SFFMP 17: Kindle Unlimited, Pre-Orders, and Smashwords Formatting

February 11, 2015 SFFpodcast Group Discussion, Podcast

After a week off, we’re back, and we had a good long chat tonight, covering all sorts of useful topics (we hope they’re useful, anyway!). We didn’t have a guest, so we interviewed each other on marketing/publishing subjects that we’re experienced with. Jeff answered our questions on Smashwords formatting, Jo talked about his experience with pre-orders and whether they’re a good idea for increasing book sales, and Lindsay talked about her experience in KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited (with her pen name).

Here’s a list of some of the topics we hit upon:

In the opening news, Lindsay argued why it’s a good idea to bundle the early books in a series
The gang discussed the fact that the SFWA is now allowing in small press and indie authors
Pre-orders on Amazon, yea or nay?
Why pre-orders on Smashwords, Apple, and Kobo are a good idea
How far out you can list pre-orders and what happens if you fail to get your finished manuscript up in time
Lots of formatting tips for dealing with the Smashwords meatgrinder
How KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited can increase visibility and be useful for new authors
Whether the perks of KDP Select are worth the exclusivity requirement or whether it’s better to go wide