# The Top Secret Diary of a Kindle Scout Prepper.



## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Hi and welcome to my diary as I prepare to fail in my Kindle Scout campaign.

This is a top secret account of my Kindle Scout thoughts and planning so don't even think about bookmarking it. 

I'll update this post with more information about the target once I have gathered more intelligence.

Target Book Title: "The Killdeer Connection"
Scout Genres: Literature and Fiction, Mystery and Thriller (legal).
Estimated Campaign Start Date: March 1, 2017

*THE KILLDEER CONNECTION*

1/23 (tagline finalized: *Go to bed as a lawyer -> Wake up a terrorist!*

2/22 (blurb finalized): "Burned-out lawyer David Thompson is on a mission to prove his innocence. Falsely accused of murder, he must desert his family to unearth the truth from a secret society of bird-watchers. When the feds talk of adding a terrorism charge, the death penalty looms and he's on the run from both the law and the real killer. On a wild ride through the oil fields of North Dakota, Thompson's quest to save his own skin explodes into a race to save the nation from a deadly tidal wave of terror. Buckle up!"

2/27* Biography finished*: "Tom Swyers is often confused with Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer." But his best friend isn't Huck and he didn't marry Becky. Based on a true story, his controversial debut novel, SAVING BABE RUTH, was the 2015 recipient of two Benjamin Franklin Book Awards for Best First Book: Fiction (1st place) and Best Popular Fiction (2nd place). Now Swyers is back with THE KILLDEER CONNECTION, a legal thriller. When he's not writing fiction, he's practicing law or writing decisions as a New York State judge."

2/24 (Question 1 answered):*Where did the idea for this book come from?*

"Today, there are 25 million people in the USA who live in danger of being burned alive. This killer snakes across the country through small towns and major cities. It has killed dozens already. Locking your door won't save you. This is fact, not fiction. It's also the backdrop for my story."

2/25 (Question 2 answered): *What is the inspiration for the story?*

"At Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota, there's been a huge protest over the impact of fracking. Today, there are protests against fracking all around the world. I want the novel to capture the passion behind this movement. The people who struggle with fracking every day inspired this story."

2/27 (Question 3 answered): *This book is about a series, tell us about that series.*

"My first novel, SAVING BABE RUTH, is a prequel to THE KILLDEER CONNECTION which is the first book of the Lawyer David Thompson Series. Each book can be read as a standalone. David Thompson is a struggling lawyer just trying to do the right thing and get by while keeping his family together."

1/24 (categories finalized):

Literature & Fiction � Action & Adventure � Mystery, Thriller & Suspense � Mystery
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense � Thrillers � Financial
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense � Thrillers � Legal
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense � Thrillers � Terrorism


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

What is a prepper?

The Oxford English Living Dictionary (not to be confused with it's "Dead" version) defines a prepper as:  

"A person who believes a catastrophic disaster or emergency is likely to occur in the future and makes active preparations for it, typically by stockpiling food, ammunition, and other supplies:
'there's no agreement among preppers about what disaster is most imminent.'"

Well, the Oxford English Living Dictionary is wrong insofar as it applies to this thread. 

The "disaster" Kindle Scouters agree upon is failing to get a Kindle Contract. 

The acceptance rate in the  Kindle Scout program is around 3%.  That means that  97% of all Kindle Scouters will fail to secure a contract with Kindle.

This thread is for Kindle Scouts who have accepted that they will most likely fail but who want to prevent disaster and succeed from the experience.

Time to face the fact: The odds are that I'll be one of the 97%. 

Don't get me wrong. I truly believe in my novel. I think it's a great legal thriller compared to what's out there in the market. But I'd be crazy to think that I'm destined to be a part of the 3% club.The odds are stacked heavily against me. 

But that's okay so long as I prepare to succeed in the face of accepting my likely failure.

So what's my plan?

Stay tuned . . .


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## Alexander_Baird (Dec 12, 2016)

Can you advise on

1) How did you do your cover (paid, prepaid, self-made, other)?
2) How long did the book take to write as a first draft?
3) How many rounds of rewrites?
4) Have you used any professionals (e.g. editing) or beta-readers?
5) What are your plans for the campaign?


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## lauramg_1406 (Oct 15, 2016)

Hi Alexander! If you come over to the Kindle Scout thread you'll be able to ask loads of us who've been through it (and get answers to any questions! Everyone is super helpful and supportive). You'll also be able to get your book on Steve's daily list and join in with our almost constant speculation on what's going on behind the scenes at KS!

Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Alexander_Baird said:


> Can you advise on
> 
> 1) How did you do your cover (paid, prepaid, self-made, other)?
> 2) How long did the book take to write as a first draft?
> ...


Hi Alexander,

1) Self-Made with some help
2) My first draft will be my last draft with editing. (This is my second book. Took my four years to write the first. It took one year to write the second. So if you're beginning and this is your first novel, I don't recommend the first-draft-last-draft approach) 
3) I rewrote one chapter in the midst of writing the book based on feedback. That's it. It's been edited as I wrote it with my editors trailing me. Developmental editors saw it first. Then I made changes. Then the next editor saw that version and so forth.
4) I'll have a team of about 30 beta readers. The will get the book before the Scout campaign begins if all goes according to plan.
5) Stay tuned!!

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

lauramg_1406 said:


> Hi Alexander! If you come over to the Kindle Scout thread you'll be able to ask loads of us who've been through it (and get answers to any questions! Everyone is super helpful and supportive). You'll also be able to get your book on Steve's daily list and join in with our almost constant speculation on what's going on behind the scenes at KS!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk


Great advice!

Here's the link to the Kindle Scout thread:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,213112.0.html


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## Alexander_Baird (Dec 12, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> Hi Alexander,
> 
> 1) Self-Made with some help
> 2) My first draft will be my last draft with editing. (This is my second book. Took my four years to write the first. It took one year to write the second. So if you're beginning and this is your first novel, I don't recommend the first-draft-last-draft approach)
> ...


So your developmental editors gave you feedback chapter by chapter as you wrote? Did you give them an outline first?
30 beta readers is incredible - good work. How did you find them=


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Alexander_Baird said:


> So your developmental editors gave you feedback chapter by chapter as you wrote? Did you give them an outline first?
> 30 beta readers is incredible - good work. How did you find them=


Hi Alexander,

I didn't give my developmental editors an outline. I wanted them to experience the book as a reader in thinking about my book. I don't think they should have the aid of an outline because a reader won't.

I did have a rough outline on paper, but it changed while I was writing. I'm somewhere between being a plotter and being a panster--at least for this book.

My beta readers were people I connected with during the process of writing and publishing my first book.

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Because an author has only a 3% chance of being selected by Kindle Scout, I need to view the program primarily as a book launching platform and not a competition for a Kindle contract.

There is no way I can generate as much exposure for my new novel (_The Killdeer Connection_) on my own for 30 days without breaking out the checkbook.

Using my social media and my email list alone to announce my book would be like throwing a pebble into a lake and hoping a ripple would travel from shore to shore.

But the Amazon Kindle Scout platform has the potential of being a meteor dropping into the lake that becomes a huge wave. At the very least it beats throwing a pebble into a lake and hoping for the best. As an author, you can engage your followers by having them participate in the Kindle Scout program by nominating your book with the hope of getting a free copy. That act alone creates awareness that has staying power through the book launch. But on top of engaging your reading base, as an author you can expose yourself to tons of new readers on Kindle Scout.

*Where else can you do that for free before the book is for sale? *

In treating Kindle Scout as a book launching platform, I decided I needed to devote the 30 day Kindle Scout campaign period as my primary job for that time period. So I blocked out a chunk of time for that purpose from mid February to mid March.

I also decided I needed to plan ahead of time what I was going to do during those 30 days to launch the book in the Kindle Scout platofrm. That's what I'm going to do until I start the campaign. I don't want to be hunting for marketing options during the 30-day campaign. I want to know my options by then and I want to be executing my plan during that time.

I'll outline my planning thoughts as I go through the process here.


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## tommy gun (May 3, 2015)

headtalker and thunderclap support?
(apologies, asking if you are chasing that down for promo)
If I understand the process correctly this is mostly voted on by potential readers, is that correct?


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

tommy gun said:


> headtalker and thunderclap support?
> (apologies, asking if you are chasing that down for promo)
> If I understand the process correctly this is mostly voted on by potential readers, is that correct?


Hi Tommy,

I'll talk about Headtalker later. It's an option because it's free.

Forget Thunderclap. It costs money if you have less that 100 people supporting.

Yes, books on Kindle Scout are voted on (nominated) BUT the decision to publish or not is ultimately up to Kindle no matter how many or how few nominations a book receives.

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

The first step in my Kindle Scout campaign and my *priority* above anything else is going to be to contact my supporters and to make them aware of the upcoming novel and to ask for their support on the Kindle Scout platform. It only makes sense to contact the people who are most likely going to support you first and foremost.

When I'm out and about town, I see people who know I'm an author. So I let them know.

I have made a note around of all the libraries and bulletin boards in my area. I will post flyers at these locations when my Kindle Scout campaign begins and I have the link.

I have a mailing list of about 250 readers. I haven't written them too often over the past year or so. So it's time to re-engage them. But how?

It took me a lot of time to develop my cover. There were many dead ends. I decided to make posts out of the process, show readers the covers that failed, and to send the content to my email list and to post it on social media. I plan to do that once a week until the Kindle Scout campaign begins around 2/20. By showing folks what covers weren't used and why, I think people will become curious and even excited about the final cover selected.

*But I won't reveal the final cover until the day my Kindle Scout campaign begins.
*

In essence, I've made a story about the cover and the climax occurs on the day the Kindle Scout campaign begins.

Here's the first blog post I made:

http://wp.me/p2J3jr-W7

After posting this, I'm looking for people on social media who are engaging with that content or other content about the upcoming book or anything else remotely relevant.

So on twitter, where I have 10K followers, I'm looking for likes and RTs and I'm taking names and making a list. When the Kindle Scout campaign is launched, I'll tweet these followers directly with the information about the Kindle Scout campaign and a link.

Here's the Pick Fu results from that first cover attempt:










Stay tuned . . .


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Yesterday, I continued to develop the home base part of the marketing plan.

I'm building the foundation for the 2/20 campaign projected start date

I continued to re-engage supporters on social media and on my mailing list.
I continued to email with people about the upcoming campaign.

Home base is not just in the virtual world for me. It's my hometown too.

I contacted the mayor of my hometown of about 20,000 and let him know about the upcoming Kindle Scout contest. I thought it was something the Town could get behind. You know, support a local author--someone in the arts community. Also, the book takes place (in part) in the town though it's given a fictional name in the book. The killdeer bird (part of the title of my book) was something I was first introduced to as a kid growing up here.

It's not like I'm trying to sell something through the Town. At the end of the day, the only thing that exchanges hands is a free book if anything. If the Town supports the idea, I think we might be able to get some local news coverage for the effort that benefits the Town. For me, the more support I have, the better the odds for selection by the Kindle Scout editors.

Of course, if I'm not selected by Kindle Scout, then this will be public knowledge as well. In all probability (97%), that will happen. So be it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I expect the book will be "successful" whether it "wins" or not. My goal is to use the Kindle Scout platform as a launching platform. If I'm not selected, I still will have generated more interest in the book than if I hadn't participated. In that way, it's a win-win scenario.

If I'm not selected, the news might be someday that the book was a "success" even though it wasn't selected. Sounds good to me.

Could I get the Town's support without this "contest?" Probably not. Without the Kindle Scout platform, there would be no public contest and no way for people to support the book through nomination. There would be no news. Authors publish books every day and usually the only "news" that is made by them is after the fact if they are successful.

So, I'm scheduled to meet with the Town later this month to see what we can do together.

In the meantime, I developed a flyer using a template from Microsoft. It's a tear away flyer that will have my Kindle Scout link on it instead of the phone number. I'm making a list of all the bulletin boards in the area to post it on. Here is the template I'm working off of now:

https://templates.office.com/en-us/For-sale-flyer-TM00002092

I will also run a targeted facebook ad for my hometown to promote the book during the campaign period. If it gets some traction (shares and likes), this can help reduce the cost.

I think that about covers my home base efforts for now

Stay tuned as I develop other facets of the campaign . . .


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Google Ads

You can help spread the word about your Kindle Scout campaign by using Google Ads.

However, this option costs $$$

Tip: You may be able to get a coupon online. I got one through BlueHost who is my website host company. If I spend $25, I get a credit to use $100 for ad spending. If it wasn't for the coupon, I'd probably skip this option.


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## msknyc (Dec 3, 2011)

Hi Tom - thanks for posting this! I'm just about ready to try Kindle Scout with my first novel 'The Atlantis Twins'. This is helpful! If I run across anything that might be beneficial I'll past it along.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

msknyc said:


> Hi Tom - thanks for posting this! I'm just about ready to try Kindle Scout with my first novel 'The Atlantis Twins'. This is helpful! If I run across anything that might be beneficial I'll past it along.


My pleasure.

I'll try and post something every day here.

They say the Kindle Scout process is like a marathon--it's 30 days of running a campaign.

If so, I don't think you enter a marathon without some training (planning) over a period of time,

Good luck with your novel!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Two more ideas on the home base front.

This is one that's original and untested but I think it might be worth a few minutes.

More than likely, your city/area/town has a buy,sell/garage sale facebook group.

Find it and join the group now and when your Scout campaign begins, post it there. Use the fact that you're a local author to promote yourself.

Tip: Search your area code for these groups too. So if you live in the 212 area code, put that into the facebook search feature first and see what comes up.

I came up with about ten groups that worked. Check the rules for each group but it shouldn't be a problem because you are giving away something for free.

I'm keeping track of all my promotion ideas and plans on a word document so when I can go back to it in a few weeks when the campaign begins I'll have a list of action items.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Co Promote

Cost: Free
Premium Plan available (not recommended).

What is it?

Watch these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEZL0lkT4kc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cByhnxwdiK4

Recommendation:

Open an account immediately.
Link your social media accounts to it.

You have 30 topics you can follow.

Make these part of your 30:

Art, Photography, & Design
Business & Finance
Entertainment & Media
Fashion & Beauty
Food & Drinks
Gaming 
Lifestyle, Home, & Travel
Music 
News & Politics
Science & Technology
Spiritual, Charity, & Education 
Sports

These are the big topics that are all encompassing. Click them to see all the posts in them. You can also search for content in the search bar, but using the tags is easier.

Start to copromote content.

Tip: You might have to work a little to find content but it is there. Click the links to make sure you want to share the content and that the link works.

When you promote content, you get credits for sharing that can go towards your shares when the time comes. It's like a bank and you are making deposits you can draw upon later when you need them--during you Scout campaign.

Tip: You can only promote 15 items per day.

Tip: When you are promoting, look for people who you want to follow. You want to look for people to might be interested in promoting your content later. If you follow them and they follow you back, your content will show up in their feed. That one way your content can be discovered. Plus if they follow you back, their content will show in your feed.

Tip: While you promote, look for topics (tags) to promote under. You want these topics to be active. You are allowed 8 when you post your content. Key is to use ALL 8. Many people use only a few and they are not always active. The more topics you use, the more likely your content will be discovered. That's the other way your content can be discovered.

For me, these are my fab four to use:

1. Entertainment and Media
2. Fiction and Literature
3. Mysteries and Thrillers
4. Books

I'm developing my other four now as I go along.

Key: You want to have a boatload of credits when you begin your campaign. You don't want to spend time trying to get credits while your campaign is going.

Tip: With the free plan, you are limited to promoting one post per social network at a time. They run for 14 days but you can cancel them is you want to try new content to keep it fresh.

*I now have 3.4 million credits on account for when my Kindle Scout campaign begins.*

Yeah, I'm a prepper!

I think Co Promote is a keeper even after your Kindle Scout campaign ends.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Newsletter Swaps

This is an idea that may pay off.

It is untested.

You can try and get your Kindle Scout campaign into a newsletter in exchange for making yours available to others.

You can control what you select via submissions. Others can control what they select as well.

The free option only lets you see newsletter openings 30 days in advance.

So as soon as you know the approximate date of your promotion at least 30 days in advance, you can start applying.

https://www.newsletterswap.com/newsletters

Good marketing idea to be aware of in general.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Yesterday, I continued to recruit beta readers for _The Killdeer Connection_.

My plan is to get the book to them in the next week or so. I want them to have it before the Kindle Scout campaign begins on 2/20. It will give them plenty of time (two months) to read it before the end of the Kindle Scout campaign.

Whether you receive a Kindle Scout contract or not, you will need readers to review the book once it is published.

Key: Kindle does not help you get reviewers even if you win. It is up to you and your book.

Key: The more reviews you have (assuming they are good), the better Kindle Scout will be able to promote your book in the subsequent months should you receive a contract.

Tip: Even though beta readers receive an early copy, ask them to vote for you on Kindle Scout. Not only does it help your campaign, but if you win their books are counted as verified purchases through the Scout program and their reviews will be given preference by Amazon.

Big Picture: Win or lose, you need reviews. You can't control whether Kindle selects your book, but you can manage your reviews. Working on receiving reviews is a top priority.


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

Tom Swyers said:


> Yesterday, I continued to recruit beta readers for _The Killdeer Connection_.
> 
> My plan is to get the book to them in the next week or so. I want them to have it before the Kindle Scout campaign begins on 2/20. It will give them plenty of time (two months) to read it before the end of the Kindle Scout campaign.
> 
> ...


Tom, I am in awe of your preparation. You are definitely a force to be reckoned with.

I might one point that you neglected to mention here.

YES, get your Beta readers to read the book ahead of time so as to have reviews ready to roll. YES, get your Beta readers to nominate you, so that they can legitimately post a review on Amazon when the book goes live through Kindle Press, assuming it gets picked up.

BUT - if the book DOESN'T get picked up by Kindle Press, you ought to still be prepared to provide actual review copies to your beta readers so that they can post their reviews with that VERIFIED PURCHASE tag attached, which somehow lends an air of legitimacy to the review.

I expect you already thought of that, but I thought I'd add a footnote to your diary entry.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Steve Vernon said:


> Tom, I am in awe of your preparation. You are definitely a force to be reckoned with.
> 
> I might one point that you neglected to mention here.
> 
> ...


Hey Steve,

Funny-- 'a force to be reckoned with!" I don't take myself too seriously. But thanks for the kind words.

Re: "BUT - if the book DOESN'T get picked up by Kindle Press, you ought to still be prepared to provide actual review copies to your beta readers so that they can post their reviews with that VERIFIED PURCHASE tag attached, which somehow lends an air of legitimacy to the review."

Great point!

Thank you for all you do here on Kboards. I always appreciate your insight. Like many others here, I've learned so much from you.


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## Awasin (Aug 7, 2015)

Steve Vernon said:


> Tom, I am in awe of your preparation. You are definitely a force to be reckoned with.
> 
> I might one point that you neglected to mention here.
> 
> ...


How do you do that? Is there a way to give readers your book and have it show up as a Verified Purchase?


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Awasin said:


> How do you do that? Is there a way to give readers your book and have it show up as a Verified Purchase?


There are a few ways I can think of but perhaps others have more ideas.

(1) You can gift a ebook copy of the book:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201964280

(2) Assuming you are selling through KDP Select, you can notify them of one of your 5 free days and have them get it that way.


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

Tom Swyers said:


> There are a few ways I can think of but perhaps others have more ideas.
> 
> (2) Assuming you are selling through KDP Select, you can notify them of one of your 5 free days and have them get it that way.


Does that work? Do free downloads count as verified purchases?


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Evenstar said:


> Does that work? Do free downloads count as verified purchases?


Yes, I believe so. So as an author you could do a soft (unannounced) and use a select day and tell your beta readers to get it on those days.

Now that I think of it, in order to get the gifted book registered as a verified purchase, I think you'd have to give them a gift card (credit) for the amount and have them purchase it.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Lat night, I got my final edits back from my editor.

I use scrivener as my writing platform and I plan to compile a word document from it and upload it to Vellum (Mac only) ($30?) to create beta versions that I will make available through Instafreebie (using free option) to my beta readers via epub or mobi. If anyone has a better solution that doesn't involve hours and hours of technical work, I'm all ears.

