The Best Way to Support Independent Authors on Amazon
I handed Mom my newest book.
“Why are you giving me this?”
“So you don’t buy one.”
“I want to support you.”
“And I appreciate that, but I didn’t make four books so my Mom will buy them.”
“Every sale helps! People will see that other people are buying your books.”
I’ll spare you the rest of the conversation, but the long and short of it is that I’d never considered that people might not know how Amazon works. My Mom bought multiple copies of my books, thinking that strangers would see the book selling and that would encourage them to buy it as well.
While I appreciate my mother’s support, that is not how Amazon works.
Let me start from the beginning.
I am a self-published author through Amazon. My books can only be purchased through Amazon or myself. Using Amazon has allowed me to live out my dream of publishing my own books.
The downside of being a self-published author is that all of the promotion for my books falls on my shoulders. In order for my books to gain more visibility on Amazon, I need reviews.
Whenever you purchase a product on Amazon (technically I don’t think you have to purchase it), you can leave a star rating and a written review. The books that have many reviews and star ratings are pushed up in Amazon’s algorithm. Additionally, positive reviews encourage people to buy the product.
I appreciate every single person that bought my book. Thank you.
That said, the best way to support my work is to leave a star rating and review on Amazon. You don’t have to, but I would appreciate it.
Earning My Ears: My Adventures in the Disney College Program - a comedy and a tragedy. My memoir of my time working for Walt Disney World.
Lies We Tell Ourselves - an anthology of my short stories.
RAW: The Street Photography of Buck Santino - a photozine of my street photography.
Les Mauvais Temps: The City of New Orleans - a documentation of the eerily empty streets of the French Quarter during the lockdowns of 2020.
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