I enjoyed your cheerful video and also had thought of giving out some books. Well done. How did it go passing out your books, were you getting reviewed?
I started Amazon KDP back in December, and have only published 18 books under three different pen names. I was running ads on one of my kids colouring books from December until March and was only seeing about 30-40 sales per month, which was still a decent accomplishment, but I was spending so much more money on ads than I was making in return so was losing a lot of money. I decided to just stop running ads and lost hope in KDP (already!). But then when I randomly went back to KDP in early May just to check how things were going, I actually noticed I had a LOT more sales on that one colouring book!! Despite having stopped running ads, my book had become a best-seller and I sold 120+ copies in just May alone. My BSR is currently sitting at just over 16,200. Mind you, I do absolutely no promotion of this book whatsoever. I think after having run ads for a few months, Amazon had pushed my book out there enough that it has started selling on its own. It's now reignited my enthusiasm to create more books.
That is so amazing! And congratulations! Maybe I’ll go try some ads again in the next couple of weeks. Will you share the link to your coloring book so I can check it out?
I just started my KDP not even two weeks ago so I'm really new at this, but I'm not giving up until I figure this out. Your video has been the most honest, refreshing, inspiring video I've watched.....And trust me, the last few weeks I'VE WATCHED A LOT! LOL. I'm so excited about this and I can't wait to follow your story and thank you so so so much for making this channel and doing these videos, because I think for a lot of us, we really don't know who's legitimate in these videos or if they're just trying to make money doing affiliate marketing. I really appreciate you allowing us to watch your story and letting us know what has worked and what hasn't. I had no idea until tonight that there was something called Book Bolt! I can't believe how much time I've spent in Canva lol. Thank you and God bless!!
Thanks for your wisdom. Just starting my KDP journey. I appreciate your transparency and pray your business and channel grow 1000 fold. Looking forward to your upcoming videos. All the Best!
Amazon KDP is most definitely a long term venture. I've found that pumping out lots of lower quality books will result in hardly any sales and it's important to do research into competition and niches before hand. If you do that, you've got every chance of making really good money :)
Great video! I'm happy to see more and more people promoting KDP. It's literally the most beginner friendly business you can run from your computer. It's the business that has allowed me to live a life of financial freedom and help others do the same. Thanks for the video Renee :)
I have to admit i did create a journal...im working on a couple of more involved projects now, but i will say that I do use the journal to encourage people to write down ideas so they can make them a reality. The maze looks cool.
I posted 3 journals and 1 colouring book but hadn't made any sales ...this demotivates me everytime...but i come around sooner or later and again I'm going to start. I publish under the pen name colour valley ❤
Great question - and from my research, you are not able to change any part of a book once it's been uploaded. I tried to change the description on one of my books, and I was unable to find out how to do it.
But the Amazon rules say that it is forbidden to receive reviews from family and friends... reviews will be deleted, your account may be blocked. So what to do?
From my experience and research they are looking for reviews or purchases that come from the same IP address to avoid one household spamming the reviews. I can stop by dad or sister who live in another house from buying a book… nor would I. I published a novel 8 years ago on my same KDP account, and I can promise you that ONLY my family and friends bought it! 😂But it did not get flagged.
@@reneefclancy Excuse me, I was thinking about your answer and another question came up. By "come from the same IP address" do you mean that Amazon is looking to see if reviews were sent from the same IP address that the book was published from? Or is it simply looking to see if many reviews have been sent from one IP?
@@mariygv3371 Here is the note from Amazon: "Amazon's Community Guidelines prohibit users from creating, editing, or posting content about products or services offered by friends and relatives." I also found "A family member or employee of the seller posts a review of the seller's product or a competitor's product." But they don't explain how they know it's a family member. In the end, it will be up to you how you proceed. My two friends in another state bought my book and left a review, my sister did too. It's been on the platform for about 6 years now. You'll need to research more on your own and decide what works best for you.
Thanks for your insight! Much appreciated. I started KDP again in March. Right now, I have a coloring book but I am going to promote a little differently. I am planning to color my designs and grow a little following that way. I have had a blast doing some online classes, learning what colors work and how to use alcohol markers. Hopefully, it all goes well. Best wishes to you!❤❤❤
I hope you don't think this is odd - but I see you're from Roatan! I lived in La Ceiba for a year, and we visited Roatan when we could. Living in Honduras was an amazing experience.
I'm glad you post sean dolwett. He is super great on kdp low and medium content book. I also follow book launchers, mandi lynn, and m k williams. And of course now you. And i think one or two others i cant remember. I have a non fiction book I'm working on.... formatting and indexing now. But i have several CAD programs and corel draw pro and one specialized for just mandala. I want to do coloring books and other activity books simialr to highlights but for adults. But kids books are good too. And a variety of contnet in one book is good too. This is an excellent channel. Thanks for your content.
KDP blocks books in a few hours with only the statement that it can cause customer dissatisfaction (something like that) I had one book (word search) published but all others get blocked. Though the second word search book was made exactly the same way with a different niche using Book Bolt. What does it mean when they say it might cause customer dissatisfaction?
I’m sorry that happened! When I researched the phrase they are using about causing customer dissatisfaction, the KDP guidelines say it could be due to poor upload or formatting quality, but I agree, it’s so frustrating to not get a clear answer!