*Non-Fiction Selling Point*

My novel (a legal thriller) uses the fracking controversy as a backdrop for telling my story: pipelines and bomb trains. Although entertainment is my main objective, the novel will raise awareness of the dangers of fracking.I did a lot of science-based research for the book. I had two experts review my science to make sure it's accurate.

Thus, a marketing campaign was born: "Fight Fracking Through Fiction." There's opportunity from "Frack That!" posts or "A Fracking Good Novel" ads but we'll see.

I plan to use this as a Headtalker campaign: "Help raise awareness of fracking through fiction. Nominate this novel on Amazon in 1 sec. Then get a FREE copy. #RT." More on Headtalker another day.

Good news of the homefront. I have a speaking engagement right smack in the middle of planned Kindle Scout campaign. It's in front of an environmental group. I'll put my marketing campaign to work. I'm sure I'll get some nominations from it. I'll ask to access their email list as well with a mailing to supplement my talk.

I will use that speaking engagement to leverage other opportunities to speak during the campaign. It will also help me to gain support from the town. (See an earlier post)

Takeaway: Look for a non-fiction tie in for your novel and try to gain exposure.

*Kindle Scout Copy (Blurb)
*
Over the past few months, I've been working on my 45 character (with spaces) tagline and 500 character blurb (with spaces) for the Kindle Scout program. I find that the character limit has forced me to be more concise. I've been getting feedback on the blurb on the net and am trying to refine it as I go.

I'm also woking on my bio (500 characters including spaces) and answering three Kindle Scout question prompts (300 characters with spaces). Kindle Scout gives you a list to choose three from.

Stay tuned . . .


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*The Thank You Note*

Win or lose, Kindle Scout will send a thank you note to your nominators on your behalf. You have to craft it before the campaign begins. There is a 500 character limit including spaces.

I've read a hundred over the past few months. My number one takeaway is *not* to write one starting with "Thank you."

The "thank you" is usually followed by a sentence or two of sincere gratitude.

It's not that the author isn't genuine in his thanks, it's just that if you read enough of them, they all tend to blend together. I bet many people don't even read the entire note before deleting it.

So, I won't start off with a "thank you." That'll come at the end and it will be brief. I'll start with something else.

Also, many of the notes I've read don't include contact information for the author. I think that's a missed opportunity.

Stay tuned . . .


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## cmstafford (Aug 1, 2014)

I'm pretty sure I started with Thank you. Darn it. It's only a few lines long, too.  Now, after I've submitted mine, I see all these awesome ones. I really wish I could go back and change it.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

cmstafford said:


> I'm pretty sure I started with Thank you. Darn it. It's only a few lines long, too.  Now, after I've submitted mine, I see all these awesome ones. I really wish I could go back and change it.


Hey, you are on hot and trending. Congratulations!

No sad emoticons for you!


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## cmstafford (Aug 1, 2014)

Tom Swyers said:


> Hey, you are on hot and trending. Congratulations!
> 
> No sad emoticons for you!


Thanks  Live and learn and do better next time, right? I'm definitely learning a lot from your posts.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

cmstafford said:


> Thanks  Live and learn and do better next time, right? I'm definitely learning a lot from your posts.


Yeah, this site is a great community where people learn from each other.

I like your cover. You might want to think about making it your profile picture.


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## cmstafford (Aug 1, 2014)

Tom Swyers said:


> Yeah, this site is a great community where people learn from each other.
> 
> I like your cover. You might want to think about making it your profile picture.


Good idea, esp. since I can't add it to my signature yet until it's published (I think, not very forum savvy). Thanks!


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## JulianneQJohnson (Nov 12, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> In the meantime, I developed a flyer using a template from Microsoft. It's a tear away flyer that will have my Kindle Scout link on it instead of the phone number. I'm making a list of all the bulletin boards in the area to post it on. Here is the template I'm working off of now:
> 
> https://templates.office.com/en-us/For-sale-flyer-TM00002092


The tearaway is great, but you might want to add a QR Barcode to the flyer as well. Very useful to folks with smartphones, and there are free QR Barcode generators online.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

JulianneQJohnson said:


> The tearaway is great, but you might want to add a QR Barcode to the flyer as well. Very useful to folks with smartphones, and there are free QR Barcode generators online.


Hi Julianne,

That's a great idea! Thank you.

Here's a link for an article reviewing the best 7:

https://designsmaz.com/best-free-online-qr-code-generator/

The other idea I should have mentioned was to make sure to shorten the Kindle Scout link in the tear away flyer. You may want to use a bitly link to shorten it and track it.

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*HeadTalker*

Free.

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGqpjnOUiws
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6nYdpNyp8c&t=6s

Headtalker is a one and done promote-message platform.

You have 115 characters to say something (plus link), and people then can share what you said though various social media outlets at a set time and day.

Here's one I've drafted for use for me: "#RT Like John Grisham? Get a #FREE copy of this #thriller by nominating it on Amazon Kindle Scout. Takes 2 secs!"

You can draft your campaigns (image and text), save them on the site, and have them ready to go. (Throw in any link for now to get the system to take it. You can always change the link).

I like using hashtags in case someone shares it on twitter. #RT = retweet.

You set the time and day the message goes out.

Key: Make sure you don't use the default settings. Give real thought to the time and day. Don't have your message sent when everyone is asleep.

https://blog.hootsuite.com/best-time-to-post-on-facebook-twitter-instagram/

Most authors post in the "Literature " section but check out the other categories in case you might fit better elsewhere.

You can do a Headtalkers several times during a Scout campaign. When one is done, set up another. Or run a few at the same time. But have it all set up before you start the campaign so all you have to do is add the Scout link. You'll need time to build support (need at least 25 supporters--see below)so the message can be sent.

You should have a profile image prepared.

Key: Make note of this because this info not available. The size should be 600 x 400 pixels. On the site, you'll see some images that don't fit. They overurn the borders. Not good since this image will be shared.

Key: Less is more. Too many ads trying to jam to much text in them. Make it simple.

You can have a background image too. The proper size is 1908 x 768 pixels for the background image.

You have the option to embed a youtube video too.

Set your goal for 25 people in order for your message to go out. You can increase it if you want later.

Key: You'll feel a huge rush when you start a campaign. You'll immediately get 7 supporters. You'll think you're going viral until you realize these are all HeadTalker sponsored or related supporters. Everyone gets them. So, in reality, you need 25-7= 18 real supporters to get your message shared.

Takeaway: A good free option (don't pay for reach) to use. But have it ready to go on day one so you can use it multiple times during the campaign.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Twitter Cards*

Free.

People haven't had too much success with twitter in Kindle Scout. I think I can make it work. Keep in mind I have 10k followers.

I plan to use twitter cards in my campaign. Look at this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AFhE7raJo4

Make the "read more" button = your Kindle Scout link

Get the link for the card and tweet it people or tweet it on your feed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AFhE7raJo4

Then Co-promote it from your feed!

This is an untested, original idea.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Today I posted my tag line and blurb for feedback on this thread:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,246605.0.html


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Blurb Development
*

My novel is a legal thriller. The most respected author today in this genre is John Grisham. He's a brand name author and he has an entire marketing team behind him.

I'm a nobody. My team is me.

But I've been using John Grisham's marketing team. They have been very helpful.

How?

I studied his team's marketing habits and I tried to imitate them insofar as they applied to my novel.

Recently, I studied the release of his novel _The Whistler._.

I followed their ads, viewed read blurb, and watched their book trailer.

Takeaway: Follow the leading author in your genre. Use their marketing research as it applies to your book.

In developing a blurb, I recommend getting Bryan Cohen's cheat sheet at this address

https://www.sellingforauthors.com/

I also recommend following his facebook group.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Instagram*

I'm not a user of Instagram, but Co-Promote (see prior post) uses it.

Recall, in the free program you can have one post going at a time on Co-Promote for each of the social media sites it links to: Facebook, Twitter, Tubmlr, Instagram, Youtube and Vine.

So I looked into Instagram. It's a lot like Twitter.

I didn't like the fact that you had to use your cellphone to post Instagram content. I'm a desktop kinda guy.

Solution: Crowdfire (free). Google them. You can post twitter content and Instagram content.

You'll need to put your Scout link into the link provided in your Instagram profile. You'll need to refer people to it. I don't think you can put clickable links into an Instagram post.

You can post images through Crowdfire. 1080 x 1080 recommended.

You can post 2200 characters but cuts off after three lines.

You can have a 150 character bio.

Key: Need to search for up to 30 hashtags to use to spread the word.

Key: Plug in the hashtag you have in mind in the Instagram search feature to see how many posts it has generated over time.

So #kindle has 1.2m posts and #kindlescout has 618. Use the hashtags with higher reach, especially if you don't have many followers.

Then Co-Poromote one of your Instagram posts when your campaign begins.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I'm back exploring home base opportunities . . .

*Product/Service Placement*

I've been going to the same barber for over twenty years. I actually helped him get started in a small way.

So when he asked if his shop could be in my next book (set in my hometown, in part), I said sure thing.

Today I brought in my Kindle Scout draft. All the barbers were excited about it. They wanted to know when the book was available.

I said they'd have the opportunity to get it for free. I explained to them about the Kindle Scout process. They all want to help. They think it's cool that the shop is mentioned.

So I'll bring in plenty of flyers and they'll hang them around the shop.

They get 465 customers per week there--mostly men. That's 1860 potential page views (hundreds of potential nominations) during the 30 day campaign

Cost: Free.

I'm sure I'll get some nominations.

Takeaway: You really never know what's going to pan out. So you develop some strategies. Then when the campaign starts, you adjust depending upon the results.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Top 30 Hashtags for Authors on Instagram
*

I did this research myself.

The total number of posts on Instagram with the accompanying hashtag as of two days ago.

#book	20,264,361
#reading	11,044,570
#books	8,307,000
#bookstagram	8,300,000
#bookworm	5,812,938
#read	5,649,000
#bibliophile	2,433,000
#reader	1,512,580
#bookaddict	1,434,170
#novel	1,387,850
#thriller	1,070,739
#bookshelf	859,000
#bookshelf	858,518
#goodreads	843,000
#ilovebooks	701,000
#ebook	615,886
#booklovers	600,000
#bookstagrammer	557,000
#booksofinstagram	490,759
#bookclub	434,330
#readingtime	408,000
#readers	383,867
#amreading	310,000
#novels	277,342
#ebooks	276,826
#goodreads	266,000
#readit	184,087
#readit	184,000
#readabook	181,000


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Yesterday, I met with the Town Mayor and he's very supportive. 

He's going to work on getting a newspaper article set for release when the campaign begins. Don't want to do it before the campaign begins because there's nothing to link to.  It will be on-line and in print. I'll consider linking the article in a facebook ad targeted at my hometown 

He'll also work on having me speak at the local library during the campaign.

I'll also be speaking with a regional environmental group during that time.

I'm sending out an ARC to my book to my 34 beta readers this morning. That will get it in their hands two months before the earliest release date with or without Kindle Scout.  

My first real instagram post went up. It was a simple picture of Yale's Special Collections library.  I Co-Promoted it to 21,000 people. So that platform has some promise even though I have only a handful of Instagram followers.

Note: When I Co-Promoted the Instagram post, I got a pop-up offer from Co-Promote for 500,000 more reach per month at $19.99 or 80% off their regularly priced offering of $99.00. It's something worth considering if it's available once my campaign begins because they give paid people priority placement on the site. It can be difficult finding content to Co-Promote sometimes. I saw that in trying to find the Instagram post that I was Co-Promoting  on the site using my tags. It also would allow me to post more than one post from all the different media groups they support. The free plan only allows for one post per social media outlet at a time.

I have accumulated over 5 million Co-Promote share points at this time.

Things are coming together . . . 

If anyone has any questions, feel free to post them.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I've ben having a running conversation with myself and others (thank you) on Kboards over the blurb for my Kindle Scout offering. It had come down to two approaches in my mind. So, I decided to bite the bullet and run the two through PickFu (see below). I limited the responses to people over 35 who read one or more books per month.

Key: Get 50% PickFu off by using coupon code: MYWIFEQUIT

The report was inconclusive statistically, but I'm going with the type A approach. The responses there echoed what I was looking to convey and they seemed more thought out overall. But I included some type B info (birdwatching) that seemed to generate interest and works with the cover.

Here's my final  answer: *Burned-out lawyer David Thompson is on a mission to prove his innocence. Falsely accused of murder, he must desert his family to discover the truth from a secret bird-watching society. When the homicide rap escalates into a terrorism charge, the death penalty looms and he's on the run from the law and the real killer. He's thrust on a thrill ride through the oil fields of North Dakota where his race to save himself becomes a race to save the nation from a deadly tidal wave of terror. Buckle up!*


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Kindle Scout tag line (45 characters including spaces) finalized:

*Go to bed as a lawyer -> Wake up a terrorist!*


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Categories finalized.*

You get to choose up to four.

I say use them all if you can.

If your book fits into more than one broad category, use them for more exposure on the site. Here are the broad categories.

Literature & Fiction
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Romance
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Teen & Young Adult

Mine fits into the first two.

Here are the specific categories I chose:

Literature & Fiction › Action & Adventure › Mystery, Thriller & Suspense › Mystery
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense › Thrillers › Financial
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense › Thrillers › Legal
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense › Thrillers › Terrorism

If you can, I think you should find categories that have some room for you to be a top 100 book and that show some reader demand.

You can do that by looking at where book #100 ranks in a category.

For me, it was:

Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Financial (#100 is at 53,000)

I think my work fits into that category and can compete in it. I think there's enough room for me to get in the top 100. My other categories have the #100 book at 7-9,000.

This is good information to have whether you go with Kindle Scout or not.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I got a  break out of nowhere yesterday, I was asked to be a featured speaker at a big city library. 

They even plan to pay me? That's a first.

What's interesting is that a good part of my novel is set in this city. I'll use that in my bio set to be released to the media.

The day of the talk is set for March 26th.

I might move the start date of my Kindle Scout campaign back to the end of February so that my 30 day campaign run encompasses my speaking engagement.

I plan to hand out a sheet of paper with the Kindle Scout link to attendees.


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## cmstafford (Aug 1, 2014)

Congrats! That's great. I think you're right that it'd be a good idea to move your date up to encompass your speaking engagement. That way you can use that momentum for your campaign.

Thanks for chronicling your journey, I'm definitely learning for my next KS experience sometime this fall.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

cmstafford said:


> Congrats! That's great. I think you're right that it'd be a good idea to move your date up to encompass your speaking engagement. That way you can use that momentum for your campaign.
> 
> Thanks for chronicling your journey, I'm definitely learning for my next KS experience sometime this fall.


I'm so glad this is helping you out.

Some days I think I'm talking to myself!

Thanks for your support.

Tom


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## cmstafford (Aug 1, 2014)

Another thought: Would your local newspaper be interested in running a feature article about your speaking engagement? I've done a few local author articles like that. Our paper has always been more than happy to run something, as long as I write the article, snap a few pics, and send it in. Also, you might consider running your campaign so your event is right smack dab in the middle. From what I've read, that's when some campaigns tend to lag, and the boost from the event and the newspaper article might help you avoid that. Just my two cents


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

cmstafford said:


> Another thought: Would your local newspaper be interested in running a feature article about your speaking engagement? I've done a few local author articles like that. Our paper has always been more than happy to run something, as long as I write the article, snap a few pics, and send it in. Also, you might consider running your campaign so your event is right smack dab in the middle. From what I've read, that's when some campaigns tend to lag, and the boost from the event and the newspaper article might help you avoid that. Just my two cents


Thanks for the great ideas!

I have a front end talk on March 6 with an environmental group.

I think I'll go with this library talk towards the back end on March 26. I'm sure it will be well attended but the audience I suspect will be older, less computer literate, less likely to have an Amazon account, less likely to vote on Scout as a result. But I hope I'm dead wrong!

That leaves 20 days in between.

What I'm doing is creating an ongoing list of items to pursue. It's 14 pages now. I keep adding things as new opportunities open up and I come up with new ideas. When I get closer to the campaign, I'll prioritize the items and create a calendar for the 30 days using Google Calendar.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

You start the marketing planning process and you don't know really know what will pan out and what will be a dead end.

My non-fiction selling point is coming to life.

Tip: When writing a novel, try to develop a non-fiction selling point. It will make the book easier to market when the time comes.

My novel (a legal thriller) uses the fracking controversy as a backdrop for telling my story: pipelines and bomb trains. Although entertainment is my main objective, the novel will raise awareness of the dangers of fracking.I did a lot of science-based research for the book. I had two experts review my science to make sure it's accurate.

My marketing campaign: "Fight Fracking Through Fiction."

With the new President's actions with respect to the National Parks Service and the Dakota Access Pipeline, people are looking to voice their concerns. My novel can serve that purpose.

On twitter, a number of anti-fracking twitter feeds have expressed their support for my book already and have agreed to promote it. They have 20,000 followers combined.

On top of that, when the President clamped down on the National Parks Administration twitter feed, a few enterprising employees set up their own account (@AltNatParkSer) http://buff.ly/2jxwhgn . In a period of 24 hours, it grew to close to 1 million followers. The key here is that they are active followers. (While I have 10k followers, over the years people have given up on their accounts. I don't know how many are active.)

I am able to use the twitter feature to show the accounts of my followers that are following the Nat Park Service alt account. There are over 250 there and they are people more than likely that will support my novel. 
The larger picture is that I have one million potential readers following this account (they are concerned about the environment). Now I have to figure out how to reach them.

Key: Use the twitter list feature (use the private one) for keeping track of potential supporters. It will make it easy then to tweet to each of them when the time comes. You can also direct message your followers.

You can use either tweets or direct messages.

Key: Twitter limits tweets and direct message to 2,500 and 1,000 respectively each per day. Exceed that, and you can go to twitter jail (suspension)

Workaround: Create a separate twitter account for your book itself. It can cross reference to your author account. It can do the more salesy tweets without alienating your followers. Then you can effectively double your tweets and direct messages.

Stay tuned . . .


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Page View Goal*

The page view goal is 200 per day (on average) or a total of 6,000 for the campaign (30 days x 200).

I figure I'll need that many each day (especially the first few days) to get on the hot and trending list.

Does being on the list matter?

*Yes. *Your book has a better chance of being selected (though not always the case) when on the list. More importantly, if you view the contest as a book launching platform then (win or lose) sure it matters. Show me a serious author who doesn't want optimum exposure for their book? Show me a publisher (i.e., Kindle) that doesn't appreciate an author's effort to market his/her book?


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## cmstafford (Aug 1, 2014)

Tom Swyers said:


> *Page View Goal*
> 
> The page view goal is 200 per day (on average) or a total of 6,000 for the campaign (30 days x 200).
> 
> ...


I'm pretty sure high page views aren't the only thing that drives your book to the hot and trending list. I've never gotten 200 (though that'd be awesome!) and my book has been H and T for most of it's run so far. My highest was 169 and my lowest so far was 49.

I think you have the right mindset, too. I would love to get a contract, but I'm really focusing on using this as a launch platform. It helps me determine what marketing is working, what isn't worth my time, and where my social media outreach is completely inadequate.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

cmstafford said:


> I'm pretty sure high page views aren't the only thing that drives your book to the hot and trending list. I've never gotten 200 (though that'd be awesome!) and my book has been H and T for most of it's run so far. My highest was 169 and my lowest so far was 49.
> 
> I think you have the right mindset, too. I would love to get a contract, but I'm really focusing on using this as a launch platform. It helps me determine what marketing is working, what isn't worth my time, and where my social media outreach is completely inadequate.


Thanks for sharing your stats!

Making it on the hot and trending is always relative to the competition out there at any given time. So it may take more page views or less depending on the books running at any given time.

I doubt page views is all that matters too. It's just that the only metric available to us to use.

That's wonderful that your book is doing so well!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Today I will send an article out to my email list about the cover selection process. I will also post it on social media.

Recall that I'm using the cover selection process as a story to build excitement about my upcoming Kindle Scout campaign. This article is the second in a series.

Below are the covers up for debate. Pick one before you read the article. Which one do you think wins in the article poll?

After you pick a winner, go read the article at this link: http://wp.me/p2J3jr-Ws

Come back here and comment if you'd like.


