I’ve been receiving emails from fellow writers asking me about the Amazon
promotion I was part of for August and what it means and how to get it.

Let me start off by saying that I have no idea how Amazon decides which authors to promote.

I promise there were no bribes of chocolate, no pleas or threats on my part. And let’s face it – the chocolate part – as if I’d willingly give that up! Prayers maybe – but how could I not when I saw other authors I knew being promo’d by them and seeing their rankings and sales soar through the roof.

 

What You Can Do …

What I can tell you is that instead of focusing on how to get Amazon to promote you, you need to focus on your book and your readers. With that being your focus, you’ll be amazed at the doors that open for you. Write a book – not just the best book you can write but a book that touches your readers in a way that leaves them wanting more. More of your writing. More of your stories. More of you. If you focus on your readers, they will help promote the book in a way that no one else can. When you focus on your readers, you’ll start to get real and honest reviews. The more reviews you have, the more likes and the more tags, the higher in the amazon rankings you’ll go. That’s what garners Amazon’s attention – I think πŸ˜‰

But What Does It Mean…

It means doors open, dreams come true and you’ll have an ever-increasing smile on your face.

For me – it meant that I jumped from making around $5,000 in July to making 6 figures in August. Yes – I made over $100,000. In ONE MONTH! Yes – you read that right. Amazing. Simply Amazing. Did you read when I said dreams come true? That was one of them. I NEVER thought I would EVER make that much money in ONE MONTH. (Sorry if it seems like I’m shouting – but I am – SHOUTING that is, not apologizing). Β What does this kind of money mean? I means paying off all our debt and only worrying about paying our mortgage each month. It means breathing easier knowing I don’t have to worry about where the money will come to pay the bills. It means not having to decide if the shoes my kids need for school is more important than paying a bill in full this month. It means … you know what it means. What would it mean for you?

It also means having doors open for me that I had thought I’d never want open. It means having agents and editors come to me. I made it to #13 on the Bestseller list as well as other lists like Media Bistro, Indie Readers Top 10 and others. It means validation that my story was/is good enough. It means choices and options and making decisions that are right for me – not just for right now but for in the future as well. It means having to really evaluate my goals and maybe re-evaluate as well.

It Means Changing Your Focus…

One of the re-evaluated goals was whether or not I wanted or even needed an agent. I had the opportunity to go with an agent from one of the top agencies in New York. But I turned them down. I’m not about being a little fish in a big ocean – and when your agent has clients the like of Deepak Chopra, Maya Banks, Sylvia Day, Sherrilyn Kenyon and others – I knew I was going to be a tadpole compared to their sharks. I know some people are probably shaking their heads at me for turning down this offer – I mean, it’s a dream agent with dream connections and dream clients. But I knew that my goals might not mesh with theirs. Plus – I had made a connection with another agent who ‘got’ me and understood my goal to continue self publishing and wanting to be successful in any venue. I couldn’t have asked for more and she’s been an absolute godsend.

Did I give up being indie because I have an agent? No. But that’s for another post πŸ™‚

The Bottom Line…

So … what does it mean to have Amazon promote you? It means reaching more readers and enticing them to want to give me a try as a new author. It means building my fan base, having ‘real’ readers join my newsletter instead of begging for it from holding contests and such (if you are a writer, you know what I mean). It means seeing an increase in sales in all my books and it not just being for that month. This is only the first week of September and I’ve already doubled my sales from July – not too bad!

How can you get Amazon to promote you? Write the best book that you can and focus on your readers – not on amazon. I have no idea what their secret formula is. No idea what they take into account before deciding to promote an indie author. I have no blessed idea, but I’m sure glad they took a chance on me. And when they take that chance on Β you – be sure to tell me! I want to be one of the firsts to congratulate you and help spread the word for you πŸ™‚