Blogs by Neil D Ostroff on AuthorsDen.com

AuthorsDen.com Join | Login

Where Authors and Readers come together!

SIGNED BOOKS AUTHORS BOOKS SAMPLE CHAPTERS AUDIOBOOKS eBOOKS STORIES ARTICLES POETRY BLOGS NEWS VIDEOS SUCCESS TESTIMONIALS

Featured Authors: Darryl Jenkins, iJohn Henning, iMary Lynn Plaisance, iLloydene Hill, iErin Kelly-Moen, iKarin Adams, iAntoinette Kopperfield, iWilliam Martell, iPamela Wiedenbeck, iJudy Joy Jones, i

Home > Blogs

Popular: Books, Stories, Articles, Poetry Authors: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Neil D Ostroff

Follow Me

· Contact Me
· Success story
· Books
· Articles
· Poetry
· News
· Stories
· Blog

· 185 Titles
· 84 Reviews
· Share with Friends!
· Member Since: Mar, 2011

Neil D Ostroff, click here to update your pages on AuthorsDen.

Blogs by Neil D Ostroff

Everyone loves results!
2/2/2015 9:47:31 AM

It’s Monday morning and my weekend promotional blitz is winding down though I am still selling books. I must say the results of my blitz were quite surprising. Four years ago, when I first started indie publishing my large catalog of titles, I spent a small fortune on advertising on reader-friendly sites like KND and Kindleboards. They were considered the biggies and prices and competition were high.

I never got a return on my investment. Yes, I did sell a lot of books, and I did get exposure, but that huge financial windfall of going viral never materialized. Times have changed. In the year since I last placed a paid advertisement on a book website, the popularity of book websites has grown tremendously. In fact, the whole dynamic of the marketplace is different.

I now believe Amazon is so flooded with books that it is impossible to get noticed by its own internal algorithms. I believe reader’s want help and suggestions in deciding what book to devour next and smart web site owners have come up with solutions. These new sites allow reader’s to pick and choose what they see using their own likes and dislikes. Some of these sites have huge subscriber lists and these subscribers buy the books emailed to them. Think about it. You’ve got 5,000,000 ebooks to choose from on Amazon or you open your email to the books you’ve specifically shown an interest in.

This said, I will continue to purchase more promotions as I prepare another huge blitz at the end of this month. I did sell books with this last one, and I did get a return on investment, not much, but what’s important is the exposure. I’m not going to say which sites sold the most books for me (don’t want a good thing to get out and have them raise their prices) but I will give a few pointers on how to pick them.

1. Of course, the biggies like Bookbub are going to cost a fortune, they are also extremely competitive and sell books. Aim for a lot of smaller sites with cheap rates for wide exposure.
2. Always check the Alexa ranking. I found a site with a worldwide ranking of under 25,000 offering ads that cost less than $25. Most sites under 100,000 should charge no more than $50 for anything.
3. Try to space each individual ad one day a part. A string of ads will not only show you what worked but also sales over time rather than all at once will raise your rank on the Amazon algorithm.
4. Once the promotion goes live you will be emailed links and share buttons. Use them. Tell everyone you know you’re being featured on a site. Get the buzz going.

So, that’s about it. I spent about $150 total on thirteen different spots for different books. I sold a combined .500 books in a three day period and residual sales are still floating in. Don’t just let your books sit on the Amazon virtual shelf gathering virtual dust, get noticed!

