So, Dying Embers was free the 13th (its 1-year book birthday) and the 14th (Valentine's Day - perfect for the scorned singles).
Here are the hard numbers:
On Saturday, I moved 1960 copies.
16 in Canada
1 in France
2 in Germany
24 in the UK
1917 in the US
This got Dying Embers to #1 in the Top 100 Serial Killer list, #4 in the Top 100 Crime list, #25 in Top 100 All Mystery/Suspense/Thrillers, and #92 in all Free Kindle books (all of those are the top FREE lists). It also encouraged someone to read 198 pages of DE for the Kindle Unlimited program.
I didn't pay for any advertising here. I just posted it on FB - on my personal page and my author page. I tweeted about it. And I posted about it on three FB groups - Amazon Kindle Goodreads, Free Kindle Books, and Free Books for Kindle UK. Plus, some lovely people shared my posts and tweets.
So far, it's gained me one new 5-star review on Amazon and one new 5-star rating on Goodreads (by two different people, which is cool. I don't know either person.
They like me. They really like me.
Yes, I had a Sally Field moment there.
On Sunday, I moved 471 copies.
23 in Australia
2 in Italy
2 in Japan
5 in Canada
1 in France
4 in Germany
13 in the UK
421 in the US
When I went to bed last night, Dying Embers was #1 in Free Serial Killers, and #102 All Free. This morning, it's at #149 in Paid Serial Killers and #62,512 All Paid - which is definitely a step in the right direction. (Especially considering that before the free weekend, DE was over 350,000 in All Paid and some non-essential number in Serial Killers.) Also, someone read 131 more pages in KU. Not great, but better than a sharp stick in the ear.
No movement for the other books yet. But there's hope.
Anyway, I'm thrilled for the chance to gain some new readers. And hopefully, everyone who reads DE will be excited for the release of Fertile Ground in May.
I hope all that's helpful for anyone wondering how 'free' helps sales. I'll do a follow-up next week, probably. Any questions?
This is why I love free promos. It's the best way to get reviews for a book. 471 copies is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteNew reviews, new readers. It's all good. Many may not read the book immediately because..."FREE! Grab it now!" And then it will sit on their Kindles until they get in the mood. *raises hand* Guilty. But those are great numbers and any time you get that high in the lists, it makes for more exposure. Better yet, no advertising money spent. Crossing fingers that you'll see an uptick in royalty down the line.
ReplyDeleteGreat news. I'm guilty of picking up a freebie and not reading it straight away - sorry to all authors out there. I don't want to be mean, just need to be in the mood. Seems to me the weekend went well, so I hope you are happy about it. Like Silver said, more exposure.
ReplyDeleteDying Embers is a great book! It deserves to be #1 in the whole Serial Killers category. You rock!
ReplyDelete