Guest post on ebook marketing by Scott Burtness

I am the author of two self-published novels and a published short story. Currently, my self-published titles are on a single platform: Amazon.
So far, managing a single platform has been a wise decision. It has provided a controlled environment to try different marketing tools. With all marketing and promotion driving traffic to the same platform, it is easier to determine what works well and what doesn’t. When something works, I have downloads. When something doesn’t, I can usually be found in a dark room crying into a pillow and saying, It’s just allergies, there’s just something in the air…

When evaluating marketing and promotion efforts, I measure success by number of downloads, not number of sales. To explain the distinction, here’s a little info about my progress thus far.

I published my first book, Wisconsin Vamp, in January 2014. Between January 2014 and June 2015 (when the sequel was released), I had 246 paid downloads of Wisconsin Vamp, which yielded about $500 in royalties. Not much to crow about, but I also had 6,047 free downloads via Amazon’s KDP Select “Free Book Promotion.” By opting-in to Amazon’s KDP Select program, you agree to offer your ebook exclusively through Amazon for 90 days. During that time, you can make your book free to download for a total of five days. Free downloads don’t pay royalties. However, they do build a fan base and *hopefully* get more reviews for your book. Reviews are important, and I wanted to build demand for the sequel and my future works. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint!

So. What I feel has worked.

Guest post: How author Scott Burtness defines success as a writer

Am I a successful author? I have no frickin’ idea. Honestly, I still have trouble deciding if I’m actually an author. At the moment, I have one novel finished (Wisconsin Vamp), a sequel on the way (working title, The Book that Comes After Wisconsin Vamp That I Really Need to Get Done, Dammit!), and a sci-fi short story that’s been shortlisted for an upcoming anthology. Seems like I should be able to say with some confidence, “Yep. I’m an author,” but I haven’t rounded that corner yet. For the most part, writing and all the marketing I’ve done to promote myself and my work has just been something fun to do while drinking coffee.

You see, writing was never a dream of mine. I’m pretty sure that when the teacher asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said, “astronaut,” or, “the guy in the coffee commercials.” I remember these commercials featuring a guy that was all rugged-handsome and dressed in a heavy, cable knit sweater, who travelled the world and took amazing pictures of amazing places. In the commercials, he’d bump into some nice family and they’d invite him in for a cup of instant coffee. I wanted to be that guy, or an astronaut. But a writer? Never crossed my young mind.