I really wanted to call this “Let’s Go to the Amazon,” but I don’t think that is as effective as what I chose. Why mention [the e-Tailer who shall not be named]? Because

(a) like it or not, Amazon.com is not going anywhere; and
(b) we get lots of questions about selling (or not selling) on Amazon.com

As I mentioned last week, I read Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Sharing with Writers newsletter. Her August 30, 2013 edition was an “all tips” edition, and she had several pieces about Amazon that I have (with her permission) scooped up and combined into an “all Amazon” blog post.

Yes, some of the tips are more apropos for authors, but not all of them. I would encourage anyone who is marketing a product or service read the full post.

Getting a Book Review on Amazon

Why, you may wonder, would getting a reviewer to post on Amazon be a problem? Maybe …

• The reviewer isn’t Web Savvy.
• The review has been written by a review site that Amazon for some reason views as competition and takes down their reviews.
• The reviewer has given you permission, but you can’t reach thereviewer to get them to post it. (Occasionally reviewers get very,very protective of their privacy).

It is still possible to get your reviewed book on Amazon.com. Carolyn shares this tip provided by Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review.

If you would like to have a review for your book posted by Amazon and can’t get the reviewer to do it for you, go to this link: How to Post Editorial Reviews on Amazon [http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/advice/postingedit.htm].

T Note: While prepping this article – and finding that great image (we give full credit here), I discovered a post by Derek Haines (The Vandal) that talks about how to get Amazon book reviews. It is worth a read.

Amazon’s Kindle Select Gives You Money When People Borrow Your Book

Are you using Kindle’s Book Borrowing feature? Here is Kindle’s announcement from their newsletter:

KDP Select is an optional program for you to reach more readers and gives you the opportunity to earn more money. Once your title is enrolled, you will earn a share of the monthly global fund amount
every time your book is borrowed from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France.

For August, the KDP Select Global Fund amount is $1.1 million. In the month of July, KDP Select-enrolled authors earned $2.04 each time their books were borrowed.

You can also promote your book as free for up to five days for each 90-day enrollment period in KDP Select. In addition, you can earn 70% royalty for sales to customers in Japan, Brazil, and India.

Visit your Bookshelf to enroll your books in KDP Select, or if you are already enrolled, visit your royalty report to see your results. If you’d like to learn more, visit KDP Select or the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

Updating Your Amazon Product Page for a Second Edition

If you have a book now in it’s second edition (or later) and haven’t been able to get Amazon to remove the first edition from its site to assure that your readers get the updated book, Amazon now offers a widget that directs readers to the buy page for the first edition.

You can see how they did this for my Frugal Book Promoter here.  Access help through your AuthorConnect page (also called AuthorCentral).

(and Finally) Eight Big Reasons to Learn to Love Amazon

Amazon is in the news again. New affiliate policies. Jeff Bezos becoming the owner of a venerated newspaper. And, of course, the Amazon hate-machine is out in full force.

Here is why we authors just need to “get over it.”

1. Amazon sells far and away more books than any other online bookstore. And far and away more books than traditional bookstores combined.
2. Amazon provides easily accessed associate sites that let you sell your books overseas even if you haven’t sold foreign rights to your book.
3. Amazon provides a search engine arguably second only to Google’s—especially if you view this statistic from the standpoint of an author or publisher.
4. The “What other customers buy after they’ve reviewed this item…” feature may feel uncomfortable, but it connects your book to other top sellers on Amazon.
5. An annual contest for fiction in partnership with some of the biggest names in publishing.
6. A widget for your backlist book pages that leads readers to your new editions.
7. A “frequently bought together” feature that may give readers a deal on your book when bought in conjunction with bestsellers in your genre.
8. Amazon offers all kinds of ways to promote your book including:

• An author profile—a general one and a Kindle-specific one. You can even feed your blog and Twitter stream to it.
• A buy page with add-on features that let you highlight your credentials and your book.
• Participation in features like Listmania that help you spread the word all over the vast Amazon site—in places where you’ll reach the readers most interested in your book.
• Promotion packages like Kindle Select and their Vine program for getting reviewed by their top reviewers. Some are free, some are costly, but they all work.
• A place on your buy page to install story- or author-related images.
• Places to comment on reviews. That includes thanking a reviewer, correcting inaccuracies, etc.
• Ways for the author to help their bestseller ratings by juggling their book’s category and subcategories. (Of course, the author must promote bestselling ratings when they achieve them—perhaps on Twitter.)
• Forums (rarely used efficiently by authors).

 About the Author

Carolyn Howard-Johnson has several decades experience in journalism, retailing (authors are retailers, too!), in publicity, and as a marketer of her own fiction and poetry. She is also author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books—one series for writers and one for retailers.

Learn more about her books and services at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com. For lots more ideas on promotion and craft, subscribe to her blog at http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. You’ll also find Carolyn around the Interwebs in these spots …

Web site: http://www.HowToDoItFrugally.com
E-mail: CarolynHowardJ [at] AOL [dot] com
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/carolynhowardjohnson
Twitter: http://Twitter.com/FrugalBookPromo
Pinterest: http://Pinterest.com/chowardjohnson