Jeff Bennington's Blog: The Writing Bomb

Attention Writers! If you haven't heard, The Kindle Book Review is proud to announced the Winners of 2013 Best Indie Books. Each winner has earned cash and prizes exceeding $900 from The Kindle Book Review and these awesome sponsors! If you know any of these authors, take a minute and congratulate them on their social media. They'd love to hear it.

Winners receive $300 cash courtesy of The Kindle Book Review ($250) & Digital Book Today ($50)!

- The Kindle Book Review: $100 promotional credit (per winner). - Digital Book Today: $50 in promotional credit (per winner). - World Literary Cafe: $139 in promotional credit (per winner). - Kindle Boards: $50 group-wide promotional credit via a post announcing winners. - Author Marketing Club:  $250 group-wide promotional credit via a post announcing winners. - Kindle Nation Daily: $179 group-wide promotional credit/announcement. + a free BookGorilla promo! - Free-Bookz.com: $150 in promotional credit (per winer)
CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!


Check out the Full List, including Winners, Top-5 Finalists, and Semifinalists: Suspense/Horror: Top-5 Finalists WINNER ~>  The Answer to Your Question  by Paulette Alden The Dying of the Light: Interval by Jason Kristopher
The Liminal Man by Todd Keisling
I, Zombie by Hugh Howey
I Hope You Find Me by Trish Marie Dawson

Short Fiction: Top-5 FinalistsWINNER ~>  Just One Day by Sharla Lovelace Scream if you Wanna Go Faster by Wade Beauchamp
Grimsley Hollow - Eve of the Beginning by Nicole Storey
Just Looking by Jianna Higgins
The Xmas Christmas Grandma Ran Away From Home by Nancy Warren

Non-Fiction: Top-5 FinalistsWINNER ~>  The Contract Of Love by Jose Chaves Lunch With Charlotte by Leon Berger
Run, River Curents by Ginger Marcinkowski
Same, Same by Doug Smith
A Father's Angels by John Waldron

Romance: Top-5 Finalists WINNER ~> Your Gift To Me by Bonnie Bartel Latino & Bob Vale Sierra by Taylor Dean
Scent of Triumph by Jan Moran
Eternally Yours by Gina Ardito
Still Waters by Misha Crews

Mystery/Thriller: Top-5 Finalists WINNER ~>  Plummet by Michael Zarocostas   Tin God by Stacy Green 
Camera Obscura by Rosanne Dingli 
Identity Theft by John Abramowitz
A Bullet for Carlos by Giacomo Giammatteo

Young Adult: Top-5 Finalists WINNER ~>  Jump/Drive by Rich Griffith The Truth About Letting Go by Leigh Talbert Moore
Watch Me Disappear by Diane Vanaskie Mulligan
MORE by T M Franklin
Silver Majesty by Lea Carter

Literary Fiction: Top-5 FinalistsWINNER ~>  Don't Tell Anyone by Laurie Boris The Wedding Shroud by Elizabeth Storrs
The God Gene by Jaymie Simmon
The Warsaw Conspiracy by James Conroyd Martin
Spirited Away by Maggie Plummer

Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Top-5 Finalists WINNER ~>  Earth Tones b y Angela Wallace The Descendant by Kelley Grealis
Jack James & The Tribe of the Teddy Bear  by John Wright
The Trickster's Totem by H.B. Bolton
PSIONIC Book 1: Wild-born by Adrian Howell

Congrats Winners!

Amazon.com Widgets

So you're an indie author, publisher, or online marketer and you've already exhausted your yearly social media, or marketing budget by early August. Bummer. What's a starving artist to do? How can you tell the world about your book(s), and keep your name out there when all you have is chump change?