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Hmmm.... I was wrong. I would have picked the oil one. There's good contrast and it catches my eye. I can't wait for part 3... the humanizing element is so important.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Joynell Schultz said:


> Hmmm.... I was wrong. I would have picked the oil one. There's good contrast and it catches my eye. I can't wait for part 3... the humanizing element is so important.


Hi Joynell,

Yes, you're right. But what type of humanizing element?

Here's some homework to read before we get to part 3:

https://www.fastcompany.com/3059450/netflix-knows-which-pictures-youll-click-on-and-why


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> https://www.fastcompany.com/3059450/netflix-knows-which-pictures-youll-click-on-and-why


Interesting. I want to see the full article with all the data.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I've gotten great feedback from four beta readers so far. Two have read the entire book. They found some typos and had a few suggestions. But they all love the book.

Lesson: Get the book in the hands of any beta readers first thing before the Kindle Scout Campaign begins. They will provide great feedback you can use before your submission. They will also have time to draft any reviews.

Key: Have them vote for you too. That way if you do win, their purchases will be verified when you book comes out.

Either way, I know I'll have at least four reviews that'll be posted in the early days of publication, with or without a Kindle Scout win.

------
In case you haven't heard, Amazon UK is running a writing contest through Amazon UK.

It's open to new works published with Kindle Unlimited:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=12061299031

Books have to be published between 2/20/2017 and 5/19/2017 with Kindle.

That presents another opportunity for authors of new books.

I thought it might have a UK author bias and maybe it does/will, but since fracking (the backdrop for my novel) is a hot issue in the UK, then I have as a good a shot as anyone I figure.

When I started writing my novel a little more than a year ago, I never knew it would be so timely. It deals with prejudice against Muslims, the anti-science movement, and fracking (pipelines) in North Dakota.

I suspect Amazon will look at books that are selling well during that timeframe.

So that's all the more reason for everyone to try and get a well-launched book with or without Kindle Scout in the next few months.

Repeat after me: Kindle Scout is a book launching platform.


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## lincolnjcole (Mar 15, 2016)

Good luck with it!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

lincolnjcole said:


> Good luck with it!


Thanks, Lincoln!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I have now have assembled a bunch of Facebook and Goodreads links where book promotion is allowed. I looked for general groups and ones specific to my genre. 

KEY: I don't think these links will generate many page views in the Scout campaign.  

Because the group sections of these sites can be difficult to navigate, I put the links on a Word Document. Now I can keep track of where I posted and when with some notes once the campaign goes live.

I made notes about where I was allowed to post on Goodreads groups. (Sometimes there are specific rules).

KEY: I asked to join the groups now--weeks before my campaign begins. This is important because often times the admin will not grant you permission to join right away. You don't want to be awaiting permission during the campaign. Sometimes it can take days, even weeks. And if you're granted permission during the heat of the campaign, you might not even notice. 

With this list, I can post to all forty of these groups in an hour.  Then I can post to them again as the campaign progresses. Also, with this list, I can more easily delegate the task.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

In a follow up to yesterday's post, it seems the Kindle UK twitter feed died quite a long time ago: https://twitter.com/KindleUK
So perhaps they are trying to revive UK interest through this contest.

On the subject of twitter, I have been reducing the number of inactive followers on my account so that my ratio of followers to followed allows me to follow more during my Kindle Scout campaign.
Following people is a good way to tell people about your Scout campaign either through DM or through welcome tweet.

This tool allows you to unfollow 300 per day for free:

https://manageflitter.com/unfollow

There is a 10% limit of people you can follow over people who follow you. For me, I have 10K followers and am following 5.4k so I have a little less than 4.6k to follow.

I plan to follow 650 per day (twitter limit is 1K) when the campaign begins. So, in theory, I will run out of people I can follow after six days assuming nobody follows me back. But after six days, if people haven't followed me back, I will unfollow 650 of them thus leaving me open to add more followers so that I should be able to always follow 650 each day.

I plan to use Crowdfire during the campaign to help with the task. It's $10 per month.


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> This tool allows you to unfollow 300 per day for free:
> 
> I plan to follow 650 per day (twitter limit is 1K) when the campaign begins. So, in theory, I will run out of people I can follow after six days assuming nobody follows me back. But after six days, if people haven't followed me back, I will unfollow 650 of them thus leaving me open to add more followers so that I should be able to always follow 650 each day.


I'm a little freaked out to over "unfollow" people, as I've read about twitter locking your account out for violating their rules. Nobody knows at what point they do that though.

Oh, and for my first campaign, I used the auto DM route, a simple, "I could use some help--would you nominate me? It's free" Kinda post and it did work, though most people ignore DMs (but some don't.)

Just my 2 cents  I'm loving watching your journey.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Joynell Schultz said:


> I'm a little freaked out to over "unfollow" people, as I've read about twitter locking your account out for violating their rules. Nobody knows at what point they do that though.
> 
> Oh, and for my first campaign, I used the auto DM route, a simple, "I could use some help--would you nominate me? It's free" Kinda post and it did work, though most people ignore DMs (but some don't.)
> 
> Just my 2 cents  I'm loving watching your journey.


Hi Joynell,

I understand. I've researched the limits.

Twitter limits: https://www.crowdfireapp.com/help

•	Direct messages (daily): The limit is 1,000 messages sent per day.

•	Tweets: 2,400 per day. The daily update limit is further broken down into smaller limits for semi-hourly intervals. Retweets are counted as Tweets.

•	Following (daily): The technical follow limit is 1,000 per day. Please note that this is a technical account limit only, and there are additional rules prohibiting aggressive following behavior. Details about following limits and prohibited behavior are on the Follow Limits and Best Practices page:

: https://support.twitter.com/articles/68916

So, I plan to be under 1,000 follows a day. I won't unfollow for 6 days. Hopefully, that will keep me out of twitter jail.

Nice to have you along for the ride!

Tom


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> So, I plan to be under 1,000 follows a day. I won't unfollow for 6 days. Hopefully, that will keep me out of twitter jail.


Have you found anything on the amount of people you can UNFOLLOW? That's what scares me. Side note: I wonder what twitter jail is like. Who'd be there with me? I hope some little blue birds.

Thanks for having me along for the ride!
Joy


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Joynell Schultz said:


> Have you found anything on the amount of people you can UNFOLLOW? That's what scares me. Side note: I wonder what twitter jail is like. Who'd be there with me? I hope some little blue birds.
> 
> Thanks for having me along for the ride!
> Joy


Hi Jynell,

Twitter does not offer this information.

My research does indicate anything definitive. Twitter does not have a rule for unfollows.

I have done 300- 350 each day for the past few days and no problems. BUT I am not aggressively following in return. So I am not churning accounts. That type of behavior is aggressive and might trigger jail. . To Twitter, it looks like I'm cleaning up my account--something that happens quite often

I want to clean house now before the campaign begins so that problem is less likely at the outset of the campaign.

I think more will be allowed now for me because I'm not really following anyone in return.

Hope that helps!


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> I think more will be allowed now for me because I'm not really following anyone in return.
> 
> Hope that helps!


Yup. That helps. Thanks!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

This morning, I followed up with my beta readers I haven't heard from. I wanted to make sure they were able to download the book.

The feedback has been wonderful. I'm taking the feedback and grammar/typo catches and rewriting my manuscript. I'm openly thinking about using beta reader quotes in the marketing of the campaign.

Key Again: Get thee book to beta readers well before a campaign starts. Win or lose with Kindle Scout, it's going to help you garner reviews during the first month of publication on Amazon when the algos show you the most love.

-----

Today I was invited to join a twitter group. It's an anti-fracking group made up of different accounts out of the UK. I've never been a part of a twitter group. I've been supporting them and they've agreed to support my campaign since my book has an anti-fracking theme to it. Collectively all 26 of them have 50k active followers.

---

Since there seems to be a shortage of reputable services to promote a Scout campaign, I contacted one I've had a relationship with over the past few years and they've agreed to do an experimental email blast with my Kindle Scout campaign to see if they can generate page views for free.

I've also done this with a firm out of New Zealand who I've helped over the years. He will send out a blast to his subscribers as well.

I have also helped a weekly newsletter publisher over the years and he has agreed to run a Kindle Scout campaign pitch for me every week while the campaign is running.  

Key: If you have such a relationship with a promotional firm or someone else, contact them and see what you can arrange. Tell them how Kindle Scout works and see what happens. Think outside of the box. Time to call in all favors.

Today's tip: Don't only use a #kindlescout hashtag on twitter. Only other authors really see those. Use something more if you have room. #iartg #asmsg #bookboost are some.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Twitter Test*

Today I ran a twitter test. I followed readers interested in thrillers and people who are a part of the anti-fracking movement. 
Anyone who followed back was given the same DM about my upcoming novel. I asked for a response DM if they were interested in receiving more information about the book.

Findings: The anti-fracking group was far more excited about it and far more willing to support it.

Takeaway: I'll likely target them first and foremost in the Kindle Scout Campaign as opposed to targeting it towards general thriller readers.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Working on my advertisements today.

I use: http://www.fotor.com/

It's free.

Hit "design."

Then choose media type: facebook post, etc.

OR choose "custom' and set pixel size desired by unlocking size and entering your own dimensions.

Refer to this cheat sheet for size requirements:

https://makeawebsitehub.com/social-media-image-sizes-cheat-sheet/

Drag and drop images. Fit to size.

Add text.

Save to PC.

Done!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I'm posting the article below on social media today and emailing it to my mailing list. I'm trying to build a little buzz about the book. I don't expect much response. But I'm trying to lay the groundwork for my campaign yet to come

*If you've thought about whether or not to use a character's face on your book cover, you might be interested in reading it.*

Pick out the book cover do you like better from the two above. Now read the article to see which one readers chose in this article and why:

http://wp.me/p2J3jr-WN

The results may surprise you.

Comment here if you'd like.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Yesterday, I worked on a book trailer for the Kindle Scout Campaign.

Over the past several weeks, I've researched various ideas and I've shared them here.

Time for some vacation. 

While away, I'll  develop some type of plan from my written outline. I want to make a to-do list for what I want to accomplish each day of the campaign once it starts.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Back from vacation, it's back to work prepping for my Kindle Scout campaign.

While away, I read my manuscript one more time and corrected anything that was missed during the editing process. The most common error was an extra space at the beginning of a sentence.

I've decided to push back the start of my campaign from February 20th until March 1st because I have two speaking appearances that I want to make sure fall within the 30-day campaign window.

*Today's Tip*: I've decided that I will use SmartUrls for my links to my scout campaign. I can create them now and then replace the destination for the link to my Kindle Scout campaign page when I receive that link. In a few keystrokes, I can then change the linked destination of all of my flyers, facebook advertisements, drafted tweets without having to do it manually once the campaign begins. It also allows me to get facebook ads or google ads approved before the campaign so there is no time waiting for approval once the campaign begins. I can also create twitter cards now. The links are customizable so you can do some pretty cool things with them like create a call to action in them or advertise your book through them. If you create different ones for different posts or ads, you can see what's working and what's not during the campaign.

I will use SmartUrl as my service:

https://manage.smarturl.it/

It's free and keeps track of clicks.

*Key*: No matter what service you choose, make sure you can change the destination link. Some services will do it, but only with paid plans.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*How to Create a Tagline for your Kindle Scout Campaign*

You've got 45 characters including spaces for a tagline.

That's not a lot of real estate to work with.

Create several taglines over the course of several days. Give yourself some time in between efforts. It's amazing what a little break will give you in the form of fresh ideas.

Check the taglines used out on Kindle Scout to get some ideas too.

Then go run a poll in a group of reader/authors on facebook. It doesn't cost you anything.

Key: You're more likely to get feedback for a tagline than a blurb on facebook. A tagline poll doesn't take as much time to vote on.

Here are my results:


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I just posted this to my facebook page. Tomorrow, I'll send it out to my mailing list:

"I'm pumped! In a little over a week, I'll reveal the WINNING book cover and tell you how you can get a copy of "The Killdeer Connection" for FREE! In the meantime, enjoy some more of my book cover failures. Which of the two covers pictured here did people select hands down over the other? The answer may surprise you!"










Here's a link to the full article:

http://wp.me/p2J3jr-X5

Enjoy!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Book Clubs:*

You can find book clubs by searching for them in groups on facebook. Just enter "book club."

There are several that allow for author promotions. Just follow the rules. Look for some in your genre.

*Tip*: Check out MeetUp for book clubs in your area.

https://www.meetup.com/find/

In the scroll down, look for "book clubs."

I found a book club gem that's locally based. 850 members. Since my novel has a local presence in part, all the better. They have a facebook group that I joined.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Libraries *

Search for local ones on facebook. Then facebook will suggest other local libraries. Follow them. When campaign time comes, contact them through facebook. If they won't (can't) post your info on facebook , email them a flyer. Have them post it on their bulletin board with links to your Kindle Scout campaign.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Twitter Tip*

I've been following people who have engaged with my tweets and if they follow back they get an automatic (via crowdfire: free) direct message about my upcoming book. I ask them to respond if they are interested in supporting it and getting a free copy. If they respond that they are interested, I thank them and tell them I'll get back to them when it's available. Then I add them to a private twitter list to keep track and make it easy to tell them about the book when the campaign begins. In the past week, that has given me 40 good leads.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Okay, I went back and redid my blurb. I've lost count of how many times I've revised it. 

"Burned-out lawyer David Thompson is on a mission to prove his innocence. Falsely accused of murder, he must desert his family to unearth the truth from a secret society of bird-watchers. When the feds talk of adding a terrorism charge, the death penalty looms and he’s on the run from both the law and the real killer. On a wild ride through the oil fields of North Dakota, Thompson’s quest to save his own skin explodes into a race to save the nation from a deadly tidal wave of terror. Buckle up!"

I've been creating some 6 second video ads to be used on twitter for my campaign.  Why 6 seconds? Becuase they automatically re-loop in a feed if they are under 6.5 seconds. I have not seen this done before. We'll see if it works.

Then I strung the 6 seconds ads together and made a trailer about 30 seconds long. I now have two video trailers. For whatever reason, I've gotten pretty good at doing videos. You have to wear many hats to be an independent author today. I think I'm an entire publishing house in one body, one mind.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Tom Swyers said:


> I'm posting the article below on social media today and emailing it to my mailing list. I'm trying to build a little buzz about the book. I don't expect much response. But I'm trying to lay the groundwork for my campaign yet to come
> 
> *If you've thought about whether or not to use a character's face on your book cover, you might be interested in reading it.*
> 
> ...


I tried to read your blog post but there's nothing there. Only your covers. WAs there an article to read?


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

AlexaKang said:


> I tried to read your blog post but there's nothing there. Only your covers. WAs there an article to read?


Hi Alexa,

Bad link on my part.

Here's the correct one: http://wp.me/p2J3jr-WN

Thank you for calling it to my attention!

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Cover Reveal Vidoe*

Like I said before, there's not much you can do with marketing a book visually. You try to make the most of what you're given. We all have a book cover. I have chosen not to release mine until the day my Kindle Scout campaign starts. I'm guessing that date will be a week from now for me.

Today I began stringing all of my cover efforts in a video. You'll see each cover for 1/2 a second to be followed by another and so on. There are a lot of covers I explored but I'll show it in such a way that there is a logical progression. I'm glad I kept images of these covers. Why not put all that work to use if I can marketing the book?

I won't reveal the winning cover until the end of the video. But most likely people have to click on to my Kindle Scout page to see it. Then they can nominate my book if they so choose at the same time.

I'll have this cover reveal video plus two full-length (30 second) trailers.

Anything longer than 30 seconds is too long based on my experience.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Started working on the three questions I selected from the menu offered by Kindle Scout. Everybody should find three and work with them to get your message out. If you are not using three, you're wasting an opportunity in my opinion. Each answer is limited to 300 characters including spaces.

*Where did the idea for this book come from?
*
"Today, there are 25 million people in the USA who live in danger of being burned alive. This killer snakes across the country through small towns and major cities. It has killed dozens already. Locking your door won't save you. This is fact, not fiction. It's also the backdrop for my story."


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Ugh, I'm a few days away from submitting my book with all the supporting stuff to Kindle Scout and I'm ripping my hair out. I went down a number of technology ratholes yesterday with youtube. They have something called endscreens now that allow you, among other things, to post a live link in the video for the last 20 seconds. I did not know this when I created my video. So I had to go back and delete the videos I'd done from youtube so there was room for the link to pop up without blocking the text in the video I had to figure out the pixel size as well for the link image: 300 x 300. Then I discovered that I couldn't link to my Scout campaign because the link it didn't come from my website. I found a workaround to that issue through a plugin called "pretty link." It links the youtube link to my website and will then redirect it to my Kindle Scout campaign. Then I tested this out, and the link didn't work sometimes. Turns out, it takes a bit of time for the youtube link to function over the web though there are still some issues, The workaround is to make the link available in the tweet/post/description as well.

So I figured all this out and wondered if I'd wasted a day doing it. But that's just it. You really don't know what will work the best for you until you start implementing some things during the campaign. It's like you're going to war and want as many weapons as possible at your disposal. Well, that's the mindset of a prepper anyway. 

I almost forgot about my manuscript. A few months ago, I'd become close to it as I worked and reworked it. Now the thing that brought me here seems so distant as I proofed it yesterday. I feel like I have become an on-line marketer promoting get-rich-quick schemes.

Okay, here's another rathole that I fell into yesterday:

*Posting Videos on Kboards*

To embed a video on Kboards, you need to delete everything in the link to the left of the = sign, including the = itself.

So: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf7d4GIb-9w

becomes

pf7d4GIb-9w

Then, insert that shortened link between the YouTube tags in your dashboard. Done.

Took me forever to figure that out.

*Book Trailer Fail*

Since I've openly talked about my book cover fails, here's a book trailer fail I did last year. It has some nice special effects, but it fails. Why does it fail? To me, it just doesn't tell enough about the story or give enough information about my genre. Enjoy!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Finished question 2:

*What is the inspiration for the story?*

"At Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota, there's been a protest over the impact of fracking. Today, there are protests against fracking all around the world. I want the novel to capture the passion behind this movement. The people who struggle with fracking every day inspired this story."


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I had all the intention of submitting my campaign to Kindle Scout today, but I spent the day acting as a caregiver in the Emergency Room with my better half. The good news is that she's home with me and seems to have recovered from her incident. I'll have to keep an eye on her though. Such is life!

I spent the weekend going through the manuscript one last time in Word. I use Scrivener and when I converted it to Word, that program caught some things that Scrivener missed. Time well spent. I uploaded it just now.

With life getting in the way the past few days, I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be to go live with the Kindle Scout campaign. But I'll figure it out as I go along. Some speaking engagements are all lined up to fall within the 30 day Kindle Scout window and, if I delay any further, one will fall outside of it. In addition, I got a call from a reporter the local newspaper here who showed interest in doing an article on my effort. I'd like the Kindle Scout link to be live by the time they run any article.

Third question finished: *This book is about a series, tell us about that series.*

My first novel, SAVING BABE RUTH, is a prequel to THE KILLDEER CONNECTION which is the first book of the Lawyer David Thompson Series. Each book can be read as a standalone. David Thompson is a struggling lawyer just trying to do the right thing and get by while keeping his family together.

*Biography finished:*

Tom Swyers is often confused with Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer." But his best friend isn't Huck and he didn't marry Becky. Based on a true story, his controversial debut novel, SAVING BABE RUTH, was the 2015 recipient of two Benjamin Franklin Book Awards for Best First Book: Fiction (1st place) and Best Popular Fiction (2nd place). Now Swyers is back with THE KILLDEER CONNECTION, a legal thriller. When he'' not writing fiction, he's practicing law or writing decisions as a New York State judge.

*Other stuff.*

You can put your title all in caps if you want when you submit it to Kindle Scout. Not too many authors do it. My book is a thriller so it seems like a no-brainer to put it in all caps.

You have 50 characters to describe the link each of the maximum four social media accounts (excluding Amazon Author). Most people just use "Facebook" or "Twitter." I decided to have some fun with it and put those 50 characters to work.

I'm linking one for my book trailers on Youtube as a social media link. I uploaded it as "unlisted" on Youtube which means you can only see it if you have the link. I had to make sure the links worked the same as listed or unlisted. They are the same. I have some other unlisted videos that I'll roll out during the campaign and make them public.

