On freebies

From time to time I give away Kindle copies of my novels in an attempt to attract readers. My last three giveaways before this year netted 2, 2 and 3 people jumping on my offers. Free books. I could barely give them away. My most successful freebie days had been 21, 73 and a confounding 305 copies of The Adventures of Hank Fenn back in 2016.

I tried Hank this past Sunday for a two-day freebie event. Gave away 8 copies on Sunday, and was surprised when a freelance editor tweeted about it. I recalled her because she'd had good things to say about the same book back in '16. I retweeted the tweet.

Gave away 268 copies on Monday. Perhaps I should rethink Twitter as a marketing tool.

This morning I discovered I'd actually sold three books during/since the giveaway. Plus, someone started reading (36 pages, so far, per the Amazon chart) Hank Fenn on Kindle Unlimited.

For the record, those three purchases quadrupled my sales total for the year. Yes, perhaps I should rethink Twitter.

On ebooks

Over the last three years I've published my ebooks exclusively through Amazon Kindle in order to take advantage of their 70% royalty rate for doing so. Problem is I ain't sellin' any through them lately and have decided to expand to multiple vendors such as B&N, iBooks and others displayed in this post.

Today No Happier State is no longer under any exclusive contractual obligation with Kindle and will soon be available through these other outlets (as well as Amazon). The same will happen with The Cary Grant Sanatorium and Playhouse and The Adventures of Hank Fenn later this month, and the other three at the end of January.

Time will tell if this jump-starts my sales. One thing is for sure, your Facebook feeds will be deluged with links to these new outlets and for that I apologize.

Right...

On 1🌟 free books

Between Amazon and Goodreads I have received six reviews/ratings for my novel The Adventures of Hank Fenn: three 5-star reviews (two friends, one stranger), two 5-star ratings (both strangers) and one stranger who just the other day rated the book one star. I have sold 25 copies of that book and given away more than 300 in the hope of gaining readership (and maybe some reviews).

Since I've been present for most of the book's actual sales, it's a good bet that this reader received her copy for free—ruling out any idea that she didn't get her money's worth. She simply disliked the book and I can live with that. Hank Fenn can live with that. She won't be the last.

What troubles me is that she didn't bother to warn her fellow readers about whatever it was she found so distasteful. No review, just clicked that lone star and left it at that. Was it Calamity Jane's coarse language? Hank Fenn's mixed-race marriage? Did the author not treat Mark Twain fairly?

We'll never know because she didn't bother to clarify her disdain for the book. Which is why I write this little post: If you get a book for free and somehow feel cheated, jot your feelings down in the form of a review. It takes less time than that trip to the bookstore you didn't have to take. And it's less painful than actually spending money. Fellow readers can benefit from your ordeal and maybe the author can learn a thing or two as well.

Oh, and Happy New Year! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

On the phone with Amazon Customer Service

A week ago I noticed that the page count was off on my last book, THE ADVENTURES OF HANK FENN—listed as 235 pages, actually 268. No big deal. And correctable, according to the immediate reply I got from my email to Amazon's customer service. Today I noticed it had yet to be corrected and pressed the 'Call Me' button on their feedback page. I explained my situation to the associate who called me back. I was asked for my email and billing addresses.

“So, what is the name of the device?” she says.

“It's not a device, it's a book.” I say and am put on hold. A while later another associate gets on the line, asks for the same addresses and the the name of the book. I comply.

“So, when did you purchase the book?” she says.

“I didn't purchase the book, I wrote it,” I say and am put on hold.

 A while later an associate from Author Central gets on the line.

“So, Will,” he says, “I understand one of your books is listed incorrectly at 200 and some dollars?”

It'll be 3 or 4 days before the situation can be corrected.

HANK FENN on sale!

My latest novel, The Adventures of Hank Fenn (Americana Book 4) is out in paperback and digitally at Amazon. Paperbacks are also available in store & online at Magers & Quinn, Uptown Minneapolis. It goes like this:

For Hank, Sam never became Mark Twain. As a riverboat pilot, Sam saved young Hank from the crushing paddle wheels as the boy stowed away on the City of Memphis. Sam returned Hank to Minnesota when news reached downriver that Hank's mother was on trial for killing the father Hank had run away from. Years later, in a barber's chair prior to his mother's funeral, Hank reads a frog story that's awful close to a tall tale Sam once told. The magazine claims it's written by a fellow named Mark Twain.

The Adventures of Hank Fenn sends Hank searching the West—and then the East—for Mr. Twain. All along he and Sam exchange letters and make plans that never seem to get them together—Twain always on the road or abroad. Hank does find hatred and brutality while railroading and mining throughout this new frontier. He finds Calamity Jane in a Wyoming mining camp and Custer breaking treaties. He finds the Emperor of these United States. Ultimately Hank finds love, boys to raise and gold to unearth on a Black Hills mountaintop.

