The Heidi Thorne Show

Think pricing your Kindle book at just 99 cents will make a lot of sales? I explain why it doesn't, and provide a tip for finding the right price for your Kindle book.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Qkz-faOtjPM

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:11 The 99-cent Kindle eBook myth

1:35 The 99-cent "try and buy" fallacy

3:50 99-cent price doesn't cover your costs

5:58 99-cent price doesn't increase book sales volume

7:20 How Kindle Unlimited impacts book pricing and sales

8:44 Using the KDP Pricing Support Tool

Blog: "Does Pricing Your Kindle Book at 99 Cents Boost Sales? http://hub.me/angEH

Udemy course, How to Sell Your Self Published Book on Amazon: https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-sell-your-self-published-book-on-amazon/?referralCode=CC4046D09C80264BC0BE

Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners' Lending Library are great programs for readers... but maybe not so much for authors. I discuss what these subscription and lending programs mean for your self published royalties.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/C6ufXH1FY1U

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:33 What is Kindle Unlimited?

5:03 What is Kindle Owners Lending Library?

6:28 What is Amazon Prime Reading?

8:43 What is Kindle Lending Library?

10:30 Did I lose book sales with these programs? My results!

12:04 Why authors need to rethink subscription programs

Blog: KDP Select, Kindle Unlimited, and Kindle Lending Programs Explained http://hub.me/alEgQ

Udemy course, How to Sell Your Self Published Book on Amazon: https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-sell-your-self-published-book-on-amazon/?referralCode=CC4046D09C80264BC0BE

Get Apple Podcasts and The Heidi Thorne Show on your Alexa device! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210759

Will your self published book sales grow in the coming year? I discuss the product life cycle of books and how it is different than that for regular products. I also discuss a mindset that keeps authors on an unproductive self publishing hamster wheel, and what to do instead.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/7KB297gCvGE

Timestamp show notes (click timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:10 Normal product life cycles doesn't apply to books

1:11 The waterfall sales cycle for books

2:13 Why churning out new books doesn't build sales

5:32 Maintaining peak book sales is expensive

6:44 2 things you can do to expand book sales

Blog: Will Your Self Published Book Sales Grow Over Time?

Udemy course, "How to Sell Your Self Published Book on Amazon" https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-sell-your-self-published-book-on-amazon/?referralCode=CC4046D09C80264BC0BE

As the year and decade come to a close, I take a look at the publishing trends that can impact self published authors.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/PFIMi53nGb4

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:44 Largest selling book of 2010 decade

2:19 Print and eBook sales stats for 2010 decade

3:24 Growth of audio books

4:31 Fiction and nonfiction sales stats

5:26 Growth in voice technology

Just a quick episode wishing The Heidi Thorne Show podcast family a very Happy Holiday season! Thank you for your support and I'll look forward to continuing the conversation on self publishing in the New Year!

CRM (customer relationship management) software can be a valuable tool. But do self published authors really need it? I discuss what a CRM system does and why most authors don't need it.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/dOq0IXdEoH0

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:11 What is CRM?

1:14 How to find CRM systems

2:39 Why CRM systems don't work for most authors

5:22 Does CRM make sense for business authors?

7:28 How to decide if you need CRM

8:08 How social media can be CRM for authors

8:44 Special CRM issues for authors who are public speakers

Apple Podcasts is now on Alexa! If you love listening to content on your Alexa device, but have been frustrated by not being able to listen to your favorite Apple Podcasts (including The Heidi Thorne Show), here's good news. There's an Apple Podcasts Alexa skill! More info: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210759

How will emerging voice technologies, such as smart speakers and voice assistants, affect self publishing? What can authors do to prepare for a voice enabled future? Here's what you need to know.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/UBdKTVjE078

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

1:07 Why authors need to be concerned about voice technology

1:50 Authors needs to be more concerned with audio books than print

4:11 How voice shopping with affect authors

7:02 Voice technology stats that'll shock you

Blog: How Will Voice Technology Affect Self Published Authors http://hub.me/an99j

Udemy Course "How to Self Publish an Audio Book": https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-self-publish-an-audio-book/?referralCode=75A2310A555CB12AFE4C

The Kindle Quotes (#kindlequotes) feature that's available in the Kindle app for iOS can help you easily share beautifully formatted quotes from your self published books on social media. (Sorry, it doesn't appear to be available for Android devices just yet.) I share a step-by-step mini tutorial with screenshots in the YouTube video to show you just how easy it is and the results you can achieve.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/nbDDWkKnB3Y

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:11 Introducing Kindle Quotes feature with step-by-step screenshots

2:15 How to use this feature for your Kindle eBooks

3:51 #kindlequotes hashtag and sharing quotes on social media

Learn more about Kindle Quotes from the Amazon Kindle Store: https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=19530372011

So what is an Amazon 4-Star Store? Does it mean anything for self published authors? I share my first impressions of the Amazon 4-Star Store in Oakbrook Center in the Chicago area.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/7Q19l4O9wIM

Timestamp show notes (click timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:10 My visit to the Amazon 4-Star Store, Oak Brook, IL

2:17 Why 4-Star Store?

3:07 Why your self published book won't be in this store

4:35 Why I wasn't impressed with this Amazon 4-Star Store

4:55 Did Amazon locate here because of other tech stores?

I answer a blog reader question about being contacted by a company who said her book had traditional publishing potential. Legit or a scam?

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/g-lBdZUOS38

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:11 The too-good-to-be-true phone call

0:57 Self published books may be eligible for a book deal, but unlikely to get one

2:18 Authors that do interest traditional publishers

3:11 What these suspect callers really want

5:29 Why you should be wary of these callers

For further reading https://toughnickel.com/self-employment/Self-Publishing-Scams-and-How-to-Spot-Them