[MikeDD]

Unreal, but after several novels published, one is selling by itself with no promotion. It's gaining traction on Amazon and Apple for some unknown reason. At the present time it has no reader reviews, but was launched with several 5 star editorial reviews. Have no idea why it's selling without promotion: "Beyond Soylent Green 2050" which predicts the future of the United States in 2050, in stark terms:
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Soylent-Green-Michael-DAgostino-ebook/dp/B07R5VJRB7

 

[baldricko]

I wished my books could do the same.

 

[MalcolmJWardlaw]

It's around # 1 million in the Kindle store. That does not seem to me to be 'selling itself'.

My first reaction was 'that cover is terrible'. The blurb is low-key and IMHO effective, although it may be better to say something about the main character. I'm going to be reviewing my own blurbs and I'll bear in mind your style. The 5-star reviews must help, and congratulations on achieving them, although it will take you a while to make back what six reviews cost you.

Keep at it!

 

[jb1111]

It's around # 1 million in the Kindle store. That does not seem to me to be 'selling itself'.

My first reaction was 'that cover is terrible'. The blurb is low-key and IMHO effective, although it may be better to say something about the main character. I'm going to be reviewing my own blurbs and I'll bear in mind your style. The 5-star reviews must help, and congratulations on achieving them, although it will take you a while to make back what six reviews cost you.

Keep at it!

Yeah, it's 1M in the rankings but the book is well over a year old. For an unknown indie author, with a book that doesn't have flash-bang pro artwork on the cover and no promotion, that's not bad. Probably a few organic sales every week.

I wish the OP luck in his and his brother's writing endeavors. Looks like they've got a few books up for sale.

 

[jvin248]

.

Sometimes the stars align in the Amazon algorithm. A random keyword or search term in the book/blurb/description is matching up with another popular search people are doing so it shows on their results. That seeing is generating purchases.

Many an author has re-tooled their book/blurb/description trying to boost rankings further and they only unhook whatever organic magical link pulled it up from the abyss. The title abruptly sinks. They scramble to restore all the original content but the link was permanently broken.

So, don't mess with the magic.

.

 

[Doglover]

Yeah, it's 1M in the rankings but the book is well over a year old. For an unknown indie author, with a book that doesn't have flash-bang pro artwork on the cover and no promotion, that's not bad. Probably a few organic sales every week.

I wish the OP luck in his and his brother's writing endeavors. Looks like they've got a few books up for sale.

I don't understand. It doesn't matter how old the book is; if it's selling well, it won't be showing as more than 1million ranked in the US store and 900,000 on the UK store. Those figures are up to date.

I am puzzled as to why someone would post here, declare their book is selling itself, when anyone can see it's doing nothing of the sort. Is this a ploy to get everyone looking? Now I suppose I'll be inundated with similar titles.

 

[markpauloleksiw]

Sometimes the keywords click in the algorithm and the novel gets swept along.

Mark

 

[austenjr]

I don't understand. It doesn't matter how old the book is; if it's selling well, it won't be showing as more than 1million ranked in the US store and 900,000 on the UK store. Those figures are up to date.

I am puzzled as to why someone would post here, declare their book is selling itself, when anyone can see it's doing nothing of the sort. Is this a ploy to get everyone looking? Now I suppose I'll be inundated with similar titles.

I think his view of success is on a different level than most. Nothing wrong with it, just got some learning to do.

 

[Gareth K Pengelly]

Success to some is paying their bills with their writing. To some, it's making a ton of money. To others, it's selling some books and getting nice reviews from readers.

It's all relative, I suppose, and I wish everyone whatever success they're after.

 

[Some Random Guy]

Yeah, it's 1M in the rankings but the book is well over a year old. For an unknown indie author, with a book that doesn't have flash-bang pro artwork on the cover and no promotion, that's not bad. Probably a few one organic sales every week. few months

I wish the OP luck in his and his brother's writing endeavors. Looks like they've got a few books up for sale.

FIFY

 

[NikOK]

Hey, it's awesome to hear that you are having a positive experience with your book and that people are reading it out there even without running promotions.  Sometimes success is just making a little money on the side.  I feel like the only real failure is not writing the book you want to write.  Plus, selling some books, making something, and then buying more books to read is a pretty good system if you ask me.

