Free download promo, was it a good idea?

So, it's a done deal, The Division of the Damned is up on Amazon, costing 77 New English Pence per download.

As it stands now, I've SOLD (according to NovelRank.com, a very dubious website renowned for its inaccuracy) 38 downloads. Doesn't sound much, I know, but it's only been out a week and three of those days were the free giveaway promos, (more on that in a minute). So I'm not altogether unhappy with that, actually; especially because I never thought I'd see it in double figures ;-)

As for the free download promo, that was a roaring success!!.

Let me first illuminate the doubters on the wisdom of putting it out as a free download. The publishers I'm signed to are not rich and definitely cannot afford a promotion campaign; it just isn't on the agenda. Up to now Night has published, (I reckon) about 120 books all told, they do about two to three a month. It's a small publisher, (one boss, two editors, someone for the books and a Yorkshire terrier called Colin... OK, I lied about the dog, would have been cool though) who don't have money problems but they don't have it to spare, so marketing is on the author.

Sooooo, how do I market a book with no money, (as I DO have money problems, lol).

Mmmm, well, Amazon have a deal that involves you being able to give your book away free for five days every three months. That's pretty good of them in that for those five days they don't receive any money either. The idea is that enough people download it and then tell their friends about how good it is and write great reviews, which is what you're all going to do, I'm sure ^^

I let it run for three days, (well, Amazon did) and in those three days I had 3,535 free downloads in the US and 267 in the UK.

That's 3,535 people in America who have my book. What if when they actually finish reading it they tell their friends what a masterpiece of literary ingenuity it is and the word spreads. What if only half of them do that?

Today Amazon, tomorrow THE WORLD sort of thing.

Jessie Aru, (thanks Jess.^^) gave it a mention on BFBS but that's the only promotion I've had outside of Facebook. So the free download worked better than I thought, especially as "Division" sat at number one in Britain, America and Germany in the free download charts for War Fiction... which was very satisfing to see regardless of the fact that I'd make no money on it.

Anyway, that's the situation as it stands now peeps. Speculate to accumulate, as it were.

The paperback is apparently ready to order on Amazon.com but will be coming to Britain and Germany V. soon. so meanwhile I'm pushing my book to my 700 odd Facebook friends and waiting to see what happens.

Have a great day all.

Reg :-)