Best marketing there is

[Luke Everhart]

From the ranking's cellar to the top. New indie author hits the marketing jackpot.

Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh talked a few minutes about a new indie author's book "False Assurances". It's the 1st book in a new thriller series ("Ben Porter Series") and the author is debut indie author Christopher Rosow.

Christopher’s dad apparently golfs with James Patterson from time to time and took the manuscript to him and asked him to read it. Patterson enjoyed it and gave Rosen a blurb quote for the book. But it didn't go any further than that and Rosen decided to self publish. He did so back on May 4th.
Despite the positive quote from Patterson, as of yesterday the book was still languishing at #268,000ish in the paid rankings.
But Patterson reading it did start the ball rolling because he mentioned it to Rush. They golf together.
Rush read it and loved it.
Then Rush brought it up on his show yesterday.
Today, it's #1 paid in the kindle store.

Unfortunately for me, I'm almost certain Rush doesn't read urban fantasy... 

[Bill Hiatt]

From the ranking's cellar to the top. New indie author hits the marketing jackpot.

Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh talked a few minutes about a new indie author's book "False Assurances". It's the 1st book in a new thriller series ("Ben Porter Series") and the author is debut indie author Christopher Rosow.

Christopher’s dad apparently golfs with James Patterson from time to time and took the manuscript to him and asked him to read it. Patterson enjoyed it and gave Rosen a blurb quote for the book. But it didn't go any further than that and Rosen decided to self publish. He did so back on May 4th.
Despite the positive quote from Patterson, as of yesterday the book was still languishing at #268,000ish in the paid rankings.
But Patterson reading it did start the ball rolling because he mentioned it to Rush. They golf together.
Rush read it and loved it.
Then Rush brought it up on his show yesterday.
Today, it's #1 paid in the kindle store.

Unfortunately for me, I'm almost certain Rush doesn't read urban fantasy... 

But does your dad golf with James Patterson? Let's not forget the first step in the chain.

[j tanner]

My dad golfed with a guy named James.

So close...

[Luke Everhart]

From the ranking's cellar to the top. New indie author hits the marketing jackpot.

Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh talked a few minutes about a new indie author's book "False Assurances". It's the 1st book in a new thriller series ("Ben Porter Series") and the author is debut indie author Christopher Rosow.

Christopher’s dad apparently golfs with James Patterson from time to time and took the manuscript to him and asked him to read it. Patterson enjoyed it and gave Rosen a blurb quote for the book. But it didn't go any further than that and Rosen decided to self publish. He did so back on May 4th.
Despite the positive quote from Patterson, as of yesterday the book was still languishing at #268,000ish in the paid rankings.
But Patterson reading it did start the ball rolling because he mentioned it to Rush. They golf together.
Rush read it and loved it.
Then Rush brought it up on his show yesterday.
Today, it's #1 paid in the kindle store.

Unfortunately for me, I'm almost certain Rush doesn't read urban fantasy... 

But does your dad golf with James Patterson? Let's not forget the first step in the chain.

Well, no, but since Patterson's role was just passing on the recommendation to Rush, I'm chalking him up as an unnecessary middle man. The entire bump from 268,000ish rank to #1 came within 24 hours of Rush talking about the book, in glowing terms, on his show.
...Unfortunately that doesn't leave me any closer to getting the Golden EIB microphone on my side though 😞

But it's a very cool story nonetheless (the endorsement and bump not the book itself which I haven't read).

It reminds me of the account I read of how Tom Clancy's first novel caught the attention of president Ronald Reagan and turned the debut author, who only got $5000 for his first book "Hunt for Red October" and was still selling insurance for a living, into a mega-seller.
The story of it (and more)👇
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/02/tom-clancy-dies-aged-66

[Indiecognito]

Not gonna comment on my feelings for Rush.

But I will say this: most authors who are (especially wildly) successful who deny the role that luck plays in their success are either lying to themselves or to others.

I say this as someone who rode the coattails of another very successful author via Amazon's algorithms for a good long time, had to spend zero on advertising, and easily earned enough to buy a house in cash over the course of a year, purely based on that free advertising.

Was it a good book? Sure, it was fine. But I've written far better books that have sold far less since then.

My point is: authors, don't beat yourselves up if you're not selling. Sometimes it's merely a problem of visibility. Sometimes it's not.

But not everyone hits the visibility jackpot.

[TimothyEllis]

But I will say this: most authors who are (especially wildly) successful who deny the role that luck plays in their success are either lying to themselves or to others.

I say this as someone who rode the coattails of another very successful author via Amazon's algorithms for a good long time, had to spend zero on advertising, and easily earned enough to buy a house in cash over the course of a year, purely based on that free advertising.

