How To Do A Countdown Deal on KDP Select

If you've published your eBook through Kindle Direct Publishing, you have the option to enroll in KDP Select and take advantage of their Countdown Deals.

To create a Countdown Deal:-

• Go into Kindle Direct Publishing and click on Bookshelf.

FIG 1.

• When you do so, you will see your published book listed.

• To the right, click on Manage Benefits.

• The following window will pop up and you will see the Countdown Deal circled in red below.

• Click on Create A New Countdown Deal For This Book

FIG 2.

A drop down menu will appear.  One for Amazon.com and the other for Amazon.UK.  This means, of course, that you can do your Deal on both the US and UK Amazon sites.  However, you organise these Deals one at a time.

• First, click on Amazon.com

FIG 3.

Below is the next window you will see.  Here you will choose what dates you wish to have your Countdown Deal on Amazon.com, and how many increments you wish.  For example, if you choose to have 3 increments, your Deal will start off at 99cents and over the period of days you have chosen, it will go to $1.99, $2.99 and finally back to your full price of $3.99.

FIG 4.

Below you can see that the increments has a drop down mention for your choice.  Please note, however, that when you come to do your Amazon.UK Deal, there is only 1 increment.

FIG 5.

When you have made your increment choice, the following window will appear which gives you a list of the dates of your increments and how many hours each one will be.  If you're happy with your choices, you then press Add Promotion.

FIG 6.

From here, you can go back and choose Amazon.UK from the drop down menu in Fig 3. and repeat the above process.

Once you Countdown Deal is running, you can track sales by going into Promotions as shown below in Fig 7.

FIG 7.

When planning a Countdown Deal, it's wise to organise some advertising to help it along.  A few websites that I can recommend are:-

Kindle Book Review
eReader News Today
Bargain Booksy

It's also important to note that the calendar on these sites fills up fast so make sure you give yourself a bit of lead time so that you can choose the dates that suit you best.

Any question?

SELF PUBLISHING - A GUIDE TO MARKETING YOUR BOOK

If you've self published your book(s) on Amazon or are planning to do so, this book

  LETS GET VISIBLE

By David Gaughran

will do two things as David explains in his introduction. 

"It will break down Amazon's famous recommendation engine and detail the various opportunities for exposure on Amazon's sites.  Plus, it will give you practical help on how to implement this knowledge.  By using the tips outlined in this book, you will get your book noticed."

I think this is a great book for your writer's bookshelf.

Previous posts on marketing

MAKING YOUR BOOK VISIBLE

MARKETING YOUR BOOK

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SELF PUBLISHING AN EBOOK - PART 6 - Marketing your eBook

Let’s face it, one could write a book on the subject of marketing so, for the purpose of this blog post what I thought I’d do is touch on a few things that will point you in the right direction if you’re unsure where to start, and if you have done some marketing then perhaps you will find a few new ideas to try.

To sell your book it has to be visible to your audience and there are many ways you can achieve this.  Social media, giving talks, advertising in your local newspaper, press releases, book signings etc.

Social Media Sites

Goodreads

Here you can join the Author Program and display your book(s).  You can also conduct Giveaways, and advertising campaigns.

There are also many forums where you will meet other authors and readers.

Twitter
Where you can meet a supportive writing community.

Facebook
Here too you can create an Author Page.

GooglePlus

Another place to meet like minded people and your readers.

Create a blog - Blogger - or - Wordpress

You might also like to check out this website, Build Your Own Blog
where users can get step by step instructions for setting up their blog as well as guidelines, tools on writing posts and much more.

Join sites such as the World Literary Cafe, Author Marketing Club, Book Goodies, where you will find programs to advertise.

Join these sites and enter your profile and book details

AuthorData Base

IndependentAuthor Network (IAN)

BookBlogs

Shelfari

Linkedin

GoogleBooks

GooglePlay

NetworkedBlogs
Book Goodies

Author Central

If your eBook is published on Amazon you can join Author Central and create a page, inserting your biography and book cover/blurb.  You can also link this page to your blog and twitter account.

Email Signature

Create a signature for your email that displays your blog link and also your Author Central link.

We all have our individual comfort levels, particularly when it comes to something like marketing.  Some of us like blogging, some feel comfortable speaking to groups, doing book signings, and so on.  So it’s important to find your own niche.

Marketing is a long journey so try not to be in too much of a hurry - it took ages to build Rome!  And there's a plus on the way because you'll meet some wonderful people.

Any questions?

PART 1- formatting your manuscript
PART 2 - writing a catchy blurb
PART 3- book cover/ISBN
PART 4 - choosing where to publish
PART 5- publishing your eBook

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SELF PUBLISHING AN EBOOK - PART 5 - Publishing your eBook

So, you now have your eBook formatted, you have a book blurb that will capture your readers imagination, an eye catching cover, ISBN, and you have chosen where you will publish.  But before you start this process, give some thought to the following:-

Your eBook’s retail price.

You will find information on pricing at both the Kindle Direct Publishing site and Smashwords.

