Guest Post by Lisa L Wiedmeier. Amazon Promotion, Gone RIGHT!

Lisa L Wiedmeier, Author of Cheyenne, A Timeless Series Novel, Book One

Who am I? I’m just another indie author who took StoneHouse University's, Learn how to ‘Work’ the system, webinar and had huge success.

Of course this isn’t always the norm, however, for whatever reason I was able to use this as a platform to propel my YA book to #98 overall on Amazon.

Now, I hadn’t just been sitting around before I took this course. I was marketing myself to death trying to get anyone to take a peek at Cheyenne, my novel. It’s not that it wasn’t good enough; its just that it wasn’t getting the exposure to take it to the heights it deserved.

There are four platforms that StoneHouse suggests in the webinar and I was doing three out of the four fairly well, but it just wasn’t enough. What I was missing was the fourth, the Amazon connection. There’s a lot more than just listing your book on Amazon and watching it fall where it may. A whole lot more than I knew.

I’d had Cheyenne on Amazon since July 2011 and had sold about 500+ books. Not too bad since I’m unknown, but not enough to quit my day job either. My best ranking ever since listing Cheyenne was about 9,300.

Through following Aaron's extremely useful tips and advice, I began working on the Amazon connection. Now I’m not going to go into details here, as you need to take the course to get all your ‘duck in a row’ so to speak. But with following a few of his suggestions in the month of February I began seeing some small results.

Now there’s a bigger picture to all of this and it’s all in the seminar, but one of them was making sure that your book cover truly meets the audience. What I mean by that is make sure if you’re a YA book to have a YA cover. Now, I’d thought I’d done a good job with my cover, I was going for the retro look, but I missed it by a long shot. Yeah, here’s the before and here’s the after….

So the old cover wasn’t bad, but yet it wasn’t good either. I needed the new design to help catch attention and that’s exactly what it did… it caught readers attention.

So with a new cover in hand and being enrolled in the KDP program with Amazon, I decided to follow another one of StoneHouse’s webinar suggestions, offer my book for free.

I picked a Tuesday/Wednesday for the free promo after consulting with Aaron and began, Tweeting, Facebook and messaging just about everyone I knew to get the word out. My friends in turn began promoting it on their side as well. With that said, by the Wednesday afternoon of my free promo, I’d reached the ranking of #4 on Amazon’s ‘Free’ listing.

Shocked? I was! I’d never expected to see this sort of success and yet I did by offering my novel, Cheyenne, for free for two days. I had over twenty two thousand free downloads!

Next came the scary part, well scary for me in that I’d never done this before. I once again ran to Aaron and went over the after free promo pricing. Should I go with the .99 cent price point, or stick with the $2.99 that I’d been at previously… I kept the $2.99 price point and was in for a surprise.

So, let me run this down for you…. The month of February didn’t show me much love, I had a paid ranking of about 66,000. Not horrible considering there are over a million plus eBooks on Amazon. But by the time the free promo was over and I looked at my paid ranking on Thursday morning, I was at #3,900. Not bad you say? I was ecstatic, but it gets even better.

As the day progressed I gained even more ground, 2,000, then 952, then 458 and yeah my paid ranking kept going up! By Saturday I’d made it to #98!

As we speak I’m holding good steady ranking. Am I done yet? Not even close… What’s on the list next is the 10 Steps to a successful Blog tour #2. Took the first one and loved it, the second one is this week—you should join in!

The most impressive part of StoneHouse Ink’s webinars is that the data is all rolled up into a nice compact package that’s easy to understand and practice. Will it bring you success like I had? Who knows, but it’s worth a shot. I’m glad I took the course and I'd recommend it to every indie author I know.

You can follow Lisa on Twitter @lisawiedmeier
Or on Facebook
And on her Website HERE

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

StoneHouse University. What is a blog tour and why should I care?

