self publishing – Little Fears

Selling on WordPress – Part Two

March 19, 2018 LittleFears29 Comments

Today’s post is more a follow-up blog with some further useful ideas and tips for writers and artists on WordPress. Let’s start with a link to my first post, Selling on WordPress from two weeks ago.

Selling on WordPress – The original blog post

It turns out. I was right on the mark. Selling your own products is something that doesn’t come natively to most of the artists and writers that commented. In fact all of them now I’m reading over them… So, know that you’re not alone with your sales issues.

Affiliate Links

Priyankaspen asked how I embed affiliate links into my posts. I’ve discussed affiliate links before. The income you get from them is woeful. I’m lucky if I see $100 every three months. But I don’t ‘sell’ other peoples products on this website. I occasionally link to pens and paper. That’s about it (click for an example). If anybody clicks an Amazon affiliate link and buys anything from Amazon in that session, you get a few pennies. A word of caution here. We’ve spoken about affiliate links on blogs a few times. Nobody seems to mind odd links, but when you stuff a blog post with them, it’s like flicking a switch that pisses people off. If you stuff a blog post full of links, you might make a few pennies of the post, but you’re guaranteed to lose subscribers.

When you sign up to Amazon or any other affiliate network, you get short links to products. On Amazon.com when you’re signed in to affiliates, you get a bar across the top of each page. I always aim for a text link and embed the link in my post.

Copy the short link off of Amazon, highlight the text and right click, then copy. Go to your WordPress post and highlight the text you want to turn into a link. Click the link icon above. Paste the link into the empty box. That’s it, all done.

Icons

Janowrite asked about the icon set at the bottom of my posts. I create the icons myself in GIMP (free image editing software). I then embed the pictures the same way you would any image. Add content, Media, select an image, insert.

Then we add links the same we did with affiliate links. Select the image in the post, click insert link, copy paste in the link you want the image to go too. Handy if you want a book banner you’ve made yourself to link directly to your Amazon author page for example.

Ko-Fi

Forrest asked me about Patreon and tip-jars. Patreon is not for everyone. My tip jar is just a PayPal business link. Setting up a PayPal tip jar is frankly a pain in the arse and far more effort than it should have been.

One thing I do want to change too, though haven’t had time to look at yet is Ko-Fi. It’s a website you set up so people can support you for one-off tips to buy you coffee. Smart idea. Worth a look if you want a tip jar yourself.

https://ko-fi.com

Sales Post

Donna from DMStrachan.co.uk suggested that instead of adding sales announcements to weekly posts, I dedicate a post to new products. So that’s what I did… I’m still adding it to a weekly post… Doh.

Villains & Birdsong

But the focus of the post was far more into the new products. The result is, I had a few email enquiries and I sold three prints right off the bat. So I had some success. A dedicated sales post is better than burying new products. Sounds obvious, but we’re creators, writers and artists. We do have funny ideas about selling our own gear. I’ll get the new art prints on Etsy at full price this week. If anyone still wants a copy at £9 a print, please do drop me a message or email to fears@gmx.co.uk

Another follow up

I will be writing another follow-up blog post on this subject to discuss and link to ideas people had about real-world selling. Until then, looky, icons!

Kindle Direct Publishing now offering proof copies

January 13, 2018 LittleFears65 Comments

Yaaaas! But nooooooooo…

A refresher for those that don’t remember or are new here. I have discussed self-publishing platforms a couple of times.

KDP vs Createspace

KDP Earnings

One of my main complaints with Kindle Direct Publishing vs Createspace was that you couldn’t order proof copies to check over from KDP. Proofs are essential. Not only do I need to see the way the images come out in print, but reading a paperback version of my tales always helps me pull up the odd mistakes I miss on the screen. What I usually do is create and release a paperback book without saying anything. Order a copy. Once I get the ‘your order has been dispatched’ email, I unpublish the book until I am ready for a proper release.

My editor has just finished going over the next book. On to Amazon and KDP, I go, and as I get to the last page, I see this.

Ahhh, do you see it? Down the bottom. Beta proof copies. Yes, yes and yes. I am a happy Fear. I click to request a copy.

Submit proof request. Now, there are a couple of caveats here. First being, you pay the print price. For me £5.47. Something I need to double check there as it goes. My earnings from a £12 book are £1.73. You can see that in the screenshot above this. I can’t recall why my earnings are so low compared to the print cost. I need to go double check where the rest of the money’s going.

The price doesn’t include post and packaging. In the UK we don’t get free delivery options on less than £10 of an order. The post and packaging for this bring the price to £9 as opposed to £12 for a proper copy of my book. That’s a tad frustrating. I know in the USA shipping costs are a lot cheaper. But if you’re writing a novel, surely the P&P is going to make this discount rather small?

One other thing to bear in mind. With Createspace, I believe the proof copies of the book have no barcode or ISBN. They also have not for resale written unobtrusively on the back of the book. That suits me as I’m a visual person and my books look lovely, I need to take photos of them.