If I've learned anything this past week, it's that YouTube has recently developed a lot of marketing options that can benefit authors.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Tom Swyers said:


> Hi and welcome to my diary as I prepare to fail in my Kindle Scout campaign.
> 
> This is a top secret account of my Kindle Scout thoughts and planning so don't even think about bookmarking it.
> 
> ...


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Okay, I hit the submit button last night and got a confirmation from Kindle Scout that it has been received. See it here:

Hello Tom Swyers, 
Thanks for submitting to Kindle Scout! We've received your submission for THE KILLDEER CONNECTION. 
Here's what happens next: 
•	Eligibility & Content Review
You'll hear from us in 1-2 business days (longer if we have a ton of submissions). Once your submission is approved for launch, we'll tell you the exact launch date and provide the URL for your Kindle Scout campaign. What are we reviewing for? If you haven't already, check out the Kindle Scout Eligibility & Content Guidelines. 
•	Get Ready
Now is the perfect time to plan how you're going to let your fans and network know that you are putting your book up for a Kindle Press publishing contract. Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and email lists you have accumulated over the years are great places to start. 
•	Where Is My Submission?
You can view your submission by visiting Your Campaigns page. We don't currently have a way for you to edit completed submissions (we are working on it!). If there is something you need to change, let us know and we'd be happy to help. 
Questions? Check out our FAQs or Contact Us. 
Thank you,
The Kindle Scout Team 
________________________________________
This email was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming email. 
Please do not reply to this message. 
Home | FAQs | Contact Us | Go Scout


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Thirteen hours later, I got official approval for THE KILLDEER CONNECTION campaign.

The campaign goes live March 2 (Thursday) at midnight EDT.

I found issues with my campaign page and reported them. So, make sure to chick your preview link and inspect your submission closely!

Here's the email.

*Approved!
*
Hello Tom Swyers, 
Your Kindle Scout submission has been approved for launch! Your campaign for THE KILLDEER CONNECTION will launch on March 2, 2017 12:00 AM EST and last for 30 days. 
Here's what happens next: 
•	Preview
Here is a preview link to your Kindle Scout campaign page. (It is only visible to you.) This is exactly what your readers will see when your campaign launches. If you see any typos, formatting issues, or other critical errors, please contact us as soon as possible. Please note that if your book is selected for publication through Kindle Press, you'll have an opportunity to make changes to your manuscript, cover image, and book details before your book becomes available for sale on Amazon. 
•	Get Ready
This will be the URL for your Kindle Scout campaign once it launches: 
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX----- Deleted-------- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It won't work until your campaign launches; however, you can use it to draft your emails and social media campaigns so they are ready to go on launch day. 
•	Launch!
Your Kindle Scout campaign for THE KILLDEER CONNECTION will launch on March 2, 2017 12:00 AM EST and end on April 1, 2017 12:00 AM EDT! 
Questions? Check out our FAQs or Contact Us.

Preview your campaign

Thank you,
The Kindle Scout Team 
________________________________________
This email was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming email.


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Congrats! I can't wait to see your book among the rest of us on Kindle Scout. Plus I never did see the final cover yet.  I've been anxiously waiting for it.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Hi Joynell,

Thank you for your support throughout!

Yes, my first promotion is to reveal the cover via Youtube video where you will see 60 covers in 60 seconds with the winner somewhere in it.  

I'll post it here and on the Kindle Scout thread. I'm sending it to my email subscribers and posting it on social media and through co-promote. The neat thing is that if it all works right, there should be a link in the video that if you click it will take you directly to the Kindle Scout page. Not only does it work on YouTube, it should work here too and on KBoards and social media sites where it is embedded. The YouTube video is easy to tweet and post on facebook.  I've never seen this done before.

I'm doing some first-time stuff in this campaign. I'm curious to see what works and what fails due to technical difficulties.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Tom, maybe I missed it but how did you use your book trailer to spread the word?


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Akexa,

Help me out because I'm not sure what you mean.

My campaign hasn't begun yet.

The cover reveal video will roll out first when the campaign begins.

Next, I'll have two book trailer videos that will roll out to "spread the word."

Is that what you mean?


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Tom Swyers said:


> Akexa,
> 
> Help me out because I'm not sure what you mean.
> 
> ...


HI Tom,

Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes that's what I meant. How do you plan to use your book trailer videos? Or maybe you haven't gotten to planning that yet?

I'm likely going to submit my next book to KS, so I'm reading your thread with great interest. I doubt I can do everything you've done but it's been very interesting seeing how you'd set it up. Thanks for sharing!


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## jaxonreed (Dec 7, 2016)

Congrats, Tom! Best wishes on your campaign.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

AlexaKang said:


> HI Tom,
> 
> Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes that's what I meant. How do you plan to use your book trailer videos? Or maybe you haven't gotten to planning that yet?
> 
> I'm likely going to submit my next book to KS, so I'm reading your thread with great interest. I doubt I can do everything you've done but it's been very interesting seeing how you'd set it up. Thanks for sharing!


Hi Alexa,

I have some solid video ideas but am constantly tweaking now and dealing with tech. issues.

I guess I'll have to post what I've done video wise after I've done it.

Tomorrow's video is ready and I'll post it here when after my campaign goes live.

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

jaxonreed said:


> Congrats, Tom! Best wishes on your campaign.


Thank you, sir!

Appreciate your support.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Getting ready to go live tonight at midnight.

Here's the big plan in a nutshell: start at home and then venture out. The old-fashioned social network takes some time to run smoothly as a word-of-mouth machine so I want to jumpstart that engine early in the campaign to grow during the course of the 30 days.

I've drafted a note to my mailing list (200) and beta readers (35) that will go out tomorrow morning with the cover reveal video and the Kindle Scout campaign link. I want to make sure the campaign is live before sending it out.

I'm sending individual emails to close family and friends that are forwardable about the campaign.

I'll wait until I make the "hot and trending" at some point (hopefully) before notifying friends from my past who remember me as a _______ (fill in the blank) instead of an author. That's my bandwagon group.

I have an interview with a newspaper reporter tomorrow. Target date for that article is next Thursday--early on in the campaign. They have an on-line presence so I'll post that on various local websites with a link either in the article or along with it.

I plan to take my flyers with me and post them all over the place (libraries, town hall, the banks, the supermarket-- anyplace I know that has a public bulletin board) on the way back home from the interview. I want to get those out first because they have 30 days staying power on a bulletin board if dated.

Today I got my haircut (gotta look presentable in public after living in an author rabbit hole for so long) so I dropped off my flyer (it's a tearaway) with the barber. I even gave him his own URL in the name of his business and also printed the QR code on it. He's excited. In case you don't recall, his shop is mentioned in the book. I'll hit the beauty parlor tomorrow where my wife goes. His shop is also in the book and will get his own URL as well.

I've got a public speaking engagement next Monday night. I'll give out sheets with my book information on it after my talk and ask them to spread the word.

I'm booked also in the third week in March. Read about it here: http://hvwg.org/hvwg-hosts-community-of-writers-reading-on-march-26/

Finally, I plan to post my cover reveal video to social media and writing groups. I plan to co-promote it as well. I'll do that first thing tomorrow.

I'll see how much time is left in the day before taking anything else on.


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> Getting ready to go live tonight at midnight.
> 
> Here's the big plan in a nutshell: start at home and then venture out. The old-fashioned social network takes some time to run smoothly as a word-of-mouth machine so I want to jumpsstart that enginet early in the campaign to grow during the course of the 30 days.


How do you find the time I'm impressed.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Joynell Schultz said:


> How do you find the time I'm impressed.


I've been planning this for some time like a good prepper.  That's the hard part.

I have a good network who are supportive of my addiction (ummmmmmmm, I mean writing) and I've also done this before.

Finally, the execution of a plan is much easier than it looks if you what to do (or you think you do) when the time comes.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

You're looking down into a tunnel of books. Can you find my book cover?

Step inside and watch 60 book cover attempts in 60 seconds. Then see the winner.

You'll see a link in the lower left (blue box) in the later part of the video.

Click it. Now how cool is that?

If you like what you see, please nominate (that's a call to action, right?) my book in the Kindle Scout competition.

Here's a direct link to my campaign: http://hyperurl.co/KilldeerConnection


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Everything accomplished as outlined yesterday.

*Fail:
*

One of the categories (the first one) I put the book into was literature and fiction. The rest were thriller categories. But it's listed in the heading according to the first category I chose: literature and fiction. Error on my part, but there was no way to pick it up on the preview that I could find.

*Fail but win*

The spacing between paragraphs is larger than rest of excerpts on site. I asked Kindle Scout to fix it, and they missed it. I could have asked them again, but I didn't. I actually grew to like the additional white space after looking at it and left it. I thought it stood out and worked better with the eyes.

I also asked Kindle Scout to end the excerpt at the end of a chapter as opposed to the middle of one. They accommodated that request which was nice of them,

*Stats*

6 hours in hot and trending the first day.

187 page views.

35% internal/65% external

Really can't tell what strategies are working best at this point.


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## CABarrett (Feb 23, 2017)

It has been fascinating to follow your journey so far, and I'm looking forward to reading the book!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Hi CA,

Thank you so much for the kind note!

I'm glad you're enjoying the diary.

Sometimes I think I'm talking to myself here. 

Have a great weekend!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Good Morning,

*Stats Yesterday:*

129 page views

24 hours in hot and trending.

60 external/40internal

I have two headtalker campaigns that could use some support.

Note that I'm going to use video links with them. An experimental approach. There is a different trailer for each one. They are both posted at the headtalker site at the links:

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/free-the-killdeer-connection/

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/fight-fracking-through-fiction/

Thank you for your help!!!


----------



## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats Yesterday:*

85 page views

24 hours in hot and trending.

57 external/43internal

Today, I direct messaged some people on twitter who have expressed interest in the book the past month. 
I tweeted to my engaged followers that I have on twitter via a list.
Flyers are being posted.
Getting ready for talk tomorrow evening in front of an environmental group. Will pass out slips of paper with nomination info on it at conclusion of talk. 
Newspaper article should run on me at end of week.
School district in my area asked me to speak in middle of month.

Not sure how this will all translate into nominations. But it does help with a book launch regardless of whether book is selected.

As a reminder, I have two headtalker campaigns that could use some support.

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/free-the-killdeer-connection/

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/fight-fracking-through-fiction/

Thank you for your help!!!









[/quote]


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats Yesterday:*

85 page views (same as yesterday)

24 hours in hot and trending.

55 external/45internal

Today, I'll prepare for my talk this evening.

I have to take care of my wife as she has had a relapse of sorts this weekend. Life often gets in the way of the best drawn plans! Need to hit my reset button. 

So I'm not sure I'll have that much time to promote the book today.

As a reminder, I have two headtalker campaigns that could use some support.

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/free-the-killdeer-connection/

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/fight-fracking-through-fiction/

Thank you for your help!!!









[/quote]


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/6:*

47 page views

24 hours in hot and trending.

55 external/45internal

I had my talk Monday evening in front of 30 people.

So far, six nominations from that talk.

I spent all day Monday preparing for that talk or taking care of my wife so I wasn't able to promote the book on-line.

I expect to drop off the hot and trending as a result of these low page view stats.

I have a headtalker campaigns that could use some support.

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/free-the-killdeer-connection/

If you are enjoying these posts, please support the headtalker campaign

Thank you for your help!!!









[/quote]


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/7:*

45 page views

15 hours in hot and trending.

55 external/45internal

As expected, I to dropped off the hot and trending as a result of low page view stats.

Life got in the way yesterday too with my wife.

Will try and promote more today.

I plan to be more active today on co-promote. Also, will run small facebook ad targeting lovers of free books and Grisham with my book trailer video.

I have a headtalker campaigns that could use some support.

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/free-the-killdeer-connection/

If you are enjoying these posts, please support the headtalker campaign!









[/quote]


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/8:*

76 page views

4 hours in hot and trending.

55 external/45internal

A better day yesterday. I was able to promote some.

My facebook video ran for part of the say in an ad. Bagged it. Video views does not equate into clicks. Lost $2.00. Live and learn.

Went to static ad. Cost $5.00. Same target audience as yesterday. I got 5 clicks. Expensive per click. We'll let it run to see if the costs go down.

Now I have multiple posts running on co-promote. Using Insatgram, youtube, twitter and facebook posts on co-promote.

Instagram seems to be paying off with clicks? Who could have imagined that? I'll have to watch this closely.

I have a headtalker campaigns that could use some support.

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/free-the-killdeer-connection/

If you are enjoying these posts, please support the headtalker campaign!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I used a similar format (colors too) in John Grisham's _The Whistler_ book trailer and used them in mine. Check out the Kindle Scout link to my campaign page (starts at 20 second mark) in _The Killdeer Connection_ trailer towards the end. Youtube has a cool feature called endscreens that show in the video as icons that click to a website.

If you have a few seconds click that icon and nominate my book on Kindle Scout.

Note: You don't have to have a book trailer to enter the Kindle Scout competition. I'm not sure at this point if it was time well spent when compared to other options like having static images ready to go.

First up, John Grisham's trailer.






Here's the trailer for my upcoming book, _The Killdeer Connection_.






*Here's a direct link to my Amazon Kindle Scout campaign page: http://hyperurl.co/KilldeerConnection*

*Please nominate it. Thank you for your support!*


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/9:*

83 page views

24 hours in hot and trending.

56 external/44 internal

My facebook ad costs went down to 68 cents per click. I added some more images. I got 8 clicks yesterday. My bet is most of those resulted in nominations. But I'm still spending only $5.00 per day. I won't scale up with more money until I see the ad performing better. It takes awhile for facebook ads to get in a groove. I should have started it earlier, but real life got in the way.

Instagram seems to be working well. I have a smart url aligned with it and it's doing better than my facebook ads. And it costs nothing. Lining them up with co-promote boosts has made them even better.

I just did an instagram post now at 5 am EST. In one hour, it has generated 3 campaign clicks. The post itself has 15 likes. That's nuts at 6:00 am in the morning. I'm scaling up on my instagram efforts today. It has been a lot of fun making ads for my account. Check it out at tom.swyers.

I have a headtalker campaigns that could use some more support.

https://headtalker.com/campaigns/free-the-killdeer-connection/

If you are enjoying these posts, please support the headtalker campaign!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/10:*

72 page views

12 hours in hot and trending.

59 external/41 internal

My facebook ad costs went down to 60 cents per click. I got 12 clicks yesterday. I'm not going to scale up with more money at this point.

Instagram continues to work well for me. I have a smart url aligned with it and it's doing better than my facebook ads. And it costs nothing. Lining them up with co-promote boosts has made them even better. Yesterday, I counted 28 clicks.

By comparison, using twitter got 15 clicks but only after using hundreds of thousands of co-promote credits I have accumulated over the past few months.

The newspaper article covering my campaign went to print yesterday and on-line yesterday afternoon. I counted 13 clicks from that article.

Here's a link to the article: http://yourniskayuna.com/blog/2017/03/10/swyers-writes-legal-thriller-for-2nd-book/

Kindle Scout got some publicity from the article. No, I didn't say the book with the most nominations wins. But that's the way it was reported in the article.

I plan to leverage this article over the duration of my camapign--not necessarily immediately. I will use it in posts and advertisements.

My clicks don't exactly correspond to what the Kindle Scout stats report because they count the clicks differently. Let say they count quality kicks in their eyes.

Looking back, the talk I gave on Monday generated 10 clicks over the past five days and all of them were probably votes. They all went on-line with my link (provided at the talk) with the intention of supporting the book.

Note that I dropped off hot and trending (on 12 hours yesterday) with only 11 less (83 vs 72) page views than the day before when I was on hot and trending for 24 hours,

I can only theorize as to why that happened.

Today is a regroup day. I have a service scheduled to help with the promotions today. It's a Saturday when people are more engaged with social media. I need a day off to attend to real life and to plan the next phase of the campaign.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/11:*

276 page views

21 hours in hot and trending.

62 external/38 internal

I paused my facebook ads this morning.

Taking a break today.

I'll plan out what I want to do going forward


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/12, 3/13*

None.

This is day 2 of no stats being reported on my dashboard as of 7:15 EST. They usually update around 5:00 am EST

I think the problem stemmed from moving the clock ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time.

But that's only speculation.

I dropped Kindle Scout a note yesterday morning about the issue, but I haven't heard anything back.

It's tough enough to run a Kindle Scout campaign, but doing it in the dark is next to impossible. But I can't worry about things I can't control.

The good news is that _The Killdeer Connection _has been on "Hot and Trending" the entire time of the outage as far as I can tell. I assume that the "Hot and Trending" function is working and not frozen from a few days ago. But I haven't studied it too closely to see if there have been changes in the rankings

I'll just keep plodding ahead with my plan.

I spent the day yesterday joining some groups on Kboards and Goodreads.

My facebook ad is on pause.

I'll continue campaigning today with Goodreads I might try to do some things to take advantage of the blizzard in the Northeast. There should be more people in front of their computers today.


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## CABarrett (Feb 23, 2017)

I'm still following your data with great interest, and I share your frustration with the interruption! Thank you for being so open about your strategy and your results.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

CABarrett said:


> I'm still following your data with great interest, and I share your frustration with the interruption! Thank you for being so open about your strategy and your results.


Hi CA,

Thanks for checking in and for following along!

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I just got an email from a Kindle Scout rep with respect to the stat problem.

By its contents, I can tell that he was unaware of the problem.

He sees that the system reported an update (March 13, 2017 5:09 AM EDT) on the site (which is true), but I had to inform him that the actual stats are stuck from two days ago.

I also told him it was a system-wide problem and it's impacting many, if not all authors.


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## lincolnjcole (Mar 15, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> I just got an email from a Kindle Scout rep with respect to the stat problem.
> 
> By its contents, I can tell that he was unaware of the problem.
> 
> ...


This happens frequently. Sometimes they don't run the batch job to update stats or might have a configuration problem.


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## JoAnn Franklin (Feb 24, 2017)

I'm glad you reported the stats problem. I did too.  I hope that it doesn't affect their awareness of how long my book, The Raindrop Institute, has been on hot and trending, as I assume that has some bearing on publication.  Didn't know that only 3% of books are picked up for publication so that is helpful. Enjoyed reading your posts.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

lincolnjcole said:


> This happens frequently. Sometimes they don't run the batch job to update stats or might have a configuration problem.


Hey, Lincoln, thanks for putting your computer-expert hat on and sharing some insight into the problem.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

JoAnn Franklin said:


> I'm glad you reported the stats problem. I did too. I hope that it doesn't affect their awareness of how long my book, The Raindrop Institute, has been on hot and trending, as I assume that has some bearing on publication. Didn't know that only 3% of books are picked up for publication so that is helpful. Enjoyed reading your posts.


Hi JoAnn,

Good luck with_ The Raindrop Institute _ and thanks for checking in.

It's good to be on "hot and trending" at least for the exposure. Though, as many have observed, there have been a number of authors who have been selected who have not spent time under this banner.

As of 3:30 pm EST, my stats are still down.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/12, 3/13, 3/14*

None.


This is day 3 of no stats being reported on my dashboard as of 7:20 EST. They usually update around 5:00 am EST

Today there's a different twist in that the site doesn't indicate that the stats were updated as of this morning. The site says "Last updated March 13, 2017 
5:09 AM EDT"

Yesterday, I told Kindle Scout that this issue no only impacted me but that it was a system-wide problem impacting many if not all authors. I haven't heard anything back as of yet.

I really feel bad for other authors who are in the dark about their campaigns.

Two things that have been a partial save for me are the fact that the "hot and trending" category appears to be working and _The Killdeer Connection_ has been listed there since the outage.

The other thing I have going is that I have assigned smart urls to different ads/efforts in my campaign so that I can assess performance outside the Kindle Scout dashboard. I now consider this a must-do for everyone before entering Kindle Scout.

It's the only way one can drive in the dark without headlights. The smart urls are like driving with a flashlight.

I finished joining groups on Kboards Goodreads and letting people know about the book yesterday. I also did some Instagram, Facebook (personal) and Twitter posts. I see clicks but don't know if they were counted as page views by Kindle Scout.

