[Miles A. Maxwell]

Tired of paying too much of your income to book promoters?
Here's a solution!

Big Publishers have two advantages over Independents:
1. Physical Distribution - libraries, grocery stores, Walmart, etc..

2. Catalog Cross-promotion.
This is where we can do something!

Big Publishers have lots of authors. For decades, big publishers have been promoting an author's other books at the end of a book - followed by promotion of the publisher's genre-related catalog under "Other Authors You Might Like"

I've been trading ads at the end of my FREE ebooks with other authors and want to expand this.

How does it work?
1) We place a small BookBub/Facebook style advertisement at the end of a book for each book for which we trade space.

2) We Link the ad to the advertised book's web page using a trackable Bitly link (no charge) so we can see how the trade is going. The book's webpage links to its distributors.

3) This is for FREE books only. Readers like being presented with an opportunity to grab a FREE book!

4) I write in two genres:

• Techno-Mystery-Thrillers (male and female protagonists)
• Detective Mystery Thrillers (female main protagonist)

If interested in trading, drop me a line:
[email protected]

Why are independents missing out?
One thing to remember: just like the big publishers, these offers are not endorsements! You don't have to read another author's book or even like it to trade. All that matters is FREE and a related genre. Let's do what the big publishers do and leave the rest up to the readers - and quit spending so much on book promotion!

****Mailing List: I have four thousand subscribers to my mailings, and 45 Thousand Twitter followers. Looking to trade? Please contact me. FREE books only.

 

[Kathy Dee]

I think this is an interesting idea but I can see that people may be concerned about the exchange ratio being unequal. Without some kind of regulation facility, it would be easy to end up with all, or most of the traffic going one way. However, if there was a way to manage that type of exchange, so that both parties were able to monitor traffic in each direction, it could be a winner. And, even if it does not work out, it's the right type of thinking, so well done for making the suggestion.

 

[Miles A. Maxwell]

Completely agree, Kathy!
That's why: 2) We link each other's ad to the book's web page using a trackable Bitly link (no charge) so we can see how the trade is going. Your book's webpage links to its distributors.

Bitly links are FREE! And easy to set up and use!
Come on guys and gals, give it a try!
If you don't get enough downloads (as determined from Bitly) from your ad in my book, pull my ad from your book!

All it takes is a tiny mod at the end of your book -- popping in my ad -- and hit the "Publish" button.
I do the same for you, and we bypass the promoters!
What have you got to lose? It's FREE, gratis, no charge, sin dinero involved, Man!

 

[Kathy Dee]

Completely agree, Kathy!
That's why: 2) We link each other's ad to the book's web page using a trackable Bitly link (no charge) so we can see how the trade is going. Your book's webpage links to its distributors.

Then I am not sure I fully understand. Two issues:

1. If I use a bit.ly link, then I can see how many clicks it gets. But I can't see how many clicks your bit.ly link gets.

2. There appears to be no way of regulating the exchange - or again, did I misunderstand?

 

[Trioxin 245]

I always wanted an opportunity when a new reader finishes reading my book to send them to someone else.  This solves that problem.

 

[J. Tanner]

Then I am not sure I fully understand. Two issues:

1. If I use a bit.ly link, then I can see how many clicks it gets. But I can't see how many clicks your bit.ly link gets.

2. There appears to be no way of regulating the exchange - or again, did I misunderstand?

When author A and B share, they create a new bitly account that's used for both links, and the account is shared. Or, if one of you has a paid plan, you can add users so you don't need to share a single account.

You'd regulate by comparing monthly downloads or similar as a baseline for the two books to share ads.

All in all, it's a little clunky. I've put links to other people's books in the back of some of mine because they were helpful in some way. I never asked for anything in return, never even mentioned it to them. They payed it forward in some way and I did a little something for them. Easier than dealing with something like this. <shrug>

 

[Kathy Dee]

When author A and B share, they create a new bitly account that's used for both links, and the account is shared. Or, if one of you has a paid plan, you can add users so you don't need to share a single account.

You'd regulate by comparing monthly downloads or similar as a baseline for the two books to share ads.

All in all, it's a little clunky. I've put links to other people's books in the back of some of mine because they were helpful in some way. I never asked for anything in return, never even mentioned it to them. They payed it forward in some way and I did a little something for them. Easier than dealing with something like this. <shrug>

Thanks for the explanation. I get the bit.ly part (though I don't entirely like it). However, I still don't get the exchange regulation method. I understand that you will be able to see what is going on, but I cannot see that you have any control over it. Am I still missing something?

 

[J. Tanner]

I'm sure he's got some plan, but the basic idea will be that if you and I have freebies that get 100 downloads a day, then we'll get about the same number of clicks in the back of the book. Maybe you only get 50 downloads a day, so you put the ad in two books, or run it for a year instead of 6 months.  Or maybe you each leave the ad in the back until you hit 500 clicks. Whatever. Bitly will be the sanity check that lets you both bail if the basic idea isn't working out.

 

[Miles A. Maxwell]

Hi Kathy,
Okay, as far as regulating the two sides of a promotion deal like a water faucet, I prefer to keep things simple: You retain ultimate control.

If you feel you're getting enough clicks for your book as seen on your Bitly link for a given co-promoter, you continue to advertise their book at the end of your book (AFTER your own titles). If you don't feel you're getting enough clicks, you pull their ad.

Everything is negotiable, so if let's say, someone's worked well in the past, but your downloads from their book are dropping off, you could always mention it. Maybe they can run an outside promo or something.

And J,
I think that's a cool idea you have that each pair of cross promoters could share a bitly account where they have access to both links. But I think it's too complex to have an account for each trade.

I like one master account where I can see how all my ads are doing in other people's books. Simple. After all, it isn't costing us a penny. I don't need to regulate it down to dollars and cents.

And Trioxin,
That's the spirit! Let's swap! My email address is below!

Here's my email address everybody: [email protected] Give it a whirl!
Let's get some new readers! For FREE!

PS. I'll happily pop your book in front of my 45,000 Twitter followers for FREE!
Love to trade mailing lists as well. I've only got 4,000 subscribers though.