Great tips, thanks Renee. I'm a debut author trying to find a literary agent, but in the meantime I need to get some money in, lol. I'm going to try this, and yep, I admire Sean Followers tips too, he's a genius as far as I'm concerned. 😊
My only advice to navigating both an agent and self publishing is that most agents prefer manuscripts that have never been published, like on KDP. It's been a LONG time since I've looked for an agent, so maybe things have changed, but when I did look they all wanted to be the first to publish. Good luck on your journey!
If you change canva graphics enough then you can use them. I’ll be using Kittl from now on since you don’t have to edit the graphics to use them in a print product. Sometimes I purchase graphics for print product from Invito elements.
I have been very encouraged. Thank you so much. Since my book on Amazon was just published, i have no sales yet. I have gifted books out but never knew i could have them review my book on Amazon. Their rule is that anyone can review without purchasing a book as long as they are at least a $50 customer within the past year. My problem is i can't see a pop-up that says "Write A Review". Can you help me?
Thank you for this input. I've published book in 2016 and it appears the company is out of market, how do I get details of how my book have done so far after many years.
Hello, i have two books on kdp and one is a medium content (travel journal). There are almost two months but nothing yet. What can I do to have at least a few sellings?
Hi! From my research, a great strategy is to purchase some author copies, and then gift the copies to people and ask if they would be willing to write a review on Amazon. I just received my copies, and I'll be passing them out this week! I plan to add a QR code to the inside of the books so people can submit reviews easily. If this doesn't work to move my books to the top of the list, then I may try some ads - we'll see!
I'm a new subscriber and i must say im happy that I found you out.... I started publishing on Amazon back in 2021 but I've only over $90 but i believe I will get more sales
Amazon charged me for shipping for my author copy, so the price came out to almost as much as the book. Also, I've heard that Amazon carefully looks at reviews. If they notice that your reviews are coming from friends and family (not sure how they can tell, but I hear they are pretty sophisticated in figuring it out), they will not list them...I know someone who had their reviews section shut down. Also, something to be aware of: if you have friends and family buy your books....they are more than likely people who don't buy the genre you're selling....say they are usually buying books on gardening, sports, etc. If your buyers are people who wouldn't really buy your type book, it can mess with the algorithm which looks at who is buying your books and presents it to people with similar interests. Just some things I've learned along the way....thank you for the video.
Haven't had a problem so far - and I'm sure Amazon doesn't expect me to tell my dad NOT to buy my books! From my research and reading what authors recommend on the dashboard, as long as you don't require a review, you just ask, then that is fine. Also, let's talk scale - I'm talking a handful of people in this study, I'm sure if there were suddenly 100 reviews all from people with the same last name, that would raise red flags. But, that's not happening here.
I went ham on Amazon KTP last year and barely wasn’t smart about the ads. I have one book that’s like the little engine that could and I decided to go ahead and start running ads on it and maybe revive the business. I say have fun, but watch your numbers.
Great advice, thank you! Wondering though, if you give a book to someone to review, how are they able to leave a review on Amazon if they didn't buy it through Amazon?
I'm a fiction author but I also write some non-fiction and I dabbled at low and medium content books. When I started putting the low and medium content books in my library under a different author name, Amazon tried to pigeon hole all of my books into low and medium content. Is this a normal issue with them? Thanks
That’s a really great question! I think you should ask that in the member forms and let me know what they say. There are a lot of different types of writers and authors in those forums, might be a great place for you to get your answers
Great question - I use Amazon's icp code. When I wrote my novel ( a long time ago!) I created it through a separate company, but I hadn't expected to publish it on Amazon at that time. I haven't done enough research to know the benefits or disadvantages of either option - sorry!
Hi. First of all, thanks for the video. I have a question regarding the reviews. If you give tour friends the copys, can they write a review? Dont they need to buy it from amazon to review it?
This was brought up in the community member forum on KDP too. The authors there said it will just not have the 'verified purchase' next to your review. Hope that helps!
Another idea I had was to buy author copies and give them away to nursing homes. Hopefully visitors will see them too. My thought is that any place that has a waiting room. I'll probably buy a roll of stickers that will say "If you like this you can find more at: XXXXX" and paste them on the cover.
Hello again, Renee. Did you write the copy underneath this book that shows on Amazon? It starts with this: Embark on a prehistoric journey like no other with the Dinosaurs! Maze & Coloring Adventure Book. I'm asking because I'm literally about 2/3 weeks from being homeless, and this publishing thing Is the only thing I believe can save me. Hopefully, the people helping me with a place to stay will extend their generosity for a couple more months. Like you, I've binge-watched video after video, and Sean Dollwet, I've seen each one multiple times. It's so confusing. I will take the 3-day pass on Book Bolt until I can afford a subscription and do several interiors if it will let me. Hopefully, I can locate a video that will send me in the right direction of what to do next. Thank you for any and all help you can spare the time to give.
Great information, thank you! And YES, I love Sean Dolwit as well! Question: You suggested purchasing author copies to give away, and then ask for an honest review. I've been giving free books away for years, but never asked for a review because I thought that reviews needed to come from those who actually purchased the book. I'm assuming that what you're saying is that anyone can leave a review on Amazon even if they did not actually purchase it? Thanks in advance for the response! xx
Love the video A honest question: can people review your book without really buying it? (When you say to give as a gift the book to friends, so they can make a review) Thanks
Yes, what happens is the review is noted as a non-verified purchase. The people who have left reviews because I gifted them books, still shows their star rating and review though!
