Amazon

Were You “Assisted”?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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Authors, when you submit your books to Amazon for publishing you’ll see a question asking if AI was involved in your project.

I am sure everyone knows better than to let AI write their book. However, there are two terms you need to be aware of in case you have had a little help with your cover, a book description, and so on.

  1. AI Assisted means:  Used to edit or refine; brainstorm ideas.

    2.  AI Generated: Totally done by AI. Conception, writing, etc.

    KDP wants to know. Be honest up front. It is not clear whether you are “docked” in some way for using AI or not. 

    Bears a little more investigating… stay tuned!!!

    Update

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    Have you been thinking of updating one of your books? 

    If you’d like to change your book’s details (contributors, categories, or description), manuscript, cover, or territory and publishing rights) here’s how to do it: 

    Click on the ellipsis button next to your book on your bookshelf. Choose EDIT BOOK DETAILS, then SAVE AND CONTINUE. 

    At the bottom of the Pricing page, click PUBLISH. Amazon will review your book to ensure it still meets their guidelines for quality/standards.

    Some changes can be made directly to the published version on your bookshelf. Other changes require you to publish a new edition of your book.

    Certain features are “locked” and cannot be updated until you publish the book as a new title (a new edition) from your KDP Bookshelf.  They are: language, title, subtitle, edition, primary author, digital rights management.

    Take A Peek

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    I recently published another book. I looked at my book’s listing by typing its title in the AMAZON BOOKS search bar. However, I found that the LOOK INSIDE feature had not yet been activated.

    This feature should be showing up online from 7-10 days after a book is published.

    I later discovered it wasn’t that my feature had not yet been activated–Amazon had changed the feature. Now, there is a READ SAMPLE button below the book’s cover image, allowing potential buyers to click and receive a sample to read.

    That’s really all that has changed.

    So, authors, don’t be disappointed if you don’t see the cute LOOK INSIDE icon. It’s simply a change of wording. 

    This is a great feature, when you think about it. READING SAMPLES allow readers to add the book to their cart or use 1-click to purchase instantly. They feel more comfortable ordering after “sampling”, discovering if it is a book they will truly like.

    Note: Some features/pages aren’t available (or only available in limited amounts) unless the customer is logged into their account and/or have made a prior purchase. 

    Authors need to be aware that this feature is NOT available for books with no ISBN, the sample cannot be adjusted, and specific pages cannot be designated to be “hidden” from view.

    This is important to know. A friend of mine had pages entitled “Dear Reader”, Dedication, and so on at the beginning of her book. Because these took up about 8-10 pages, customers only saw those pages—and not any real story content. Authors may need to adjust the front matter in their books accordingly so customers can receive a meaningful sampling of their writing.

    Unlike in previous years, Amazon now automatically activates the reading sample feature for authors. Less work for us!!

    The Read Sample button is only available for e-books when using a mobile device  AND, it is not available for print books on mobile phones. 

    Plan Ahead for Christmas Giving

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos

    The last three months of the year are especially good months to purchase books as Christmas gifts.

    Many authors write Christmas/holiday-themed books especially for that purpose. Whether as gifts to others—or for yourself—you can get good deals during the last quarter of the year.

    On Amazon, search for your favorite authors in the next couple of weeks and see what they are offering. (Remember: Sonnets for Marigold will be among them sometime in November).

    Note: Amazon functions as Print-on-Demand. This means that each book is printed only when it is ordered. Copies of books are not stockpiled anywhere. 

    So, don’t wait until December to make your purchases because the large demand around the holidays can slow down delivery times. 

    What I Didn’t Learn in 2023

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos

    If you are like me, you made a list at the beginning of the year. For a month or so, you revisited the list, checking to see how you were doing toward reaching your goals.

    Somewhere during the second or third month of the year, you realized you were falling short.

    Then, around month four, you rewrote your goals, using more realistic expectations.

    After you gave yourself this swift kick in the seat of the pants, you seemed to improve. You even got a couple of items checked off.

    Feeling better about yourself than you had in a long time, you made the big push—until

    October.

    That is when you started getting requests for book fairs and podcasts. And other writer-friends asked you to read the books they had been working on and write endorsements for them.

    Then came Halloween and Thanksgiving, followed closely by two or three rounds of shopping for Christmas.

    And, you were faced with the hard reality in the few days leading up to the new year: you hadn’t achieved many of your goals.

    A few days later, the cycle would repeat itself once again. And some of those same things on the list for 2023 would be on your 2024 list.

    Here are my leftovers—things I swore I’d learn to do in 2023, but didn’t: How to use Instagram and Twitter more effectively; How to run more successful ad campaigns on Amazon; How to write poetry.

    What about you? 

    Different Strokes for Different Folks

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos

    What one person likes, another may not.

    That’s why it’s important to offer your book in a variety of formats.

    For a long time, hardback and paperback were the only options for readers.

    Later, e-books and audiobooks were added.

    You can widen the market further still by offering your book in other languages.

    My newest book was just published on Audible. Within a couple of weeks I will announce an interview on Facebook with the producer, Brian Callahan. You’ll want to be sure to watch it. He’s an accomplished guy that can make his voice sound both feminine and masculine; likable, angry, menacing. 

