Do you pull your stories to publish on Amazon?

[Lloyd]

Well now, do you just think anyone who disagrees with you should be murdered? What a pleasant view of reality.

And funny that you mention asking myself if I'd work hundreds or thousands of hours just to leave something free for people to enjoy. I happen to have done exactly that already, and shall continue to do so, as I see it as being moral to keep free things free. (Edit: in case it isn't obvious, I happen to write my own story, as seen in my signature.)

I suggest taking a good hard look at yourself if you are so hateful to people who have differing opinions.

It's more like taking out the trash in this case.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

I don't like reading enough to buy books.
So I just skip those stories.

 

[MaraDarks]

Well thank everyone for your replies. I feel like I'm learning more from many different points of view. I tend to agree that most readers wouldn't spend one dime unless they are forced to, so it's a system that seems to work.

I am not sure though: what would be the incentive for readers to go into Kindle Unlimited once they have read the story online? Unless you publish the finished story there. That sounds extra scummy but I fail to see how one could convert readers into dollars. This is something I'm trying to wrap my head around.

Thanks everyone for your replies so far - here's one smug girl who has just pulled her books from SH and is swimming in amazon royalties.

 

[winterwhereof]

The general idea is that you exhaust one market then move to the next. There's a significant amount of people who only read Amazon/KU but not RoyalRoad/Scribblehub and also in reverse. So for web fiction, posting on free sites to build up a Patreon and initial audience is smart, then once you've 'exhausted' that audience (since you get diminishing returns the long your story is on a site like Royalroad, with fewer and fewer new readers), you pull the work, polish it, and put it on Amazon to gain even more readers (these ones who pay passively through page reads, and some of who will also become patrons). This is especially a potent strategy because that already-existing fanbase can help you boost your initial reviews/ratings on Amazon, launching you to the best selling list.

I recommend this guide from TheFirstDefier, who makes 7 digit yearly income on litrpg/web fiction content and knows what he's talking about.
https://www.royalroad.com/forums/thread/116847

Of course, this all depends on the type of serial you're writing. Markets are extremely dependent on the genre you write in.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Well, I am quite certain I wouldn't get enough, as I am not popular.

It's called selling your soul.

Why I bet if you gave me a completed book you wrote, I could go through it, we could clean it up, file off the serial numbers, add some T&A, totally ruin your vision, then we could reduce it to the lowest common denominator and make some bank, yo.

Kids say "yo" these days, right?

 

[MaraDarks]

The general idea is that you exhaust one market then move to the next. There's a significant amount of people who only read Amazon/KU but not RoyalRoad/Scribblehub and also in reverse. So for web fiction, posting on free sites to build up a Patreon and initial audience is smart, then once you've 'exhausted' that audience (since you get diminishing returns the long your story is on a site like Royalroad, with fewer and fewer new readers), you pull the work, polish it, and put it on Amazon to gain even more readers (these ones who pay passively through page reads, and some of who will also become patrons). This is especially a potent strategy because that already-existing fanbase can help you boost your initial reviews/ratings on Amazon, launching you to the best selling list.

I recommend this guide from TheFirstDefier, who makes 7 digit yearly income on litrpg/web fiction content and knows what he's talking about.
https://www.royalroad.com/forums/thread/116847

Of course, this all depends on the type of serial you're writing. Markets are extremely dependent on the genre you write in.

thanks a lot for the guide!

 

[Tyranomaster]

The general idea is that you exhaust one market then move to the next. There's a significant amount of people who only read Amazon/KU but not RoyalRoad/Scribblehub and also in reverse. So for web fiction, posting on free sites to build up a Patreon and initial audience is smart, then once you've 'exhausted' that audience (since you get diminishing returns the long your story is on a site like Royalroad, with fewer and fewer new readers), you pull the work, polish it, and put it on Amazon to gain even more readers (these ones who pay passively through page reads, and some of who will also become patrons). This is especially a potent strategy because that already-existing fanbase can help you boost your initial reviews/ratings on Amazon, launching you to the best selling list.