To learn more about my books and myself, please check out my blog: ALWAYS WRITING.

http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Post a Comment

More Blogs by Neil D Ostroff
• Beginning and end of everything! - Thursday, April 16, 2015
• Distractions - Friday, April 3, 2015
• Time is flying! - Tuesday, March 17, 2015
• Writing and writing - Tuesday, February 24, 2015
• On Sale Now! - Thursday, February 12, 2015
• Everyone loves results! - Monday, February 2, 2015
• Blitz day two! - Wednesday, January 28, 2015
• Blitz starts today! - Tuesday, January 27, 2015
• To pay or not? - Monday, January 26, 2015
• What is God? - Sunday, January 18, 2015
• To my friends. - Monday, December 29, 2014
• Birth of a Book - Monday, December 15, 2014
• The Final Read - Tuesday, December 2, 2014
• State of Writing Today! - Sunday, November 23, 2014
• Winter Reads! - Thursday, November 20, 2014
• Hmmm… who is this Ostross she speaks of? - Sunday, November 16, 2014
• Emotion, emotion! - Wednesday, November 12, 2014
• Retrospective - Thursday, November 6, 2014
• Great review!! - Friday, October 24, 2014
• Results!! - Monday, October 20, 2014
• Promotion!! - Thursday, October 16, 2014
• Winter writing - Monday, October 6, 2014
• Author’s Legacy - Monday, September 29, 2014
• I just want to write! - Thursday, September 25, 2014
• Always Writing! - Wednesday, September 17, 2014
• More exposure and gaining momentum - Thursday, September 11, 2014
• Book of the week! Yeah! - Monday, September 8, 2014
• Great reviews! - Wednesday, August 27, 2014
• Last Chance! - Sunday, August 24, 2014
• Interesting Week! - Thursday, August 21, 2014
• FREE TODAY!! - Tuesday, August 12, 2014
• Cheap promo - Wednesday, August 6, 2014
• Getting it done! - Tuesday, August 5, 2014
• Define Novel Length - Monday, July 28, 2014
• Big Feature Today! - Wednesday, July 16, 2014
• Being a writer - Tuesday, July 15, 2014
• Stand out! - Thursday, July 10, 2014
• The marketing secret! - Monday, July 7, 2014
• Five Books! - Thursday, July 3, 2014
• Origins of a novel - Monday, June 30, 2014
• Reviews are personal - Monday, June 23, 2014
• The future! - Thursday, June 19, 2014
• Still up there in rank - Thursday, June 12, 2014
• HAPPY! - Tuesday, June 10, 2014
• Good things come… - Monday, June 9, 2014
• Very Excited! - Monday, June 2, 2014
• Reviews for sale! - Wednesday, May 28, 2014
• Writing withdrawal - Thursday, May 22, 2014
• More marketing advice - Wednesday, May 14, 2014
• Is marketing worth it? - Wednesday, May 7, 2014
• What a great day! - Thursday, May 1, 2014
• Birthing - Thursday, April 24, 2014
• Never pay for a review - Friday, April 18, 2014
• Does blogging sell books? - Tuesday, April 15, 2014
• Creating characters from scratch - Friday, April 11, 2014
• Book 13 complete! - Monday, March 31, 2014
• The miracle way to sell more books - Wednesday, March 26, 2014
• Looking for feedback - Friday, March 14, 2014
• Getting on the bestseller list - Saturday, March 8, 2014
• Websites all writers should be on. - Wednesday, February 26, 2014
• Great book selling results! - Sunday, February 23, 2014
• Hitting the best seller list - Friday, February 21, 2014
• Don’t make these mistakes. - Thursday, February 20, 2014
• Little surprises! - Monday, February 10, 2014
• Bearing the writing soul - Monday, February 3, 2014
• Kickstarter - Friday, January 31, 2014
• A thousand thank you’s - Thursday, January 30, 2014
• My KDP story - Wednesday, January 29, 2014
• Will people still read? - Monday, January 13, 2014
• Write and get rich! - Thursday, January 2, 2014