Aren’t they sexy books? Yeah, I need to take sexy photos of my sexy books to sell them.

In addition to that, I take the original copies I order with me when I need to show them off somewhere. The odd spelling mistake makes no difference to me when it’s a display book on a market stall. But you still need them to look darned sexy sitting there, being all fearful.

But, from the page above, a snippet of text.

Proofs are different from regular copies. They have a “Not for Resale” watermark on the cover and a unique barcode but no ISBN.

Huh, what? Can’t be too bad right? Something small and unobtrusive like Createsp…

WHOA! Seriously? Damn! That isn’t going to look sexy in any photo or sitting on display. Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

I get it, I do. Amazon is selling you a book at a lower price. They don’t want you reselling an unchecked copy of the book. But feck that. It costs me £9 instead of £12, and I can’t use it to promote my book at all. So then I have to pay £12 again for a copy after the release before I can even take a photo of it? That makes no sense. I want the pictures before I release the book so I can tease it and promote it. That’s backwards in every way.

Damn you Amazon KDP! So close, yet so far! I’m back to a quiet release and order before releasing the book properly at a later date.

If you think my books are sexy and want to put a couple of quid my way for all the info, you can purchase the print and ebooks I have released so far from the link below.

Eat our books: amzn.to/2hMVmVy
Sponsor our Patreon: patreon.com/littlefears
Lick our course: skillshare.com
Drink our art prints & tees: littlefears.threadless.com

Self-Publishing: Reviews

September 18, 2017 LittleFears54 Comments

Now here’s a thing. I don’ know if this is a unique issue for me, or if it effects everyone. I have found with every single book release I have done, I have tried offering digital editions to you, my subscribers and followers, for free. Inevitably the Amazon freebie hunters always end up with copies and always, usually on Good Reads, they leave me a negative review.

Capricorn got a bad review for being weird fiction, January got a bad review for being just groaners and Spiders got a DNF review from someone moaning it was just jokes. In each case, I have been left scratching my head asking, if they could read even half the book, why couldn’t they read the synopsis? Go figure. To quote a Huffpost article:

Don’t trash the book because it wasn’t what you expected. Unless the book was misrepresented, it’s your responsibility to understand what you’re buying before you buy it. Trout Fishing in America isn’t really about trout fishing, and Fear of Flying is not for nervous travelers.

The Do’s and Dont’s of book reviewing on Huffpost: https://goo.gl/Wnt39W

Anywhos! For the book writers out there, this time I asked you, the subscribing rabble, to leave a review every time I posted about the free book offer. I got twelve reviews on Amazon. Currently at 4.8 stars. The one negative review I got was from a freebie book hunter, complaining about it all being puns. On Good Reads, there’s more freebie hunters and fewer people who know me. If it wasn’t for Jan’s review, I would have 2.5 stars. That’s the difference you guys have made. Thank you.

For those 11 reviews, I gave away around one hundred free ebooks on Kindle over five days. I don’t recognize more than half of the people on Good Reads who currently have me listed ‘as reading’. So I don’t know how many freebie book hunters got my book and how many subscribers got my book.

Sales wise, I have had one sale either paperback or digital every day since I stopped offering it for free up from one per week before Spiders release. Water could be muddied there as I didn’t do an ounce of promotion for the prior three months dealing with my home issues. Then I suddenly did five days of heavy promotion. There’s also a mix of books being sold. It seems January and Capricorn have had a wee bump in sales from Spiders release.That makes sense and I have heard from a lot of authors, you need at least three books on sale before you get regular and consistent sales. For something as specialized and super niche as the Little Fears presents books, I believe a sale a day is good. My books are expensive. I am not yet famous. I can’t offer novel value prices of $2 a book.

Prior article, Self-Publishing Earnings on Amazon: http://wp.me/p8dNOZ-zJ

There’s something else to learn from one review. Richard Yates questions whether what I do is flash fiction or a cartoon. I don’t know myself, to be honest. For those that followed my stories before I created the Little Fears, I wrote stories on their own and drew completely unrelated doodles and posted them elsewhere. There never used to be any connection between them. I know flash fiction circles hate jokes being called flash fiction. Y’all know I’m not gonna listen to that crowd’s opinion though right?

Richard did make me think. Now both January and Capricorn are released from Kindle Select I am looking for expanded distribution for them both. Maybe I should be turning my attention to the digital comic distribution platforms instead of just book platforms. Good thinkin’ Richard!

Do you take anything from this?

I don’t know if any of that is either helpful or relevant to any of you. I do know I have a lot of people hoping to self-publish who read this blog though, so I figure any data or experiences are helpful aye?

If you want to read a few reviews, there’s a couple more below.

Ashlee G from Creative Writing Review: https://creativethinkingwell.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/little-fears-presents-a-review/

Richard Yates review: on Read A Damn Book: http://readadamnbookwithrfy.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/read-damn-book-046-spiders.html

If you want to buy any of my books, hop on over to Amazon.

