A “Dear Paula” letter from Amazon…

I received an e-mail the other day from Amazon.  It began, “Dear Paula…”

Yes, we’re very good friends. 

No, it wasn't a “Dear John” letter.

All jokes aside, it came to me as a reader, not as an author, asking whether I was looking for something in their mystery, thriller and suspense books department, since I visit there often enough.  The e-mail continued by saying that if I was, I might be interested in these items:

 

The list contained a total of fourteen books but because Best Kept Secrets is first on the list, it was also listed in the subject line of the e-mail.  I don’t know how many mystery-loving Amazon customers received this e-mail but it’s just one more reason I love working with Amazon.  Yes, I said love.  I know it’s a strong word but they provide to me what other large book retailers do not: free marketing to who knows how many potential readers. 

Say it with me now…free marketing.

Some say nothing is ever free and of course, Amazon has their own agenda; they want to make money.  Who doesn’t in this business?  Point is, if they make money by marketing my work and the work of other authors, it also means the authors make money.  It’s a win-win situation for all involved.

What Amazon does for me as an author is one of the reasons I decided to leave the eBook for Best Kept Secrets exclusively with them for the first 90 days.  After that, I may decide to also make it available for the Nook and other devices but honestly, I may not.  Sales for the Kindle were much, much better than Nook sales after No Mother of Mine was released, more than four times better.  In looking at the sales reports now for the past two months, No Mother of Mine is selling double on the Kindle than on the Nook and while that’s a much closer gap to overcome, it may widen again as Amazon continues to market the eBook version of my books while the Nook eBook is not getting similar treatment.   

I have a few months to decide but for now, I’m extremely pleased with my decision to continue working with Amazon because they do what others in this business tend not to find time for…provide a helping hand to a struggling new author who only wishes to get her name out there.