Facebook Ad Update

Impressing Readers with a Bio

I was wandering over at the Kindle Review Exchange on Facebook. Its a place were you can post your books and exchange a review with another writer (or reader?) As  I was scrolling through the blurbs for review I noticed a few put their bio up instead of a hook or blurb.

Hmmm, not impressed. One said stuff like, So-and-So has been writing since the age of 5 and published her first book at age 10. I didn't read any further. The thing that came to my mind was, "What? Did your mommy write your bio?" (Excuse the Jersey in me, but it is what it is- Have you met our obnoxious Governor?)

Smack me, but am I wrong? Should I care that the writer was scribbling books at age 5? I would be more impressed with with writing experience in the grown up world, degrees, interests dealing with the subject matter, etc.  I think when I do read the bio I want to learn what motivates the writer to do these kind of books. But if you're putting your book up to ask for a review exchange I think the hook is the best thing to put up there first. Drag me in and make me want to read more. Kind of like that back blurb only shorter?

But hey, what do I know? I just had a Facebook ad fail.
I gotta go check my bio now, because I really have no idea what I put in it.

So how's your bio? What important there and what did you leave out?

Figuring Out Facebook Ads

Experimenting with book ads and studying the results. I'm running a facebook ad for No Apologies and watching my Amazon rank fluctuate. 

An 12 day ad with a daily click through up to $5. giving me a total cost of $60. The book is not on sale, I left the prices the same as always. 

First day my rank dropped dramatically. From 923,485 to 32,291. The next day its up to the 300,000's. (I only checked it once that day, not realizing it was going to be changing that much) The following morning it dropped again into the 30,000. Yesterday, Friday, at 7 a.m. it was back up to the 300,000's. (Wish I charted these exact numbers, but i can only give you the approximations.) Friday afternoon I'm back in the 30,000's. This drop happened about 4 p.m. which I think was when everyone at work decided they had worked hard enough all week and jumped on facebook. ;)  It held there until about 9 p.m. when everyone probably broke open the wine and started ignoring facebook. (52,000's)

This morning we jumped back up to #110,761. Will this change when people start waking up? Break for lunch? Go back to facebook after dinner? I'm curious to see if weekends are better than weekdays. 


From what I've read on Booktrakker Amazon updates hourly. 

I'm wondering if some of this is the result of setting the ad to $5.00 a day for click throughs? I hit the $5. in click throughs and the ad stops running for the day? 

Are click throughs equaling sales? So far, not much. :( but we'll see what happens by day twelve. I'll let you know. 

Anyone else have luck with ads? Any hints or tips? 

Advertising and the Indie Author

I've heard that the best way to get noticed as an Indie author is to write multiple books. I'm working on that, but would still like to see better sales for the books I do have up. How many books are enough books? How many books are "multiple books?"

In one article I read that Hugh Howie knew he had to keep writing and getting more books done before he worried about promotion. Smart man. It worked.

So, should I be doing a little advertising? Make a budget?

Book Bub is supposed to give great results, but its a little pricey. I guess you get what you pay for?

Facebook ads can generate sales and some authors swear by it.

I did a freebie on Pixels of Ink and gave away about 80 something books. I got a few reviews from that, but nothing startling. However, that result did show me that Pixels has a good readership so I'll keep it on my list for later.

There are quite a few sites/email blasters like Pixel of Ink. I'd like to find a rating on these sites. Which ones preform better, which ones have the biggest audience, and which give you more bang for your buck.

I wonder if giveaways are worth anything at this point? I think a giveaway works better if you're writing a series that will make someone want the next book. I see Nick Pirog doing it and that's how he hooked me to read his series; 3 a.m.. I saw it on one of the ebook blasters that I subscribe to and since it was free, I grabbed it. It was a great surprise, very well written with a great story line. I went back and bought his other books.

Amazon has ads, too. Now that might be a better way to target an audience?

Twitter? I've tweeted a few, but not sure they produced anything. I just got the hash tag thing down better so that might change. Tweeting with hash tags does help my blog posts get noticed. I've had a few of them from Sidewalk Politics shared on independent newsy sites.  I think they found me through the hash tags.

Book Bloggers...this is an industry that's still out there. Amanda Hocking once said she credited Book Bloggers with the success of her vampire series. I met a couple of bloggers who do book reviews. Most don't charge anything to have a book reviewed by their site, but don't say it will definitely be reviewed. They have a group of reviewers who chose what they want to read and review. The reviewers will be honest on how they feel about the book.  These bloggers make a living with the ads on their site.

With all these options I think Indies need a marketing plan. Spend X amount on ads, pick a couple of bloggers, make a social media outline and stick to it. Organization! We need organization! Publishing houses have departments to handle this stuff. Do they have plans? Outlines to follow? (Not that a new author gets much of that.) I need a step by step plan for this advertising stuff. I know they have books on Marketing for Indie's but when I look up the authors of those books I don't see any reviews for their other books and the ranks on Amazon aren't that great. So tell me why I should listen to them?

What's your marketing plan?

Writers Need Writers

Its a fact; I'm definitely more productive when I'm around other writers. Its like when you have a good friend who always makes the healthy choices on the menu, you follow. Or if you're with the one who eats ice cream...you tend to eat more ice cream. When I'm around other writers talking writing, exchanging ideas, asking questions, finding answers, I become more writing centered.

I'm loving the writing sites I've found on Facebook! Writer's Around the World is a great group just there to talk about writing. Nirvana. They also have rules about what can be posted on which day and that helps keep the group on track. Well done, WAW. You guys rock!

Indie Author Group is another good one dedicated to Indie authors. No promo just exchanges with other authors talking shop. I love it.

I've found a few others and most seem great. The ones with promo rules are best. As writers wanting to shamelessly promote our books, we need a little restraint!

There are also reader-author sites to connect with readers and share you work. I do a little of that too.

Not that I didn't enjoy Facebook to a degree, but I have to admit seeing what people ate for dinner or discussing medical issues didn't keep my interest. IMHO; foot fungus reports don't belong on Facebook. Eeesshhh! But now I'm with my peeps, the writing peeps and I'm in heaven.

So tell me??? What's your fav writing site? Link us!

Amazon Ranking for Writers

I'm not understanding Amazon's ranking system. I check my rank (probably too much) but it fluctuates constantly. What's up with that?

Its never great..ever. But I watch it anyway. You know, average day...check Amazon rank, think about blogs, page views, check Amazon rank, check for new reviews, maybe open latest WIP, check Amazon rank before starting. Coffee break, check rank again.

The rank is constantly going up and down by thousands. What does this mean? Does it rise and fall by page views? It certainly can't be for sales. At least not with this book so far.

Can we improve it? Am I doing something to wreck it that I don't know about?

Okay, now someone tell me how to stop watching it. Its almost as addictive as facebook.