FREE books to keep your readers hooked

It's tough for independent authors to catch the attention of the book buying public. Many offer their novels for free for a limited period, then see their downloads drop back when the price kicks in again.

A method I've used that's worked well is to write a short story around the same time my novels are published and include the first chapter of the novel as a taster at the end of the short story. It draws attention to the novel without sacrificing sales, but still gives readers a free shot at assessing whether they'll like it. Everyone's a winner.

My latest promotion is this weekend. If you'd like a free short story and the chance to read the first chapter of my latest novel, the links are here:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Vortex

On land or at sea a vortex is mesmerising, powerful and destructive. When Andy Duncan secures a dream job in an Asian investment company, he discovers the same forces apply in business. The pursuit of power, money and status blurs moral boundaries and once the first line is crossed, the vortex will drag you in. Duncan soon realises his career, his freedom and even his life may be at stake.

Set in Thailand and Hong Kong, Vortex is my fourth published work. I spent over twenty years in the investment industry and witnessed at first hand what can happen to those whose heads are turned by the rewards on offer. Most take it in their stride, for others it becomes all consuming. They believe they are navigating a tricky ascent to the top of their professional tree. It seemed to me that some were really in a perilous spiral that could only end in disaster.

Vortex is a tale of what happens to those who will stop at nothing to obtain what they covet, or to hang on to what they already have.

It's available as an Amazon e-book worldwide on and as a paperback in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Please check it out and let me know what you think. 

On Amazon.co.uk

On Amazon.com

FREE on Amazon until December 16

SOMETHING MUST BE DONE - by Matt Carrell

FREE Until December 16

A short story:

America is rocked by another high school shooting. Something must be done and the solution is simple. When evil people have guns, the only way to protect the vulnerable, is to arm the good guys. After all, God made men but Samuel Colt made them equal.
Sam Bailey is only twelve years old when he arrives in the USA from a sleepy village on the east coast of England. He has already experienced at first hand how violence can tear a family apart, but nothing can prepare him for life in the loudest, brashest and most confident country in the world.
When the latest massacre occurs only a hundred miles away, the question everyone is asking is: could this happen at Sam's school?.

"Before you make your mind up about how children should be kept safe at school, read Something Must Be Done, it will make you think again."

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

My favourite review

Very few writers make a lot of money. It's an incredibly competitive market and only the top authors can make a decent living. So we get our reward in a different way. Seeing one's book in print is a great experience but the real highlight is receiving a good review.

I've been fortunate, if people don't like my stuff they seem to keep quiet about it. All three of my publications rank close to five on Amazon and most of the comments have been really encouraging. I don't want to appear ungrateful to any of my reviewers but the one I saw today has to be my favourite.

Two of my books are set in the Thai sex industry and many people make their judgement without reading a single page. I have always been particularly concerned about how my work would be received by women readers. That's why this review by a lady called Caroline Page really stood out for me.

Thank you Caroline - I read a review like this and it simply makes my day.

Under the heading - Fabulous Insight

I rarely review books as I read so many but this one deserved. As a middle aged female living in Thailand I found this book to be extremely insightful to the culture of the entertainment, religious and other aspects of Thai life. Yes, there are hundreds of books about bargirls in Thailand (I have read most) and this is of that genre but very well written, some real twists and turns and unusually the girls involved are treated with respect by the author in his story telling and descriptions. Super book and highly recommended for anyone visiting or living here.  

Why not check out the book -  Thai Lottery on Amazon.co.uk

You Tube for marketing your book

Like most authors, I use Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and Web forums as the main method of marketing my books. Spotting a trailer for a book the other day on YouTube, I thought it was worth a go.

There won't be any Academy Awards for this, but it was fun putting it together -

Thai Kiss by Matt Carrell  on You Tube

FREE BOOK DOWNLOAD THIS WEEKEND

Of course it's great when people buy your books - I have an unhealthy obsession with checking where I've got to on the Amazon rankings and the royalty cheque is always welcome. Thai Kiss and Thai Lottery took around a year and half in total to go from initial ideas to publication. Charging £3.18 per book seems pretty reasonable, especially as Amazon and the publisher take the lion's share. But....

A few months ago I had the idea for a short story set in a US High School. Gun control was being discussed on every news show and the constant mantra was.... Something Must Be Done. At just 29 pages long it's pretty hard to justify a big price ticket on Amazon, so I only market this when they let me put it out for free.

The story is free all this weekend on Amazon. I hope you will download it and let your friends know

Made your mind up about gun control? Read this first.

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Boosting your sales with a second book

My first book was published last November and although Thai Lottery has sold very well, it had plateaued after about four months. Sales were regular but at nothing like the levels I'd seen shortly after launch.  My second book, Thai Kiss, came out in the last week of May and is already well ahead of the trend set by its predecessor.

I'd made sure that I had the contact details for everyone who had contacted me about Thai Lottery and so I had a ready made market into which I could sell the second book. The response I got was fantastic. Thai Kiss, they told me, was even better than Thai Lottery.

The thing I'd not bargained for was the impact a second book would have on sales of the first. I'd obviously tapped into a new readership, at times Thai Lottery actually  outsold Thai Kiss, even though the second book was doing better than the first in its opening weeks. In short the publication of a second book sent the first on a higher trajectory than it had ever had before, even in its opening weeks.

If you are an author I'd love to hear any theories you have on why this might happen.  Maybe a second book ensures a degree of credibility with readers or maybe it's just the weight of mentions on the net. Whatever the reason, there seems to be no doubt that a second book helps to create a  virtuous circle. Now excuse me, I have to get to work on the third book.....