My facebook ad is on pause.

I'm going to continue with Instagram today. I'll have to make up the rest as I go along.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/12, 3/13, 3/14, 3/15*

3/12: 283 
3/13: 226 
3/14: 1,182
3/15: 196

3/12 23 hours H/T
3/13 24 hours H/T
3/14 24 hours H/T
3/15 24 hours H/T

32/68 internal/external

The stats came back on-line yesterday.

As I posted before, I was scheduled to have a service do some advertising for me March 11th. He contacted me at the last minute to say he'd run it on the 11th, 12th and 13th for the same price. Who was I to argue? It was a stroke of luck that this coincided with the Kindle Scout stats outage.

As for March 14th, I've been working with someone with one of the book advertisers (like BookBub but smaller) over the past year. She thinks outside of the box like me. She wanted to run an experiment on my book and so she sent a special email to all thriller readers in their system about my Kindle Scout listing. I think the timing (during the snowstorm) helped, Flowers to Stella. The email was sent out in the afternoon EST. So all the 1,000 plus page views were from engaged readers of my genre. Win.

Yesterday, with 196 views, I'm on my descent into normalcy: 45-200 page views.

My facebook ad has been reactivated.

I have no help today, so I'm going to have to do some heavy lifting to keep me from falling into the abyss.

If I had the stats all along, I could have been a good prepper and planned this out better. So be it. At least I came out of the outage in good shape overall.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/16*

Page Views: 151

24 hours H/T

32/68 internal/external

Yesterday, I was on my own to produce some page views. I reactivated my Facebook. For $10 directed at Grisham reader who like free books, I got 23 clicks that cost $11.50. Good results but too expensive.

Yesterday's weapon of choice for the first time during this campaign was the twitter card. If you don't know what it is, find it in one of my prior posts here. Basically, it is a clickable image from a tweet that will take you right to my Kindle Scout page.

It took me a good part of the day to get this done. MY PC would not let me load an image into the twitter dasboard. I pulled my hair out. Turned off ad blockers. Rebooted. No matter. When trying to load, I kept getting the spinning circle of doom. Finally, I left Mr. Gates's bloatware behind and picked up my MAC. Problem solved.

I assigned the twitter card a smart url. I started sending this tweet card out in the evening to people who were following a group opposing bomb trains. Don't know what a bomb train is? Then make sure you nominate the book and you'll get to read all about them. Once I had the tweet developed to go with the card, it was copy and paste. I must have sent out hundreds of tweets in a few hours. Reached a twitter limit here and there--basically, being given a time-out for sending too many tweets in a short period.

Result: 232 clicks. Cost: $0.00

My Goodreads seeds started to sprout yesterday: 11 clicks.

Instagram: 10 clicks

Others: 3

Total Clicks: 279

The discrepancy between my click counts and Kindle's page views has to do with whether or not Kindle felt the click was worthy enough (time/engagement) to be a page view. There could have been some re-clicking between my card and the site too that didn't count.

I turned off my facebook ad when I saw my twitter card going crazy with clicks last night. Say goodbye to Facebook for now and say hello to Twitter today.

I have a service scheduled to help starting this afternoon. I scheduled it during the stats outage because I didn't know how long that would last.

I'll send some more twitter cards today regardless because it could be a game changer for me.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/17*

Page Views: 487

24 hours H/T

29/71 internal/external

I had a service yesterday that helped, but the twitter cards have been awesome too.

Twitter cards: Over 1,000 clicks. Cost $0.00

It's becoming a game changer for me.

Today, sent an email to my mailing list. It's the first time since my campaign began. Sent them my video book trailer. I also posted the newspaper article about my book in some local facebook groups. Later, will go back to my twitter cards.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/18*

Page Views: 265

24 hours H/T

29/71 internal/external

I'm pleased with the results given I was organic yesterday

I had to re-do my twitter card. It seemed to me there were too many clicks that weren't converting. I checked it out on all devices. I saw that people could have clicked the card to expand it and found themselves on my Kindle Scout page. I didn't feel right about that, so I changed the card so people would be more likely to understand that they'd be taken to my Kindle Scout campaign page if they clicked.

I had 268 clicks to that smart url yesterday, and that's much closer to a 1:1 ratio as far as page views (265) go and given everything else I was doing. I know I got conversions because people tweeted me that they'd nominated the book.

I used the Goodreads event feature to notify followers of the Kindle Scout campaign. I posted my newspaper article on some local Facebook sites including a local book club. I saw that racking up page views as well throughout the day.

Today, I've got some legal work to do so my promotion will be limited.


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Your stats are AMAZING! What are your total page views so far? Internal vs External?


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/19*

Page Views: 367

24 hours H/T

29/71 internal/external

It was a good day considering I had to spend a good chunk of it writing an opinion/decision on a case I heard back in November.

As I mentioned, I did refine my twitter cards. That seems to be working. There are fewer clicks but I think there are more good clicks that are converting into nominations.

In the past two days, I sent out 770 twitter cards and asked for retweets. (Always ask for retweets to extend you reach). My smart url on that card registered 512 clicks for those two days. You can't ask for anything more than that. I know it had conversions as many people tweeted me when they nominated the book. There was at least one guy tweeting Amazon directly and telling them they should publish the book. The cost was zero for this traffic.

I'll do more today as time permits. I now have more ideas than I do have time to execute them. I have 11 days remaining with 4.2k page views.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Joynell Schultz said:


> Your stats are AMAZING! What are your total page views so far? Internal vs External?


Hi Joynell,

Thank you!

I think my stats are good but could be better if I had more time to devote to it.

I have 11 days remaining with 4.2k page views: 71/29 external vs, internal


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

One of the advantages of a smart url is being able to see the origin of your traffic.

This is the breakdown for my twitter card campaign.

United States
1,570	77.8%

France
203	10.1%

United Kingdom
122	6.0%

Canada
32	1.6%

Slovakia
24	1.2%

Netherlands
18	0.9%


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/21*

Page Views: 181

24 hours H/T

29/71 internal/external

I was organic yesterday and with limited time I dropped to the high end of normalcy for me: 45 - 200 page views.

I have some help today in the way of a service. What's happened for me is that any service I use markets the readers of my genre.

I spend my time marketing to people who might not be readers of my genre normally but like the fact that my story deals with environmental concerns about fossil fuels and fracking.No service can reach those folks so it's up to me to find them.

In all the twitter cards I've sent, I have only had three people get upset that they received one.

Today, I'm going to change my approach. I'm going after the twitter followers of John Grisham with a twitter card in addition to doing some other things.

I've created a special url for this twitter card campaign and early results as far as clicks go are very promising. I did not have room in the card to ask for a retweet though.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/22*

Page Views: 191

24 hours H/T

29/71 internal/external

I consider yesterday to be a win of sorts.

The service I thought was going to help me didn't materialize. Although they said they'd start it yesterday, upon further inquiry last evening they said they wouldn't start it until 10 PM EST. So I was organic yesterday and didn't know it. But I ended up at the high end of normalcy for me (45 - 200 page views) and even bumped up 10 page view from the day before. So maybe the new normal for me is 150 - 200 page views. Maybe that means I have some traction.

Overall, I think marketing services can be helpful, but you have to put yourself in the driver seat and nail them down as to start dates and times and end dates and times. You also should write them the day of the promotion to confirm you are running on that day. Customer service is sometimes delayed or lacking at these firms.

You'll need some down time throughout the campaign and services can help. I've used them on the weekends when people are more engaged on the internet and when your family says they might like to see you disengage from your campaign dashboard. But a misunderstanding might leave you naked and vulnerable to dropping off "hot and trending."

A loss for me was a co-promoted tweet to a newspaper article about me and my book. I told people that the link for a free book was at the end of the article, but I really didn't see any bump in my stats from the link at the end in today's report even though I got 293k retweets. I must have lost people when they were reading the article. I should have known better, but I thought it was a classier way to promote. But classy didn't give me page views.

A win for me was going after Grisham readers. I sent out 600 tweets yesterday with a smart url. I got 200 clicks from them. A 33% click rate is absurdly good when on facebook you're a winner with 3%. Again, people tweeted me throughout the day saying "done" or "thank you" or "nominated." So it worked. Surprise: 30% of my clicks were from France while 40% were from the US. What's up with that? Some man in Malaysia wanted the book so much (his country is blocked from Kindle Scout) he planned to work with UK friends to vote for it.

I suspect I was tweeting to a number of fake accounts at times. But I can't argue with 33%.

Footnote: 200 clicks on facebook would have cost me around $100. I'll take $0 over $100 any day.

My environmental tweets of 2 days ago had some staying power of 52 clicks. They seem to have a better click rate than my legal thriller tweets. Hmmmmmmm

I haven't decided what I'll do today yet. I don't plan to let up though if time permits. Even though I would have had a good campaign if it ended today with 4.5k page views, my goal was 6k at the outset so I've got work to do.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the continual update. I'm pretty lost and confused now. Where are you sending these tweets? You said you sent out 600 tweets? Were you doing it yourself or are you paying someone to do it for you. I can't imagine you sitting there all day clicking twitter 600 times. Did you use John Grisham as hastag?

I'm also pretty lost on how to set up a Twitter Card works even though you provided the link. Are we supposed to insert info into the code? I'm a very low tech person. Maybe I should look for a tutorial on YouTube.

Good luck.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

AlexaKang said:


> Hi Tom,
> 
> Thanks for the continual update. I'm pretty lost and confused now. Where are you sending these tweets? You said you sent out 600 tweets? Were you doing it yourself or are you paying someone to do it for you. I can't imagine you sitting there all day clicking twitter 600 times. Did you use John Grisham as hastag?
> 
> ...


Hi Alexa.

I sent the Grisham tweets to his followers who are listed under his twitter page.

Yes, I sent them out myself. Once I had one one crafted, I copy and pasted it to each follower. I did 100 at a sitting to music.

Here's a link to how to create a twitter card

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AFhE7raJo4

Check my twitter feed and you'll see mine with a red background image.

You provide the link, the image, and the headline to the card. When you're done, twitter will give you the link for the card. Copy and paste it at the end of every tweet you send out.

All the Best,

Tom


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Did you ever think about paying a Fiverr to help you send the tweets? Not sure anyone offers that service but if you find someone who does net promo and contact them privately maybe someone somewhere in the world may want to do it for $5.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

AlexaKang said:


> Did you ever think about paying a Fiverr to help you send the tweets? Not sure anyone offers that service but if you find someone who does net promo and contact them privately maybe someone somewhere in the world may want to do it for $5.


Hi Alexa,

Yes, the problem is that I like to modify things as I go along. I may change the tweet, skip someone, personalize an appeal. Or if something goes wrong, I can see it and stop it in its tracks. Or if something is going right, I can see it too in my click stats and do more of it.

I don't want to be a bot and, if you act like a bot, twitter will give you a time out.

Once you have a tweet in your cue, it's really just select and paste. Their address is pre set.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/23*

Page Views: 146

24 hours H/T

30/70 internal/external

I consider yesterday to be a fail.

I didn't do as much promotion yesterday. I relied on the service I purchased to do a little of the lifting.

I have not had good vibes from him from the outset, but someone else on Kboards recommended him. I decided to set my doubts aside.

From what I can tell, the service didn't begin yesterday at 10 am. I saw his post on facebook and I wasn't impressed.

Without his service: 191 page views.

With it: 146 page views.

I'm beginning to lose patience with him. I sent him an email this morning. Let's see what happens.

So I'm back at work today. I can't rely on this service to help at all. I'm going to have to do more lifting today.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/24*

Page Views: 197

24 hours H/T

29/71 internal/external

I consider yesterday to be a win for me, not for the service I hired.

It was a win for me because I was correct not to trust this service.

I'm the one who bumped up my page views from yesterday's 146.

I can see it in my smart url clicks stats.

With one week to go, I decided to go after legal thriller readers. Win or no win with Kindle Scout, that's what I need more than anything when I launch.

I sent an email to the service and got a canned response in the morning that said some things were posted when they weren't posted because I checked.

I responded with an itemized list of my observations so far and later last night he apologized and said he would forward my email to the woman who was doing some/all (?) of the work for him. What's up with that?

I told him that I expect that he would double his efforts in the coming days to overcome the shortcomings of the first few days. Call me skeptical. I'm glad I paid with a credit card.

I see some corrections this morning, but do I really need to be wasting my time trying to make sure that this service is doing what it promised when it promised to do it? No! More importantly, I haven't seen any bump in page views either that I can't attribute to my efforts.

I'm back at work today. I can't rely on this service to help. I'm going to have to do the lifting again.

Goal is still 6000 page views with 7 days left and 4.9k page views currently

I timed myself yesterday. It took me 20 minutes to send out 100 twitter cards from a list.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/24*

Page Views: 143

24 hours H/T

30/70 internal/external

I consider yesterday to be a loss.

I wasn't able to market as much because life got in the way. The service wrote back and said they'd try harder at my request. So I relied on the service again. Nothing happened.

Recap:

3/21 Tuesday (Service not in effect. It should have been.) : 191 page views. I marketed.
3/22 Wednesday (Service in effect): 146 page views. I didn't market as much.
3/23 Thursday (Service in effect): 197 page views. I marketed. 
3/24 Friday (Service in effect): 143 page views. I didn't market as much.

Essentially, I bounced around normalcy for me of late: between 140 and 200 page views.

I asked for a refund from this service this morning. I've seen enough. Time to move on.

I have a talk tomorrow at a library. So I need to prepare for it. I have to say that while it's always good to go out and meet people and talk about your work, with this sort of campaign it might be best not to do such things. It takes a lot of time. It's unfortunate but I think sitting behind your monitor and working might be time better spent. Of course, you'll never be sure because we don't know the nomination numbers our page views produce. As a result of my last talk, I got 12 page views and likely nominations. People were given my url at the talk and so when they went to it, they most likely nominated the book.

Goal is still 6k page views with 6 days left and 5.05k page views currently

I'm going to try and run an immediacy camapign of sorts on Thursday with my campaign coming to a close on Friday.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Thanks for the update, Tom. Think I have an idea who the marketer is. Love your dry sense of humor.

Good luck today.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

AlexaKang said:


> Thanks for the update, Tom. Think I have an idea who the marketer is. Love your dry sense of humor.
> 
> Good luck today.


Hi Alexa,

Thanks for keeping me company and for the support!

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/25*

Page Views: 402

24 hours H/T

30/70 internal/external

I consider yesterday to be a win.

Yesterday, I said I asked for a refund from the service that didn't work for me. I just wrote him and described the facts much like I laid them out there. He gave me a full refund--no questions asked.

I had some help yesterday. I had a one day service going and I understand that another service picked me up and sent out a small email on my book's behalf. Nice.

The forecast for today is a return to normalcy today: 140 - 200 page views. I won't have time to market with my library talk this afternoon. My son is also leaving the country and I'll need to see him off. I don't have a service supporting me but there may be a small carryover from yesterday's service to help.

If a service does its job, the day after it runs should lend some support. So there's no reason to run another service on the day after.

Goal is still 6k page views with 5 days left and 5.45k page views currently. The goal looks to be within striking distance.

I don't want to sit on my hands though. I'll still personally market to legal thriller readers this week. Win or lose, I still want them to get my book so that mine will show in their also-bought list on Amazon.

My challenge this week is that my wife has out-patient surgery on Wednesday. I'll need to support her and then care for her afterwards.

I'm still going to try and run an immediacy camapign of sorts on Thursday with my campaign coming to a close on Friday.

I'd like to finish strong.

When the book has two days left, it should get some support from being on the "ending soon" list.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

I'm sure there are others following and lurking.

Wishing your wife a speedy recovery!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

AlexaKang said:


> I'm sure there are others following and lurking.
> 
> Wishing your wife a speedy recovery!


Thank you for the good wishes, Alexa!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/26*

Page Views: 173

24 hours H/T

29/71 internal/external

I consider yesterday to be a win.

The forecast I made yesterday was spot on. I projected a return to normalcy for me of late: 140 - 200 page views. Actual: 173.

Yesterday, I gave a talk mostly to local writers at the city library. There was a journalist, a poet, and a novelist. I really enjoyed myself. Listening to poetry and the wonderful writing of an arts reviewer was refreshing. At the end of the program, they tried to give an envelope with a check fo appearing. I told him to keep it to fund further programming. I doubt I will get many nominations from the talk, but that's okay.

I came home to find an invitation to be a featured guest this summer at a writer's institute for teens. It carries a small stipend. I only mention this because I believe the invitation is a direct result of my Kindle Scout campaign. So if you're reading this post and wondering if Kindle Scout is worth it, here's an example of a benefit outside of actual acceptance.

Today, I have some time so let's see if I can get this to the high end of my normal range: around 200 page views.

I'm going after the twitter readers/followers of Scott Turow, the father of the legal thriller. He has a following of 2500 but he is active. That's good. Active twitter account means more likely active followers. When you look at a follower list on twitter, the ones listed towards the top are the most recent followers of that person. So they are most likely still on twitter if the account of the author is still active.

He's got a new legal thriller book coming out, so I retweeted info about it.

I've already sent 200 twitter cards early in the morning so if people check their twitter account before starting their day, they'll be greeted by my invitation.

I could go and solicit more friends and family for votes in my remaining time. But so long as I have readers to target, that seems like my time is better served going in that direction. First and foremost, I want to enlist readers of my genre. They are more likely to read and review the book when it is released. I assume that Amazon would want the same thing in considering a book they'd take. Win-win.

I'm definitely going to have some fun this week. I'll be trying some novel things.

Stay tuned!!

Goal is still 6k page views with 4 days left and 5.62K page views currently. The goal looks to be within striking distance.


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## JoAnn Franklin (Feb 24, 2017)

Tom, who did the cover for your book? It's outstanding. 

Also, I really appreciate these posts.  Yesterday, because of you I went onto Twitter for my own campaign.  That resulted in 15 ticks.  Now I have to master Twitter Cards.  Best of luck reaching 6K
JoAnn


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

JoAnn Franklin said:


> Tom, who did the cover for your book? It's outstanding.
> 
> Also, I really appreciate these posts. Yesterday, because of you I went onto Twitter for my own campaign. That resulted in 15 ticks. Now I have to master Twitter Cards. Best of luck reaching 6K
> JoAnn


Hi JoAnn,

Thanks for the compliment and for following along.

I did the cover in conjunction with feedback,

A couple of rules I've developed.

Keep it simple. Two colors or a consistent mix of a few across the page.

No more than two fonts.

Go to a bookstore. Look for ones that stand out in your genre. Ask yourself, why do they stand out? Then take those lessons to your own book.

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/27*

Page Views: 198

24 hours H/T (15 straight H/T 24 hour days)

29/71 internal/external

I consider yesterday to be a win.

The goal was to achieve the upper range of normalcy for me of late: 200 page views. Actual: 198. Close enough.

I had some fun with @AmazonKindle on twitter yesterday. They have 375k followers, They are the twitter account that seems to oversee the Kindle Scout program.

They posted a cat photo on Sunday:

https://twitter.com/AmazonKindle/status/846051500300361728

Thye got 22 retweets.

Not to be outdone, yesterday I posted my own cat photo with a plug for my book:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/846368019567775745

I have 10.2K twitter followers.

My photo has 90 retweets and it just keeps going.

Why do this? Presumably, Amazon Kindle looks for authors who know how to market. Most likely, they will see the retweets in their twitter feed because I used their address. It's my calling card.

Going to mine for more readers today. Used crowdfire to search for people who recently mentioned John Grisham. Sent out 100 cards to them already. I'd like to see a bump above 200 page views today.

Goal is still 6k page views with 3 days left and 5.82K page views currently. The goal looks to be within striking distance.


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## JoAnn Franklin (Feb 24, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> *Stats 3/12, 3/13, 3/14, 3/15*
> 
> 3/12: 283
> 3/13: 226
> ...


Do you mind sharing the contact information re the person who sent out the special email to all thriller readers on her list? Thanks.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

JoAnn Franklin said:


> Do you mind sharing the contact information re the person who sent out the special email to all thriller readers on her list? Thanks.


Hi JoAnn,

I'm sorry, it's not appropriate for me to mention the firm name at this time. There is a chance that they might develop a service for Kindle Scout authors, but until they are ready/willing/able I'd prefer not to name them.