I recommend this guide from TheFirstDefier, who makes 7 digit yearly income on litrpg/web fiction content and knows what he's talking about.
https://www.royalroad.com/forums/thread/116847

Of course, this all depends on the type of serial you're writing. Markets are extremely dependent on the genre you write in.

The guide gave me some things to think about.

On principle, I still stand behind the idea that if you're using a free website to test the waters with a story, and you intend to move it to amazon KU, then you should put that in the description.

If you are sold a car with "Free oil changes for life*" and then they clasify life as 2 years, customers are technically the ones who got fooled, but the dealership is morally wrong.

 

[winterwhereof]

The guide gave me some things to think about.

On principle, I still stand behind the idea that if you're using a free website to test the waters with a story, and you intend to move it to amazon KU, then you should put that in the description.

If you are sold a car with "Free oil changes for life*" and then they clasify life as 2 years, customers are technically the ones who got fooled, but the dealership is morally wrong.

The analogy falls apart when you're talking about writing that's been posted online, completely free for consumption, with no promises made (any assumed promises to keep it up permanently are in your head). So, what, these authors are scamming you out of your 0 cents and assumed promises?

Even if you became their patron, the typical strategy is to continue posting advance chapters there, so you're unaffected. The only people disgruntled are those who don't support the author but want to read their writing indefinitely, anyways. In which case ... no? You don't get to be mad about them trying to make a living?

It would be courteous to announce that you eventually plan to move to Amazon (and that's what I did), but I don't think authors are obligated to shoot themselves in the foot for unpaying readers. You're already getting a product for free.

And this monetization plan typically continues posting most recent chapters and only taking down books when they're finished, so ongoing readers aren't even betrayed. It's only new readers finding the fiction for the first time who don't get the content for free. And seriously, that category of people complaining is the height of entitlement. Especially when such fictions are actively marked as stubs.

 

[MaraDarks]

The analogy falls apart when you're talking about writing that's been posted online, completely free for consumption, with no promises made (any assumed promises to keep it up permanently are in your head). So, what, these authors are scamming you out of your 0 cents and assumed promises?

Even if you became their patron, the typical strategy is to continue posting advance chapters there, so you're unaffected. The only people disgruntled are those who don't support the author but want to read their writing indefinitely, anyways. In which case ... no? You don't get to be mad about them trying to make a living?

It would be courteous to announce that you eventually plan to move to Amazon (and that's what I did), but I don't think authors are obligated to shoot themselves in the foot for unpaying readers. You're already getting a product for free.

And this monetization plan typically continues posting most recent chapters and only taking down books when they're finished, so ongoing readers aren't even betrayed. It's only new readers finding the fiction for the first time who don't get the content for free. And seriously, that category of people complaining is the height of entitlement. Especially when such fictions are actively marked as stubs.

This does make sense.

 

[K5Rakitan]

Fuck the readers

With a condom!

 

[melchi]

Hey all, quick question. What is KU? I'm not familiar with the shortened version of the company or website.

Thanks

Also Amazon will promote novels on Kindle unlimited for free for about a month I believe. So if an author does a non exclusive release it will likely be invisible unless it gets a lot of reviews.

 

[VictorDLopez]

Everything I post here currently was previously published on both Amazon and through Smashwords (an aggregator) just about everywhere else. I do not give Amazon exclusivity, so there is no down side to keeping my books there for sale in soft cover, hard cover and Kindle versions and don't care about monetizing it here, in RR or any of the other sites I sometimes post to. I just want my fiction to be available to new readers. As long as new readers find it, I keep it on a site. If it goes dormant, I usually pull it.

I found no difference in sales by using KU versus non-exclusivity. Amazon, Smashwords and all other sites that cater to indie authors are awash with works--a veritable tsunami of the good, the bad and mostly the pretty ugly since everyone with a computer is now "an author." Getting readers on Amazon or anywhere else for books (even books given away) generally requires one of two things: 1. a large, existing fan base, or 2. spending a lot of money on advertising and promotion (including buying reviews) that the vast majority of authors will never recover through sales.

