by Pamela Hegarty
One way Kindle readers choose books to buy and read is Kindle Nation Daily, an e-newsletter promoting books that may otherwise be overlooked. But is sponsorship worth the cost for authors?
Kindle Nation Daily seems like the ideal marketing solution for authors reaching out to Kindle readers. It offers an impressive selection of sponsorship (advertising) programs, from the daily Free Book Alert at $140 to the Thriller of the Week package at $400. Obviously, an author would need to sell lots of books to recoup the advertising costs. The sponsorship is really aimed at building readership more than making a profit. So is it effective?
I’m the type of shopper who obsessively compares prices and reviews before spending, so I decided to subscribe to Kindle Nation Daily to get a better feel for what it offers. Every day, the emails come in. I was especially impressed with the sponsorship that offers a lucky reader a chance to win a Kindle Fire. Fingers crossed on that one.
Frankly, I think that the authors sponsoring their books on Kindle Nation Daily are doing a good job with their promotional materials. However, if the concept of the book doesn’t appeal to me, I’m not going to buy it. Of all the KND emails I’ve received, I’ve yet to buy one of the sponsored books. On busier days (and which aren’t), I barely have time to glance at the KND email.
Usually, when choosing a book, I think many readers, like myself, go onto Amazon.com and search for the type of book they want. Or they already have heard of a title through reviews or word of mouth. I wonder if the KND sponsorship emails are going out to too broad a readership.
Yes, sponsored books are getting in front of Kindle readers, but is it really leaving an impression on them?
I’d love to hear your comments and especially start a discussion with authors and readers sharing ideas and opinions of KND sponsorship opportunities. Have you tried sponsoring your book or are you considering it? Readers, do you subscribe to Kindle Nation Daily? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Indiana Jones meets Da Vinci Code in Pamela Hegarty’s new thriller, The Seventh Stone, available as an e-book and trade paperback through Amazon.com.
I can’t say that I had ever heard of Kindle Nation Daily before today. I’m interested to hear if investing here is really worth it, since I’m a bit intimidated by all the advertizing choices out there. Thanks for the follow!
Thanks for the comment, Kate. Sometimes I wonder if the majority of KND subscribers are writers marketing their books. Still, it is a way to contact Kindle owners. I’ll keep posting if I hear any concrete information about sales due to KND. And thanks for subscribing! Check out my other blog at pamelahegarty.com. I’m shifting my focus to that one for a while, as I need some time to actually write!
I’ve awarded you the Versatile Blogger Award! You can see the rules on my post: http://katepolicani.com/2012/01/17/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Really interesting. I love hearing about how other readers choose books. I am also a giant nerd and created a Facebook poll a few months ago asking How do readers choose books? The results aren’t too much different than what you’ve noted (“obsessively compares prices and reviews”). Thanks for sharing.
Hi Caleb, Thanks for the comment. I checked out your poll and love the chart. I’d like to repost it on this blog, if you’re willing.
Of course! If I ever get a bigger sample size and redo the poll, I’ll be sure to let you know. Thanks.