I hope you understand.

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/28*

Page Views: 253

24 hours H/T (16 straight H/T 24 hour days)

29/71 internal/external

I consider yesterday to be a win.

The stated goal was to exceed the upper range of normalcy for me of late: 200 page views. Actual: 253. Nice.

My overall 6k campaign goal was achieved yesterday. Now at 6.1K. Win! 

I'd like to work all day today to get more page views. But real life stands in the way with my wife's procedure scheduled for this morning.

Why keep working when my goal has been achieved? I want to generate as much interest in my book as possible before the campaign ends. This will only help the launch regardless of whether the book is selected or not.

Hot and trending does matter!!!!! People will say it doesn't matter to being selected and they have a point in that regard. But there are plenty of books that are lingering on Kindle Scout and more page views during the campaign (nominators and readers) could have only helped a book launch for them on Kindle Scout. The same thing holds true for books that are not selected.

Yesterday, got my first request to do a local radio/podcast interview about my book and it's not even out yet. This wouldn't have happened without participating in the Kindle Scout campaign.

My goal today is to tread water with yesterday. If my wife sails through with flying colors, I'll be back in the twitter mines searching for readers.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/29*

Page Views: 207

24 hours H/T (17 straight H/T 24 hour/day)

29/71 internal/external

I couldn't do too much work in finding new readers because I was too busy caring for my wife so my page views slipped below target.

But the best news is that my wife is doing well this morning.

My overall 6k campaign goal was achieved yesterday. Now at 6.3K.

I'll try and search for more readers today and get more page views when time permits.

With my campaign coming to an end, I would like to ask anyone reading this thread and finding value in it to nominate _The Killdeer Connection_ at this link:

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2YCSHQWPSS0D4

Thank you!


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## caneman (Feb 4, 2016)

Done it for you!!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

caneman said:


> Done it for you!!


Thank you, Caneman!

Every vote counts,--and some more than others--when it comes to Kindle Scout!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/29*

Page Views: 856

24 hours H/T (18 straight H/T 24 hour/day)

29/71 internal/external

Yesterday was crazy as I released the Marketing Kracken in an all-out LAST CHANCE campaign blitz.

I got 1725 clicks.

The environmental readers/supporters liked my tweets. I went after the legal thriller readers too. I had both engines going with people tweeting me all day long about nominating the book.

I also had help from my friend in New York. She got an additional 251 clicks, Combined we did 1976 clicks that translated into 856 page views. That's about 43% that converted to page views. That's pretty good.

I still want to get as many free copies as I can to people. This morning, I redid my main social media material to advertise that this was the LAST DAY.

I'll push hard again, but don't know if I can duplicate yesterday's results.

I sent an email yesterday to my list telling them the same and they woke up as well. If they didn't open yesterday's email, they will get another one this morning.

My overall 6k campaign goal was achieved. Now at 7.1K with 633/696 H&T

With my campaign coming to an end, I would like to ask anyone reading this thread and finding value in it to nominate _The Killdeer Connection_ at this link:

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2YCSHQWPSS0D4

Thank you!


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## Joynell Schultz (Oct 29, 2016)

Holy crap! You're awesome!!!
You rocked the campaign. The highest page views I've heard of so far was somewhere in the 6K mark.
Way to go!
(And now, the waiting begins.)


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Stats 3/31*

Page Views: 1,321

24 hours H/T (19 straight H/T 24 hour/day)

29/71 internal/external

You always try to finish on a high note. When you exit the stage, you want to leave the audience asking for more.

Mission accomplished.

The Marketing Kracken roamed twitter yesterday searching for interested readers: "Last Day," "Last Chance."

But I didn't send as many twitter cards out yesterday. When you are a few hours away from the campaign ending, sending cards out loses its value.

My clicks for yesterday were lower: 1,297 vs 1,725 from the day before.

My friend in New York had 480

Combined yesterday: 1,777 vs 1976 on Thursday.

So I expected my page views to be down this morning--down from 856 on Thursday.

So I was SHOCKED  this morning when I saw my page views had spiked to a record high: 1,321 vs. 856 from the day before.

*Summary*

Although I made some mistakes along the way and had some family issues to deal with during the campaign, I adjusted and exceeded my goal of 6K page views.

There is nothing much more that I could do in the time frame to market the book. I still have a number of things in my tool chest that I did not use, but when the twitter cards worked like a charm for me I was going to make the most of them for as long as I could. But the cards never let up for me. The more I put out, the higher my page views the next day. Even today, it seems like my approach could work forever.

The is not to say that twitter cards will work for every book. By writing a genre book, I could find the readers of a number of established authors. Sometimes I rummaged through their dead twitter accounts. I also have a very topical book that connects with a number of environmentally conscious people and addresses a number of issues we face today as a country.

The case for _The Killdeer Connection_ has been made. I put my life and soul into this book for over year and a half. I have always believed that this novel can be a bestseller. The chart and stats below back me up. Now the ball is in Amazon's court.


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## JoAnn Franklin (Feb 24, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> Hi JoAnn,
> 
> I'm sorry, it's not appropriate for me to mention the firm name at this time. There is a chance that they might develop a service for Kindle Scout authors, but until they are ready/willing/able I'd prefer not to name them.
> 
> ...


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## JoAnn Franklin (Feb 24, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> *Stats 3/29*
> 
> Page Views: 207
> 
> ...


Done! JoAnn


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

My campaign ended last Friday. But I'm not surprised I haven't heard anything yet.

I've taught myself not to worry about things I can't control. It's wasted time.

I don't control the Kindle Scout section process, so I've moved on to doing other things. I'm doing legal work and I've started on my next novel.

My guess is that I should hear within the next few days.

Thanks to everyone for their support!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

_The Killdeer Connection_ was selected today as a winner in the Kindle Scout competition!

It took 11 days for a decision.

I'll have some major announcements tomorrow that will help all Kindle Scout participants going forward, so bookmark this thread and check back then.

Thanks to everyone for their support!


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## CABarrett (Feb 23, 2017)

Congratulations!   And thank you in advance for your post-game analysis.


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

CABarrett said:


> Congratulations!  And thank you in advance for your post-game analysis.


Congratulations, Tom! Looking forward to your insights.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Oh Wow! Tom, I'm so happy for you. You worked hard for it and totally deserve it! Congratulations.


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## JoAnn Franklin (Feb 24, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> _The Killdeer Connection_ was selected today as a winner in the Kindle Scout competition!
> 
> It took 11 days for a decision.
> 
> ...


Congratulations Tom! 
-JoAnn


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## jaxonreed (Dec 7, 2016)

Congrats, Tom!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*The Thank You Note -- A Suggested Workaround for Rejection*

As noted previously, the chances for rejection in the Kindle Scout competition are 97-98%.

If you aren't prepared for rejection, you aren't being realistic.

Here's a problem with Kindle Scout program that isn't discussed enough, if at all.

If a book is selected in the competition, Amazon will give the nominator a FREE copy.

But if the book is not selected, Amazon will send an email out to the nominator to say that the book is now available "for purchase" when it's available.

So if the book wins, it's free. If it doesn't, you have to pay for it.

What's wrong with this picture?

if the book doesn't win, you as an author has to overcome the perception of some that it's not a good book. You don't do that by saying they have to buy it.

As an author using the Amazon platform to launch your book regardless of whether it wins or not, you want to give away your book whether you win or not.

The solution is in the "thank you" email:

Here's my "thank you" note:

"IMPORTANT: When you read this, you'll know before me if THE KILLDEER CONNECTION has been selected by Kindle. If it's selected, you'll get a free ebook copy from Kindle. Awesome!. But if it's not selected, Kindle can't offer you a free copy. But I'd like to give you one anyway. If it's not selected, you'll need to give me your email address so I can tell you when it's available for free on Kindle. Click here to give me that info: http://hyperurl.co/MyFreeEbook Thank you so much for your support!"

First off, I was mistaken in the first sentence. I did know before readers that the book was accepted. When I was planning my campaign, I saw enough authors who were in the dark about winning until they found out about it through others getting their "thank you" email. But there was EXACTLY a 12 hour window between me receiving a win notice and the "thank you" email being sent.

You saw me work hard during this campaign. Well, I was not going to let all of my hard work go to waste by losing DEDICATED readers in the likelihood that I lost by charging them for the book: Send them to sign up for my email list to get the book free. I would then send them an email when the book was free during my Kindle Select five free days. With that done, the book is ready to be launched with readers who cared enough to nominate my book. Bonus: I get to build my email list in the process!

How many nominating readers are lost when they get an email from Amazon saying your losing book is now available "for purchase?" (I'm being harsh to make a point). Kindle Scout needs to change that email and give the option to say your book is available for free.

Please note that my link sends nominators to a landing page. I could and did change the message there when I discovered that the book was selected.

Looking back, the ideal solution would be to prepare a message to get the reader's mailing address even if the book wins.

But as a prepper, it is far better to plan for the 97%-98% probability.

Now this is key. By using this approach, I could advertise that if a reader nominates my book, he/she will get a free copy PERIOD. It's so simple and you can say it in a tweet.

That beats saying: If you nominate my book, you'll get a free copy, but only if the books wins (and it has a 2-3% chance of winning) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. What? I've fallen asleep by the time I get to the end of that. Where's the incentive?

I've got more to say today so check back for that major announcement.


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## Kay7979 (Aug 20, 2016)

I usually have three active nominations at all times, and I get so many emails from Amazon for non-selected books that I delete those emails unread. So, I'd never see an email offering me a free copy. That doesn't mean it isn't a good strategy. I haven't had time to read the last dozen winning books, and I know I'm not the typical reader who votes for a Kindle Scout book. But I think many votes from the internal segment of voters may be people like me who vote for a lot of books.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*New Promotional Service
*

Before I get into the details, please understand that I'm not receiving any compensation for this announcement or from the service.

As I have written previously, I had some help on my campaign from a friend in New York. I have been working with her to develop a service which can benefit all Kindle Scout authors. She is ready to go live with it now.

Here is the link to that offering: http://unbouncepages.com/bestindiepress_kindlescout/

Here was my experience with what we did. Jessica created an email solely dedicated to my book. She plans to do that with any book who selects her service. Other services don't do that. You are lumped in together with others.

Her email was sent two separate lists. The first was more genre appropriate for my book. The second mailing, less so. We were just running tests to see what would work best.

Here are the click results. Please understand that my offer was that readers would get a free book regardless of whether it won or not. Also, please note that my email also contained a link to my video trailer. So some people could have clicked both.

*One day blast*:

Tuesday, March 14th - 919 clicks to nominate, 209 clicks to the video
Wednesday, March 15th - 156 clicks to nominate, 20 clicks to the video
Thursday, March 16th - 29 clicks to nominate, 12 clicks to the video

Combined clicks: 1,345.

If you look at my diary, from what I could tell most of these clicks converted into page views. I had 1,182 page views the day of the blast.

Nobody really knows the staying power for hot and trending with such a blast. We do know Amazon doesn't favor spikes in promotional sales. So we tried to step it down a notch. Remember, the second list wasn't as genre appropriate as the first.

*Drip email over 3-4 days
*
Thursday, March 30th - 251 clicks to nominate, 46 clicks to the video
Friday, March 31st - 480 clicks to nominate, 70 clicks to the video
Saturday, April 1st - 190 clicks to nominate, 18 clicks to the video
Sunday, April 2nd - 29 clicks to nominate, 0 clicks to the video

Combined Clicks: 1,055

Since this second campaign took place when I was working hard too, I don't have a good read on how many clicks turned into page views. Having said that, look at my chart. I had 856 and 1,321 page views on those two days respectively. Please understand that Jessica plans to roll this offering out over four days and this second campaign was for two days.

We found that a gradual feed of page views and nominations worked best, so she has altered her campaign to run in an arc over 4 days. I think such a campaign has a great chance of landing books on hot and trending. I think it's a good answer to the lull Kindle Scout authors often face in the second and third weeks of their campaign.

Does "hot and trending" matter? Authors will often say that "hot and trending" doesn't matter, usually right after they win with weak stats. Good for them! They won the lottery. They are among the 2-3% selected. Nobody should bank on that. Use the Kindle Scout platform for launching your book. Winning the competition should be viewed as a bonus.

You can write Jessica Rose at [email protected] if you have any questions.

The cost is $250

She is also offering anyone who learns about her Kindle Scout service through my diary or Kboards $50 off their promo with coupon code: TS50

Final cost: $200

Yes, I paid for her service. Yes, I would do it again. I know her and I know she wants everyone to have a positive experience with her service. That's why she won't take every book.

Compare this to ScoutBoost that has a list price of $90 per one day boost.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Kay7979 said:


> I usually have three active nominations at all times, and I get so many emails from Amazon for non-selected books that I delete those emails unread. So, I'd never see an email offering me a free copy. That doesn't mean it isn't a good strategy. I haven't had time to read the last dozen winning books, and I know I'm not the typical reader who votes for a Kindle Scout book. But I think many votes from the internal segment of voters may be people like me who vote for a lot of books.


Hi Kay,

Good points. You have to work with what you are given.

It's all the more reason to drive in external traffic. They are less likely to do that because they've followed your link and aren't serial Scouters.

Tom


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## T E Scott Writer (Jul 27, 2016)

Congratulations on your win!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Hi All,

Thanks to you all for the good wishes.

An update.

Please read my thank you message again.

Note that because the book was selected, there was *NO* reason for people to click that link I provided.

But they did!

I got 57 email sign-ups yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!

Imagine how many I would have got if the book wasn't selected and people had reason to click the link !!!!!!

Lesson: Drive traffic to your Kindle book campaign page with a great "thank you" note with a link to get the book free via an email sign if it's not selected to make the most of your campaign in launching your book. Jessica's service could help find that traffic!

Note: The editors at Amazon got back to me within 36 hours of selection with detailed, well-reasoned editorial suggestions to make a great book even better. Impressive turnaround! Wow!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Update*

I continue to get email subscribers. Up to 68 from 57 yesterday.

A follower messaged me and told me she was able to update her "thank you" note with Kindle Scout yesterday while her campaign was ongoing. That's wonderful! If you are in this position, take note and some action if you choose.

*Need Your Help: *

I am now trying to call the attention of Amazon's imprint for paperback, Thomas Mercer, to _The Killdeer Connection_

If you would consider retweeting this tweet it would be appreciated:

https://twitter.com/TomSwyers/status/852698434628968449

Yes, I like having fun.  I I have two cats which are really two dogs in disguise.

If you are on co-promote and want to earn some credit towards retweeting it either search for my name and find the boost or try finding it at this profile link:

https://app.copromote.com/#users/743706

Thank you!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Taking Back Your Traffic*

If you use a url service that let's you change the traffic destination like smart url does, when your campaign ends you can take your traffic elsewhere. Let's say your book is not selected within days of your campaign ending. If you worked hard and sent out a bunch of social media posts and tweets, people might find them later on and click your link only to be taken to your Kindle Scout page where it says your book wasn't selected. Well, if you want to take them elsewhere at that point, it takes only a few seconds to change your destination using the smart url service.

I did this after Killdeer was selected and am now taking people to this landing page as opposed to my Kindle campaign page: http://subscribe.tomswyers.com/ReadersGroup

I'm now up to 76 subscribers since the campaign ended with my "thank you" note variation as described n a prior post.

*Still Need Your Help: 
*
I am now trying to call the attention of Amazon's imprint for paperback, Thomas and Mercer, to The Killdeer Connection

If you would consider retweeting this tweet it would be appreciated:

https://twitter.com/TomSwyers/status/852698434628968449

If you are on co-promote and want to earn some credit towards retweeting it either search for my name and find the boost or try finding it at this profile link:

https://app.copromote.com/#users/743706

Thank you!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Winning Genres*

Bookmark this page in order to see what type of Kindle Scout books have won in the past:

https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=kbhp_bb_Scout_T2?ie=UTF8&node=11048035011&pd_rd_r=T0N5VBC1976CAWC3ACK4&pd_rd_w=pK26e&pd_rd_wg=F20Ls&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-left-2&pf_rd_r=T0N5VBC1976CAWC3ACK4&pf_rd_r=T0N5VBC1976CAWC3ACK4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2e277286-9989-4604-954f-13a2335e65c3&pf_rd_p=2e277286-9989-4604-954f-13a2335e65c3&pf_rd_i=154606011

In the left-hand column, you'll see this breakdown as of today:

Kindle Scout

Business & Money (1)
Children's eBooks (1)
Humor & Entertainment (4)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender eBooks (3)
Literature & Fiction (170)
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (113)
Nonfiction (3)
Reference (1)
Religion & Spirituality (5)
Romance (76)
Science Fiction & Fantasy (8
Teen & Young Adult (26)

Assess your odds of being selected by considering the number in your genre that have been selected and the quality of those offerings. Read some!

Develop a Kindle Scout strategy after realistically assessing your odds.

*Update*

I'm now up to 81 email subscribers since the campaign ended with my "thank you" note variation as described in a prior post and in relinking my URLs

My local newspaper is going to run another article this week on the success of the book in the Kindle Scout campaign this week.

What would have happened if the book lost?

I put myself out in the public eye for all to see the book (me) succeed or fail. If you will recall, my effort was the subject of a newspaper article when the campaign began. Once I knew the article was going to appear, I had to go all out in my mind. I had to do everything within my control to see the book succeed. No passive campaign for me. I wasn't going to fail in front of my local support without a fight.

If the book wasn't selected, I'd still see if the newspaper wanted to run an article. But the loss wouldn't have been as newsworthy as a win. That's just the way of the world.

If the book lost, I would have to have published the book as quickly a possible to take advantage of the Kindle Scout platform in launching my book.

Since the program only selects 2-3% of books, that's what everyone needs to plan for because you always respect the odds.

*Still Need Your Help: *

I am now trying to call the attention of Amazon's imprint for paperback, Thomas and Mercer, to _The Killdeer Connection_

If you would consider retweeting this tweet it would be appreciated:

https://twitter.com/TomSwyers/status/852698434628968449

It's up to 104 retweets!

If you are on co-promote and want to earn some credit towards retweeting it either search for my name and find the boost or try finding it at this profile link:

https://app.copromote.com/#users/743706

Thank you!


----------



## ishapiro_99 (Mar 29, 2017)

I'm in the last week of my Kindle Scout campaign and need some suggestions. I've posted on FB and Twitter repeatedly, hit up my mailing list promised people free books, and ran a FB campaign. I need new ways of driving traffic to my book. Any ideas? I welcome all suggestions, and views. Here's the link to my book.

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2A7OA8S8JJFFS


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Hi Irina,

Here's your favorite author per your Kindle Scout bio.: https://twitter.com/Writer_DG

If your book is of the same genre, you have over 200k potential readers right there. Send them tweets or twitter cards.

You also may want to see what Jessica's service can do for you. It's noted in a post the other week. Here's the link: http://unbouncepages.com/bestindiepress_kindlescout/

$50 off with this code: TS50


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Today's Tip*

Mailer Lite: https://www.mailerlite.com/invite/e56fb8334a585

Cheaper, easier to use, and more features than mailchimp.

Videos: https://vimeo.com/mailerlite

I've added 86 subscribers with MailerLite since my thank you note went out.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Here's an update.

Today, submitted my MS after considering a first round of in-house edits (one page with some suggestions) from Amazon.

Now I understand it is going to Kirkus for a round of copy edits. So I will wait on that for a few weeks.

After talking with Kindle Press, I'm on the radar for a future book/ebook deal with Thomas & Mercer (mystery and thriller imprint) depending on the performance of _The Killdeer Connection_.

Thomas & Mercer won't take _The Killdeer Connection_ because Kindle Press has the ebook and Thomas & Mercer takes both the ebook and print versions when they take on a project.

My guess is _The Killdeer Connection_ will launch around third week in June.

I plan to use the same promotional campaigns for my book launch that I did for the Kindle Scout campaign.

Because I used the smart urls, I know what works. Win or lose with Kindle Scout, that info will help a book launch.


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## CABarrett (Feb 23, 2017)

Thank you for continuing to post updates. I'd been very curious about how this led into the Amazon imprints.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

You're welcome!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Yesterday, I got a notice that Kirkus has my manuscript and that I can expect copy edits from them by May 29, 2017.