• The new informed writer - Sunday, December 29, 2013
• Thank You, Anne Rice! - Monday, December 23, 2013
• No longer indie - Thursday, December 19, 2013
• The results part #3 - Tuesday, December 10, 2013
• The High’s - Wednesday, December 4, 2013
• Just proud, that’s all. - Tuesday, November 26, 2013
• It will affect you! - Monday, November 25, 2013
• What may work part # 2 - Saturday, November 23, 2013
• What may or may not work - Wednesday, November 20, 2013
• Weather and writing - Tuesday, November 12, 2013
• The end time - Friday, November 8, 2013
• Does blogging sell books? - Wednesday, November 6, 2013
• Top selling author - Friday, October 25, 2013
• Hitting Ereader News Today - Wednesday, October 23, 2013
• Exciting news! - Monday, October 21, 2013
• I don’t want to be famous… anymore - Thursday, October 17, 2013
• An author’s path - Monday, October 14, 2013
• A letter to all indie writers and readers - Monday, October 7, 2013
• Why I will never pay for a review - Wednesday, October 2, 2013
• My nineteenth five-star review - Monday, September 30, 2013
• The new future - Thursday, September 26, 2013
• Knowing your death - Wednesday, September 25, 2013
• Every day can be exciting - Thursday, September 19, 2013
• Deep Thoughts - Monday, September 16, 2013
• Please read! - Thursday, September 12, 2013
• Enjoying life! - Wednesday, September 11, 2013
• Twelve years later! - Tuesday, September 10, 2013
• Reviews speak for themselves - Tuesday, September 3, 2013
• Freddie - Monday, August 26, 2013
• Understanding it all - Thursday, August 22, 2013
• Yes, marketing works! - Wednesday, August 21, 2013
• Wow! - Tuesday, August 20, 2013
• Even more powerful read - Sunday, August 18, 2013
• To be or not to be… a writer - Tuesday, August 13, 2013
• Making it happen - Friday, August 9, 2013
• Making it! - Thursday, August 8, 2013
• To catch a book - Sunday, August 4, 2013
• My own reward - Saturday, August 3, 2013
• Never compromise or give up! - Thursday, August 1, 2013
• Keep selling books! - Wednesday, July 31, 2013
• Affecting readers! - Tuesday, July 30, 2013
• Best book promotion ever! - Friday, July 26, 2013
• Buy it now! - Wednesday, July 24, 2013
• On sale now!! - Tuesday, July 23, 2013
• Selling books and getting noticed! - Monday, July 22, 2013
• You will be touched - Sunday, July 21, 2013
• Beat the heat! - Friday, July 19, 2013
• Great new review! - Thursday, July 18, 2013
• The big time… maybe? - Wednesday, July 17, 2013
• Wow, an agent! - Monday, July 15, 2013
• 10 – 5 star reviews! - Friday, July 12, 2013
• No normal morning - Wednesday, July 10, 2013
• Seize the day! - Monday, July 8, 2013
• Greatest reward - Tuesday, July 2, 2013
• Will the author go extinct? - Sunday, June 30, 2013
• No promises - Wednesday, June 26, 2013
• Crazed serial killer - Monday, June 24, 2013
• The magic of imagination - Sunday, June 23, 2013
• Summer read! - Thursday, June 20, 2013
• Writer’s zone - Wednesday, June 19, 2013
• Writers are transport machines - Monday, June 17, 2013
• Why even write? - Thursday, June 13, 2013
• Why even write? - Thursday, June 13, 2013
• Strange writer! - Tuesday, June 11, 2013
• You will be touched - Monday, June 10, 2013
• Give me patience! - Friday, June 7, 2013
• Fame and Riches - Thursday, June 6, 2013
• Not all glory and riches - Wednesday, June 5, 2013
• A writer’s warning! - Monday, June 3, 2013
• Drop Out - Friday, May 31, 2013
• Writing can be easy - Thursday, May 30, 2013
• What would really happen if you hit it big as a writer? - Wednesday, May 29, 2013
• You never know - Tuesday, May 28, 2013