Easy. Fiverr.com
Fiverr.com is fast becoming one of the best ways to not only start an online business, it's also one of the most affordable ways to promote anything from your website to ebooks! The opportunities are endless. The level of creativity on the site is mind blowing. And best of all, everything for sale is only $5, from video creation, book promotion, ebook creation, editing services, cover design, and yes even Happy Birthday Wishes! Everything. Fiverr is like Subway's $5 Footlong gone digital!
I have purchased videos, ebook formatting, book promotion and almost everything under the sun--except reviews--that's one thing I wish wasn't available, but alas, it is. 
WARNING: Fiverr can become addicting if you're not careful. And there are some promotions I have paid for that didn't bring me much of a ROI (return on investment), but so WHAT! It's only 5 Bucks. I have found that promoting with multiple Fiverr book promoters brings in a whole new group of readers that I would have never attracted---and for $5, that's a small amount to spend just to test the waters! Truth be told, I often spend more than $5, but that's only because I usually buy the "Extras". Extras will get you more tweets, a longer video, a customized book cover, etc. Still, the prices are usually very competitive compared elsewhere on the web.
Here are a Few "Gigs" as they are called that I like.
Free Book Promotion (thedesertgirl) . This gig has brought my KDP Select FREE books into the top 100 without any other book promotion. She's good at what she does, and also has an offsite promotional website (freediscountedbooks.com)
Video Creation (bachas85) . This gig is great if you need a video created. Perhaps you want to jump start your YouTube channel and need a "representative" or maybe you want a talented speaker to create a promotional video for your book. Well this is just one of the many very talented folks who will do just that for ONLY $5!
UK & US Book Promotion (marketing_ebook) . This gig has got so many options you won't know where to stop. However, I have definitely seen a bump in sales from promoting with this book marketer. She uses all of her social media tools including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and G+. 
Book Tweeting (indifromindy) . Recently I've joined the Fiverr fad and began promoting books and offering other affordable services. With over 20,000 Twitter fans, I will Tweet (i.e. promote) your book 5 times for ONLY $5. I always over deliver, and so do the other folks I've mentioned. You are guaranteed to get much more than a $5 value. 
I also have other $5 gigs that will blow your mind! I can format your eBook. Teach you how to promote your FREE book to #1 in Amazon's Free Store, Promote your book on Facebook, answer your publishing questions. Provide an over the phone consultation to help you sell more books!Need something else? How about a bracelet with your book title? How about a half-naked dude singing your book's praises (not my thing but it could be yours)? Do you need a book cover? Do you want to convert your 2-dimensional ebook cover into a 3-D image that will WOW your customers? I'm telling you, FIVERR is the BOMB! 
BOOM BABY!
Jeff Bennington is the best-selling author of Reunion , The Secret in Defiance,  Twisted Vengeance, the  Creepy  series, and  The Indie Author's Guide to the Universe, among others . 

Amazon.com Widgets

Hi Writers, Are you ready to win a Kindle Fire?
In conjunction with Digital Book Today and some excellent independent authors,  The Kindle Book Review is giving away 1 Kindle Fire HD 7" and $200 in Amazon Gift Cards! So sharpen your pencils and take a shot at a NEW Kindle Fire before summer is over.
WHEN? August 1 - 15, 2013

BTW, we do these giveaways every month. If you'd like to be a sponsor next time click here and sign up for the KBR author newsletter.
WHO? Anyone who can accept an Amazon gift card.
HOW DO YOU ENTER? Browse through the books below--get familiar with the titles and authors--and then sign in to the Rafflecopter Form near the bottom of the page. Click on as many options as you want, and come back everyday until August 15th to earn more entries. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!
HINT: To earn more points, support as many authors as possible by "liking" their Facebook pages, follow them on Twitter, become a fan, tweet, or post a message on Facebook or Twitter. No purchase necessary. But why not buy one or two books while you're here?

                                                                   


REGISTER IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW

The Kindle Book Review Back to School Kindle Fire Giveaway

I don't mean to gloat, but the timing is right. The Secret Tree , my latest release, is #1 in the Amazon free store (June 1, 2013). I'd be glad to tell you how I did this again, but I've already shared what I do to get there.

A couple months ago I wrote a book called WINNING WITH KDP: 5 STEPS TO HITTING #1 IN THE AMAZON FREE STORE . This concise book gives 5 steps that will take a great book to #1 in the free store. I also give additional information that every author in KDP Select should know.

What I want to point out is, there are thousands of books that are promoted every day as FREE, and several that are listed in BookBub.com every day. The thing is, only one book will be #1 at any given time. So how do I get to #1 on demand when there are literally thousands pushing for that spot? Heck, I was #22 before my BookBub promotion went live this afternoon.

Need proof? Here's a screen shot of my current ranking (June 1). #1 overall.