 

[MikeDD]

I didn't claim a raving hit, only that it was selling on its own without promotion.  It would be nice to know why it was selling to understand the phenomena. Usually, after a promotion, sales die but this one is the first one to move on its own. Without advertising, I'm not sure how readers are even finding out about this book.

 

[MaxDaemon]

.

Sometimes the stars align in the Amazon algorithm. A random keyword or search term in the book/blurb/description is matching up with another popular search people are doing so it shows on their results. That seeing is generating purchases.

Many an author has re-tooled their book/blurb/description trying to boost rankings further and they only unhook whatever organic magical link pulled it up from the abyss. The title abruptly sinks. They scramble to restore all the original content but the link was permanently broken.

So, don't mess with the magic.

.

Isn't that the truth. I was tinkering with this and that and suddenly the rocket ignited. I've been practically holding my breath since, trying to keep from accidentally having fate notice me and correct the problem. I certainly don't TOUCH anything.

 

[Doglover]

I didn't claim a raving hit, only that it was selling on its own without promotion. It would be nice to know why it was selling to understand the phenomena. Usually, after a promotion, sales die but this one is the first one to move on its own. Without advertising, I'm not sure how readers are even finding out about this book.

If you did a promotion, maybe free, those results still show up in the lists after the promotion ends. I did a free five days of a book that rarely sells recently and when that was over, it began to sell and have page reads. It's all about visibility.

 

[J. Tanner]

I didn't claim a raving hit, only that it was selling on its own without promotion. It would be nice to know why it was selling to understand the phenomena. Usually, after a promotion, sales die but this one is the first one to move on its own. Without advertising, I'm not sure how readers are even finding out about this book.

My guess would be that you've written an unauthorized copyright infringing (and possibly trademark infringing) sequel to the movie Soylent Green (which isn't in the public domain) and it has some small amount of search-fu that you're leaching off of.

This movie is rather under the radar for enforcement but if you did the same thing with unauthorized Harry Potter or Star Wars sequels you'd sell even better. For a while...

The right way to do this kind of thing is to stick to material that's already in the public domain.

 

[jb1111]

I don't understand. It doesn't matter how old the book is; if it's selling well, it won't be showing as more than 1million ranked in the US store and 900,000 on the UK store. Those figures are up to date.

I am puzzled as to why someone would post here, declare their book is selling itself, when anyone can see it's doing nothing of the sort. Is this a ploy to get everyone looking? Now I suppose I'll be inundated with similar titles.

I have books ranked in the 1M range and they sell one or two a month, the rank sometimes going under 1M, and other times staying just above 1M ranking. The ranking, as we all know, is relative, and changes.

I think the OP is just wondering why his sales are either holding, or going up. The fact is that sometimes your book is found by people. And we are in the midst of lockdowns that have aided some authors due to people doing a bit more reading.

 

[Flying Pizza Pie]

I won't even pretend I understand Amazon algorythims, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that part of the "drive" to sell on Amazon's part has to do with view and purchase percentage. I will guess that if that is true, having fifty people at kboards cliicking on the book and not buying is doing a lot more harm than help for a book.

 

[Kathy Dee]

I think his view of success is on a different level than most. Nothing wrong with it, just got some learning to do.

Yeah. Also, in my view anyway, he is doing a lot better than those who report that their Bookbub or AMS campaign broke even.

 

[Doglover]

I have books ranked in the 1M range and they sell one or two a month, the rank sometimes going under 1M, and other times staying just above 1M ranking. The ranking, as we all know, is relative, and changes.

I think the OP is just wondering why his sales are either holding, or going up. The fact is that sometimes your book is found by people. And we are in the midst of lockdowns that have aided some authors due to people doing a bit more reading.

I'm with you now (I think). I have a couple of books that sell nothing for months and then one pops up.

 

[chrisstevenson]

I get that occasional sale every month or so that keeps me from topping the 1-million mark on a specific book. I can only attribute it to a spontaneous buy, since I don't have any ads for it. I'm just grateful for any movement at all. I have a few that are steady climbers in the negative--those are the ones I concentrate on improving first. If I see a positive up-tick trend with a certain ad, I try and duplicate it or give it an extra push.