Thanks, Will

PS: An interview from last month concerning an earlier novel, Bonus Man.

On sale now!

The Adventures of Hank Fenn is out and available in paperback and digitally at Amazon. The hope is that Magers & Quinn will be carrying it by the end of the month (I'm not even due to receive my copies till Jan. 27).

2015 saw me publish three books which all started out fine sales-wise then fizzled over the last half of the year. Somehow I have to get beyond Facebook and business card word of mouth and move on to another level. All in all, the 103 copies sold were far more satisfying than the 100-plus rejections I likely would've received had I continued on the more traditional path.

There's talk of a trade show this spring (at which I may be the only writer) at the Union Depot in St. Paul. I'd have to figure out how to set up some sort of slide show (been watching Youtube videos) involving book covers and blurbs. And what if someone wants to buy one? Taxes, credit cards... And what if no one buys one? Then I'm stuck with a bunch of books... So much to learn.

Meanwhile I work on book #5, The Great American Scrapbook. It's the long-awaited sequel to Alice and Her Grand Bell. The much-anticipated sequel to No Happier State, too. And The Adventures of Hank Fenn, for that matter. Come to think of it, if you're worried about those quadruplets born on that train, it serves as a sequel to Bonus Man, as well. And a prequel to more...

On Numbers & 'Reach'

The Adventures of Hank Fenn spent 14 of its 720 hour campaign “Hot & Trending”—the last 14 hours. After 24 views on the first day, it rarely exceeded 10 views—often zero—until 53 people stopped by to take a peek on the last day.

Three people shared my final Facebook post on the matter which helped greatly. Many thanks there. I have a “Will Tinkham – Fictionist” FB page as well as my Will Tinkham goof-off page. Long ago I discovered the increased “reach” of my posts when I shared them from Fictionist to goof-off. Through the Scout experience I realized just how valuable other peoples' shares can be, along with the increased “reach” simply from attracting new people to the pages. If I only knew what “reach” actually refers to in the FB world...

I also made a few new connections through the process, which can never hurt.

Kindle Scout sent me an email saying that my submission is in review. I'm sure books that were Hot through the entire process will get a longer look than one that sneaked in at the end. We'll see...

Will probably try Scout again with my next book. Should get myself on Twitter, too, I suppose. Or write a book phenomenal enough to breeze through all these hoops...

Eight days left for HANK FENN

So my Kindle Scout campaign winds down. Only 8 days left to nominate The Adventures of Hank Fenn. Click here to do so.

 

They say: “The more nominations your book receives the more likely it will get the attention of our Kindle Scout team and be selected for publication.” This gives me hope that it's not strictly a matter of popularity, that merit might come into play. If not, I haven't lost anything. Did I mention there's a $1,500 advance hanging in the balance?

How It Works

Thanks for lending a hand. In any case, The Adventures of Hank Fenn (Americana Book 4) should be out early January of '16.

On Kindle Scout

So my Kindle Scout* campaign for The Adventures of Hank Fenn has launched. I have 26 days left to receive 'nominations'—I've lost the New tag but have yet to achieve Hot status. Check it out here.

Obviously everyone starts out New; not everyone becomes Hot. We'll see how it goes...

*See November 4 post for more detail or click this.

On whoring

UPDATE: I "launch" in 2 days (Nov 6). Already have the preview and all, just hours after submitting the thing.

As a self-published author I must whore myself from time to time and, well, 'tis the season. Minutes ago I sent my newest novel, The Adventures of Hank Fenn, off to Kindle Scout—an arm of Amazon (Kindle Press) for self-publishers, where they actually pay an advance ($1,500) and do some advertising for the book as they now have a stake in it, too.

It's a bit of a popularity contest, though they contend that the books are also judged on merit. Works something like this: Kindle Scout sets you up with a “campaign” package that includes your cover, bio, quick “interview” and an excerpt from the book. Readers nominate (one-click button) books that they find interesting. More nominations, I guess, means a better chance of them checking your book out for its merit and hopefully publishing it.

I'll post links—you can count on that.

Also answered a list of questions yesterday for Emily Reads Everything's “Awesome Indies.” (See Sept 6, 2015 post.) They may do a feature—at my request—on my third novel, Bonus Man.

I'll post links. Oh, yeah...

Bad omen: The first chapter of the newest book hinges on the reader's familiarity with Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) and his short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”—also known by other names. Anyhow, on Jeopardy! yesterday an answer came up about Twain and a frog and not one of the geniuses playing the game could even come up with a guess.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted. And how...