Never heard of BookBub? I talk about this site and other top promotional sites for free books, tactics, and tips in the 5-Steps book.

If you have hit the top 100, or the #1 spot in your category, or the top 20 in the free store, you are probably only 1 or 2 steps away from hitting #1 overall. All you need is a few more details, secret tips, and you'll get there!

For the beginning indie author--and I was there, with no clue about book promotion--promotion is all about information.

Ah... that's the mystery. And that's what I write about in WINNING WITH KDP--the information needed to hit #1. This book holds nothing back. No details are left out. If you've written an excellent book, are getting good reviews (4 star or greater), and have a great cover and story, you can do this--or get awfully damn close!

The Top 100 is great. The Top 20 is better. And the Top 5 is awesome! But #1 is a guarantee #1 in all of your category top 100 lists and most likely will boost your book when it returns to the "Paid Store".

All to say, if you are an author in the KDP Select program, I would highly recommend WINNING WITH KDP SELECT: 5 STEPS TO HITTING #1 IN THE AMAZON FREE STORE .

That's all. Short and sweet. Good luck with your next promotion!





Jeff Bennington is the best-selling author of Reunion , Twisted Vengeance, the  Creepy  series, and  The Indie Author's Guide to the Universe . 

Amazon.com Widgets

Ah, the good old days... weren't they grand? The good old days bring back wonderful memories of lazy summers, fast cars, letterman jackets, and blissful nights... don't they? If I could look through the picture window of your life, would I see you sitting around the dinner table with ma and pa, chewing on your Leave-it-to-Beaver world where all was well... easy... perfect?
No?Really?That's not how it was back then? 
So were the Good 'ol Days really good?
Well, I suppose for some, life has been a bucketful of roses. And I suppose there's plenty of middle ground where folks had their feast and other days when they had their famine. Still, as I've considered the different time periods often thought of as "The good old days" such as the 1800's, the roaring '20s, the 50's, the 80's, and so on, I find myself tripping over huge obstacles that leave me wondering if those days were all they were cracked up to be. Or, perhaps we've chosen to idealize history to help us deal with the present, to put our lives into perspective.
I've been thinking about this lately because I recently spent a lot of time researching the late 1950's for my book, The Secret Tree, co-authored with my friend, Patrick Bousum. And I admit, I always thought that the world was nicely wrapped in a tidy red bow during that time, based on the images presented through iconic movies, newspaper clippings, and magazines.

However, when I think about the Civil War and all the families that lost their fathers, sons, brothers and sisters in that awful blood bath, I have to question our definition of the good old days. I think about the long days and unsafe work environments during the 1920's and the men and women who died on the job, while this country grew rich off their labor. I think of the girls that were once raped and then judged as whores because it was her word against his. I think of the civil injustices that took place throughout America's history. I think of the boys who were raped by priests and lived their entire life in pain and silence because that's what you did back then. I think of the soldiers who died in, WWI, WWII, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, The Iraq War... Afghanistan. I think about 911, Columbine, Sandy Hook... Boston.

Shall I go on?

Keep in mind. These were the good old days for some. Or were they? Is there really such a thing? There are good memories... good times... a happy childhood... and there is prosperity, an often generalized term used when life is good. Yet, if you could watch a film of my life, your neighbor's life, or the six-year old girl that lives on my street who often comes to school reeking of marijuana, you'd have a much different perspective, I think.

In 1959, the world was introduced to Barbie. She was a hit---a real splash! She was perfect. She capped off a period in time that was idealized in the eyes of many who grew up in that decade.

But for some of the children of that generation, whose fathers suffered terribly from injuries and/or PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), life was never the same. Life was hard.

I didn't grow up in "The good old days". I grew up in the 1970's, and have fond memories of that time, even though I vividly recall the racial tension and violence that raged in Saginaw, Michigan where I lived until 1978.

Yet...

As stormy as life can be, I also know that the good old days were good. In 1959, folks needed fewer things. Segregation was diminishing. Families were generally intact. What you didn't have, you either learned to live without, or you made it yourself. Folks felt safer. Kids created their own entertainment and played outside more. You knew your neighbors. We had a collective moral conscience--a moral compass. We complained less. We respected our elders. We trusted our government (for the most part). We filed fewer lawsuits. Soldiers, preachers, and teachers were respected. We did what was right. The worst offenses in school were chewing gum and skipping class. We pledged our allegiance to this great nation and we prayed in school damn it!