I learned about this in the writer's comment section on KDP - yes, someone can write a review if they are gifted a book, but it won't be considered 'verified purchase'. The authors in the forum said they do this often when they go to a book signing or gift copies for promotions. As long as you don't require a review for a free book, and you ask that if they want to they can, then it's okay
I have a question. I want start publishing ebooks on kdp . But i also want to do some planner on kdp . Should i just use the same account? Is it fine to do that ?
Two accounts will get you banned from KDP. I think you'll notice it's pretty easy to keep them organized within the same account. Good luck on your adventure!
@@annerockstar9851 Sure - I really think only my family and friends purchased copies! I didn't promote it at all - by the time I published it, I just wanted to be done and move on with my life! It's called Elemental Magic
There are lots of ways to market a book… start posting on social media about it, join forums, give free copies. You could have a book signing event at your local coffee shop! It’s okay if only your family and friends show up. It’s a lot of fun and is another opportunity to promote on social. Good luck!
Thats different. You have samples before publishing and author copies, author copies are after you publish book and you order them after you checked proof book.
I definitely think so. For example, I made a couple of mandala coloring books before I did some research about them. I learned after looking at the data that there are so many of these, it is now best to be more focused on a specific theme, such as mandala animals, or mandala circles, etc. And, I never would have though to make a cocktail recipe book, but when I saw the data that there were not many being made, but lots of people purchasing them, I went ahead and made a few. Hope that helps!
I wrote and self-published a book in 2012 which was a 10 year account of my e-commerce journey. 230 pages, 70 images, 66k words. Apart from faffing about selecting a title and domain name I didn't do any research. Wrote from the heart and put my direct email in the book. I lost count in 2015 at 25k copies sold at average £3.50 profit per book over both formats. It sells only a few copies a month now being 12 years old. Reviews topped 200 in both US and UK. Obviously non-fiction but no research apart from using my gut.
Yes research matters...it depends on the quality of the book you are uploading to sell ..y its unique...it's like u setup a store , keywords what makes your products unique, Ur searches try uploading it in a market where the search results is less than 1000, Chances of Ur book coming up increases, then see what u r good at , aim at branding and niching down....u will get untapped niches ...
I enjoyed your video, only other channel I watch is Sean. Seems everyone has a new 'Make 40k/mo using this one simple trick' bullshit. Exhausting. Sean taught me to make a coloring book lol. Now I have 7 with two more coming, probably more AND I just finished my first short story, trying to challenge myself a bit. I haven't had any organic sales yet but some friends have bought up a few of my coloring books. I am updating covers slowly as we speak, always finding things I can improve on. Thank you for putting out useful information, I subscribed!
So the friends who review your books do not need to have purchased the book on their Amazon account? Amazon is OK with random people reviewing it who don't have proof of purchase? That's true that's great I didn't realize it
Hello Renee! New subscriber here. How do you ask friends for review? Do you give them a link yo your book? QR code? I’m interested to learn KDP with you.
Pretty sure if you give books away to family and friends and ask for a review, it does not work as they actually need to purchase that particular book through Amazon KDP, I could be wrong but have done the same and asked a friend to do just that. Didn't work.
When they leave a review, it's just not labeled as a 'verified purchase'. As I've done this, some leave reviews, and some don't - I don't push them, because I don't want them to think it's 'required'. But it's been a good way to jump start my books!
Sadly, I've got two novels in process ... that's not low or medium content And I really want to publish stories, not the cool kind of thing you're doing. Sounds like you're headed in the right direction for your products.
unfortunately my success doesn't long in kdp one blocked book ruin the whole kdp career my kdp account terminate and no royalties I am not happy and depressed with kdp amazon 😢
Definitely agree you need to be careful with this one - but the numbers are so small, I'll risk it. And it makes me so happy that my family supports all my crazy adventures! Thanks!
There's a big difference. Your suggestion is unethical. My suggestion is the same as any business owner saying to a customer "Please leave us a review."
@@reneefclancy But an owner of a business doesn't ask anyone to provide reviews in advance. Asking people to leave good reviews for your book without having read your book first is no different than you writing your own reviews.
@@gianthills I never said you ask for a GOOD review - you just say "I'd love it if you could leave a review!" Have you gone a restaurant, and there's a sign by the register that says "leave a Google review"? It's the same thing. People can do it if they WANT to, AFTER experiencing the product, it can be positive or negative, it's up to them.
BS.. all the mazes can be done in Canva as well.. and the little dinosaurs in your book actually look like the ones in Midjourney.. and once again.. Canva does it better.. so.. basically this video is for you to sell the BookBolt membership..
You're welcome to use any platform you like - But after all of the videos I've watched where someone gets a copyright strike from using Canva elements, it's a personal decision I made to use Bookbolt. And I actually do use it for all of my books - why wouldn't I promote it if I really like it?
Her maze book published May 2024 has 1 review and no sales: Dinosaurs! Maze & Coloring Adventure Book: 110 Pages of Mazes and Coloring Pages from Easy to Challenging for All Kids by Renee Clancy | May 2, 2024 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 Paperback $6.95 You Earn: 7 pts FREE delivery Mon, Oct 7 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon Or fastest delivery Sun, Oct 6 BSR: #3,464,262 in Books (Top 100) #15,386 in Children's Sports & Outdoors Books (Books) #40,030 in Children's Coloring Books
I find it interesting that you would make this kind of harsh comment before obviously watching my content. I'm very clear about learning alongside everyone else. I'm a teacher, I love to learn how to do something and then teach others. It doesn't mean I have to be the BEST at it. We're here as a community to help each other. I'm also very clear that I only promote products that I am using, daily. We can either make this a constructive discussion and talk about how to support each other, OR you can keep your comments to yourself.