Categories to place your book in
On KDP during the publishing process, you will be asked to place your book in two categories.  For example, for my mystery books, I chose Police Procedural and Suspense.  You will have the opportunity to choose your categories from a drop down menu.

Keywords that describe your book
You will also be asked to choose keywords that will place your book in searches. For example, for my mystery books I chose mystery, detective fiction, murder/mystery, cozy mystery etc.  I seem to remember that you can have 7 keyword phrases so it's probably a good idea to give some thought about them beforehand.  

Here is a link to KDP that discusses categories:-

Kindle Direct Publishing

When uploading to Smashwords, you will be asked to choose keywords that describe your book such as mystery, cozy mystery, crime etc., depending on your genre.  There again, best to have a few keywords in mind before you begin the publishing process.

Also have your formatted manuscript ready to upload, and your book cover.

Here are links for uploading your book to Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords if you have chosen to use one or both of these.

https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=A37Z49E2DDQPP3

http://www.smashwords.com/upload

Good Luck!

Any questions?

PART 1 - Self Publishing an eBook - Formatting your manuscript

PART 2 - Self Publishing an eBook - Writing a Catchy Blurb

PART 3 - Self Publishing an eBook -  Book Cover/ ISBN

PART 4 - Self Publishing an eBook - Choosing Where to Publish your eBook

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SELF PUBLISHING AN EBOOK - PART 4 - Choosing where to publish your eBook

Now that you have your manuscript formatted for an eBook, a catchy book blurb prepared, and a fantastic cover created, you're ready to publish your eBook.  But where can you do that?

For the purpose of this post, I'll list just a few that come to mind.  

KindleDirect Publishing KDP

KDP Select enrolment (See KDP)

Smashwords

Lulu

I’ll talk about the ones I have had experience with, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) which is the eBook publishing arm of Amazon, KDP Select, also with Amazon, and Smashwords.

Kindle Direct Publishing KDP
If you choose to publish your eBook on Kindle Direct Publishing, it will be available for sale on Amazon in Kindle format.  In so doing you are allowed to publish your eBook on other retail outlets such as Smashwords, Google, Google Play etc.

Kindle Direct Publising and KDP Select

If you choose to publish on both Kindle Direct Publishing and also enroll it in the KDP Select program, your book will be available on Amazon in Kindle format but must be exclusively sold on Amazon.  In other words, it cannot be sold through any other retail outlet such as Smashwords.

Smashwords

If you choose Smashwords, you have the opportunity for your eBook to be available for sale not only on Smashwords but also through the retail outlets that Smashwords distribute to.  These include:-

Barnes Noble

Kobo

Sony

Diesel

Apple

Baker & Taylor

PART 1: Self Publishing an eBook - Part 1 - Formatting your manuscript
PART 2: Self Publishing an eBook - Part 2 - Writing a Catchy Blurb

PART 3: Self Publishing an eBook - Part 3 - Book Cover/ ISBN

Any questions?

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SELF PUBLISHING YOUR MANUSCRIPT, WITH IMAGES, ON KINDLE DIRECT PUBLISHING

Your manuscript (DOC file), complete with images of the author and, perhaps, other titles by that author, is finished and you are ready to upload it onto the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) site for publication as an eBook.  So, how do you do this?

Save your manuscript in HTML format

Firstly, you need to save your manuscript(DOC file) again.  This time in HTML format.

• (Save as “Web page, filtered”)
• When you do this, an image folder and a parent HTML file will be created.
• You will find your photographs in the image folder and your manuscript in the parent HTML file.

Secondly, in order to upload this image folder and the parent HTML file successfully to Kindle Direct Publishing, you need to send it in a Compressed (zipped) Folder.  You do this as follows:-

Create a Compressed (zipped) Folder

• right click a blank area on your desktop
• click New on the menu that appears
• and then click Compressed (zipped) Folder on the next menu
• type a name for the new compressed folder, and then press Enter.
• Your new compressed folder is displayed on your Desktop as a folder icon with a zipper on it.

Uploading your zipped folder onto KDP

Now, all you have to do is drag the image folder and the HTML file containing your manuscript, into the zipped folder.  This zipped folder is what you will upload onto the KDP website when you are ready to publish your eBook.

Questions anyone?

SELF PUBLISHING - UPDATING YOUR EBOOK AND PAPERBACK

After publishing Murder At The Rocks in both eBook and paperback formats, I found I wanted to make some changes.  The thought was rather daunting in case I destroyed what I’d originally published, but because I can’t stop myself once I have a bee in my bonnet, I went ahead, into the abyss!  I should add that I was helped along by a friend on Goodreads as well as KDPs support team.

I had published through Smashwords, Kindle Direct Publishing KDP, and Createspace.  I decided to start with updating my Smashwords eBook first.

Smashwords

I found making changes to my Smashwords version the least complicated.

1. Make and save changes to your file, and go into your Smashwords Dashboard.

2. Under Operations, click on ‘Upload New Version’.

3. Under Select File, press the ‘Up-load button’.

4. Return to your Dashboard.

5. You will see that under the heading ‘Premium Status’ it will now say ‘Pending’.  This will remain so for approximately 24 hours until your updated version has been approved.