    He’s likable, easy to work with, and very amenable to changes/suggestions. 

    Justice for Jessie in audio format is now available on Amazon.

    A Little Good News

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos

    If you haven’t launched a book in the last month or so, you may not be aware that Amazon has made some changes. I am no expert on these. In fact, I am only now digging into them and their meaning for authors.

    I am talking about the changes for Amazon Advertising, KDP, and Author Central.

    I will begin with what I am reading about Amazon Advertising. Then, for the next two weeks, I will cover KDP and Author Central changes.

    Most authors know about sponsored ads—that expensive real estate at the top of Amazon search results. The change here is that the playing field between publishing houses and Indie authors has just been leveled for those who have three or more books on Amazon. Those Indie authors who do—and can pay the hefty price for the ad—may now buy a sponsored ad.

    Next, the addition of Negative Product Targeting gives greater control to limit losses from Amazon’s automatic targeting algorithms. This feature improves profitability for author ad campaigns. (I am still in the dark on this one, but you can bet I’ll be looking into it.)

    Amazon has a new ad capability in which authors can buy international ads in 8 countries. The example that is given is the BUY NOW button. So, if you advertise in markets other than the US, you’ll really appreciate this.

    Finally, if an author is enrolled in KDP-Select, they get compensation for pages read. With the new changes, Amazon will now measure the performance of Amazon ads on e-book page reads and royalties.

    Again, it sounds like Amazon is opening the door for the success of its Indie authors like never before!

    Celebrate My Dad’s Birthday!

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos

    When is a series born?

    Is it on the outset? When the author writes the first words of BOOK ONE?

    Is it near the end of the first book, when the author realizes just one book won’t tell the entire story?

    Perhaps it’s when the author is writing the epilogue for book one and gets the urge to continue the story with one of the other characters from the first book?

    Or, is it when the author receives great reviews, stating the readers’ desires to read more about a certain character, setting, or event?

    Whenever it happens, I say it’s a good thing. If you’ve enjoyed writing book one and you have your audience engaged for one reason or another, then by all means consider writing a series.

    That’s how I came to be writing the Simon Says series. (Which turned out to be four books! Simon Says, Truth or Dare, Tug of War, and Cat’s Cradle).

    In honor of my father’s birthday on May 5th, you will find the series FREE in e-book format on Amazon for that one day, only.

    Here’s an easy way to get all four books. Use this link, http://www.brendapoulosauthor.com which will take you to my website. Scroll down and click the BUY NOW button. It will take you to my Amazon page, where you can scroll once more to the books and “purchase” your free copies.

    As always, a reminder that authors do value your comments. So, when you’ve finished reading, please go back to my Amazon page, scroll down, and leave a review.

    Happy Birthday, Dad!

    Inquiring Minds Want to Know

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos

    In the past two weeks, I have been getting Junk emails advertising—actually guaranteeing—40+ reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. The correspondence says they are fully compliant with Amazon’s rules and regulations.

    Why the influx of these so-called review businesses? How much do they cost? Do they deliver what they promise? Do they really “comply”?

    Well, the jury is still out on that one because I’m not sure I want to get caught up in something that just might be a scam.

    If you have tried one of these. I’d be interested to hear about your experience.

    Generally speaking though, I would make these few remarks:

    It’s a waste of money to pay for a trade book review if you only intend to sell your book on Amazon. You will sell more books by generating more five-star reader book reviews.

    For myself, I usually read short and to the point reader reviews, rather than lengthy professional ones. Those reviews mention things like character, plot, theme (which I am interested in as a reader) and less about writing style, editing, and so on.

    And, remember, paying for a review is no guarantee that it will be any more positive than reader reviews.

    Here’s a plan for finding those reviews which will be of most benefit:

    *Go to Amazon and find several books that might be direct competitors of yours.

    *Look at their category on Amazon.

    *Find the bestsellers in each category.

    *Read their reviews and see what review sources are listed.

    *You may find some free blogger reviews and/or some free niche publication reviews.

    Like I said, I am curious about the “new” paid reviews advertised out there recently. Please write in and share your thoughts.

    Applause!

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos

    A review is to a writer as applause is to an actor.

    And after you’ve spent a week or so of your free time reading a book, you deserve to have your say—in the form of a review.

    If you’re reading on a Kindle or any other tablet, there’s an opportunity at the end for you to do just that. The review space is short and limited to a certain number of words.

    I recommend using the standard critique method likened to a sandwich. You’ve heard it before: say something positive (akin to an applause), then use a sentence or two to explain any negatives, ending with another positive comment.

    Now, reward the author with the appropriate number of gold stars and you’re done.

    It’s easy—and super-convenient if you’re reading an ebook. But if you have just finished reading a physical copy, the simplest and quickest way to write a review is to go on Amazon or Goodreads, type in the author’s name, scroll through their listing of books, and click on the one you just finished reading. At the bottom of the screen for that book, there is a place to write a review and also read those others have already written.

    Rankings on Amazon and the internet depend on reviews. They are coveted and appreciated by authors. If you have received a free e-book from Book Bub or one of the others, I like to think of a review as a thank you to the author for the free copy.

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