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What To Do Before You Launch?

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
Since I'm on the verge of releasing my first short story for sale on Amazon, I'm trying to figure out ways to market it. I know single short stories might be a harder sell than a full novel, but I'm hoping that it'll turn out well.

So with about two weeks before I launch, I was wondering what you all have as suggestions before launching? I know many people try to do blog tours or get people to do advanced reviews. But I wondered if that would really work for a single short story? I want people to know about the short story before I launch it though.

Thoughts?
 

MineOwnKing

Maester
Amazon has a new program you might want to consider called Kindle Scout.

You would have to be approved first, but they offer a $1,500.00 advance plus a 50% royalty rate.

I consider that a very good deal.

Once approved, I believe they also take care of a press release for you.

I am just learning about the program myself, so I am not sure if a short story would qualify.

If you can wait to release your story for a little while longer, it might also pay to enter into one of the multitude of writing contests. If you win an award, it could greatly improve visibility of your story and give you bragging rights here on scribes.

If you do self-publish in a couple of weeks, you will be offered a few days of promotion and sales, after the promotion days expire, you will be put on a 30 day waiting period before you can do any more sales or promotions. It is very important that in the time span of those 30 days you do not make any changes to the details page or the price because then your 30 days will start all over again.

So, set your price, set your key words, set your blurb one time and be done with it, or else your story will struggle to see the light of day. 30 days can seem like 30 years in the publishing world.

good luck.
 

Mythopoet

Auror
Honestly? I wouldn't do anything. If you use any social media, announce it there, but other than that, nothing. Blog tours are not worth it. I wouldn't waste time on promotion before you have a lot more work available.
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
Really, the most you can do is what Mythopoet said, promote it in all your social media. That does include your signature here in the forums, and you could always write about it in your next article on the front page. With just one short story, though, there's not much else you can do.
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
@MineOwnKing: I did see something about Kindle Scout. I'll have to research that more if I get a novel out there down the line. I do like the promotions offer as well. Thanks for the input!

@Mythpoet: The more I think about it, I think you're right. If I only have one short story, it's best to just promote it the ways I know how and not spend a lot of money paying for blog tours or promotional packages at this point. Once I build up several stories and novels, that kind of thing will make more sense.

@Devor: You ninja'd me there, but yeah, I agree also. I'm looking to build up this Splatter Elf brand and that's going to take time and putting out more work first. If it was a novel, I'd have a lot more options, but being that I'm releasing shorts for now, it's going to be a slow trickle kind of thing. Hopefully, down the line, I'm going to bundle several of the shorts once they've been out for a while in a collection with a cheaper price. For example, if I release four short stories for 99 cents a piece, I may sell the collection for 2.99 or something. I've thought about even releasing the collection with five stories, one never been released, so you're getting something that's not out there yet. Nothing written in stone yet, but just brainstorming.
 
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MineOwnKing

Maester
I was wrong about this, it is not 30 days, it is 90 days!

90 human days, is equivalent to something like 2 years in the publishing world.
 
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