There is something invigorating about starting a new year, and in this case a new decade. It's an opportunity to re-calibrate and start fresh. It gives us a chance to set new goals, toss out unproductive habits and dream new dreams.
For me, 2020 began with a long-hoped-for surprise. Here's part of the back story to the surprise:
When my novel The Soldier Who Killed a King was released in July of 2017, I was urged to get as
"Magical things happen when you hit 50!" I was told. "The Amazon algorithms start working in your favour when you hit 50."
Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get Amazon.com reviews? Especially when you live in Canada? This is tough slogging. If you ask twenty people to post a short review, you may get one person who actually follows through. Also, Amazon.ca reviews do not appear on Amazon.com. The two sites operate independently.
Needless to say I didn't get my 50 reviews by New Year, 2018, or New Year, 2019 for that matter. But the numbers were creeping higher. By July 2019 I was at 49. Every week or two I would check if there was a change. Nothing moved. I was frozen at 49.
When 2020 dawned, I finally hit 50 reviews on Amazon.com. So did the magic kick in at 50? It took a few days, but it did kick in. About a week later, my review count shot up from 50 to 59 on Amazon.com, and from 36 to 46 on Amazon.ca.
So am I still looking for book reviews? Absolutely. It's a new year and a new decade. It's time for some new dreams. How about a bestseller in 2020?
In the new online book selling model the real power belongs to the reviewers. That reviewer could be you.
What about your goals and dreams for 2020? Do you have some? Feel free to share in the comments below.
David Kitz is the chair of The Word Guild
Visit his website at https://davidkitz.ca/
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3 comments:
This blog encouraged me, David. I have sold lots of copies of Touched By Eternity and I'm in my third print run but I only have a handful of reviews. Part of that is because the buyers do not qualify as per Amazon's criteria.
You are so right about that 1/20 ratio. However, I reached out to a couple of people and I already have a new review today. Thank you for sharing your journey, and may you receive above what you ask or think.
Thanks, Susan.
I admire you, David, for your commitment and plain doggedness in investing so much into your writing craft and ministry. It seems that your diligence is surely proving fruitful in the long haul. And, I think that Susan's comments reflect that also, in her case. ~~+~~
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