T.I.E. (Entry 15): The Experiment:
Just in case, duck and cover.
By Thio Isobel Moss
I decided to do something a little unorthodox — at least according to what I’ve read; after my last promo on December 13th: I would go two weeks without a paid promotion, relying instead on blog content, Amazon Ads, BookBub Ads, social media posts, and reviews for discoverability.
I set the experiment to run until December 31st, when I already had a Bargain Booksy promo and a Goodreads Giveaway scheduled. My goal was simple: stay above #7,668 in Contemporary Fantasy (Kindle), which had been my starting rank upon release. There are still a few days to go, and I don’t mind telling you that I’ve been very pleasantly surprised.
The lowest I dipped was somewhere in the 4,000s, if memory serves, but most of the time I’ve been bobbing around between 1,000 and 2,500.
This shocked me. I had expected very little activity — and to be fair, the activity has been small — but it has been regular. That, the algorithm seems to appreciate. The holiday season is volatile, with brief bursts of heavy activity followed by the Christmas slump (the reason for this experiment in the first place: why waste money when no one’s buying?). During times like that, even a tiny trickle can move mountains.
Fourteen KU pages read once moved me up 2,000 ranks. At one point, I believe I broke the top 1,000. I wasn’t online to catch it in real time, but I did see that 93 pages read had brought me to #1,158. If 14 pages had a similar effect earlier, I suspect my rank was higher at some point and already slipping by the time I checked. Either way, I’m calling the experiment a roaring success.
If you’ve been following The Indie Expedition Series, you may remember that my original launch budget was $1,600. That’s grown to $2,400 thanks to Christmas gifts. Since then, I’ve added Blind Spot to the Indie Reader In-Store (IRIS) Catalogue and plan to purchase a six-month run on Edelweiss. It’s hard to know if — or how — this will pay off, but I’ve already had eight print sales across three platforms, only three of which were to people I know. That feels early and encouraging.
For authors considering wide distribution, I chose IngramSpark and Draft2Digital. In the month since release, I’ve had one sale through IngramSpark and three through Draft2Digital; the other four print sales were on Amazon. I make between $0.60 and $0.75 per book sold via IS and D2D, and I’m on the hook for returns through IngramSpark. That said, I’ve already seen my title listed in online bookstores in the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, and Uruguay — which is an amazing mood booster.
You’ve probably heard that the first book isn’t for making money — books three and four are, and book two if you’re lucky. I’ve been fortunate with my numbers so far. My hope is to average $50 a month, and I made $36 in my first month. That should give you a realistic sense of what releasing a book can look like.
I’m not focused on recouping my investment yet. Right now, I’m concerned with discoverability — specifically, finding the right readers. No book enjoys universal popularity, so audience-finding is essential. I’m nearing the tail end of my launch budget, worrying about funding Bump, and figuring out how to cover monthly maintenance costs. I’ve planned well, so everything will be fine, but I worry.
In my limited experience, book one is for learning. It’s stressful, but often fun. I enjoy deciphering the systems and watching how they respond. For me, Amazon and BookBub Ads are less about immediate sales or KU pages read and more about familiarity — making my name, title, and cover recognizable. Have you ever noticed how a little familiarity lowers the sense of risk and heightens enjoyment?
I’ll be renewing the experiment in January: three promos and a Goodreads Giveaway in the first half of the month, then nothing. February will follow a similar pattern. The ultimate goal, if Blind Spot can sustain it, is one promo week per month at a reduced price, with the regular price holding the rest of the time. As long as I sustain or have an upward trajectory, I’m happy with a slow, more natural pace.
Wish me luck!