USA Editions: http://amzn.to/2frKA6e

UK Editions: http://amzn.to/2y6t8v0

And if you have any questions, y’all know I try to help by email or comments. Ask me anything about my book writing and publishing process and I will try to answer.

Cheers!

Self Publishing: CreateSpace vs Amazon

September 5, 2017 LittleFears12 Comments

Self Publishing: CreateSpace vs Amazon

One more booky post for those thinking of self-publishing. My camera has broken, so apologies for the repeat pictures.

I’ve been asked on social media again, why do I use KDP and what’s the differences between KDP and CreateSpace. Both are self-publishing platforms where you control everything. Almost.

In my opinion, Createspace thrashes the heck out of KDP in almost every way. Caveat, I’m super niche, KDP is easier and works for me a lil better.

CreateSpace is awesome.

Createspace offer a 30-day Payout instead of 60-day payout for KDP.
Createspace offer distribution on more platforms than just Amazon.
Createspace offer distribution in a handful more countries.
Createspace offer wholesale author copies, so you can bulk order and sell at shows.
Createspace offer physical print proofs before you hit publish. KDP does not.
Createspace offer professional publishing services. KDP, you’re on your own.

KDP Ain’t bad.

KDP is easier to publish on.
KDP keeps you online and in stock all the time. Createspace takes you down when you update until they approve your copy. I have read this hurts your search rankings?
KDP offers Kindle Select lending library.
KDP offers Amazon specific promotions. Such as if you agree to only sell on Amazon for 90-day blocks you can run discounts and free offers. May help launching books, especially if it’s an ongoing series.

I use KDP

Personally, I found Createspace incredibly awesome in what it offers, but harder to use. In addition, I am expecting to release a new book every 1-2 months in the Little Fears series. Imagine losing your rankings every time you release a new book when you update the ‘Also by the same author’ in each book every 1-2 months. Mad. No. Not for me at that pace.

The KDP tools also help me get a big kick start with reviews. The free offers and Kindle Unlimited lending library in the first month knocked my recent book up to 10 reviews, 5 stars. Wasn’t intended, was hoping for one or two to be honest. That has a knock on getting the book noticed for its first month and is gathering sales momentum.

I have been told Createspace gives you better pay rates. Again, I think because of the super niche layout and nature of my books, I found Amazon give me better rates.

I do not know how good Createspaces editing services are as I never tried them. I would say any monkey can format a book right with the Kindle book creator tools for KDP.

I believe Createspace is the better platform but KDP suits my needs a lil better you know?

Shameless Self Promotion

Find this post helpful? Shimmy on over to my Amazon authors page where you can buy all three of my books in digital or paperback, January, Capricorn and Spiders.

USA: https://goo.gl/r64kH4

UK: http://amzn.to/2wAgZPr

Want to support the Little Fears so we can continue telling you new daily groaners and horrors? Hit me up on Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/littlefears

Cheers

Self Publishing Earnings on Amazon

September 4, 2017 LittleFears38 Comments

Self Publishing Earnings on Amazon

I have been asked on social medias, how much I earn from my Little Fears presents series of books. My month to month earnings is not worth discussing as they had a total collapse over the last three months while I was trying to get my shiz together. The question is more aimed at how much I make per book sale.

When you publish on self-publish Kindle Direct Publishing, you get the options of how your book’s printed. Full-colour white paper, black and white cream paper and black and white on white paper. You can also choose the size and shape of the book. Unfortunately, because I have colour pictures I need to choose the most expensive options. In addition to that, the file size affects the cost of the digital edition.

My earnings and sales prices are:

Digital edition sale price; £4.99
Royalty that I receive per sale; £1.72

Print edition sale price; £12.
Royalty that I receive per sale; £1.91

That’s not that much compared to the price of the book, is it? That’s for around 100 pages, full colour, 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches.

Are you writing a novel?

I have dicked about with prices and uploaded novel style books a few hundred pages long. So, if you are a fiction writer and want to self-publish in standard black and white ink on cream paper, this next bit applies to you.

For a 200 page book with black and white ink on cream paper, my earnings would be:

Digital edition sale price; $0.99
Royalty that I receive per sale; $0.30

Digital edition sale price; $2.99
Royalty that I receive per sale; $2.09

Print edition sale price; $9.99
Royalty that I receive per sale; $2.12

I figure most of my readers are American, hence the dollar prices for the cream paper editions.

There are no costs involved in self-publishing that is not optional. I would advise getting an editor to read your work. If you cannot afford or do not want an editor, get at least five people to read your book looking for errors before you publish. Your eyes and mind can only pick up so many errors in your book. A fresh set of eyes with a different perspective helps. Also, run your book through Grammarly. Several times and always after every big edit.

image of little fears presents spiders book 3, a book of flash fiction and short stories