I wanted to do a post and talk about this upcoming Blog Tour Class. It is Feb. 1st and is a Webinar. That means you can log in and join via your PC/Mac or call in and be on the phone. So, no matter where you are you can join.

There is a cost, $50-but that is not bad considering what you will learn.

But what is a blog tour, why do I need to know how to run one and what good will it do for me and my book?

All good questions. A blog tour is like a book signing tour but instead of going to bookstores and sitting there trying to sell 5 books, you are doing the interview or signing online on different blogs. Way cool and you can reach more people.

Bloggers and their honest reviews are huge! Did I say huge? If I had a choice to be reviewed by the New York times or by a well followed book blogger I would choose the blogger. They review a book and it gets readers. They say, yup, good book their peeps go and buy the book. A review in the NYT gets you a pat on the back.

So you DO want your book reviewed by book bloggers. But what is a tour you may ask? It is where you plan to have your book reviewed by 15-30 bloggers in a short time frame. Like a month or 60 days. So almost everyday you are reviewed and you are exposed to people. This review is posted on Amazon and goodreads and other sites so you get reviews as well. You see how this is good?

This class is to show you how to do this without pissing off the bloggers and how to do a good tour and sell a lot of books. You never know what a tour will do, it may just make your sales bump, but it may like Vincent Zandri take you to #3 on Amazon and sell over 100k books.

Here is a link to K.C. Neal's blog to give you an idea of what a tour looks like. She is also the one teaching the class. HERE

See all the stops and the different bloggers? They will all post their review on that date. It is a crazy building thing that every author should know how to do.

That is the blog tour. Now, here is a link to sign up, you just need to pick a time and pay. After that you will register and you are in. Please share this with others and take your writing seriously. If you don't no one else will...

TIME: 10am-noon and 5pm-7pm *Mountain Time Zone
DATE: Feb. 1st 2012
LOCATION: Online
AVAILABILITY: Limited
COST: $50.00

To register hit the Paypal button and pay, it should redirect you to the registration page after you have paid.

Blog Tour Online Class. Feb 1 2012

To register for the 10-Noon class click below:
*All times are MT (Mountain Time)

Blog tour Class (10am-Noon)

To register for the 5-7pm class, click below:
*All times are MT (Mountain Time)

Blog Tour Class (5pm-7pm)

Now that I have your attention lets touch on Amazon. The next class is all about how to Work the systems that run Amazon. Most if not all bestselling indie authors know how to tag and what all the rankings mean. I will show you how to do it, how to get noticed on amazon. This is key in selling well on Amazon.

If you follow J.A. Konrath he is very open about this. Go HERE to read about what he has to say about Amazon.

"Writers aren't buying my fiction. They aren't buying my non-fiction either--I have an ebook called "A Newbie's Guide to Publishing" and it is among my lowest-selling titles.

The people who buy me are readers, and the vast majority have never heard of me. Readers find me on Amazon, because Amazon has made it easy for my books to be discovered."

You can do a million things but it is all about being SEEN. and Amazon is the big monkey.

"The majority of my sales come from Amazon and my ability to use the tools they provide. So far I've played my cards right. I write fun books with good covers and sell them cheap, I have a lot of virtual shelf space, and readers like my writing."

"5. Study Amazon and how it sells ebooks. Experiment. Take chances. If one of Amazon's imprints offers to publish you, accept. Right now they are the only publisher who can increase your sales."

Convinced yet? Amazon is where it is at, one day that may not be the case but right now it is...so, on Feb. 8th I will drop it all, show you the truth and not hold back on how to game the game. It is one big game people, and if you know how to play you WILL win.

Sign up for both classes as we only have 50 spots so first come first serve. Don't miss out on this if you care about selling your eBook or book on Amazon. Just to let you know, my sales are up every month, my book Sweet Dreams is 3 years old and sold more in December than it ever has...on a OLD book, this is like 45 in book years, but it is still moving. You can learn this stuff, it is easy, and fun...
That is all.

