Don't Tell Your Friends You Published a Book
The day I self-published my book Space Apps for Android I sent free coupons to 16 close friends.
All of them share my interests and the topics the book covers. But none of the friends downloaded their free copy. Not a single one. Over the following days I sent free coupons to a few more friends who, again, didn’t download the book.
It’s nothing personal. Aside from life and other distractions getting in the way, it’s just that my friends are likely not typical readers who actively seek content like my book.
If you publish a book, don’t bother telling your friends and family.
Aside from the lack of interest, there are other reasons not to have your friends download the book. If you publish on Amazon, your friend’s purchasing history may have a negative impact on the algorithmic recommendations and reduce the book’s visibility. Also, the feedback you can get from complete strangers is more candid than what friends or family will say not to sound negative.
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| The Leanpub coupon generator. |
All of them share my interests and the topics the book covers. But none of the friends downloaded their free copy. Not a single one. Over the following days I sent free coupons to a few more friends who, again, didn’t download the book.
It’s nothing personal. Aside from life and other distractions getting in the way, it’s just that my friends are likely not typical readers who actively seek content like my book.
If you publish a book, don’t bother telling your friends and family.
Aside from the lack of interest, there are other reasons not to have your friends download the book. If you publish on Amazon, your friend’s purchasing history may have a negative impact on the algorithmic recommendations and reduce the book’s visibility. Also, the feedback you can get from complete strangers is more candid than what friends or family will say not to sound negative.
