Previously, a perceptive reader alerted us to the troubling phenomenon of Amazon ghettos.
With the recent launch of The Ophian Rising, I tried to employ the strategy defined by Galaxy’s Edge authors Nick Cole and Jason Anspach in an attempt to avoid falling into the ghetto and perhaps to get my other books out.
To refresh your memory, here’s what the Amazon “also boughts” for Nethereal looked like at the time of the post linked above:
Here are OR’s “also boughts” as of this morning:
It’s a night and day difference compared to Amazon’s recommendations for Nethereal. Instead of my own books, a whole slew of books from Castalia House authors, and one Galaxy’s Edge title, OR’s recommendations flip the ratio to four GE books and only two CH titles. Plus, we have the welcome addition of two books by Russell Newquist.
But that’s not all. Let’s take a look at the Amazon “also boughts” for Sword of the Legion, Nick and Jason’s fifth GE novel:
The Ophian Rising is right at the beginning of page 2.
But that’s not all!
Amazon’s recommendations to readers of the third Soul Cycle book, The Secret Kings, now contain a healthier mix of CH, Superversive Press, #PulpRev, and Galaxy’s Edge books.
My early conclusion is that Nick and Jason’s strategy for avoiding the Amazon ghetto works. I wasn’t even able to fully employ their model due to my smaller readership, but it appears that even partially implementing their advice will give a new book a fighting chance to stand on its own. I look forward to seeing OR’s long-term performance.
Thanks to everyone who supported my ongoing book launch, especially Nick, Jason, Russell, Jonathan, Mark, Jon, David, Daniel, Jagi, and Richard. Special thanks to my starting lineup of advance reviewers. You surged off the bench and scored big time!
And of course, sincere thanks to my readers. All of this is to make it easy for you to find entertaining books that won’t insult you by creators who have an interest in your well-being instead of your destruction.
The Ophian Rising, Soul Cycle Book IV is now available for Kindle and in trade paperback.
Its direct predecessors, Dragon Award-honored The Secret Kings and Souldancer are both on sale for $2.99.
The breakout first book of the Soul Cycle, Nethereal, is now on sale for just $0.99.
Boom! Congrats, Brian! Cracking the code and building in the Amazon "suburbs" means more Action & Adventure for all of us!
Onward and Upwards!
Thank you, sir. That's the plan.
I think I might need to build a bigger base first, but I'm glad that it's working out. We need to reach more readers.
And congrats on the book launch!
Maybe you should band together for launches. Build a common website where test readers and reviewers can sign up, receive how-to instructions, and find some rewards for successful launches. Leverage common audiences to build larger audiences that you all can benefit from supporting.
Ebooks, cover art prints (or digitals), early access to draft chapters may be rewards for successful review and Amazon review posting.
@JD: Thank you! Keep climbing that ladder.
@Man of the Atom: Your idea sounds similar to my speculation about how a successful digital age publisher might be structured combined with how Nick and Jason laid the groundwork for Galaxy's Edge.
TL;DR, your plan might have legs. You'd have to structure the site carefully and set up cross-promotion deals with best selling indie authors who aren't members to avoid creating another ghetto.
Sounds like an archipelago of similar type promotional sites. Small groups of indies who support each other's efforts, though they may not be associated, or even working in the same genres or genre-mashups.
Might even look like what SFWA was supposed to do. Wow. Imagine that.
Hmmm.
Indeed. Quite intriguing.