Not sure where you're getting your data, but I've sold 18 of the dino maze books. Again, it's still not many, but we're learning together. If you can't shift your comments to be more supportive and collaborative, then I'll need to block you from the channel. I've never claimed to have sold millions, so why are you so bothered?
Exactly - that's why I talk about doing medium content books only. I agree, even though I've made low content books previously, the market has shifted, and medium is where it's at!
Oh, I thought these were going to be real books, written by a real author. This is just flooding the market with junk, pushing real writers down the list. Basically AI generated trash that is no different from millions of other junk books, with 99.99% similar content.
I disagree. There’s a market for this and if someone is willing to buy then totally worth making them. Do you have children? I always bought coloring books for my children and I don’t see a problem with that.
@@reneefclancy I'm rarely that harsh when commenting. But for KDP all that matters is cash, not quality. This means production at all costs (sic), not quality or authorship: "low content" states it well. Not to mention Amazon's overall inacceptable "antics" and conditions. In one word: repulsive! NEVER.
If you're interested in a side hustle, but not quite sure which one to do - try this one! ua-cam.com/video/Cx2uw56fJ_8/v-deo.html
I enjoyed your cheerful video and also had thought of giving out some books. Well done. How did it go passing out your books, were you getting reviewed?
@@Jeffreymart Thanks! It went well, I did get some reviews, so I'll definitely do it again!
I started Amazon KDP back in December, and have only published 18 books under three different pen names. I was running ads on one of my kids colouring books from December until March and was only seeing about 30-40 sales per month, which was still a decent accomplishment, but I was spending so much more money on ads than I was making in return so was losing a lot of money. I decided to just stop running ads and lost hope in KDP (already!). But then when I randomly went back to KDP in early May just to check how things were going, I actually noticed I had a LOT more sales on that one colouring book!! Despite having stopped running ads, my book had become a best-seller and I sold 120+ copies in just May alone. My BSR is currently sitting at just over 16,200. Mind you, I do absolutely no promotion of this book whatsoever. I think after having run ads for a few months, Amazon had pushed my book out there enough that it has started selling on its own. It's now reignited my enthusiasm to create more books.
That is so amazing! And congratulations! Maybe I’ll go try some ads again in the next couple of weeks. Will you share the link to your coloring book so I can check it out?
Congrats!
Can you tell me how much you did you spend on ads for that coloring book ?
@@Ayman-sk4zd I spent a total of $25, probably $4 of it was just for the coloring book, I spread out the money among all the books.
Congrats! Can I ask if your ads were auto or manual
I did manual ads, but I need to try it again. I got distracted my new Etsy channel :)
I just started my KDP not even two weeks ago so I'm really new at this, but I'm not giving up until I figure this out. Your video has been the most honest, refreshing, inspiring video I've watched.....And trust me, the last few weeks I'VE WATCHED A LOT! LOL. I'm so excited about this and I can't wait to follow your story and thank you so so so much for making this channel and doing these videos, because I think for a lot of us, we really don't know who's legitimate in these videos or if they're just trying to make money doing affiliate marketing. I really appreciate you allowing us to watch your story and letting us know what has worked and what hasn't. I had no idea until tonight that there was something called Book Bolt! I can't believe how much time I've spent in Canva lol. Thank you and God bless!!
Thank you! That means so much to me - please keep me updated on how it goes!
Thanks for your wisdom. Just starting my KDP journey. I appreciate your transparency and pray your business and channel grow 1000 fold. Looking forward to your upcoming videos. All the Best!
Thank you and good luck on your KDP journey! It may take a while, but it's worth it!
Amazon KDP is most definitely a long term venture. I've found that pumping out lots of lower quality books will result in hardly any sales and it's important to do research into competition and niches before hand. If you do that, you've got every chance of making really good money :)
Great advice!
Pretty much every UA-cam channel I have seen talks about the colouring book market. Doesn't anyone have any imagination, creativity or originality?
Thanks for being right atthe top of the list for clear ideas for KDP. I've spent hours watching hard to understand/rambling KDP videos.
Thank you!
Great video! I'm happy to see more and more people promoting KDP. It's literally the most beginner friendly business you can run from your computer. It's the business that has allowed me to live a life of financial freedom and help others do the same. Thanks for the video Renee :)
Couldn't agree more!
Hi Barry.. I learn alot from your videos as well.. Keep up the great work..
@@daniabinns3634 I appreciate that. I'm glad I was able to provide enough value to help you out :)
I have to admit i did create a journal...im working on a couple of more involved projects now, but i will say that I do use the journal to encourage people to write down ideas so they can make them a reality. The maze looks cool.
I forgot to say I wish you the best with your books
Thank you - you too!!
I posted 3 journals and 1 colouring book but hadn't made any sales ...this demotivates me everytime...but i come around sooner or later and again I'm going to start. I publish under the pen name colour valley ❤
how to rectify the errors of uploaded storybook or any documents in kdp amazon
Great question - and from my research, you are not able to change any part of a book once it's been uploaded. I tried to change the description on one of my books, and I was unable to find out how to do it.
But the Amazon rules say that it is forbidden to receive reviews from family and friends... reviews will be deleted, your account may be blocked. So what to do?