Edits will be done in MS track changes.

I told my editor. We are going to try and work out a system that will get us through these editorial suggestions expeditiously.

We have final say on any edits.

Quite frankly, I think it's ready to go to print. My early reader team has gone through it. My science team has gone through it. My editor has gone through it. I see the thing in my sleep. If you think I'm growing impatient, you're right!

Time to shift gears. Do something else.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Tom Swyers said:


> Yesterday, I got a notice that Kirkus has my manuscript and that I can expect copy edits from them by May 29, 2017.
> 
> Edits will be done in MS track changes.
> 
> ...


That definitely is a drawback. Participating in even the 30-day campaign is hard in that respect, because I know I have a finished book just sitting there.

Tom, I think your book is ready to go too. I also think sometimes there is such a thing as over-editing. But OTOH, since you have no choice, it'll be interesting to see what the Kirkus editor has to say. Best of luck with that. I think for you, a Kirkus editorial review would probably be more helpful. 

Good luck!!!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

AlexaKang said:


> That definitely is a drawback. Participating in even the 30-day campaign is hard in that respect, because I know I have a finished book just sitting there.
> 
> Tom, I think your book is ready to go too. I also think sometimes there is such a thing as over-editing. But OTOH, since you have no choice, it'll be interesting to see what the Kirkus editor has to say. Best of luck with that. I think for you, a Kirkus editorial review would probably be more helpful.
> 
> Good luck!!!


Thank you, Alexa, for the good wishes!

Yes, it will be interesting to see the edits, though I think my editor is more interested than me. It's kind of like a meeting of professionals for them. I feel like I'm in a parent-teacher conference and I'm the child and they'll be discussing my future.

I do appreciate the thoroughness of KS.

It's just that I feel like the finish keeps moving back.

I want to move on but I'm caught in a vicious loop that gets more and more intense when I just want to move on..

I think if I read it anymore, I going to start to think that it sucks! lol

Time for a break!


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

With Tom's permission, I'm now ready to post some tips and info about my KS campaign that might help some of you.

I'm a disciple of the Tom Swyer School of Kindle Scouting. That means, I submitted to KS to use it as a book launch platform with the assumption that my book will not be selected. The reason for this assumption is that the selection rate is very low at 2-3%. If your only goal is to be selected for a KP contract, then the info I share here may not be useful to you.

OTOH, if you want to try to use KS as a way to build buzz, then read on.

I originally entered my book, Eternal Flame, into KS for 3 reasons (in order of priority):

1. To use the KS page as a way to tout & sell my current books. Visibility is so hard to get. I thought I could use the Author Info and 3Qs section to show my books to new readers.

2. To use KS as a way to build buzz for the release of Eternal Flame.

3. On the off chance I got selected, maybe I can finally have a book that would hit the Amazon top 100 list.

Goal #1 was DOA. I discovered within a few days in that the KS site is not a place with a lot of readers traffic. While there are some readers who are Scout readers, it seems to me that many are driven there by authors who submitted books. I came to this conclusion because I've found that to get on the H&T list, you really only need to reach an estimate of 100 page views per day. 100 to me is pretty low, especially when half of that came from your readers + F&F (most Scouters report externals between 40-60%).

Goal #3 was out of my control, so nothing I could do. And being that I began with assuming my book wouldn't be selected, I turned my entire effort toward Goal #2.

*About H&T:*

1. While it might factor into selection, it really has no correlation to final selection. I think we've all come to this conclusion.

2. H&T might boost your ego and make you feel good if you get on the list, but ego doesn't translate into sales and honestly, is pretty worthless. So don't let it drive you either way.

3. The more important thing here is Page Views. If you're using KS to launch and build buzz, you want to maximize your page views. A high page view will result in H&T, but keep page views as your goal.

4. Appearing on H&T could be good marketing when you drive new readers to the KS site to look at your book.

So my point is, adjust your outlook as to why you want your book to be on the H&T list. Make it a strategic promo matter, and not about validating your book or making yourself feel good (or on the flip side, don't let it make you feel bad either).

*Now -- Prepping. *I needed to maximize exposure of my book to readers. Here's what I did:

1. As soon as I received the link to my KS page from the Scout Team, I created a redirect so my link was: www.alexakang.com/vote-eternal-flame. This was to help branding, to make it easy for readers to remember the book title, and to show them an immediate CTA message. Also, as soon as I was not selected, I was able to terminate any links floating around on the web that might lead readers to the old page where they could find out that the book was not selected. That would not be good for branding.

2. I updated all the back matters of my current books to include Eternal Flame's book cover, blurbs, and link to the KS page. (But remember to change them ASAP if your book is not selected.)

3. I created an Instafreebie giveaway with the book cover, the excerpt shown on the KS page, with a CTA to vote at the end.

4. I uploaded the excerpted chapters with book cover on Wattpad. Since the excerpt ran through 2 chapters, for media for Chapter 1, I uploaded my book trailer. For chapter 2, I included an image post with cover and CTA on the top asking people to vote. I figured that while Wattpad readers aren't good at crossing over to buy, they might consider voting to get a free book so it doesn't hurt. Surprisingly, at least one reader commented that she was not in a country that could vote, but I saw on her profile that she had marked my book as "to buy."

5. My biggest mistake -- I did a Cover Reveal 2 weeks before my campaign began. Normally, Cover Reveal is a reliable way for me to generate interest during pre-launch. But this time, it ended up that I got only 1/3 of the reach on FB when I actually unveiled my campaign. So I would not advise doing a Cover Reveal if you do KS. Wait till you officially begin your campaign to kick things off and maximize your reach when campaign begins.

6. KS page stuff -- I maximized use of the bottom of my page in every way, in case a reader stopped by. For Author bio, I mainly showed info about my current books. The answers to my 3 Qs were also about my current books, and I definitely enabled view of covers of other books I'd written. For links, I included all my social media, plus the Instafreebie link to my ongoing giveaway (this is not the excerpt of my KS submission, it's an IF giveaway so readers can get a freebie even before my campaign ended.) In the end, I don't think this prepping effort did a whole lot, because I don't think there were that many page views from internal KS readers. But it looked nice for readers who I drove to my page.

About internal KS readers -- I write primarily WWII historical fiction. Looking at the KS submissions, I don't think there were many readers of other authors who submitted who would cross over. My stats throughout showed I had 40/60% internal vs. external. This is something to keep in mind if you're considering submission. I do think the KS team look at internal views. If you submit a book that doesn't appeal to readers of the genres that are often submitted to KS, it could hurt you that way if your goal is to get selected.

*
Buzz Build - Phase One*

I began by posting about my campaign on social media, mainly my FB author page, Twitter, and one relevant FB group. The FB author page will become a very important tool going forward.

I divided my newsletter subscribers into small groups and sent out NL regarding my campaign over the course of 2 weeks. This ensured that I had a constant stream of Page Views during the 2-week period. Doing this also helped me test different promo images, and eliminate the ones that didn't attract readers for when I finally release my book.

I used Author Shout, which got me onto the H&T list for one day early on.

I tried some very low budget FB ads and boost posts. It was interesting to see the responses, but I would not recommend spending a lot of $$ on this.

*Buzz Build - Phase Two*

Midway into my campaign was when I went all out. It was when my newsletter promotion would end, and I needed to do something else to continue generating interest.

*BOOK TRAILER RELEASE*

First, I released a book trailer. I'd always have a hard time figuring out how to utilize book trailers as promos. It turned out, A book trailer worked very well as a pre-release promo tool. My trailer had hundreds of views both on FB and YouTube. But more about how the numbers came to be later. The book trailer kicked off the next phase of my campaign because, if you've already told your subscribers once about your book, you need some new reason to tell them about it again. For me, it was the trailer.

To effectively promote, my goal was to reach critical mass. My next promo efforts would all be direct toward that. So here goes:

*Leveraging opportunity -- College Class Reunion*

It so happened that my college reunion was coming up. I went to a pretty big university and my class had about 2000 people. My class reunion committee was looking for ways to create news in our class FB group. I volunteered to showcase books of the authors in our class on my website, and did a FB interview of a class author each night leading up to our reunion weekend. By doing this, I was able to show my own book to my class and promote myself. My book trailer and KS page link were shown prominently at the bottom of each page that featured our class authors' books. This added to my book trailer views, and pushed me back onto the H&T list mid-way through the campaign. I'm sure I got some votes out of it too.

*Best Indie Press KS Promo Service*

Immediately after I set off the class reunion effort, I used the promo service that Tom Swyer recommended. This service is offered by Jessica Rose. Link is here: http://unbouncepages.com/bestindiepress_kindlescout/

This is a paid service, and it is not cheap at $250 (200 for Kboarders with the discount code). BUT! for my goal of book release, it made a lot of sense. Her promo ran for 4 days. A newsletter went out to readers each day and and featured only my book and a link to my book trailer. The newsletter was segmented into 4 different genres. This was very helpful as by the end, it gave me stats to show which genre's readers were most interested in my book. This will help me with choosing categories when I'm ready to publish.

Another very important feature of her campaign was that I must offer to give voters my book even if it wasn't selected. How that works is that I will set up free days in KU, and voters must subscribe in order to receive my alert when the book becomes available for free download. No other KS promo service offers this, so when your KS run ends, you receive no real value beyond KS votes. Jessica's service, OTOH, will get you newsletter subscribers. My campaign ended a week ago. As of today, I have gained 139 new subscribers from her service.

Now, back to the campaign. From the KS dashboard, my reported Page Views during her 4-day campaign:

Day 1 - 608
Day 2 - 527
Day 3 - 234
Day 4 - 205

These are the views that KS actually counted. On Jessica's end, the views are much higher. Day one almost reached 1000, and Day 4 actually broke 1000.

We suspect that KS under count page views if the reader doesn't linger on the page. If this is true, then I think it really didn't accurately reflect whether readers were interested in my book. My campaign already gave prospective readers all the info they needed about my book before they got to my KS page. The only thing I didn't offer was the excerpt. So unless a reader wants to read the excerpt, they might've made up their mind already whether or not to vote.

In the end, Jessica's service helped me reach thousands of new readers whom I couldn't have reached otherwise.

I was also able to use her service to drive readers to my FB page. Instead of using a YouTube link to my trailer, I used the link to the FB post of my trailer. I boosted that post for $5, and that gave me the option to add a "Learn More" button that went to my KS page. The button helped me to track how many viewers of clicked onto my KS page after viewing the trailer. In total, my trailer had 921 reach and 395 views, plus 150 clicks. (Before Jessica's campaign, there had been about 25 views, and the FB boost post only netted 5 clicks, so most of it was from her service.)










I'd gotten new likes from her promo. After Amazon message went out that my book wasn't selected, I gained additional new likes too. I don't know where these readers came from, but it seemed that readers actually came to my FB page and followed after they'd learned that my book wasn't selected.

Jessica sent out a final reminder at the end of my campaign, which gave me a second round of exposure. All is all, I think the price was well worth it for what I set out to do.

*Instafreebie*

After Jessica's 4-day promo, I needed something else to sustain the momentum. I hosted a Instafreebie historical fiction Xpromo giveaway. This, again, helped me reach critical mass. The Xpromo began and now I got multiple authors in my genre all sending out newsletters and driving their subscribers to the promo page on my site during the 5-day giveaway period. Also, Instafreebie sent out their own newsletter during the last day of the promo, driving yet more readers of my target genre to me. This time, I didn't include my own giveaway book. Instead, I featured my trailer below the books being given away, as well as the link to my KS page. At the time, I showed the trailer as posted on YouTube because I didn't know how to embed the trailer on my FB page into Wordpress, which was a lost opportunity to net some new FB followers. But the YouTube stats showed that I had 226 views total. About 20 of that was from myself as I set things up. But 200 views really exceeded what most book trailers could achieve.










From my Instafreebie promo, I also gained 123 new subscribers just with my Pop-up sign up form. And this time I didn't even offer my own IF giveaway book. But most importantly, I was able to leverage IF to gain new readers while helping to promote fellow authors.

In total, I'd gained 262 subscribers to date from my KS run.

_*Last Stretch*_

Jessica's reminder email, combined with IF's own newsletter, gave me a final boost the last 3 days of my campaign. In the end, I had 4.4K page views.










*Going Forward*

I'm now setting up to release my book next week. Will all this help me with a successful launch? I hope so. The 139 subscribers I'd gained from my KS run will all get a free copy via KU download. I have never done a launch with distribution of free copies before, so I hope these readers will help post reviews. I'd already heard from some of them, which is nice as it shows that there are readers interest for my book.

To cultivate their interest, when they signed up, my confirmation message included a link to my Instafreebie giveaway book. Yesterday, I sent them a TY email to remind them to be on the look out for my alert on when the book will be available for free download. I also included in the email a flash fiction story I'd written for an anthology I'd participated in last X'mas. The anthology is free on Amazon, and today, it jumped back up to the 4ks in free rank after I'd given the link in my newsletter. I think I'd given the new readers enough of a taste of my writing. Hopefully, they'll like my work it'll all result in something.

I realize that my post is very long. But if you're still with me, I hope the info I share will help you with a launch and also to gain new readers. I know many Scouters are newbie authors, Newbie authors often say they don't know how to get started. It is not enough to simply upload your first book on Amazon. Perhaps you can use this post as blueprint to begin your self-pub journey.

In summary:

1. Get all your ducks lined up - Website and FB author page is a must. Set up for mailing list sign-ups. Post the excerpt of your book on Instafreebie. Make a good trailer if you can.

2. Look for opportunities to reach critical mass. I didn't pay for reaching my college reunion class, and I didn't pay for Instafreebie. You must also find your own ops around you.

3. Jessica Rose' service -- I highly recommend this one. It will set you up to build your author's platform if you're a noob. And if you've been around the block, it can help you expand. Here's her link again: http://unbouncepages.com/bestindiepress_kindlescout/


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Hi Alexa,

Wow, thanks for sharing a detailed description of your strategy and results.

I love your creative thinking!

Here's an update on _The Killdeer Connection _.

I am waiting for the Amazon editors to return the MS to me after it was submitted with some edits on May 3rd. It supposed to go for a round of copy edits. They said it would be back in my hands by May 29th.

*Key*: if your book is not selected, you have an advantage. You can release it immediately after your campaign is done using the Kindle Scout platform for a launch while the book is still fresh in readers' minds.

My book was selected on April 11th. I don't see it being made publicly available until July 11th, and perhaps later. That's three months! People may well have forgotten about my book by the time it's released.


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## Nikki Landis Author (May 15, 2017)

AlexaKang said:


> With Tom's permission, I'm now ready to post some tips and info about my KS campaign that might help some of you.
> 
> I'm a disciple of the Tom Swyer School of Kindle Scouting. That means, I submitted to KS to use it as a book launch platform with the assumption that my book will not be selected. The reason for this assumption is that the selection rate is very low at 2-3%. If your only goal is to be selected for a KP contract, then the info I share here may not be useful to you.
> 
> ...


Hello! I'm also following this approach to my campaign and just booked with Jessica. We are all set to go and launch June 1st - 4th for my campaign. I have a few questions and I hope it's ok to ask for help. I need to update my final statement/email that readers will receive at the end of the competition so they can sign up for my email list (per Jessica) and I need to create a redirect link. I have no idea how to do this. I suppose I need to contact KS and ask to update my message. Any thoughts? Also, the redirect link, I'm at a total loss but I don't want people to end up all over once my campaign is over. Any help on this is much appreciated.

So far, I seem to be doing well. My stats day 11 are: 2.7 K page views (my focus), 175 of 264 in H&T, and adding to my email subscriber list by putting an excerpt on Instafreebie. Any thoughts on how to link that to my campaign? My Twitter and Facebook, Goodreads, and blog have also added to their numbers. I utilize them constantly.

I have learned SO MUCH from this board and I am so thankful. I am running a better campaign than I ever would have before Kboards. Thank you in advance for your help. Oh, my book is Fallen from Grace, 18 days left. I am trying so hard not to obsess over this campaign and failing miserably, Lol.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Nikki,



Nikki Landis Author said:


> Hello! I'm also following this approach to my campaign and just booked with Jessica. We are all set to go and launch June 1st - 4th for my campaign. I have a few questions and I hope it's ok to ask for help. I need to update my final statement/email that readers will receive at the end of the competition so they can sign up for my email list (per Jessica) and I need to create a redirect link. I have no idea how to do this. I suppose I need to contact KS and ask to update my message. Any thoughts? Also, the redirect link, I'm at a total loss but I don't want people to end up all over once my campaign is over. Any help on this is much appreciated.


Yes. Contact the KS team ASAP and give them a replacement message. They'll change it for you. They're very helpful and responsive.

For redirection, if you have a Wordpress website, you can download the "Redirection" plugin. That's what I use. After you download it, it'll appear in "Tools" on your dashboard column and you can create redirections there.

If you don't have a WP website then there must be other ways but I don't know, you'll have to google or youtube for tutorials. Or you can use bit.ly, but bit.ly might turn off some people. OTOH, bit.ly can also help you track links so there are pros and cons.



> So far, I seem to be doing well. My stats day 11 are: 2.7 K page views (my focus), 175 of 264 in H&T, and adding to my email subscriber list by putting an excerpt on Instafreebie. Any thoughts on how to link that to my campaign?


Add a backmatter to the Instafreebie giveaway like you would any other book, and put the CTA and link there.



> My Twitter and Facebook, Goodreads, and blog have also added to their numbers. I utilize them constantly.
> 
> I have learned SO MUCH from this board and I am so thankful. I am running a better campaign than I ever would have before Kboards. Thank you in advance for your help. Oh, my book is Fallen from Grace, 18 days left. I am trying so hard not to obsess over this campaign and failing miserably, Lol.


Good luck!


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## Used To Be BH (Sep 29, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> My book was selected on April 11th. I don't see it being made publicly available until July 11th, and perhaps later. That's three months! People may well have forgotten about my book by the time it's released.


Waiting is always painful! However, imagine what it would be like with most traditional publishers. Sometimes the wait is as long as three years, but never as short as three months.

Also, it may not be as much of a disadvantage relative to not being selected as you think. Authors of rejected books have to strike fast, before the nominators forget, in the hopes that some of them will buy. Nominators of selected books get a free copy, which I imagine most of them claim, and which I know counts as a sale for ranking purposes. In other words, it's not as much of a chore to lasso the nominators if the book is selected as it may be if the book is rejected.


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## Nikki Landis Author (May 15, 2017)

AlexaKang said:


> Nikki,
> 
> Yes. Contact the KS team ASAP and give them a replacement message. They'll change it for you. They're very helpful and responsive.
> 
> ...


Oh boy, I am in trouble. Pretty much all that you just said is Greek to me.   I think I have a lot of hours ahead of me figuring this out. I don't have a paid wordpress site so I can't install plugins. Looks like Google just became my best friend. Yikes!

Thanks for the help. I appreciate your response.


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## Nikki Landis Author (May 15, 2017)

> *Best Indie Press KS Promo Service*
> 
> Another very important feature of her campaign was that I must offer to give voters my book even if it wasn't selected. How that works is that I will set up free days in KU, and voters must subscribe in order to receive my alert when the book becomes available for free download. No other KS promo service offers this, so when your KS run ends, you receive no real value beyond KS votes. Jessica's service, OTOH, will get you newsletter subscribers. My campaign ended a week ago. As of today, I have gained 139 new subscribers from her service.
> 
> ...


What did you use for your newsletter? I have mailchimp for my newsletter sign-ups and Instafreebie. May I ask what link you used? I need to offer the same promo deal for Jessica. Thanks!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

I'm so glad to see this thread lives on!.

Here's an update from me.

My MS for "The Killdeer Connection" was sent to Kirkus on 5/3 for edits. Promised delivery was 5/29. Actual delivery was 5/24. Five days early! Their work included an editorial letter and then the edited MS.

Editor's overall comment: "Thank you for the opportunity to read your fantastic novel. It is a real page-turner! Your plot is entertaining, and your characters are well developed-I am sure that this book is going to be a big hit with your readers."

My comment: The editor, Valerie, did a wonderful job. She was meticulous in copy editing (for example, doing actual research on locations) and offered well-thought out points on minor potential plot issues.