• Thank you - Friday, May 24, 2013
• Sacrifices - Thursday, May 23, 2013
• Change your outlook - Tuesday, May 21, 2013
• A writer’s calling - Monday, May 13, 2013
• Fooled! Beware! - Thursday, May 9, 2013
• Define success - Monday, April 29, 2013
• Okay results - Wednesday, April 24, 2013
• Writing is easy - Sunday, April 21, 2013
• DEGENERATES - Friday, April 19, 2013
• To not write - Wednesday, April 17, 2013
• 20 books an hour! - Friday, April 5, 2013
• Book Gorilla is working - Thursday, April 4, 2013
• Promotions - Monday, April 1, 2013
• Sleep well manuscript - Sunday, March 24, 2013
• Writing a novel - Friday, March 22, 2013
• Taking pause - Thursday, March 21, 2013
• The virtual bookshelf - Friday, March 8, 2013
• Worse feeling ever! - Monday, March 4, 2013
• This will help you - Thursday, February 28, 2013
• Get read! - Thursday, February 28, 2013
• Best interview ever! - Friday, February 22, 2013
• Millions will see this! - Tuesday, February 19, 2013
• So fun to read! - Monday, February 18, 2013
• So exciting! - Friday, February 15, 2013
• Become a classic - Wednesday, February 13, 2013
• To all indie authors - Tuesday, February 12, 2013
• This sponsorship worked! - Thursday, February 7, 2013
• Awesome! - Tuesday, February 5, 2013
• So, you married a writer? - Sunday, February 3, 2013
• Calling all authors! - Friday, February 1, 2013
• Back to writing - Tuesday, January 29, 2013
• Take a mind trip - Monday, January 28, 2013
• Keeping up with the world - Friday, January 25, 2013
• Novels may die - Sunday, January 20, 2013
• What if? - Wednesday, January 16, 2013
• What makes a writer better? - Sunday, January 13, 2013
• Just a reminder - Wednesday, January 9, 2013
• How to sell books! - Tuesday, January 8, 2013
• Magical idea drawer - Saturday, January 5, 2013
• A writer’s year - Wednesday, January 2, 2013
• This is it! Last day! - Sunday, December 30, 2012
• FREE!!! - Saturday, December 29, 2012
• Scatter-funk! - Friday, December 28, 2012
• What’s in your imagination? - Friday, December 28, 2012
• Taking the leap - Sunday, December 23, 2012
• A week not writing - Thursday, December 20, 2012
• Quick promotion! - Tuesday, December 18, 2012
• Feeling disconnected - Sunday, December 16, 2012
• Promotion is always good! - Thursday, December 13, 2012
• Sponsorship again! - Monday, December 10, 2012
• Results! - Sunday, December 9, 2012
• Book of the day! - Saturday, December 8, 2012
• The ‘ah ha’ moment! - Thursday, December 6, 2012
• Sponsorship success! - Sunday, December 2, 2012
• Please check it out! - Saturday, December 1, 2012
• It's working! - Saturday, December 1, 2012
• Awesome promotion! - Friday, November 30, 2012
• Absolute fun! - Wednesday, November 28, 2012
• Pricing - Saturday, November 24, 2012
• Black Friday - Friday, November 23, 2012
• Holidays are coming! - Monday, November 19, 2012
• In a year - Saturday, November 17, 2012
• Changing the description - Wednesday, November 14, 2012
• Superstorm - Tuesday, November 13, 2012
• Beware of new novel! - Saturday, November 10, 2012
• Books can save you - Friday, November 9, 2012
• How to blog - Tuesday, October 23, 2012
• Patience, oh man. - Sunday, October 21, 2012
• Achieving what? - Wednesday, October 17, 2012
• Who to become? - Tuesday, October 16, 2012
• Long Night - Thursday, October 11, 2012
• Money to make money - Thursday, October 4, 2012
• Wow, two-hundred! - Tuesday, October 2, 2012
• It’s hard - Friday, September 28, 2012
• Goodbye paperbacks - Wednesday, September 26, 2012
• Writing the end - Monday, September 24, 2012
• Ebooks are forever - Wednesday, September 19, 2012