From my experience and research they are looking for reviews or purchases that come from the same IP address to avoid one household spamming the reviews. I can stop by dad or sister who live in another house from buying a book… nor would I. I published a novel 8 years ago on my same KDP account, and I can promise you that ONLY my family and friends bought it! 😂But it did not get flagged.
@@reneefclancy that's interesting but still a little bit scary 😁
@@reneefclancy Excuse me, I was thinking about your answer and another question came up. By "come from the same IP address" do you mean that Amazon is looking to see if reviews were sent from the same IP address that the book was published from? Or is it simply looking to see if many reviews have been sent from one IP?
@@mariygv3371 Here is the note from Amazon: "Amazon's Community Guidelines prohibit users from creating, editing, or posting content about products or services offered by friends and relatives." I also found "A family member or employee of the seller posts a review of the seller's product or a competitor's product." But they don't explain how they know it's a family member. In the end, it will be up to you how you proceed. My two friends in another state bought my book and left a review, my sister did too. It's been on the platform for about 6 years now. You'll need to research more on your own and decide what works best for you.
@@reneefclancy thank you! 🤍
i wrote the marked one, did some ads but didn't get alot of sales so i just stopped
Thanks for your insight! Much appreciated. I started KDP again in March. Right now, I have a coloring book but I am going to promote a little differently. I am planning to color my designs and grow a little following that way. I have had a blast doing some online classes, learning what colors work and how to use alcohol markers. Hopefully, it all goes well. Best wishes to you!❤❤❤
Let me know how your journey goes! I’m still learning so much every time I upload!
I hope you don't think this is odd - but I see you're from Roatan! I lived in La Ceiba for a year, and we visited Roatan when we could. Living in Honduras was an amazing experience.
@@reneefclancy Thanks 😊 ! Will do.
@@reneefclancy Oh how cool! Yes, I was born on the island and still live here. It’s changed a lot, not always for the best, but it is home. 😂😂
I'm glad you post sean dolwett. He is super great on kdp low and medium content book. I also follow book launchers, mandi lynn, and m k williams. And of course now you. And i think one or two others i cant remember. I have a non fiction book I'm working on.... formatting and indexing now. But i have several CAD programs and corel draw pro and one specialized for just mandala. I want to do coloring books and other activity books simialr to highlights but for adults. But kids books are good too. And a variety of contnet in one book is good too.
This is an excellent channel. Thanks for your content.
Thank you so much for your words! I know I still have a lot to learn, but I’m having fun on the journey. Let me know how your journey goes also!
KDP blocks books in a few hours with only the statement that it can cause customer dissatisfaction (something like that) I had one book (word search) published but all others get blocked. Though the second word search book was made exactly the same way with a different niche using Book Bolt. What does it mean when they say it might cause customer dissatisfaction?
I’m sorry that happened! When I researched the phrase they are using about causing customer dissatisfaction, the KDP guidelines say it could be due to poor upload or formatting quality, but I agree, it’s so frustrating to not get a clear answer!
Great tips, thanks Renee. I'm a debut author trying to find a literary agent, but in the meantime I need to get some money in, lol. I'm going to try this, and yep, I admire Sean Followers tips too, he's a genius as far as I'm concerned. 😊
My only advice to navigating both an agent and self publishing is that most agents prefer manuscripts that have never been published, like on KDP. It's been a LONG time since I've looked for an agent, so maybe things have changed, but when I did look they all wanted to be the first to publish. Good luck on your journey!
What do you do about the cover and interior graphics?
If you change canva graphics enough then you can use them. I’ll be using Kittl from now on since you don’t have to edit the graphics to use them in a print product. Sometimes I purchase graphics for print product from Invito elements.
I’m a new follower. Love your explanation on KDP. Also, the idea of purchasing author copies…
Thank you so much!
Thank you for your honesty. It's so refreshing!
I have been very encouraged. Thank you so much. Since my book on Amazon was just published, i have no sales yet. I have gifted books out but never knew i could have them review my book on Amazon. Their rule is that anyone can review without purchasing a book as long as they are at least a $50 customer within the past year. My problem is i can't see a pop-up that says "Write A Review". Can you help me?
Great question! I’ll look into it ASAP.
I found it! You have to scroll to the bottom, but there is a spot that says "Review this product" then "Leave a customer review". Hope that helps!
Problem solved. Thank you for your posting.
Hello there thank you for this advice it help me to understand about kdp and I am excited to start
So glad I could help! And good luck on your KDP journey!
Thank you so much I know it will need hard work and dedication 😊😊
New subbing! Thanks for your experience and tips! I just signed up and look forward to making my first books! ❤❤
Thank you so much! And good luck in the bookmaking… Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for this input. I've published book in 2016 and it appears the company is out of market, how do I get details of how my book have done so far after many years.
Do sorry I can’t help here!
Hello, i have two books on kdp and one is a medium content (travel journal). There are almost two months but nothing yet. What can I do to have at least a few sellings?
Hi! From my research, a great strategy is to purchase some author copies, and then gift the copies to people and ask if they would be willing to write a review on Amazon. I just received my copies, and I'll be passing them out this week! I plan to add a QR code to the inside of the books so people can submit reviews easily. If this doesn't work to move my books to the top of the list, then I may try some ads - we'll see!
