This week I tried out a paid for promotion just to see if it works, I used Bknights through Fiverr as they seem to have a good reputation. I got them to promote Second Time Lucky, my murder mystery novelette (although I have been calling it a ‘novella’ it is apparently too short). As this is a year old, in a ridiculously crowded market and only short I was not expecting huge sale numbers or anything, this is just a test.
So, this is how it went (all times are UK but all sales were in the USA):
18:50, 30/08/2014, before the promo went live – Ranked #627,726 Paid in Kindle Store.
Promo goes live 19:41, 30/08/2014.
04:17, 31/08/2014 – Ranked #100,554 Paid in Kindle Store.
#71 in Kindle Store > Kindle Short Reads > 45 minutes (22-32 pages) > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
#76 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime Fiction > Noir
05:13, 31/08/2014 – Ranked #57,349 Paid in Kindle Store.
#39 in Kindle Store > Kindle Short Reads > 45 minutes (22-32 pages) > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
#48 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime Fiction > Noir
08:00, 31/08/2014 – Ranked: #35,885 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#22 in Kindle Store > Kindle Short Reads > 45 minutes (22-32 pages) > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
#32 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime Fiction > Noir
#78 in Kindle Store > Kindle Short Reads > 45 minutes (22-32 pages) > Literature & Fiction
12:15, 31/08/2014 – Ranked: #48,194 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#25 in Kindle Store > Kindle Short Reads > 45 minutes (22-32 pages) > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
#38 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime Fiction > Noir
19:10, 31/08/2014 – Ranked: #51,327 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#37 in Kindle Store > Kindle Short Reads > 45 minutes (22-32 pages) > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
#41 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime Fiction > Noir
07:14, 01/09/2014 – Ranked: #55,979 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#35 in Kindle Store > Kindle Short Reads > 45 minutes (22-32 pages) > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
#47 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime Fiction > Noir
Sales: 6 on 30/08/2014 and 3 on 31/08/2014.
9 sales, considering there were only 3 in the month before and only 4 more in the year before that (but 241 free downloads) that looks like a pretty good result to me! Bknights actually apologised for the low sales and refunded my money, they obviously had different expectations to me.
The key thing is that I have learnt that I can get sales through a paid promotion, considering it only cost about £15 (and that got refunded) I am pleased with that. So, I need a plan going forward as I intend to use this service again – I’d imagine with a free book you’d get a lot of downloads.
At the moment I am thinking this:
Maybe try this again with Sovereign Nation at $0.99 and see what happens with a longer book.
Launch my new serial with a $0.99 first part, promoted using this. Release the second part a month later at $0.99 and promote that but also make part one free and promote it too.
It has to be worth a try.
Floating Down The Maran . . . 