Upon closer review, however, I realized that some of her statements about happenings in the book were factually incorrect. She stated some things that were contradicted in the early part of the book itself. BUT what this means to me is that I might need to reemphasize those points later in the book again.

I'll never forget a story told to me by Margot Livesey, a wonderful writer, She had two different editors assigned to her in two different cities by a publishing house. One said one chapter was too long; the other said it was too short. Margot's conclusion: something was wrong with the chapter.

The next step for me is to accept/reject the copy edits/othereidts and do some story tweaking as suggested above. After I submit it again, it's done and will go into preorder status for a month and everyone who nominated the book will get their free copy. That will last for about a month before it goes live.


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## amdonehere (May 1, 2015)

Nikki Landis Author said:


> What did you use for your newsletter? I have mailchimp for my newsletter sign-ups and Instafreebie. May I ask what link you used? I need to offer the same promo deal for Jessica. Thanks!


Nikki, I didn't see your post until just now. I use mailchimp and gave Jessica the link to my sign up form.

Hope it's not too late.

But I'll be migrating to Mailerlite because MC is more expensive.


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## Dolphin (Aug 22, 2013)

Tom Swyers said:


> I'll never forget a story told to me by Margot Livesey, a wonderful writer, She had two different editors assigned to her in two different cities by a publishing house. One said one chapter was too long; the other said it was too short. Margot's conclusion: something was wrong with the chapter.


I think you're onto something there. Thanks for the thread, and for continuing to share your insights!

I had wondered about exactly your approach before I found this gem. Submitting to Scout seems like a good, cheap way for a new author to get a few hundred new eyeballs in the worst case scenario, and a whirlwind crash course in Amazon's version of tradpub at best. I'm glad it's been working out that way for you.


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## Nikki Landis Author (May 15, 2017)

AlexaKang said:


> Nikki, I didn't see your post until just now. I use mailchimp and gave Jessica the link to my sign up form.
> 
> Hope it's not too late.
> 
> But I'll be migrating to Mailerlite because MC is more expensive.


Thanks Alexa! The only thing I haven't figured out is how to redirect that campaign link. I've got 9 days left so I'm sure I'll get it done before the end. So far so good with Fallen from Grace. Thanks for all your help!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Update.

Last night, I submitted the final MS for The Killdeer Connection after receiving the edits on May 24th.

So it's taken me and my editor 20 days to go through it again--longer than I would have liked.

There have been three other editors from Amazon or Kirkus who have edited the MS to one degree or another.

So it should go into production mode now and be available for preorder in the next two weeks. At that point, anyone who nominated the book should be able to get their free copy.

A month from then, it should be available for public release.

Tip: With Kindle Press, they have no limit on the number of categories you can list your book under. Any author should research the categories on Kindle to find the ones that apply to their book. I found thirteen and have requested that Kindle Press list the book under all of them.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

*Update:
*

This Monday, _The Killdeer Connection_ went live for preorder.

You can preorder it here for $3.99: http://hyperurl.co/PreorderKilldeer

Thank you for your support!

(The preorder period will last one month until the book is officially released on Augst 8th).

I submitted the book to go live on June 13th (with edits) and it went live on July 10th.

I wish it didn't take that long, but that was out of my control.

I put that time to good use in planning a campaign during the preorder period.

The preorder price is set for me by Kindle Press at $3.99.

If you are not selected by Kindle Scout, you can price your book as you wish. That's a good option to have as right now I'm competing with Prime Day book sales including a sale that has all Kindle Scout prior selections being offered for .99.

I'm fine with that. I don't want my new release priced at .99--not after the Kindle Scout campaign I went through which garnered 8.4 k page views.

My preorder campaign is aimed at big name authors in my genre. Their price is like $9.99 to $14.99 for a new release. I can compete well on price. I also advertise a 7 day money back guarantee (from release). This is something Kindle offers for all ebooks but nobody uses that aspect in their campaigns.

All told, I was selected April 11th and went live for preorder on July 10th--almost 4 months to the day. I'd say half of that time was used in polishing the story while the other half was spent waiting.

With the delay, I feel like I've lost some momentum. Now I feel I'm back doing a Kindle Scout campaign all over again.

*Today's Tip: Go Preorder*

If you are not selected, my advice is to go Preorder for your Kindle Scout book for two weeks to one month.

Advanatges:

1. Your preorder sales will be counted towards your ranking during that period. If you can get on some of the hot new releases categories during that time during you will garner some organic sales due to more exposure not unlike being on the hot and trending list during your Scout campaign. If you are a new author, pricing it at .99 might be a good strategy.

2. If you don't go to preorder, you will be eligible for hot new releases only 30 days from launch. If you go preorder, you are eligible during your preorder period plus the 30 days after launch. Again, more exposure.

2. Your preorder also bought list will start to populate if you get sales during your preorder giving you even more organic reach and exposure for sales. If you wait until launch, this might take a few days. One advantage to winning Kindle Scout is that your also bought list populates within a day of going to preorder (this is because Scouters who voted for you are claiming their free books) giving you instant organic reach. (If you are not selected, you won't get those Scout also boughts until release. But you will get them for anyone who preorders).

3. While you won't really get a rankings boost from sales on the day of your launch (this statement applies only to Amazon), I contend that you have the opportunity during preorder to tickle the Amazon algos much the same way as if you frontloaded a BookBub campaign. Amazon algos don't reward spikes. So if you have an upward curve in sales going into lauch day, Amazon will show you more love during launch.

Note: I don't think any of the above applies if you are not going to do some ground work to get preorder sales.

Your Homework:

1.	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkNJ9msoV1U&t=286s

Start at 1:30 and go to end. (Killdeer is in 13 categories).

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yiz8UxGch3s&t=4s

Start at the beginning for this one and view until 4:50. Then fast forward to 5:41 to end.

3.	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evDUE_XPJCs

Start at 13:15 in this video and go until the end.

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZLG12oR0Q&t=405s

Start at 5:27 and go to end on this video

Please consider supporting my work with a preorder of _The Killdeer Connection_: http://hyperurl.co/PreorderKilldeer


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## DMChappellAuthor (Jul 9, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> Hi Alexa.
> 
> I sent the Grisham tweets to his followers who are listed under his twitter page.
> 
> ...


Tom,

I have read your post and watched the attached link, but I am unable to find the "creative" on my twitter account ads page. The only option I have is analytics. Did you have to do something to get the "creative" option in your twitter account?


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

DMChappellAuthor said:


> Tom,
> 
> I have read your post and watched the attached link, but I am unable to find the "creative" on my twitter account ads page. The only option I have is analytics. Did you have to do something to get the "creative" option in your twitter account?


Hi DM,

If there is not a tab to the left of your "analytics tab" that says "creatives," you may have to open an account somehow. It's been awhile. But if that's the case, see the drop down by clicking your image in the upper right portion. Click on "Twitter Ads" and create an account. Don't assume by doing so that the cards cost anything to create or send cards yourself. They don't. You want to create a 
"website card" when you're set.

Tom


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## DMChappellAuthor (Jul 9, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> Hi DM,
> 
> If there is not a tab to the left of your "analytics tab" that says "creatives," you may have to open an account somehow. It's been awhile. But if that's the case, see the drop down by clicking your image in the upper right portion. Click on "Twitter Ads" and create an account. Don't assume by doing so that the cards cost anything to create or send cards yourself. They don't. You want to create a
> "website card" when you're set.
> ...


Tom,

I had already done that which is why I was confused. I have gone back in to check and it appears you must provide them with a credit card in addition to creating an account to get access to the functionality. I have done that and am now have the tab. Thanks for providing the weblink for information about this tool. I have not yet finished reading all of your blog so am on the edge of my seat to see how your overall campaign went.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

DMChappellAuthor said:


> Tom,
> 
> I had already done that which is why I was confused. I have gone back in to check and it appears you must provide them with a credit card in addition to creating an account to get access to the functionality. I have done that and am now have the tab. Thanks for providing the weblink for information about this tool. I have not yet finished reading all of your blog so am on the edge of my seat to see how your overall campaign went.


Hi DM,

Glad it worked out for you!

Yeah, this blog is a thriller. Hold on! lol

Tom


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## DMChappellAuthor (Jul 9, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> *The Thank You Note -- A Suggested Workaround for Rejection*
> 
> As noted previously, the chances for rejection in the Kindle Scout competition are 97-98%.
> 
> ...


Me, again! Sorry for all the questions, but I am a newbie to all of this. Do you have information on how to create a landing page (like the one you have in your thank you for people to put their email)? I have looked at doing it (using mailchimp or other services) but all are requiring a mailing address that will be listed (to comply with spamming laws.) I clearly don't want to have my home address listed, but I don't own a PO Box. Not sure if I am misunderstanding the whole concept, or just doing it wrong. I don't see any kind of contact info on your page. Any tips would be appreciated.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

DMChappellAuthor said:


> Me, again! Sorry for all the questions, but I am a newbie to all of this. Do you have information on how to create a landing page (like the one you have in your thank you for people to put their email)? I have looked at doing it (using mailchimp or other services) but all are requiring a mailing address that will be listed (to comply with spamming laws.) I clearly don't want to have my home address listed, but I don't own a PO Box. Not sure if I am misunderstanding the whole concept, or just doing it wrong. I don't see any kind of contact info on your page. Any tips would be appreciated.


Hi DM,

I use mailerlite and it has a built in landing page system that works well. I left Mailchimp for it and haven't looked back as to pricing and features. Unlike email, a landing page does not require a mailing address. It is a webpage.

Hope that helps.

Tom


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## DMChappellAuthor (Jul 9, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> Hi DM,
> 
> I use mailerlite and it has a built in landing page system that works well. I left Mailchimp for it and haven't looked back as to pricing and features. Unlike email, a landing page does not require a mailing address. It is a webpage.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the additional information. Tried them, but they require a website domain email. I only have the free wordpress for my blog, which don't come with one. So can't use them either unless I want to fork out some cash to wordpress. SIGH. I appreciate you trying to give me info though. THANKS! Who knew writing was the easy part, it is all the $$ and legwork you have to do/spend afterward that is hard.


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## Awasin (Aug 7, 2015)

Congratulations on your successful campaign, Tom.  

I'm just reading my copy now as -- despite have pressing matters to which I must attend -- I can't, alas, put it down.

Great job!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Awasin said:


> Congratulations on your successful campaign, Tom.
> 
> I'm just reading my copy now as -- despite have pressing matters to which I must attend -- I can't, alas, put it down.
> 
> Great job!


Thank you, Awasin!

I'm glad you are enjoying the novel and this thread!

If you have a few seconds and could write a review when you're done on Amazon, that would be awesome.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Update:

Almost four months to the day after selection and four editors later, the book finally was released yesterday.

I think the delay (half of my time was spent waiting) of four months diminished any momentum I had achieved during the Scout camapign.

It was anti-climatic end to a 1.5 year journey.

I marketed heavily during the preorder phase which was one month before release. I did pay for some facebook ads but canned those because the cost was too high. Marketingwas a challenge. I was at full price at $3.99 with no look-inside feature available. I was alos confronted by the fact that KU readers cannot preorder books. I continued to use the twitter card strategy and tried some other experiments.

I could have done nothing but wait. I think the preorder phase is essentailly to get reviews posted so that on the day of release, you might be able to get some traction. It is tricky for independent authors to get reviews during preorder. Waiting is not a bad choice because if you have any pent up demand, it counts most to use it when the book is released.

Preorder alos allows also-boughts to populate. It would usually take 3-4 days for that to happen if you launched without a preorder phase.

Nevertheless, my plan was to gradually move up the rankings up until the release date and that plan was executed fairly well. Basically, I moved up in ranges. At my worst times, I was between 100k and 135k. At my best times, I was between 15k and 25k. Most of the time I was somewhere in between. But I finished in the best range. Why do this? Amazon like steay increases in sales (rankings) and I orchrestated that with some hiccups.

KS authors have Apub available to them and it is a real time (close, anyway) measure of sales.

All that preorder marketing by me yielded only (imo) 90 sales for me.

I've got 25 reviews, 75% of them are 5 star. I wish I had more. I have a couple of weird 2 and three star ratings, but that goes with the territory.

On launch day, Kindle reduced my price to $2.99. I didn't see that coming. I felt like an idiot having marketed and sold books for $3.99 when the price was reduced on release day. I did 14 sales. Fairly unimpressive IMO.

Overnight, I have somehow managed 10 more sales. That's a good start to the day.

My goal is to maintain and improve upon sales as I move through the new release 30 day window. I will use twitter cards.

I now plan to reley upon Kindle's marketing arm to do the big lifting to generate sales. I have a hard time paying for ads when I feel it's Amazon's turn now to earn it's royalty share. Amazon could do far more than I ever could do in marketing this book. They could make it an overnight best-seller if they want to do that.

I'm going to boost my book with the prequel in my series going free in the next few weeks. I will pay that money because the payoff could be huge. But that's about it.

The folks at Kindle Scout have been very responsive, resourceful and professional.

This is what they have planned for _Killdeer_ in the coming weeks:

Advertising on the Amazon.com website:
· Advertisements featuring your book alongside other similar titles, themed by genre, displayed on relevant category pages in our Books and Kindle Books stores.
· Inclusion in automated advertising: "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought," "Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed," "Frequently Bought Together," etc.
· Featured in Amazon's "New and Noteworthy" listing of books.

Advertising on Kindle devices:
· Advertisements featuring your book alongside titles in the same genre or category. 
· Inclusion in automated advertising: "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought"

Custom email advertisements:
· Email advertisements featuring sent to previous purchasers of your books as well as readers within the genre. Emails will send for 6-8 weeks as new readers/purchasers become eligible.

Grab a copy of_ Killdeer_ if you haven't already to support the cause. Hey, It's only $2.99. 

https://www.amazon.com/KILLDEER-CONNECTION-Lawyer-David-Thompson-ebook/dp/B071NLZBJD/


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## Decon (Feb 16, 2011)

I wish that I'd read this thread before submitting mine to kindle scout (The first one in my signature). From what I can see, Kindle scouters in the main gravitate to nominate the books due to end their campaign rather than nominate a newish book for the duration. That way they get a better chance of getting free eBooks as they can nominate many books during a 30 day period. 

It took me 7 days to realize that with 98% internal traffic of 400 page landings per day for 7 days and that they are just looking at the new ones, having already nominated their 3 books. I then went with 2 promo sites with specific kindle scout promos. I've also learned the power of twitter and followers re-tweeting. I think I've had 14 re-tweets so far with around a combined following of say 400,000+, although only a small percentage will respond. That  makes twitter quite impressive as a marketing tool. I've now gone 3 days in Hot and trending, but it's maybe too late in the day at a third  of the way through to create an impression for the editors to explore further.

I know it doesn't depend on how long you are in H&T, but it is a factor. Long and short is, I wasn't prepared, other than I knew I had a good book from having it in full on Wattpad for 2 months, edited and Beta read, with it hot and trending in the top 50 thrillers on there.

The only way I am prepared is that I have it formatted as an eBook and as a print book ready to go as soon as I get a "No thanks"

What I'm trying to do is to get a better handle on the letter they send out during the last seventeen days of my campaign as I'll need to change mine that I sent them.

If I've got this right, they send out a letter saying you have not been successful and they include your wording to say it will be available anyway. Is there a second letter they will send to those who nominate you if you advise them of the publication date, because I've just had one of those from a book I nominated?

Okay, that's me done, off to read this thread from start to finish.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Decon said:


> I wish that I'd read this thread before submitting mine to kindle scout (The first one in my signature). From what I can see, Kindle scouters in the main gravitate to nominate the books due to end their campaign rather than nominate a newish book for the duration. That way they get a better chance of getting free eBooks as they can nominate many books during a 30 day period.
> 
> It took me 7 days to realize that with 98% internal traffic of 400 page landings per day for 7 days and that they are just looking at the new ones, having already nominated their 3 books. I then went with 2 promo sites with specific kindle scout promos. I've also learned the power of twitter and followers re-tweeting. I think I've had 14 re-tweets so far with around a combined following of say 400,000+, although only a small percentage will respond. That makes twitter quite impressive as a marketing tool. I've now gone 3 days in Hot and trending, but it's maybe too late in the day at a third of the way through to create an impression for the editors to explore further.
> 
> ...


Hi Decon,

Welcome to the secret thread. Shhhhhhhhh.

There's an alternative viewpoint here,

Yeah, there are two letters.

You need to alter the first.

You can't alter the second.

Here's the second:

"Dear Tom Swyers,

We're writing to let you know that the author of your Kindle Scout nomination, Nick of Time, has notified us that it is now available for purchase on Amazon.

View book on Amazon

Thank you for being a Kindle Scout! 
Regards,
The Kindle Scout Team"

The problem with the second is that it saus it's "available for purchase." Well, what happens if you want to give it away? The letter doesn't address it. So you try and capture your readers with the first letter and a link to an email sign up.

Read the thread as you'll learn some things from my experience.

All the Best,

Tom


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## Decon (Feb 16, 2011)

Tom Swyers said:


> Hi Decon,
> 
> Welcome to the secret thread. Shhhhhhhhh.
> 
> ...


Really appreciate your respnse. I know what's needed now.


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## margiebk (Jul 26, 2017)

Tom Swyers said:


> Update:
> 
> Almost four months to the day after selection and four editors later, the book finally was released yesterday...
> 
> ...


Hi Tom,

Thanks for sharing all this information and congratulations on your book launch. I have a few questions for you if you have time to answer.

Four months seems longer than what Amazon describes on the site (I thought they said a month or two from selection to launch). Do you know if that's the amount of time to be expected these days?

And four editors is surprising, as other stuff I've read seemed to indicate one copy edit at best. Is this the normal process for Amazon now? I was already wondering if at least there would be a proofread after the copy edit, which is particularly necessary if a lot of changes come out of the copy edit. At any rate, if my book is selected, I'll be happy if 4 editors go through it, as I want it to be the best it can be before going out to the world.

When did the people who nominated your book on Scout get their e-books? Was it as soon as pre-orders started (a month before launch)? Hopefully some early reviews came in from the Scouters.

Too bad that Amazon doesn't give you notice of price changes coming up. But it's great to hear that they're responsive, resourceful, and professional.

All that advertising sounds great. Best of luck moving forward. I'll check out your book soon.

Best,
Margie


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Decon said:


> Really appreciate your respnse. I know what's needed now.


Hi Decon,

I mean't to say:

"You can't alter the second."

Sorry!

Tom


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

margiebk said:


> Hi Tom,
> 
> Thanks for sharing all this information and congratulations on your book launch. I have a few questions for you if you have time to answer.
> 
> ...


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## margiebk (Jul 26, 2017)

Thanks for all the answers!

Your book looked intriguing so I bought it. Looking forward to reading it!


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## Used To Be BH (Sep 29, 2016)

Tom Swyers said:


> On launch day, Kindle reduced my price to $2.99. I didn't see that coming. I felt like an idiot having marketed and sold books for $3.99 when the price was reduced on release day. I did 14 sales. Fairly unimpressive IMO.
> 
> Overnight, I have somehow managed 10 more sales. That's a good start to the day.
> 
> ...


Is it just me, or is it counter-intuitive to lower the price right after preorder? Every author I know who shifts the price raises it after preorder, or perhaps a short time after release. What's Amazon's reasoning behind doing the opposite?

How much of what Amazon has planned for the book is scheduled for the first 90 days? I ask because some selected authors have noted that in their cases let that 90-day heightened visibility pass and then started advertising--again, counter-intuitive.

Do you know if the four editor thing is standard now? I can see pros and cons to that, but it is nice Amazon is willing to invest that much editing time in the title.


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

margiebk said:


> Thanks for all the answers!
> 
> Your book looked intriguing so I bought it. Looking forward to reading it!


Thank you so much!


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## Tom Swyers (Jun 17, 2015)

Bill Hiatt said:


> Is it just me, or is it counter-intuitive to lower the price right after preorder? Every author I know who shifts the price raises it after preorder, or perhaps a short time after release. What's Amazon's reasoning behind doing the opposite?
> 
> I'm going to guess it's to sell more units, to get more readers, by making it more competitively priced. Right now my reviews are much better than most of the of higher priced books in my genre.
> 
> ...


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