I'm a new subscriber and i must say im happy that I found you out.... I started publishing on Amazon back in 2021 but I've only over $90 but i believe I will get more sales
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
@@reneefclancy I would like to learn more from you
Where can I see the hundreds of books Sean Dollwet reportedly published on KDP? I cannot find it.
Sorry - can't help you there. I do appreciate his advice though
Amazon charged me for shipping for my author copy, so the price came out to almost as much as the book. Also, I've heard that Amazon carefully looks at reviews. If they notice that your reviews are coming from friends and family (not sure how they can tell, but I hear they are pretty sophisticated in figuring it out), they will not list them...I know someone who had their reviews section shut down. Also, something to be aware of: if you have friends and family buy your books....they are more than likely people who don't buy the genre you're selling....say they are usually buying books on gardening, sports, etc. If your buyers are people who wouldn't really buy your type book, it can mess with the algorithm which looks at who is buying your books and presents it to people with similar interests. Just some things I've learned along the way....thank you for the video.
Haven't had a problem so far - and I'm sure Amazon doesn't expect me to tell my dad NOT to buy my books! From my research and reading what authors recommend on the dashboard, as long as you don't require a review, you just ask, then that is fine. Also, let's talk scale - I'm talking a handful of people in this study, I'm sure if there were suddenly 100 reviews all from people with the same last name, that would raise red flags. But, that's not happening here.
how do you create maze and words puzzles? Is there a web site that creates them? Many thanks in advance
This website/program does it all for me! Try BookBolt: bookbolt.io/6123.html
Coupon code CLANCY20 to get 20% off!
I went ham on Amazon KTP last year and barely wasn’t smart about the ads. I have one book that’s like the little engine that could and I decided to go ahead and start running ads on it and maybe revive the business. I say have fun, but watch your numbers.
Great advice… any suggestions you can offer regarding ads and KDP?
Great advice, thank you! Wondering though, if you give a book to someone to review, how are they able to leave a review on Amazon if they didn't buy it through Amazon?
When you scroll to the bottom of the page, there is a space to leave a review. It just will not say 'Verified Purchase' next to the review.
@@reneefclancy Good to know, thank you!
Thanks mam. I started publishing now. I have book bolt and canva. I am still in learning process. From South Africa
Good luck on your journey!
I am also from south africa, starting my journey on kdp. So much to learn but enjoying it.
I'm a fiction author but I also write some non-fiction and I dabbled at low and medium content books. When I started putting the low and medium content books in my library under a different author name, Amazon tried to pigeon hole all of my books into low and medium content. Is this a normal issue with them? Thanks
That’s a really great question! I think you should ask that in the member forms and let me know what they say. There are a lot of different types of writers and authors in those forums, might be a great place for you to get your answers
Do you personally start with your own icp (?) Code or Amazon's.?
Great question - I use Amazon's icp code. When I wrote my novel ( a long time ago!) I created it through a separate company, but I hadn't expected to publish it on Amazon at that time. I haven't done enough research to know the benefits or disadvantages of either option - sorry!
Lovely ❤you are so good for all of us
Thank you for your honesty!
Hi. First of all, thanks for the video. I have a question regarding the reviews. If you give tour friends the copys, can they write a review? Dont they need to buy it from amazon to review it?
This was brought up in the community member forum on KDP too. The authors there said it will just not have the 'verified purchase' next to your review. Hope that helps!
Another idea I had was to buy author copies and give them away to nursing homes. Hopefully visitors will see them too. My thought is that any place that has a waiting room. I'll probably buy a roll of stickers that will say "If you like this you can find more at: XXXXX" and paste them on the cover.
That's a GREAT idea!!
Hi Renee, hope you are well. Is your coupon code still valid?
It should be - let me know if it's not, and I'll reach out to the company!
Hello again, Renee. Did you write the copy underneath this book that shows on Amazon? It starts with this: Embark on a prehistoric journey like no other with the Dinosaurs! Maze & Coloring Adventure Book. I'm asking because I'm literally about 2/3 weeks from being homeless, and this publishing thing Is the only thing I believe can save me. Hopefully, the people helping me with a place to stay will extend their generosity for a couple more months. Like you, I've binge-watched video after video, and Sean Dollwet, I've seen each one multiple times. It's so confusing. I will take the 3-day pass on Book Bolt until I can afford a subscription and do several interiors if it will let me. Hopefully, I can locate a video that will send me in the right direction of what to do next. Thank you for any and all help you can spare the time to give.
Thank you! This is one video that gives an honest and down to earth approach 👏👏
Thank you!
Thanks Renee 📚 just found your channel and a new subscriber now!
Awesome! Thank you!
Great information, thank you! And YES, I love Sean Dolwit as well! Question: You suggested purchasing author copies to give away, and then ask for an honest review. I've been giving free books away for years, but never asked for a review because I thought that reviews needed to come from those who actually purchased the book. I'm assuming that what you're saying is that anyone can leave a review on Amazon even if they did not actually purchase it? Thanks in advance for the response! xx
Hi! What I learned from the KDP Community posts is that anyone can leave a review, it just doesn't state "Verified Purchase".
Amazing! How have you achieved so many sales with low reviews????
Hi! This isn't my book - it's one I found that was successful, so I created one like their book
Love your honesty and vulnerabilities
Love the video
A honest question: can people review your book without really buying it? (When you say to give as a gift the book to friends, so they can make a review)
Thanks
Yes, what happens is the review is noted as a non-verified purchase. The people who have left reviews because I gifted them books, still shows their star rating and review though!
