Best Book Promotion e-books?

Cliff did you read this thread?

How to promote your book like an intelligent human being and not an SEO Dweeb


I started it because the books I'd read, and the Websites, were abysmally stupid.

The problem with e-books telling you how to promote is that what works for one author and book will likely not work for another.

Guy Kawasaki is supposed to have a good e-book about self-publishing (I haven't read it) but I don't think it focuses specifically on promotion.

WriterBN said:

The problem with e-books telling you how to promote is that what works for one author and book will likely not work for another.

Guy Kawasaki is supposed to have a good e-book about self-publishing (I haven't read it) but I don't think it focuses specifically on promotion.

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Guy already had a platform, including a newsletter with a million or so subscribers, and a lot of name recognition in terms of Apple.

He's not a good case study or role model.

There are a lot of self-published authors here who have been successful; they're knowledgeable and willing to share ideas.

Hi Cliff Face.

One or two suggestions - you need to complete the author pages on Amazon and Smashwords if you have not already done so.
Having your own website is well worthwhile and makes you appear professional and serious about your writing.
Bookmarks are a great way of spreading the word about your books and your website and are easy to carry around. They can be ordered online for a very reasonable cost.
Join a few websites that really interest you and participate in discussions. A few good comments can increase other people's interest in your work. You will also have the opportunity to become Author of the Month or Book of the Month.

Hope this helps.

Yes, mine took about three months to come through. Congrats on the blog - it looks as if you have your writing/life balance just about right!

Thanks for asking these questions.

I'm Australian, and just using my Aussie Tax File Number on my Amazon and D2D (the superior Smashwords!) accounts. Australia has a tax treaty with the US, so I'm just sending/filling out a W8-BEN form. Is there a reason you would need a U.S Tax File number?


I found that reading Kindleboards and other places gives me heaps of ideas for promotion, which I'm noting down. Any book not written in the last 6 months would be hopelessly out of date, I would imagine.

A word of warning on "how to" ebooks. There is a scam going on where "authors" (I use the term loosely) cobble together very short books and pump them out at a rate of several a week.

Here is someone churning out "books" (another term we need to use in its broadest definition) in less than an hour...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVyKVtUMDb4

Perhaps not surprisingly these authors often like to write books about the business of writing - because that is what they know. So there seem to be a lot of very short books on writing books, marketing, ebook covers, how to make a fortune., etc.

If you are looking at "how to" ebooks, take a quick peak at the number of pages you are being offered.

For fun, I have just searched on Amazon UK for ebooks using this search "How to promote ebook". Of the first fifteen books (not all about ebooks):

Only one was more than 200 pages (246)
Three were between 100 and 200 pages (116, 146, 178)
Six were between 50 pages and 100 (50, 52, 60, 61, 63, 95)
Five were thirty pages or less (22, 23, 24, 27, 30)

Can something that is 22 pages long be considered a "book"? By the time we have stripped out the contents pages, introduction, title page, acknowledgements .... what is left?

Frankly you would be much better off reading the stickies and threads on this site.

Cliff Face said:

Hmm... When I looked into it, I received a definite "You need an ITIN (US non-citizen tax number thing)". That was a while ago, but yeah...

So are you saying I could've skipped the whole apply-for-passport-apply-for-ITIN-with-passport debacle?

*facepalm*

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Looks like it:

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=201274690

• "Non-U.S. Publishers may be eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. tax withholding if their country of permanent residence has an income tax treaty with the United States....To qualify for reduced withholding, you must enter an income tax identification number (TIN) in the KDP tax interview. If you have a U.S. TIN, you must provide this number. If you do not possess a U.S. TIN, you may enter the income tax identification number issued to you by the tax authority in your country of residence. "

The Aussie TFN is fine. This goes for D2D (draft to digital) which covers the non-Amazon sales. Most folks are starting to use this service rather than Smashwords due to better customer service, etc. They both require a W8-BEN form which Amazon supplies on-line and D2D will accept if you email a scan in.

Yes, "Australian U.S. Tax Treaty Royalties" will get you heaps of hits. It's Article 12 of the treaty.

comedic urban fantasy? sounds like I gotta get that one

Having an ITIN gives you the option of using it, it is not a requirement. I would suggest going with using your Aus tax ID, it's simpler.