The first major change I made after releasing book one was make to the cover more appealing. As you can see below, there was quite a change. The new cover drew more attention and drew more purchasers. Yeah me!
The other changes that have taken place since then is the release of book 2 in 2012, book 3 in 2013 and book 4 in 2014, along with Fated, parts 1-4.
When I published books 1-3, I was on what Amazon calls their KDP Select program, which means that I sold my ebooks ONLY on Amazon. It was working for a good period of time, but then sales started decreasing in 2013. In Sept 2013 I made the decision to move away from Amazon’s KDP Select program, and step out into the big bad world. I put my ebooks up on Barnes & Nobel, Kobo and iBookstore along with leaving them on Amazon’s site and opting out of the program.
Well, the numbers are in and for some of you it will be bad news. A whooping 95%, yup that’s right 95% of my sales come from Amazon, even with my branching out to other retailers. How is that bad news you ask? Well, those five percenters’ that buy my ebooks from “other” sources are soon going to be finding out that they’re gone.
After crunching the numbers, and debating back and forth, I’ve made a decision that will likely upset some of you. As of Feb 2015, I’m moving back to Amazon exclusively.
For those of you already purchasing my books on Amazon, it won’t affect you. Those of you who are using other devices, yup, it will. I’d love to accommodate all of you, but the numbers are speaking, and it’s time for me to try something else to bring up the rankings and sales.
Could all of this change again? Yup, everything could change overnight…well, within 90 days because that’s the amount of time I’m locked into Amazon exclusively.
Would love to know your thoughts.
I am making this same choice this year. BUT, Don't forget that the new NOOK's can now download a Kindle App, as well as the phone, tablets, and computer in order for readers to READ KINDLE BOOK ON OTHER DEVICES. I don't own a Kindle, but the app on my phone is awesome and even opens PDF files!
But yes, KDP select is such a great program. If the other venues established something like this I would rethink my decision, but for now, I am strictly on Amazon for 2015. GOOD LUCK TO US BOTH! HUGS!
My question for you is this: how do you promote if you are exclusively on Amazon? I'm enrolled in the KDP select program right now and my numbers aren't "stellar" either. The self promoting is pretty tough.
I've been self publishing since 2011, and things are constantly changing. KDP was the right fit for me back them, but then things changed so I adapted. I decided to give them a try again, but if at the end of my 90 days nothing has improved, I'm going back out there, actually I'll expand my distribution and see where that takes me once again. It's really hard to self promote, the only bonus to being on KDP is that if you're in the select program you can do count down deals or "freebie" offerings to get the ball rolling again. The only think I don't like now is that fact that I'm forced into the KU program if you're in select. I think you should have the option, but who knows anything but that change is always constant! It's just a wait and see game for everyone.