@@reneefclancy thank you so much for your answer 😍
Glad to find you Renee Clancy appreciate the honest review.
Thank you!
Keep up the good work. I too have just stated at KDP. My name is Scott Holsey. Keep making content. Wish you all the success
Thanks, you too! Let me know how your KDP adventure goes
Can someone write a review when they didnt purchase the book? How?
I learned about this in the writer's comment section on KDP - yes, someone can write a review if they are gifted a book, but it won't be considered 'verified purchase'. The authors in the forum said they do this often when they go to a book signing or gift copies for promotions. As long as you don't require a review for a free book, and you ask that if they want to they can, then it's okay
You got my tick for subscribe because of the authentic style of this.
Thanks!
Where does one find the member forums?
In KDP, select the Community tab
@@reneefclancy ty!
Thank You Dear , its Really Helpful and encourage me so much
I have a question. I want start publishing ebooks on kdp . But i also want to do some planner on kdp . Should i just use the same account? Is it fine to do that ?
Two accounts will get you banned from KDP. I think you'll notice it's pretty easy to keep them organized within the same account. Good luck on your adventure!
@@reneefclancy thank you so much for clarifying. Publishing novel book later on won't be a problem then ?
@@annerockstar9851 Not a problem at all. I actually started my KDP account years ago with a novel I published, and it's been great!
@@reneefclancy thankyou . May I know the name ?
@@annerockstar9851 Sure - I really think only my family and friends purchased copies! I didn't promote it at all - by the time I published it, I just wanted to be done and move on with my life! It's called Elemental Magic
Can you help me with marketing my book??
There are lots of ways to market a book… start posting on social media about it, join forums, give free copies. You could have a book signing event at your local coffee shop! It’s okay if only your family and friends show up. It’s a lot of fun and is another opportunity to promote on social. Good luck!
Ive found my Cathie Wood of Kdp. Loving the content 😊
Awesome! Thank you!
You appear sincere, lovable and honest too.
Why won't I subscribe?
Hopefully with more videos, I can convince you to subscribe!
When you order samples, Amazon is putting “not for resale” on the cover, so that doesn’t quite work.. at least that is what they did to mine…
Thats different. You have samples before publishing and author copies, author copies are after you publish book and you order them after you checked proof book.
That does seem odd - my author copies I ordered do not have that on them
Only the sample books have the “not for resale” on the cover. Author copies are not sample copies 😊
Great video - and Sean is great help!
Thanks!
this is a perfect content, thank you!
Thank you so much for the information. It is awesome!
Glad it was helpful!
I saw you have a image behind, but the paper is licks to the back…
I'm not quite sure what you mean
Everyone keeps talking about research though before creating books to upload and sell. Does research really matter as much as they say??
I definitely think so. For example, I made a couple of mandala coloring books before I did some research about them. I learned after looking at the data that there are so many of these, it is now best to be more focused on a specific theme, such as mandala animals, or mandala circles, etc. And, I never would have though to make a cocktail recipe book, but when I saw the data that there were not many being made, but lots of people purchasing them, I went ahead and made a few. Hope that helps!
I wrote and self-published a book in 2012 which was a 10 year account of my e-commerce journey. 230 pages, 70 images, 66k words. Apart from faffing about selecting a title and domain name I didn't do any research. Wrote from the heart and put my direct email in the book. I lost count in 2015 at 25k copies sold at average £3.50 profit per book over both formats. It sells only a few copies a month now being 12 years old. Reviews topped 200 in both US and UK. Obviously non-fiction but no research apart from using my gut.
@@jasoncooke6336 That is amazing! I know that's a huge accomplishment - congrats!
Of course it is, to minimize negative reviews
Yes research matters...it depends on the quality of the book you are uploading to sell ..y its unique...it's like u setup a store , keywords what makes your products unique, Ur searches try uploading it in a market where the search results is less than 1000, Chances of Ur book coming up increases, then see what u r good at , aim at branding and niching down....u will get untapped niches ...
Thank you so much for the great tips! ❤
You are so welcome!
Good tips on promoting.Thanks
Are you a Royalty Hero member?
No, I am not
I enjoyed your video, only other channel I watch is Sean. Seems everyone has a new 'Make 40k/mo using this one simple trick' bullshit. Exhausting. Sean taught me to make a coloring book lol. Now I have 7 with two more coming, probably more AND I just finished my first short story, trying to challenge myself a bit. I haven't had any organic sales yet but some friends have bought up a few of my coloring books. I am updating covers slowly as we speak, always finding things I can improve on. Thank you for putting out useful information, I subscribed!
Thank you! That means so much to me - and I love the way Sean teaches too!
It’s 3 month later and I wish you success! 💖
Thank you!
I truly enjoyed your awesome amazing interesting informative video. Thank you very much.
So nice of you!
Thank you so much, love these insights!
You are so welcome!
break even whit what ?
I thought I would buy some author copies and give them to some of the mom & pop bookstores to give away.
Another great idea! I'm going to try this!
Think of trees. They are weeping.
Great, professional content! Thank you!😊
Thank you so much!
I have made approximate 35 books on kdp and still dont have a single customer.
So sorry to hear that - have you tried ads? Combining ads with reviews is a great formula!
the video was very good and you have a new subscriber👍
Thank you so much!
keep it up you arr doing great
Thank you!
So the friends who review your books do not need to have purchased the book on their Amazon account? Amazon is OK with random people reviewing it who don't have proof of purchase?
