KDP Select - My Experience

So I tried KDP Select, enrolling just one of my novels, FROZEN IN TIME.

I joined last month and went free for 2 days just to see how it goes. I did this around Xmas Eve and Xmas Day. Perhaps it was the wrong time of the year some of you may be thinking. After all, would there be people looking for free kindle books on Xmas day? Well, yes. I can imagine that those who had just received a Kindle as a present would be wanting to find something to read pretty fast, and if they were like me when I first got my Kindle, then they wouldn't be able to wait to download from all the free books available. Not forgetting how boring Christmas Day can be for most, anyway. Maybe they were longing for something to read to escape from boredom.

Anyway, I had a few hundred downloads but nothing like the thousands other indie writers have reported in having, even though I tried my damn hardest to promote wherever I could (blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads, etc).

And then after the free promotion ended. Slump. Rankings went down and disappeared altogether. Just like my book, sinking into indie book hell, no doubt.

After a few miserable days where I spread my paranoia wings wide and my head became battered with thoughts of 'What's wrong with my book?'' "Why doesn't anyone like my baby?" "It's a great book. I know it is." "I can write. I know I can." "What shall I do?" "I'll never make it as a writer." "Why? Why? Why?"

I drank more than I should. I ate more chocolate than I should. I let anxiety breed on me again. I thought maybe I should just top myself and be done with it. There is only so long one can take being a failure, blah, blah, blah...

Once that was out of my system, a week later I then decided I might as well use up the other 3 days of promotion because by now I'd made up my mind that KDP Select wasn't really for me and I might just not bother to sign up for another 3 months in March. So I went free last weekend. I figured there may be loads of excited new kindle users out there after Xmas who would be downloading as many free books they could possibly get their hands on. Whether they actually read these books is another matter.

The promotion started at midnight (8 am in the UK where I live) on Jan 5th. I got up early to watch my rankings. Throughout the morning I watched, excitement rising, as I climbed and climbed the Free best seller chart. Hey, I thought. It's really happening. It's my turn to become a 'free' best seller. Should I be proud of myself? I worked hard on this book. It took me 2 years to write. And now it was being snatched up for free. Somehow, this partly didn't sit right with me. I suppose my ego got in the way. But if it works as a promotional tool, then so what?

Here are the highest rankings I got as I tried to keep up with them during the 3 day period.

US

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,970 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)

#8 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Historical

UK

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,009 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)

#3 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Historical

#17 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fairy Tales

Now I shall have to wait and see if this free promotion pays off. That is, I'm hoping that like many other indie authors that have gone free and then watched in awe as their books started selling better than ever before, it works out for me too.

The next day after the promo ended I did get a nice surprise that brought a smile to my face. I did in fact have more sales than usual. I was #34 in best selling historical fantasy!

JAN 8th

2.45 pm PAID

UK Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #15,315 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

#34 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Historical

#79 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fairy Tales

I just need to get more reviews and do guest blogs and blog tours, etc, because even if people are buying, there are not enough reviews and my books look so sad up there. I'm embarrassed for them. I'm embarrassed for me.