Here is the info:STONEHOUSE UNIVERSITY AMAZON CLASS

Learn how to use Amazon to increase sales and build a fan-base!

TIME: 10am-noon and 5pm-7pm *Mountain Time Zone
DATE: Feb. 8th 2012
LOCATION: Online
AVAILABILITY: Limited
COST: $50.00

Amazon is the biggest bookstore in the world. They move more product and reach more people than any other bookstore. By understanding how they work and their systems such as tagging, customer recommendations, book lists and the ranking system you can sell more books and be "seen." We will teach you how to use Amazon and their systems and get them to work for you instead of getting lost in the millions of books and eBooks listed on their site. Stand out and be sold!

To register just click the Paypal button of the time you want and after you pay it will redirect you to a registration page.

10am-Noon (MST)

5pm-7pm (MST)

Thanks for Tweeting and sharing this link and information. If you know of any other classes you would like to see in the future feel free to comment and let us know what you want to learn.

One last quote from J.A. Konrath, "And feel free to tweet this. It won't help me sell many eBooks, but it could help your peers."




Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

STONEHOUSE UNIVERSITY ONLINE BLOG TOUR CLASS! FEB 1st!

STONEHOUSE UNIVERSITY PRESENTS

Book Blog Tours, Part 1: 10 Steps to a Successful Tour

TIME: 10am-noon and 5pm-7pm *Mountain Time Zone
DATE: Feb. 1st 2012
LOCATION: Online
AVAILABILITY: Limited
COST: $50.00

Description:
A book blog tour is one of the most powerful and least costly ways to spread the word about your book. In a well-planned tour, you'll reach hundreds to thousands of readers in your target audience in a manner that is many times more efficient than doing live book signings. You can do your own tour for minimal or zero cost, making it one of the most affordable methods of marketing your book. Blog tours can be effective for all types of books, all genres, upcoming releases, and already-published books. In this course, you'll learn the essential steps to planning and executing your own successful blog tour, plus tips for building relationships with book bloggers and creating a tour that stands out from the rest.

To register hit the Paypal button and pay, it should redirect you to the registration page after you have paid.

Blog Tour Online Class. Feb 1 2012

To register for the 10-Noon class click below:
*All times are MT (Mountain Time)

Blog tour Class (10am-Noon)

To register for the 5-7pm class, click below:
*All times are MT (Mountain Time)

Blog Tour Class (5pm-7pm)

StoneHouse University
SHU was created by Aaron Patterson and K.C. Neal. Many authors are trying things on their own and the publishing world is changing so fast that it can be hard to keep up. SHU is here to teach writers and authors the skills they will need to write, publish and market their books. Classes and webinar's on writing a hook, to working with Amazon. Online classes will be held once a month, or more as the demand grows. We hope that SHU will be a help and a resource to anyone who wants to make a living writing.


Aaron Patterson
Aaron is an Amazon bestselling author and has four books published. He writes thrillers and YA Paranormal. He is also the CEO of StoneHouse/StoneGate Ink. SH is a next generation publisher that publishes eBooks first with limited print distribution and on to regular distribution. SH has around 40 authors and over 50 titles. Aaron is a marketing crazy person and can be found in Twitter or Facebook or blogging.

K.C. Neal
K.C. Neal, author of the YA fantasy Pyxis Series, enjoys the social and promotional sides of publishing as much as the creative side. In the span of just a few months, she’s gained thousands of Twitter followers and hundreds of Facebook friends and fans, and coordinated several successful book blog tours. Her philosophies about social media interaction have led to excellent relationships with book bloggers, and she’s eager to share her expertise about book blog tours and online social networking.


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

The Idaho Book Extravaganza! This Weekend!

This is a post all about the Idaho Book Extravaganza this Friday and Saturday. Why post about this event? I will tell ya. First, it will change your life if you are a writer. Just ask many authors that attended last year.

You will learn about eBooks, marketing, publishing, agents and all sorts of other stuff that is relevant. So many book shows or writing conferences are so outdated that is is sad, no really, I cried at the last one that only had one class on social media and nothing about eBooks.

