of my books, you’re aware that they are mostly sold on Amazon. Why? It’s the biggest book distributor out there (for the time being, though many companies are quickly catching up, IMO) so it just seemed natural to choose them as my main distributor. But so have most other Indies. Which means the competition is stiffer than ever. This is a good thing – and a bad thing. It’s great because it means readers have many more options and a slew of cheaper books to add to their book shelves or eLibraries. But it’s also not so great because it means that there are tons more books out there for readers to sift through, which means Indies have to compete with lowering prices and offering free promo days to boost sales.
I have done this, and I don’t mind it. Giving away a free book means I have the potential to reach new readers and grow a fan base. This can only help in the long run. But it does hurt my sales. In the beginning, offering up a free book for one day, or even two, brought in extra sales for a short period of time – now that’s not really the case. Now, I’m not going to complain about gifting free books – like I said – FAN BASE, lol. But, since this is not just a hobby, but my career, income in tantamount to my success.
From this point forward, I’m waiting for my agreement with Amazon to end that keeps my books exclusive to only them as a distributor. This means less free promo days, but more ways to reach out to readers. Sony, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, etc…are all avenues I want to expand to. I’m not unhappy with Amazon, I’m simply adjusting the way my books are offered in order to reach more people. And I started with Smashwords. After some seriously frustrating issues getting my first book of The Station Series up on the site and in their Premium Category, I have finally worked out the issue, which means that once the book is reviewed, it will be free online. Free – every day.
I hear some of you scratching your head: What the heck would you do this for? Because I want you to read it. I want you to come back and read book 2 and then book 3 and whatever else I put out there. I want to expand my fan base. I want to make you, the reader, a happy camper!
In conclusion, I created a new account on Smashwords (as part of working out the kinks I mentioned) – so be sure to check it out when you have time. As soon as the review process completes (hopefully without any further issues, lol) Dying to Forget will be waiting for you there whenever you want a copy, in whatever format you want it. Tell your friends, your family, your hairdresser, your bank teller, your mail carrier, your trash collector, your local librarian – tell the world. Thanks for being a reader. 🙂
Happy Reading!
TRISH MARIE DAWSON 