@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon
An amazing result because overall Amazon has about 90% of the English Language ebook market worldwide.
Smashwords was setup to sell Erotic books that Amazon wouldn't publish but they (now with D2D) do all kinds and redistribute to Apple, Kobo, Barnes&Noble.
Google sells ebooks on the Playstore yet is one of the lowest sales.
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon Directly from the author if at all possible. Avoid Amazon like the plague. I'd rather send the author money and find a pirate edition than give Bezos his pound of flesh.
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon "Red, White & Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston is a romantic novel. Find out how two friends were forced to fake a friendship for political reasons, but their feelings deepened into a secret romance that challenges their lives and the world's perception. https://bit.ly/445UfVI
@jsundman Interesting data!
I made about 10% of total sales via Smashwords but I haven't been on Smashwords as long as on Amazon and, what's more important, I haven't advertised it as much.
I think Smashwords works better for erotica since they allow some kinks that are banned on the Zon and therefore erotica readers are more likely to have heard of it.
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon I've put Smashwords because I like that I can choose my preferred book format from there. I am happy to buy directly from the author too. Basically, if I know which will result in most money actually ending up with the author, so long as the price difference to me isn't huge, then I will shop there!
I'm trying to deliberately move away from Amazon so your publicising of other retailers would be very welcome!
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon
I prefer SW (and I'm pretty psyched about the new SW->Kobo Plus pipeline) but if I really want a story and it's only on the Zon, I will get it from the Zon.
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon I don't read a lot of steamy, however... the vast majority of what I read is ebooks. And the vast majority of those are from B&N, with much smaller numbers from Kobo, kickstarter, storybundle etc. author sites small publisher sites and smashwords. I buy physical books from Amazon occasionally, and very rarely buy a Kindle book if it is something I very much want to read and I absolutely cannot find it anywhere else.
There is a service called books2read, you can add all your bookstores including your own e-shop, and it'll let you use 1 link and people can choose their store.
I buy from Amazon, Kobo, & Play Books digital-wise. I haven't bought anything on Smashwords yet, but to be fair, I haven't looked. I also buy paperbacks in person via B&N, Books a Million, and used bookstores.
I use Calibre to get my books organized & on my e-reader(s) (2: a Paperwhite 10th gen + a Fire 10 with a 512 GB SD card & Moon+ Pro reader app + the apps for the above digital stores).
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon I pressed other so I could see the results. I haven’t bought ebooks lately, but these comments have great recommendations!
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon
I mostly read from #Kindle Unlimited. I post most of my books there and like to read what author writers are publishing. #KU is great because I can sample a lot of books until I find a writer/genre I enjoy. Sometimes, I'm surprised by the topics that interest me!
I'm the same. I read and post my erotica and erotic romances to #KindleUnlimited, which is where I make 55% of my Amazon earnings. It's a great platform for #smut, as long as you know to look for it there (since erotica in dungeoned on Amazon unless you specifically search for it, it won't appear in general results or recommendations).
I'm the same. I read and post my erotica and erotic romances to #KindleUnlimited, which is where I make 55% of my Amazon earnings. It's a great platform for #smut, as long as you know to look for it there (since #erotica in dungeoned on Amazon unless you specifically search for it, it won't appear in general results or recommendations).
@GraysonBell@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon Question if you're willing: Does Amazon not recommend smut titles to you? I have no problems with search on Amazon, and I have to be careful because smutty books keep showing up in my recommendations. Granted it could be the types of stories that I'm interested are "acceptable" by Amazon and not instantly dungeoned.
@rayckeith@GraysonBell@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon
I wish I had the magic answer. But, I try to have suggestive, but not explicit covers (ie sexy, but not naked.) I'm also careful about the words I put into my keywords. Anything implying "forbidden" subjects will get a book dungeoned. There are a few list of "forbidden topics" for Amazon authors that you should be able to find with a search. Also, I don't write non-consent. The person always has agency or seems to anyhow.
If you search for it, you can find it. The dungeoning happens when people browse romance titles, they generally won't be shown any titles that are classified as erotica or erotic romance. At least that's what people keep telling me (I specifically search for it, so it's not been a huge issue for me).
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon I have a kobo subscription so I have I start access to a LOT of such books, with the added bonus of a very plain, nondescript cover.
@AimeeMaroux@bookstodon@smutstodon I have a kobo reader, so I use their store usually. Directly from the author would be my second choice, but I haven't figured out how to get them on my reader yet.
#Calibre will let you move books to and from your Kobo very easily. It will also store the books on a PC, let you curate metadata, convert between formats, and lots more.
It is amazing software. With all the plugins and enhancements over the years it has become a monster application, so don't let it overwhelm you. Just use the bits you need.
Add comment