If you can make it please do yourself a favor and come. We will have Vincent Zandri, Estevan Vega, and some other amazing authors. Want to talk to an agent? We will have them, and it might surprise you what they have to say about the publishing world.

“Attending the Idaho Book Extravaganza was a life-changing experience for me. I heard about the event on the news, and the next day prepared a package of materials to take with me. I had been trying to get some of the big name publishers to view my CD and workbook for over fifteen years. The good news is that within four months had a newly packaged CD, and will be releasing my first book in the fall.
– Yvonne Rousseau, author Beyond Myself: Reclaiming Your Life After Sexual Abuse

I will link the details but here it is just for fun:

To Register click HERE

I hope to see you here.

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Write, Publish, Market workshop!

Write Publish Market:

Cutting Edge Information for Writers, Bloggers,

Authors and anyone who wants to publish a Best Selling Book.


Time: 10:00-4:00 Saturday May 21, 2011

Country Inn and Suites, 3355 East Pine Avenue

Meridian, ID 83642

Click here to sign up.



Special Price $79 –

Regular price for this workshop is $199.

Absolutely no refunds however if you are not able to attend, you can transfer your ticket to a friend.

This workshop is limited to the first 44 who sign up.


What to Expect:

A hands-on workshop that will teach you how to navigate the publishing industry, get you started in your book writing process and explain how you can make money by marketing your book and integrating it into your business. Bring your laptop.

Walk away with:

* Techniques that allow the even the busiest people to write a book in 10-30 minutes a day
* Your publishing myths dissolved and understand why anyone can publish
* Writing tips for print and eBook that will save you hundreds of hours
* A publishing plan for the books you have always wanted to write
* An understanding of how writing a book makes you the instant expert in your field or industry
* The ability to turn any speech, article or conversation into book content
* Cutting edge tips and tricks to make money writing, even if you are only a mediocre writer
* Key tips on marketing your book beyond your friends and family
* Clarity on the fact the next three years may be the best time in history to publish and make money in publishing

Write- Publish- Market Agenda:

9:30 Registration and networking

10:00 Breaking the Myths of Publishing and Making your Publishing Dream a Reality

10:45 Break

11:00 Breakouts: #1-Turning any speech, blog/article or conversation into book content, #2-Behind Every Great Writer is an Editor

12:00 Lunch (on your own) Speakers will be available to answer questions

Break to grab lunch or bring your own.

1:00 The Magic of Marketing and Social Media: Turning your Writing hobby into a global business with a zero dollar budget.

3:30 Developing your Writing and Publishing Action Plan


Maryanna Young

Maryanna Young is the CEO of Aloha Publishing and the co-founder of Idaho Book Extravaganza, Idaho’s premier publishing show. She is the author of four books including Blank to Book: From Idea to Amazon in 150 days. Maryanna is passionate about bringing out the potential in others as a publisher, speaker and professional business coach.

Aaron Patterson

Aaron Patterson is CEO of StoneHouse Ink and best selling author of four books including Amazon’s best selling series Sweet Dreams, Dream On and his new teen book, Ariel. He is an expert in eBook marketing and passionate about sharing the tools that helped him transition from the construction industry to a full time writer.

Kelly Antonczak

Kelly Antonczak is the COO of Aloha Publishing, author of Significance Breakthrough and the co-founder of the Idaho Book Extravaganza held every year in Boise, Idaho. She holds a degree from Boise State University in Communications and Public Relations and loves to be on the cutting edge of social media techniques and maximizing free global website tools such as Amazon for author marketing and book sales.

Allison Mewes

Allison is the owner of Blue Bamboo Project Services and married to a deployed solider in the US Army. She professional marketing project manager with 13 years of agency and client-side project related experience including an emphasis in social media strategies. Allison’s first book is Top Secret however she may reveal the contents at an upcoming workshop.

Click here to sign up.