Sarah Noffke Fan Club discussion

We have a lot of great minds in here. Readers who know what they're looking for and authors who have been doing this a long time. I wanted to create a thread that highlights indie publishing. This is an excellent place for readers and authors to ask questions, make comments or learn about this growing business.

There's a new book out on this subject called Navigating Indieworld: A Beginner's Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing Your Book. I've invited the authors Julie A. Gerber and Carole P. Roman to answer questions on this subject. So lets get this going. Ask away.

This thread is going to be of such invaluable help to me!!

My first question is how big a priority is social media to self-publishing?

I have a bookish Instagram and this Goodreads account that I am on pretty much all day every day, as I enjoy it so much. I also have a new Twitter account. I tell myself that I am allowed to spend so much time on these places (instead of actually writing some of the time...) as I will (hopefully) reap the benefits back one day when my name is (again, hopefully) known. But is this a myth? I am on these platforms because I genuinely enjoy interacting, not for self-gain, but should it take more of a backseat?

Super excited about all the information that will be shared here!!

Social media is just about the most important and direct way to network with your readership. I use Facebook, Twitter and any other sites I can. I don't know much about using them, so I hired a specialist to run them all for me. That's how I met Julie Gerber three years ago, and last week we published our first book together.

It should not take a backseat. You are building a fan base and building relationships. If they feel like they matter to you because you have invested time building that relationship, they are more likely to buy your book, tell their friends, like or share your posts (which help you get more visibility) and it is a win for everyone. I think Twitter is a great place to spend your time if you are utilizing hashtags. If not, you are really just a lost voice. Instagram is a great way to connect, but I haven't has as much success there as I have had with Facebook. The good news is that many of these platforms enable you to cross post, so you post in one place and it pops up on all platforms. Use that to your advantage. And if you aren't on Facebook, get a page (I think author's should have a fan page) and start building. Put your links at the end of your book so people can find you :)

It was really good to hear that what I am already doing can also play into my writing. I love being part of this online book community and knowing it could be beneficial for myself in the future is great news. Thank you both so much for responding!

I have a Facebook page but it is just a private one with a few family members and friends on there. I shall definitely get started on making a writing page for myself. I never even thought of utilizing that platform!

Again, thank you both so much!

Keep the two pages separate. Julie and I never put person information on Facebook.

Carole wrote: "Keep the two pages separate. Julie and I never put person information on Facebook."

I shall do. Thanks. Professional writing pages and selfies don't mix too well, I should imagine... haha!

:) Don't get discouraged if it takes a while to build a following. Don't buy followers to boost your pages. Organic (real) fans are much more valuable. Follow authors and ask them for a follow back. Tell fans from your other social media sites to follow your page on Facebook. Join book promotion groups and ask for follows there when you post your book information. Watch what others do and you can learn a lot.

I often see indie authors offer their books for free on their website or via instafreebie while they are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited/KDP Select (Sarah Noffke and Suspended, or David Estes and Brew, The Moon Dwellers, and Slip, for examples).

How or why are they able to do this when Kindle Unlimited's terms state:
"KDP Select is an option for KDP publishers. While enrolled in KDP Select, your Digital Book must be exclusive to us and will be included in Kindle Unlimited and any substantially equivalent Kindle subscription programs ("Kindle Subscription Programs") and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library where it will be eligible to earn a share of a monthly cash fund. Additionally, by including your Digital Book in KDP Select, your Digital Book will be eligible for various other KDP Select Benefits, including enrollment in Kindle Countdown Deals, free promotions, and the ability to earn 70% royalty for sales to customers in territories outlined in the Pricing Page.

1 Exclusivity. When you include a Digital Book in KDP Select, you give us the exclusive right to sell and distribute your Digital Book in digital format while your book is in KDP Select. During this period of exclusivity, you cannot sell or distribute, or give anyone else the right to sell or distribute, your Digital Book (or a book that is substantially similar), in digital format in any territory where you have rights. "

It seems there is an exception where free copies can be given away to "professional reviewers" - but I couldn't find a definition for this anywhere.

What am I missing?

It is my understanding that by agreeing to be a part of the Kindle Select program, you cannot list your book on other sites. You may choose to make up to 10% of your book available on other sites as a sample, but not the book in its entirety. Many authors have chosen to remove their books from the program at the end of their enrollment period and participate in sites like instafreebie, and then re-enroll in the kindle program when their promotion is over. There are also some authors that are leaving the kindle program completely because they no longer want to remain exclusive to kindle.
Professional reviewers are those that you are using for services. Amazon states, "You may also provide professional reviewers with a copy of your book via email for the purpose of editing, proofreading and helping with other quality improvements."
In Indieworld, things change often and you learn something new all the time. Maybe Sarah can give us more details in case I am missing something?