Features | Self-Publishing Review

Mythbusting The Amazon Algorithm Part II: Amazon Lists, Products, and Sales

There has been a fair outrage from certain authors and bloggers who claim that my last piece about the Amazon Algorithm did not consider the way lists (often referred to by the author community as “poplists” although this is not an Amazon term) work. There has also been some whispering about BookBub’s sales being left out of Amazon results, and a high misunderstanding perpetuated by crowd mentality and myth online.

I called myself a “search expert” in the last post. Clarification: my entire adult working life has been spent in publishing, marketing, and search for multinational banks, automobiles, telecommunications […]

Cate Baum2019-12-16T08:35:48+02:00May 7th, 2016|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Mythbusting Amazon For Authors|

Mythbusting The Amazon Algorithm – Reviews and Ranking For Authors

How to get the best out of your reviews and sales to rank high on Amazon without the myths from former search expert and COO of SPR, Cate Baum.

Despite many educated guesses that seem to have passed into urban legend in self-publishing communities online, there are no secrets to the Amazon ranking system.

I have spent the last few months tracking down programmers, algorithm experts, and reading technical documentation about Amazon’s algorithm, and the documentation that is provided online by Amazon at Amazon Seller Central and KDP. What I didn’t do was talk to any authors or bloggers, because […]

Cate Baum2019-12-16T08:36:06+02:00April 30th, 2016|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon Algorithm Tips for Authors, Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Mythbusting Amazon For Authors|

Print Books Welcome! SPR Now Accepting Hardcopies For Review!

real books Here at SPR we have decided we will now accept print books for our Review Packages. You can submit here.

There’s been a resurgence in print book purchasing recently. Last September The New York Times reported that print was making a comeback due to strong negotiating between publishers and bookstores.

“As publishers renegotiated new terms with Amazon in the past year and demanded the ability to set their own e-book prices, many have started charging more. With little difference in price between a $13 e-book and a paperback, some consumers may be opting for the print version.”

Although e-books are […]

Cate Baum2016-05-02T10:35:25+02:00April 30th, 2016|Categories: Features, News|Tags: Book Reviews|

Writing Characters: How To Use a “Hinterland” To Develop Backstory (With Free Resources)

You may have heard of the word “hinterland” to suggest something mysterious or hidden. In German, it literally means “land behind.” However, many writing schools teach potential novelists to use a “hinterland” to develop characters off the page before writing the words that will end up in your book.

Using a hinterland will give readers the sense they have just stepped into your novel at a point in time before the events unfold. It enriches your characters in terms of speech, foibles, and reactions because you the writer are in possession of these facts.

However, not everything you write down […]

Cate Baum2018-05-31T12:30:44+02:00April 29th, 2016|Categories: Features, Resources|

Amazon KDP Pre-Orders – Worth It Or Not?

Often authors ask, “Is it worth it for me to stick my book on pre-order?” Here’s why it’s worth it, and not worth it, depending on where you are with your book, your series, and your goals for ranking and sales on Launch Day.

What’s KDP Pre-Order?

Amazon gives authors the opportunity to put their book on pre-order when they upload their title details. “You can make your new books available for pre-order in Kindle Stores worldwide. Setting a pre-order allows customers to order your book as early as 90 days before your book’s release date.* When you make your […]

Cate Baum2020-02-21T04:32:45+02:00April 24th, 2016|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles|

Six Ways You Are Ruining Your Book Marketing Campaign

There’s a great deal of information out there to be sifted through to market your book well – but there’s also a lot you could be taking on board that could do your book more damage than good. Cate Baum busts some of the myths of indie book marketing and what you should do instead.

1. You are joining author groups to share your book, hoping for sales

If you join an author group on Facebook or Linkedin expecting to gain sales by posting your book release news, you’re looking in the wrong place. You will see these groups are […]

Cate Baum2019-02-03T09:01:12+02:00March 21st, 2016|Categories: Features|Tags: Book Marketing Advice and Tips, Book Promotion Articles|

There’s No Such Thing as Vanity Publishing

SPR founder Henry Baum on reclaiming the dirty words “vanity publishing” as an indie author in the post-selfie-stick generation.

In my interview on Jane Friedman’s site, Chris Jane asks about SPR’s publishing imprint, Kwill Books:

Are authors likely to recoup the cost of the contract… or is earning money secondary to simply getting attention? Really what I’m asking is, if not money, do they get attention even possibly from agents that could lead to a contract and eventual income? Or is it, in the end, ultimately vanity?

Here’s my answer, in part:

For some reason, this is

[…]

Henry Baum2019-02-28T09:44:39+02:00March 9th, 2016|Categories: Features|

How To Fix Your Ingram Spark PDF – With Free PDF Fix Download

For many reasons, some authors decide to forgo the most popular path of publishing with Amazon’s Createspace and use the popular service at Ingram Spark/Lightning Source. However, guidelines given do not fully prepare an author for troubleshooting, and state that each time an author has to re-upload the file because it’s not correct, they will be charged $25. So it’s really important to get this right first time.