What happened to the good old days?
Have they Gone with the Wind, or are they still among us?
And does the time in which we live have anything to do with the quality of our lives anyway?

Life, in my opinion, is good. It's always good. It's short, and as beautiful as we make it. So if you have memories worth keeping, or even if you don't, I think you'll like The Secret Tree, a book about a boy who has to fight to find the good in his life. From Andy Harper's perspective (the protagonist), 1959 was filled with dangerous secrets, crazy-eyed mobsters, and a one-handed witch.... but he had his family and friends at his side, helping him through the worst life had to offer.

Sometimes, remembering the best part of life, the good old days, is what makes life worth living. 
The Secret Tree is NOW available at Amazon.com

Jeff Bennington is the best-selling author of Reunion , Twisted Vengeance, the  Creepy  series, and  The Indie Author's Guide to the Universe . 

Ah, the good old days... weren't they grand? The days of old bring back wonderful memories of lazy summers, fast cars, letterman jackets, and blissful nights... don't they? If I could look through the picture window of your life, would I see you sitting around the dinner table with ma and pa, chewing on your Leave-it-to-Beaver world where all was well... easy... perfect?
No?Really?That's not how it was back then? 
So were the Good 'ol Days really good?
Well, I suppose for some, life has been a bucketful of roses. And I suppose there's plenty of middle ground where folks had their feast and other days when they had their famine. Still, as I've considered the different time periods often thought of as "The good old days" such as the 1800's, the roaring '20s, the 50's, the 80's, and so on, I find myself tripping over huge obstacles that leave me wondering if those days were all they were cracked up to be. Or, perhaps we've chosen to idealize history to help us deal with the present, to put our lives into perspective.
I've been thinking about this lately because I recently spent a lot of time researching the late 1950's for my book, The Secret Tree, co-authored with my friend, Patrick Bousum. And I admit, I always thought that the world was nicely wrapped in a tidy red bow during that time, based on the images presented through iconic movies, newspaper clippings, and magazines.

However, when I think about the Civil War and all the families that lost their fathers, sons, brothers and sisters in that awful blood bath, I have to question our definition of the good old days. I think about the long days and unsafe work environments during the 1920's and the men and women who died on the job, while this country grew rich off their labor. I think of the girls that were once raped and then judged as whores because it was her word against his. I think of the civil injustices that took place throughout America's history. I think of the boys who were raped by priests and lived their entire life in pain and silence because that's what you did back then. I think of the soldiers who died in, WWI, WWII, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, The Iraq War... Afghanistan. I think about 911, Columbine, Sandy Hook... Boston.

Shall I go on?

Keep in mind. These were the good old days for some. Or were they? Is there really such a thing? There are good memories... good times... a happy childhood... and there is prosperity, an often generalized term used when life is good. Yet, if you could watch a film of my life, your neighbor's life, or the six-year old girl that lives on my street who often comes to school reeking of marijuana, you'd have a much different perspective, I think.

In 1959, the world was introduced to Barbie. She was a hit---a real splash! She was perfect. She capped off a period in time that was idealized in the eyes of many who grew up in that decade.

But for some of the children of that generation, whose fathers suffered terribly from injuries and/or PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), life was never the same. Life was hard.

I didn't grow up in "The good old days". I grew up in the 1970's, and have fond memories of that time, even though I vividly recall the racial tension and violence that raged in Saginaw, Michigan where I lived until 1978.

Yet...

As stormy as life can be, I also know that the good old days were good. In 1959, folks needed fewer things. Segregation was diminishing. Families were generally intact. What you didn't have, you either learned to live without, or you made it yourself. Folks felt safer. Kids created their own entertainment and played outside more. You knew your neighbors. We had a collective moral conscience--a moral compass. We complained less. We respected our elders. We trusted our government (for the most part). We filed fewer lawsuits. Soldiers, preachers, and teachers were respected. We did what was right. The worst offenses in school were chewing gum and skipping class. We pledged our allegiance to this great nation and we prayed in school damn it!

What happened to the good old days?
Have they Gone with the Wind, or are they still among us?
And does the time in which we live have anything to do with the quality of our lives anyway?