It is easier for authors who write in hot niche audiences (I do not as regards my fiction). But even there, without advertising or a large fan base, don't expect readers to find you above the unholy din of author's vying for the attention of readers.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Write free stories on free sites.

Write exclusive stories exclusively for paid sites.

Tell the readers on both where they can find the rest.

No scum, all profit.

There's no reason to sell your soul for a few of amazon's scraps.

I suggest taking a good hard look at yourself if you are so hateful to people who have differing opinions.

Also, don't feed the trolls. Just Ignore.

 

[MintiLime]

Write free stories on free sites.

Write exclusive stories exclusively for paid sites.

Tell the readers on both where they can find the rest.

No scum, all profit.

There's no reason to sell your soul for a few of amazon's scraps.

Also, don't feed the trolls. Just Ignore.

As a reader who just started writing, this. This right here.

I used to spend a ton of money one books: I would buy anything I found interesting. I ended up saddled with some books that I didn’t like, which I would then donate. I still do, I just tend to spend money on Tried and True authors. For example, anything Rick Riordan. Any new soft leather version of Jane Austen or I have multiples of the same books for different covers because the art makes me happy.

I read only free stuff for relaxing, turning my brain off, etc. I enjoy it, I really do. But I also hold it to different standards.

If I really like an author I WILL BUY ALL OF THEIR WORKS. So, I would be willing to buy a hard copy set of books for $100+. I would not buy a ScribbleHub average quality cliche novel for $5– I will save that money for aforementioned hard copy collections.

Also, +1 to the person that commented physical copies >> digital copies

 

[melchi]

The general idea is that you exhaust one market then move to the next. There's a significant amount of people who only read Amazon/KU but not RoyalRoad/Scribblehub and also in reverse. So for web fiction, posting on free sites to build up a Patreon and initial audience is smart, then once you've 'exhausted' that audience (since you get diminishing returns the long your story is on a site like Royalroad, with fewer and fewer new readers), you pull the work, polish it, and put it on Amazon to gain even more readers (these ones who pay passively through page reads, and some of who will also become patrons). This is especially a potent strategy because that already-existing fanbase can help you boost your initial reviews/ratings on Amazon, launching you to the best selling list.

I recommend this guide from TheFirstDefier, who makes 7 digit yearly income on litrpg/web fiction content and knows what he's talking about.
https://www.royalroad.com/forums/thread/116847

Of course, this all depends on the type of serial you're writing. Markets are extremely dependent on the genre you write in.

This is an interesting guide.

 

[J_Chemist]

Nope. My stories will always be free unless someone comes at me with a contract/royalty that would be stupid to say no to.

 

[theartofwar901]

Why not build a fan base on sites like Royal road and scribblehub, then advertise to the readers your books on Amazon later. Has anyone done this or had any success?

 

[Temple]

Why not build a fan base on sites like Royal road and scribblehub, then advertise to the readers your books on Amazon later. Has anyone done this or had any success?

That's what the big earners do, with the added step of putting their story on KU (which means pulling off free sites) and doubling their income compared to if they just sold on Amazon KDP and other sites.
Most readers on RR and SH won't or don't spend money on books. The overlap between free readers and readers willing to pay is actually very small. The KU community is a whole different one from us here on SH or on RR>

 

[melchi]

I think that royal road post made a good point. It doesn't really affect readers because those that are currently reading it won't miss stuff that has been posted a long time ago. It is the people who haven't read it yet that miss out.

 

[Temple]

It is the people who haven't read it yet that miss out.

Yup, and that's a very small number. But also loud when it comes to complaining. You won't be even sure if they'll read if the full story had stayed. The actual readers would be mostly supportive of the author getting money to eat (I heard eating is important), as opposed to the story getting dropped because the author has to work more instead of write to survive.