Kindle Direct Publishing KDP

Making changes to my KDP version was a little more difficult, but only because I wasn’t aware that, depending on what kind of file you originally loaded, the process for updating is different.  In my case I had originally uploaded a MOBI file.

MOBI file

1. Make the changes to your original file, and save it as Web Page, Filtered (*Htm & Html).

2. Open MobiCreator.

3. Select “HTML Document” from Import from an Existing File

4. Press “Import”

5. Select “Build”

6. On the Build page click ‘Build”.

7. Once completed you should see the message “Build Finished”.

8. You will find the file in your ‘My Documents\My Publications’ folder.  It is supposed to have a PRC (or prc) extension, although, mine said Kindle Content.

You can now upload this updated file to KDP as you did your original.

HTML or Word docs

1. Sign in to KDP

2. To the right of your ‘Bookshelp’ screen click the Actions drop down menu.

3. Choose ‘Edit Book Details’

4. The details of the book you published will come up.

5. Scroll down to Preview Book

6. You will see your book as it is in your KDP account and the ‘Download HTML link should be at the top of the Preview screen.  Click on this to download the content and make your changes before resubmitting it.

*I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Kindle system updates from the CLOUD so that anyone who has bought your eBook previous to the update will automatically receive the updated edition.

Kindle publishing video tutorial at https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=A2M7MM0UP7PHK0

Createspace

As you know, the paperback format is a PDF file so you need to make the changes to your original PDF file and then upload it onto Createspace.  It will automatically replace your original.  There will be a down-time for this updated version of your book until you have approved the new proof.  In my case this only took a week.

What are your experiences with updating your book(s)?

SELF PUBLISHING - Part 5- ITIN #

ITIN number.

If you live outside the USA and do not have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), Smashwords and Amazon (or whoever you are selling your books through) will withhold 30% tax.  However, you are not obligated to obtain an ITIN if you are happy to live with this fact.

If you choose to obtain one, the process is as follows:-

Download a W-7 form from the IRS website along with instructions for filling it out.  At the same time, download a W-8BEN form.  When you have uploaded your ebook onto Kindle Direct Publishing, you will be able to download a letter from them explaining why you need an ITIN number.  Enclose this letter along with your completed W-7 form and other necessary identification documents and mail to:-

Internal Revenue Service

ITIN Operation

PO Box 149342

Austin, TX 78714-9342

USA

I think this process takes about six weeks.  When you receive your ITIN number, you then need to fill in W-8BEN forms with your ITIN number and send them to whoever you are selling through, eg., Smashwords, Amazon.

SELF PUBLISHING - Part 3

Kindle Direct Publishing is your avenue to publishing your eBook onto Amazon.

I opened an account, created a profile and read the information about eBook publishing provided on the site.

I then made a copy of the formatted eBook I had uploaded onto Smashwords, and after a few minor changes, uploaded this and my book cover onto the Kindle Direct Publishing site.

Within half an hour, my eBook was available for sale on Amazon in the USA, UK and Germany.

To check for sales and royalties, you go into the Kindle Direct site.

So far, this whole exercise has cost me $147.  My eBook is on Amazon in three countries, on the Smashwords site as well as for sale through all their distribution partners.

SELF PUBLISHING - Part 1

If you had asked me in June 2010 whether I would have considered self publishing my second book, Murder At The Rocks, I would have given you a blank stare because the thought had never occurred to me.  I planned to do what many authors do - look endlessly for an agent to represent me or a publisher who would consent to read my unsolicited manuscript.  As you know, this can take months before you get a reply be it positive or negative.  After spending two years steaming ahead writing a book it’s like you have come to a brick wall built right across your path.  Everything comes to a standstill.  A year ago I would have accepted this however frustrating, but now I’m not willing to.  Not since I can now self publish.

I’m going to cover my self publishing journey over the next few blogs hoping that it will help others if they choose to go down that road.

Where to start

I wanted to publish my book as an eBook as well as a paperback, and after looking into the process for both, I decided to start with the eBook edition first.  This you can do through Smashwords and Kindle Direct Publishing which is owned by Amazon.

Smashwords

·         I started by opening an account on Smashwords and reading all the information they make available.

·         Next I chose someone to create a book cover.  (On request, Smashwords will email you a list of people who can create a cover.)  I supplied my own background photograph and the cost ended up being $57.  I think the cost depends largely on a number of things such as time spent, images used, and how many proofs are done.

·         My next step was to acquire an ISBN number.  This I bought from Thorpe-Bowker for $40 plus a (once only) registration fee of $50.  It is possible to get a free ISBN number from Smashwords, but not until you have been approved for their Premium Catalogue.

·         With my book cover in the making and having entered my ISBN number onto the site, I looked into formatting my manuscript as an eBook.  This process is rather more challenging, but not insurmountable with the help of Smashwords Style Guide.  It is a 75 page document and free to download.  There again, Smashwords will email a list of people who can do this for you at a cost.  I decided to try it myself.