Life, in my opinion, is good. It's always good. It's short, and as beautiful as we make it. So if you have memories worth keeping, or even if you don't, I think you'll like The Secret Tree, a book about a boy who has to fight to find the good in his life. From Andy Harper's perspective (the protagonist), 1959 was filled with dangerous secrets, crazy-eyed mobsters, and a one-handed witch.... but he had his family and friends at his side, helping him through the worst life had to offer.

Sometimes, remembering the best part of life, the good old days, is what makes life worth living.
The Secret Tree is NOW available at Amazon.com

Jeff Bennington is the best-selling author of Reunion , Twisted Vengeance, the  Creepy  series, and  The Indie Author's Guide to the Universe . 

Hey Writer and Reader Friends. Would you like to win a Kindle FIRE 7" HD?  How about a $100 Amazon gift card?  How about a $50 gift card?You can win one of these prizes with The Kindle Book Review's "Spring Break Kindle Fire Giveaway". They've joined forces with Digital Book Today, and a group of top-rated authors to make this amazing giveaway possible. So register to WIN now! It's simple. It's easy. And there's no purchase necessary. 

How: Register here ~> April Kindle Fire Giveaway page.

When: Starts April 1 (NOW), and ends April 15.

Hitting #1 in anything is a good thing right? What about in the Amazon FREE store? And is there a difference between landing somewhere in the top 100 vs. hitting #1? Oh, yeah... big difference! Bigger pay off. More downloads. More reviews. More fans.

After working with KDP Select for over a year now, I've discovered what works for me, and I finally found the time to write about it. Yeah, I've been busy finishing my latest novel, The Secret Tree, and completing The 5 Steps book, to the detriment of my personal book marketing practices. But since you folks are my information springboard, I thought I'd give you a heads up on what I've learned about KDP--information previously unpublished.

I recently published a new book called,  Winning With KDP Select: 5 Steps to Hitting #1 in the Amazon Free Store . I want to give this to you because of your support and because you deserve to know what works. But I also want to give you a little piece of this book before you get it for FREE on Amazon. The following information is NOT part of the 5 Steps.What follows are a few basic tips taken from the book. Maybe you haven't thought about this stuff before, or maybe you have. Either way, I hope this helps. But if you really want to know how to hit #1 on your free day, get this book . It will be free March 31st - April 1st.

There will only be 365 books that hit #1 in the Free store over the next 365 days... Will you be one of those authors? I hope so.

Here are a a couple things you want to think about if you are in KDP Select:


GOT FANS? KDP Select offers authors one of the best opportunities to gain new fans. How? By giving away your book and creating fans addicted to your writing or series. If you are not bringing them into your fold, you are making a big mistake. Be sure to include a link for your new fans to join your email list or Facebook page at the end of your book. Grab ‘em while you got ‘em, for tomorrow they’ll forget about you. A great site for FREE forms is jotform.com.
TIMING? There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to which day works best when running a KDP freebie, but I advise doing it at the end of the month. Why? When your book returns to regular price, you not only get the sales bounce that will hopefully come as a result of your giveaway, but you can also capitalize on the Amazon Prime customer monthly free downloads that are generally used when they are first available (the beginning of each month).
FREQUENCY?Try a two-day giveaway first. If you promote heavily, two days should be enough to get you in the top 100, and will leave you with 3 more days to use over the next couple months. Remember, you only get 5-free days for every 90-day period. But lately I’ve been using a 4-day freebie schedule as long as I’m still in the top 20.  I want to have good momentum for as long as possible. If you go "Free" for one day, and you did not promote heavily... you probably wasted that day.
NOTE: Hitting #1 in the Amazon Free Kindle Store takes hard work and cash if you want to hit #1, but it is very much worth the investment from my experience(see 5 Steps Book).
WARNING:My goal for you is to hit #1, gain a TON of fans, and make some money afterward. If you want to hit #1, spend the money. You have to tell as many people as you can that your book is free. Lazy promotion brings lazy results. Heavy promotion brings BIG results. Ultimately, if you don’t hit the top 20 when running a free book promotion, you may have wasted your time and free days in terms of the final ROI (Return On Investment). The exception is when you need more reviews---which is another goal altogether. If you don’t spend the money on heavy book promotion, the resulting sales may be minimum. However, you will likely get some reviews as a result of the giveaway. If that’s what you’re after, then you may consider the promotion a success. If you want to make money, sell your other books, or grow your audience in a big way, you better plan to hit #1 and that's what the "5 Steps" book is all about. 
So what's the "so what"? The so-what is I'm giving away  Winning With KDP Select: 5 Steps to Hitting #1 in Amazon's Free Store  on March 31st - April 1st. So, go get it. Find out what it takes to hit #1. Find out what the best sites are for promoting your free ebook, and find out how you can reach a targeted audience with hundreds of thousands of readers. Then, write a review, share the book, and get it into as many of your writer friends hands as possible.  Jeff Bennington is the best-selling author of Reunion , Twisted Vengeance, the  Creepy  series, and  The Indie Author's Guide to the Universe . 