• Edge of glory - Monday, September 17, 2012
• Good books - Friday, September 14, 2012
• Humbling book review - Wednesday, September 12, 2012
• Winter book writing - Monday, September 10, 2012
• Books and books - Friday, September 7, 2012
• Writer’s impressing - Wednesday, September 5, 2012
• rainy day read - Monday, September 3, 2012
• As real as it gets - Thursday, August 30, 2012
• A real writer? - Monday, August 27, 2012
• creepiest serial killers - Sunday, August 26, 2012
• The secret - Friday, August 24, 2012
• When to give up? - Monday, August 20, 2012
• 1000 sales! - Sunday, August 19, 2012
• Making a living - Friday, August 17, 2012
• Records may break - Sunday, August 12, 2012
• Saying goodbye - Thursday, August 9, 2012
• Only until midnight! - Tuesday, August 7, 2012
• Last chance! - Monday, August 6, 2012
• Read this! - Sunday, August 5, 2012
• Enjoy! - Saturday, August 4, 2012
• Agent – yes or no? - Friday, August 3, 2012
• What next? - Wednesday, August 1, 2012
• Results! - Monday, July 30, 2012
• Like nail-biting suspense? - Saturday, July 28, 2012
• Promotion - Friday, July 27, 2012
• Sleepless night. - Thursday, July 26, 2012
• Dream Traveler - Wednesday, July 25, 2012
• Creepiest serial killer ever! - Tuesday, July 24, 2012
• Winning - Monday, July 23, 2012
• Author freedom - Sunday, July 22, 2012
• Get it free! - Friday, July 20, 2012
• We all die. But what happens after? - Thursday, July 19, 2012
• PULP - Tuesday, July 17, 2012
• FROSTPROOF - Tuesday, July 17, 2012
• Organizing the chapters - Monday, July 16, 2012
• Word-of-Mouth - Wednesday, July 11, 2012
• The future - Sunday, July 8, 2012
• Don’t get discouraged - Thursday, July 5, 2012
• Not so good - Monday, July 2, 2012
• How awesome! - Friday, June 29, 2012
• Can’t figure it out - Thursday, June 28, 2012
• Changing the world - Monday, June 25, 2012
• Experience the weird - Thursday, June 21, 2012
• Worst ever! - Monday, June 18, 2012
• Today's deal continued - Saturday, June 16, 2012
• Daily deal - Saturday, June 16, 2012
• Part strange - Wednesday, June 13, 2012
• Future is now - Sunday, June 10, 2012
• Becoming the character - Friday, June 8, 2012
• Sleepless nights ahead - Thursday, June 7, 2012
• Back then - Tuesday, June 5, 2012
• creepiest killer - Monday, June 4, 2012
• Big royalty check - Sunday, June 3, 2012
• 10,000 books! - Friday, June 1, 2012
• What works - Tuesday, May 29, 2012
• Today's promotion! - Monday, May 28, 2012
• Writing vs. Working vs. Reality - Sunday, May 27, 2012
• Anything can happen - Monday, May 21, 2012
• World's creepiest serial killer - Friday, May 18, 2012
• The chill is live! - Thursday, May 17, 2012
• Check this out!! - Saturday, May 12, 2012
• The zone - Friday, May 11, 2012
• Creating Characters - Sunday, May 6, 2012
• Fresh month - Wednesday, May 2, 2012
• Creepiest ever! - Saturday, April 28, 2012
• Praise from strangers - Thursday, April 26, 2012
• A sleeper hit - Monday, April 23, 2012
• Vacation realization - Friday, April 20, 2012
• Allow me to tease - Saturday, April 14, 2012
• Enjoying the moment - Thursday, April 12, 2012
• What will happen? - Tuesday, April 10, 2012
• Promo machine! - Monday, April 9, 2012
• High praise… I think - Thursday, April 5, 2012
• A sleeper hit!! - Thursday, April 5, 2012
• Powerful, powerful book! - Wednesday, April 4, 2012
• Interview info - Monday, April 2, 2012
• Get the adventure free! - Saturday, March 31, 2012
• Millions upon millions - Friday, March 30, 2012
• Ye Old Query - Tuesday, March 27, 2012
• How’d this happen? - Saturday, March 24, 2012