Buy me a coffee
Welcome to Paul's Podcast Diary for Saturday 24th August, 2019.
Coming up this week:
- I’ll have a round-up from my BookFunnel, Prolific Works and StoryOrigin emails … and there are some unexpected results!
- I've started making promotional graphics for my rapid release campaign – I'll tell you what tools I've been using and let you see some examples
- AND I'll be telling you what I’ve been up to with my Amazon and Facebook advertising as I continue to get ready for my rapid release activities
This diary charts my self-publishing journey – the ups the downs, the successes and the failures.
Everything goes into this diary, week-by-week, but you'll also find it a source of great tips, resources, tools, podcast recommendations and so on.
If you're new to the podcast and want to easily access the back catalogue of podcast diaries, in chronological order, please check out this page.
If I ever miss something out, or you'd like more information, just drop me an email at paul@paulteague.com.
This Week's Talking Points
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1) My giveaway events:
StoryOrigin: https://storyoriginapp.com/bundles/2645a868-a8c2-11e9-96cd-4bb4ec53a258
Promo graphics: https://paulteague.net/crime-thriller-suspense-giveaway-storyorigin-aug/
BookFunnel: https://books.bookfunnel.com/summer-thrillers/3akmld83uq
Promo graphics: https://paulteague.net/crime-thriller-suspense-giveaway/
Prolific Works: https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/PdXGWpCUm8PwzWfcQC3X
Promo graphics: https://paulteague.net/crime-thriller-suspense-giveaway-pw-aug/
2) Robs Rant: All this 5AM Club Bollocks … and alternative viewpoint if you just don't want to get up at 5am 🙂
Recommended reading:
3) A selection of promo images I've been getting ready:
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”12″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]These images were made using a combination of the following recommended tools:
Canva: https://www.canva.com/
MyEcovermaker – my referral link is here
BookBrush – my referral link is here
4) From Robert Bucchianeri:
On KDP vs Wide. My feeling in general is that Amazon's competitors have more or less failed to compete. Perhaps the smaller ones and Kobo have done all they could but that's not the case with Apple, Google, and Barnes and Noble.
They've just failed pretty miserably to offer a comparable product and ease of use for Indie Authors. Apple in particular had a wonderful opportunity to be a major player, but never gave it much of an effort. Perhaps they don't see enough profit in it.
So now we face a situation where around 70-80% of ebooks are sold through Amazon and something around half of all online print books. For all intents and purposes Amazon is the market.
I don't like having all my eggs in one basket but the other baskets don't deserve any of my eggs. I've gone wide with a couple of books and gotten absolutely nowhere.
If Amazon changes the game in a way that damages authors then even if you're wide it's going to severely impact your business. We'll all be scrambling for new ways to sell our books.
Plus it's much easier to concentrate your time and efforts on only one distributor and retailer. Right now over 70% of my income comes from page reads and I couldn't possibly give that up for the paltry posilbiily of some long term sales at other stores.
I keep an open mind and with Amazon's 90 day contracts I can pivot whenever the playing field changes.
5) Specials for future podcasts … here’s my list, anything you want to hear?
- Writing books on my shelf
- My complete writing process
- 5 highlights, 5 low times
- One full day in my author life (Fri)
- Thoughts on my old books … old trilogies
- Physical and mental health
- 10 things you didn't know
- 10 things I ditched
- 10 bits of author advice I ignore
- Advice from listeners … things you think when you listen to the show
- Non-fiction books I could write
- My author life at 60
This week on social media …
It’s been a topsy turvy week and I’m only just now getting a chance to listen to the latest Self Publishing Journeys podcast from @PaulTeagueUK and looking out my window it looks like Paul has a new listener. I’m not surprised, it’s a great show for authors of all species! pic.twitter.com/crmyoRSJBg
— Alissa Grosso (@alissagrosso) August 15, 2019
@PaulTeagueUK – I thought I’d send you another glamorous “listening to your show” picture pic.twitter.com/zhzIrMrH3M
— Tim Lewis @Stoneham Press #indieAuthorChat (@StonehamPress) August 18, 2019
Paul's Podcast Diary Archive
You can access every episode of Paul's Podcast Diary, in chronological order, here.