In Jan 2012 I worked with a couple authors who were having a hard time selling their books, and I helped one of them hit Amazon's Top-100 in the paid store, and the other came very close. Since that time, I have helped other authors evaluate the basic elements of their Amazon book page that are actually "UN-selling" their book.

Believe it or not, many new and not so new authors are scratching their heads, wondering why their book, as well written as it is, is not selling. They look at their monthly KDP reports, and their Amazon ranking and wonder what's going on. If that is you, the problem could be that you are on the inside looking in, and are not seeing the big picture. The following is an example of such an author.

Hayley Doyle came to me for help, and I found several issues right away. She gave me permission to share the following "book evaluation" so that others can learn. Put in context, Hayley had a literary agent, but a deal was never struck with a publisher, so she went ahead and self-published. Since that time she has sold very few copies. This is the only book that she has published on Amazon, although she has another she could publish. So... she's a first time author, with one book published. This is pretty common among indies, so I'm guessing there are some out there that will read this and apply the following analysis to their own page. I wrote this book page analysis about a week ago, and we talked today about a few steps she can take to begin "fixing" some of these issues. As you read this, I hope it helps you.
 ~~~~~~~~~~

Hayley, After studying your book I have found several items that may contribute to poor sales. Some are obvious to me, but there may be other issues under the radar that we will have to discuss. WARNING: I'm very honest, which is what you paid for. 
Here are my findings, starting from the top of your Amazon book page.
Title: The Day She Met Shirley TempleAuthor: Hayley DoylePrice: $7.99Current Ranking: 845,460 in the Amazon Kindle StorePrint Ranking: 3,668,349
You do not have an author page set up. The author page is the first thing I look for because it's right at the top of your book page. You do not have one, and you should. Creating an author page is easy via Amazon Author Central. From AAC you can edit your book's description and add your author bio, pics, video, and social media links. Why is this important? Because with only one title listed on Amazon, readers have no idea why you are a credible choice or who you are, and have no way to follow you if they want to. The reader/writer relationship is more intimate today. They want to know about you, and want to follow you if they like your work. 
You only have 1 "Like". This is a sign of popularity. Amazon readers do participate in this. Seeing only 1 like may actually be a turn off. You need to recruit friends and family to like your page as much as buying the book (I "Liked" your page btw). How does this help? Amazon factors a lot of elements from your book page into your ranking and internal Amazon promotion. The more likes, the more Amazon recognizes your book as a valuable/likable product. That goes for the the other social media buttons. Use them regularly. Tweet your book page. Facebook share your book page. Pinterest your book page. Every time you do this, Amazon registers another tick up in your book's popularity. Do these things impact your Amazon logarithm as much as a sale? No. But they help... especially if they come from different IP addresses (yeah, Amazon keeps track of that so no sense in using 10 different accounts from the same computer). 
You only have 1 review. Reviews build trust. Too many bad reviews and sales will completely die. Lots of good reviews, and you have a far greater chance of selling. KDP Select is a great way to get more reviews. The only other option is to work your tail off, searching for the right reviewers and soliciting reviews from them, just like you have done with The Kindle Book Review--Great job! For additional info on getting reviews See my article on building a blog tour. After being published for nearly a year, having only one review on Amazon is a big red flag to me.
Price: $7.99 is way too high for a first time, self-published eBook--unless you are already famous or fresh off a reality tv show, or if you won an award as prestigious as The Bram Stoker Award. In addition, with the author's name as the publisher (your name), as listed in your book details, there is no hiding the fact that you are self-published. You don't have to, but it's not like a reader will know that your book is vetted by someone like Thomas Mercer, or Penguin and trust that the $7.99 is worth the cash. The length is right for the price But only IF you were traditionally published by a reputable publisher. I recommend selling no higher than $2.99 and maybe even 99¢ until you boost your ranking (where you will actually be seen). As a newer author, it is more important for you to grow your audience. So make the book affordable and include a link for readers to join an email list, or your facebook page. Put audience growth over profits, for now.