That's true that's great I didn't realize it
Correct, their review just will not be posted as a 'verified purchase'
Hello Renee! New subscriber here. How do you ask friends for review? Do you give them a link yo your book? QR code? I’m interested to learn KDP with you.
thank you!!!
Make video how to make books that sale
Medium content books is the way to go!
@@reneefclancy show how to make interior and beautiful book cover tutorial.
Pretty sure if you give books away to family and friends and ask for a review, it does not work as they actually need to purchase that particular book through Amazon KDP, I could be wrong but have done the same and asked a friend to do just that. Didn't work.
When they leave a review, it's just not labeled as a 'verified purchase'. As I've done this, some leave reviews, and some don't - I don't push them, because I don't want them to think it's 'required'. But it's been a good way to jump start my books!
Sadly, I've got two novels in process ... that's not low or medium content And I really want to publish stories, not the cool kind of thing you're doing. Sounds like you're headed in the right direction for your products.
That’s a huge accomplishment! Congratulations! Keep promoting it!
That's awesome and meaty.
Thanks!
when you wiki the top sellers you will know why.
unfortunately my success doesn't long in kdp one blocked book ruin the whole kdp career my kdp account terminate and no royalties I am not happy and depressed with kdp amazon 😢
I'm so sorry that was your experience with KDP!
@@reneefclancy thanks for your's considering
@@innocentqueen-x2wwhat happened?
@@womenfinancialfreedom my kdp amazon account terminated and I am not able to earn from this.I am really dishearted from amazon kdp policies
Very informative videos mam ❤😊
So nice of you!
Be carfull about review from the familly, that is forbitten in guidelines.
Definitely agree you need to be careful with this one - but the numbers are so small, I'll risk it. And it makes me so happy that my family supports all my crazy adventures! Thanks!
Sometimes you just immediately like a presenter... Thanks, *A.
Thank you!
Or you could send your book 1000 good reviews from 1000 different email addresses
Ummmm, I think they frown on that! 😂
@@reneefclancy What's the difference if you have to beg people to give you a review?
There's a big difference. Your suggestion is unethical. My suggestion is the same as any business owner saying to a customer "Please leave us a review."
@@reneefclancy But an owner of a business doesn't ask anyone to provide reviews in advance. Asking people to leave good reviews for your book without having read your book first is no different than you writing your own reviews.
@@gianthills I never said you ask for a GOOD review - you just say "I'd love it if you could leave a review!" Have you gone a restaurant, and there's a sign by the register that says "leave a Google review"? It's the same thing. People can do it if they WANT to, AFTER experiencing the product, it can be positive or negative, it's up to them.
BS.. all the mazes can be done in Canva as well.. and the little dinosaurs in your book actually look like the ones in Midjourney.. and once again.. Canva does it better.. so.. basically this video is for you to sell the BookBolt membership..
You're welcome to use any platform you like - But after all of the videos I've watched where someone gets a copyright strike from using Canva elements, it's a personal decision I made to use Bookbolt. And I actually do use it for all of my books - why wouldn't I promote it if I really like it?
Another content creator who makes videos about doing something they haven't done themselves. Do you make money from affiliate sales and videos?
Her maze book published May 2024 has 1 review and no sales:
Dinosaurs! Maze & Coloring Adventure Book: 110 Pages of Mazes and Coloring Pages from Easy to Challenging for All Kids
by Renee Clancy | May 2, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars 1
Paperback
$6.95
You Earn: 7 pts
FREE delivery Mon, Oct 7 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon
Or fastest delivery Sun, Oct 6
BSR: #3,464,262 in Books (Top 100)
#15,386 in Children's Sports & Outdoors Books (Books)
#40,030 in Children's Coloring Books
I find it interesting that you would make this kind of harsh comment before obviously watching my content. I'm very clear about learning alongside everyone else. I'm a teacher, I love to learn how to do something and then teach others. It doesn't mean I have to be the BEST at it. We're here as a community to help each other. I'm also very clear that I only promote products that I am using, daily. We can either make this a constructive discussion and talk about how to support each other, OR you can keep your comments to yourself.
Not sure where you're getting your data, but I've sold 18 of the dino maze books. Again, it's still not many, but we're learning together. If you can't shift your comments to be more supportive and collaborative, then I'll need to block you from the channel. I've never claimed to have sold millions, so why are you so bothered?
U are very magnetic
Thank you!
Don't waste your time on low content books. Nobody is paying for those. MAYBE medium...but KDP is not the platform for making you money.
Exactly - that's why I talk about doing medium content books only. I agree, even though I've made low content books previously, the market has shifted, and medium is where it's at!
Oh, I thought these were going to be real books, written by a real author. This is just flooding the market with junk, pushing real writers down the list. Basically AI generated trash that is no different from millions of other junk books, with 99.99% similar content.
I disagree. There’s a market for this and if someone is willing to buy then totally worth making them. Do you have children? I always bought coloring books for my children and I don’t see a problem with that.
oh please...
I'm happy to answer any questions for you if you have one?
Junk for money.
Uh, could you clarify your comment? I’m always open to feedback.
@@reneefclancy I'm rarely that harsh when commenting. But for KDP all that matters is cash, not quality. This means production at all costs (sic), not quality or authorship: "low content" states it well. Not to mention Amazon's overall inacceptable "antics" and conditions. In one word: repulsive! NEVER.
Thank you so much❤