I was lucky like that in 2018.

One thing I noticed was when your book is the first one on the also-boughts slider on a book which is #1 in your main category, then you get a lot of flow through from that. Even just on their first page of a slider will do it.

Unfortunately, the way Amazon keeps changing things is making this kind of thing less likely. I blame the pay to play mentality.

[guest78]

Not gonna comment on my feelings for Rush.

But I will say this: most authors who are (especially wildly) successful who deny the role that luck plays in their success are either lying to themselves or to others.

I say this as someone who rode the coattails of another very successful author via Amazon's algorithms for a good long time, had to spend zero on advertising, and easily earned enough to buy a house in cash over the course of a year, purely based on that free advertising.

Was it a good book? Sure, it was fine. But I've written far better books that have sold far less since then.

My point is: authors, don't beat yourselves up if you're not selling. Sometimes it's merely a problem of visibility. Sometimes it's not.

But not everyone hits the visibility jackpot.

I agree with you, but say that and boy do feathers get ruffled.

[Nick G]

I agree with you, but say that and boy do feathers get ruffled.

I don't understand why that is. Luck and connections affect every important part of modern life I can think of, and it's not like you can get by on those two things alone when it comes to pleasing any market. Your book has to be good enough for the luck to pay off in the long run. It's an observation not a slight.

[MaxDaemon]

I agree with you, but say that and boy do feathers get ruffled.

I don't understand why that is. Luck and connections affect every important part of modern life I can think of, and it's not like you can get by on those two things alone when it comes to pleasing any market. Your book has to be good enough for the luck to pay off in the long run. It's an observation not a slight.

Yea - if Rush had read the book and hated it, he would never have mentioned it. So, it had to be a decent book, or at least one Rush liked. SO, it's luck bonded with .. skill? Or maybe just more luck. Heh.

Gimme a quick opinion - do you consider 16k page reads in Amazon KU pretty good?

[Nick G]

Yea - if Rush had read the book and hated it, he would never have mentioned it. So, it had to be a decent book, or at least one Rush liked. SO, it's luck bonded with .. skill? Or maybe just more luck. Heh.

Gimme a quick opinion - do you consider 16k page reads in Amazon KU pretty good?

Yeah, but I also don't expect every book promoted by someone in the media has been read by said person. But it's exposure all the same, and if your book is good enough to please the audience of that public figure, then boom. That's good enough I'd say? Taste is subjective.

I don't know. I'm not a writer myself so I lack experience publishing to KU. It sounds good though.

[hardnox]

So Rush blows a putt on the 18th. Dad says, "That's ten large, good buddy. Sorry." Rush says, "I hate losing!" Dad says, "Tell you what. Hold my kid's book in front of the camera and say, 'Buy this book, it's good.' And we're square."

[MaxDaemon]

So Rush blows a putt on the 18th. Dad says, "That's ten large, good buddy. Sorry." Rush says, "I hate losing!" Dad says, "Tell you what. Hold my kid's book in front of the camera and say, 'Buy this book, it's good.' And we're square."

That makes you sound so cynical. That could never happen in the real world .. right?

Limo rolls up to the parking area, good looking doorman opens the door and this ancient crone of a lady gets out. She looks him up and down, says "Would you sleep with me for a million dollars?" He says, "Yes, ma'am, I would. " She grins a toothless grin at him. "Would you sleep with me for a dollar?" He steps back, draws himself up and says haughtily, "Of course not, what do you think I am?" She laughs, says "We know what you are, we're just haggling price."

[Luke Everhart]

So Rush blows a putt on the 18th. Dad says, "That's ten large, good buddy. Sorry." Rush says, "I hate losing!" Dad says, "Tell you what. Hold my kid's book in front of the camera and say, 'Buy this book, it's good.' And we're square."

🙄 That is not how it happened. Nor is it the first time Rush has mentioned a book he liked on air. He's a big fan of thrillers and constantly trying new ones.

[MaxDaemon]

So Rush blows a putt on the 18th. Dad says, "That's ten large, good buddy. Sorry." Rush says, "I hate losing!" Dad says, "Tell you what. Hold my kid's book in front of the camera and say, 'Buy this book, it's good.' And we're square."

🙄 That is not how it happened. Nor is it the first time Rush has mentioned a book he liked on air. He's a big fan of thrillers and constantly trying new ones.

I happen to agree. In fact, I think one of the few things that could scuttle Rush's popularity would be to be able to demonstrate that he lied directly about almost anything. Finding out he didn't know about or didn't care about or didn't read this book would seriously undercut my estimation of him, and I suspect, most of his audience.

It's outside my interest circle, so I haven't had a look, myself.