I have a unique philosophy on pricing. Read this article for my thoughts. No sense in re-writing this. In a nut shell, if you want to grow a reader fan base, don't over price your books. You may make $5.00 for every sale, but is it worth it when the cost is losing 100 readers for every five bucks? I'm all about gaining readers. That's my plan. Money comes with more titles, not an over priced rookie effort. There are those that will say, you are worth more, and that you shouldn't sell out to penny sales. Let them think that. I make $2,000 a month from 99¢ books, and that number grows with each new book I write. Eventually my stock price as an author will go up to match the size of my audience and I'll make much more then. New corporations start as penny stocks for a reason.

Cover: The Shirley Temple cover looks cute and all, but without the actual title and author name on the cover, I don't think the attempt at rectangular originality is going to work for you... yet another strike against you as a newbie... not in my eyes, but in the eyes of the reader. Look at the best selling books in your genre. They don't look like yours. Yours looks similar to the other non-fiction titles shown on your page. But your is not non-fiction?
Here's a book that one of your buyers purchased. It is not a historical fiction, and it is not selling all that much either.

Search results: When I do an Amazon search with the key words "Shirley Temple" the top three books are ranked as follows: 142,000+, and then 422,000+, 661,000+, and then your, which  is fourth, which is good, but you can see that you are being pigeonholed into a niche category (with no sales). The 142,000 book is probably only selling a few copies a month (5-10) and that's in first place.
This tells me that if your book is a historical fiction, you need to lose the Shirley Temple stigma. It looks too much like a ST non-fiction title. There is no audience for this topic/theme. Here is the list of the top-100 historical fiction kindle books. This is where your cover needs to be if you want to sell in this genre. I suggest updating the ebook cover, maybe to match your print, although the print version still looks a little sub par because the image has low image quality and is blurred. (no offense, just comparing to the top 100).
Tags: I usually comment on "Tags" but I haven't seen them lately. Amazon may have stopped that. Tags were a way readers can help categorize books buy typing/adding key words that they thought were relevant to the content of the book. So nothing to say about that.
Category: I don't know what 2 subject categories you chose when you published. These are critical in helping readers find your content/subject. Let me know what those are when we talk.
Key Word Selection: When you published via KDP select you were given the option to chose up to 7 key words. Go to your KDP account and find out what you typed in this section. Then, along with your two categories you chose, type those words (individually) into the Amazon search bar, and jot down a note about the top one or two book covers, and make a note of their ranking. If after doing this with those 9 words, ask yourself if you are satisfied with the rankings of these books and if they look like the kind of titles that fit where you want to be... which is in the top 100 Historical Fiction category.
Not in KDP Select: I absolutely think this is necessary for newer authors... especially those with only one or two books... that means you. Read the attached article to see why I think that. I'm just now moving out of KDP (with reservations) but I have 7 working titles and one more to be released (although my first is pretty much a bomb... but that's how I learned). 

Formatting: I see formatting issues on the first page in the "Look Inside" edition. This may also be a turn off for readers.

Okay, that's enough to take in I'm sure. Try not to be discouraged. This is a tough business and not all writers are fully prepared to be publishers just because they wrote a book. There's a lot to learn now, and after you think you have everything down (pub, marketing, design, and hot genre) it all changes and you have to learn something new. That's just the way this business works. Ultimately, you have to keep writing more books. Books sell books. I'll leave you with this article:Common Lies Self-Published Authors Believe. Read this as well before we talk. And on behalf of the publishing industry as a whole, I apologize that this is so overwhelming and ultimately frustrating. But in order to be successful, writing/publishing must be a labor of love. 

Now, let me know if seeing this book page evaluation helps you! If you think you could benefit from this type of evaluation or some of my other author services, check out my gigs on fiverr.com

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