Top 3 Mistakes I’ve Made While Writing Kindle Books…

by Rachel Rofe

As many of you know, I LOVE Kindle.

I say it all the time – but Amazon is either going to always be #1 or they’ll spend millions of dollars trying. So it only makes sense to piggy-back on their traffic.

Why spin your wheels trying to bring visitors to your site when Amazon can do all the heavy lifting for you?

That being said… I have a VERY fun surprise for you at the end of this post… so keep reading all the way to the end.

Before we get to that though, I wanted to cover one thing.

While Amazon is a no-brainer in my mind, there are some things you can do that are BIG mistakes and will cost you a lot of money.

I know, because I’ve made them. ;)

In no particular order, here are the top 3 worst mistakes I’ve made with Kindle:

1. Choosing bad niches – When I first started working with Kindle, I assumed that the same types of books that sell well via internet marketing would work well with Kindle.

Not so much.

I also used Google Keyword Tool, thinking that if there were lots of searches for something, it would be popular to buy.

Again… no go.

As James Jones points out, people search on Google because they’re looking for INFORMATION… not necessarily things to BUY.

Amazon is a different ball game. People go there to buy.

Now, if I have an idea for a niche… I go into the Kindle store, type in the niche, and see how sales are going for that niche. If a book has a sales ranking of 20,000 or better, then I usually do it.

Here’s what I mean:

Simply type in your idea, scroll down on the Amazon page, and see what the Amazon best seller’s rank is.

I know a lot of people think they have their own, unique ideas… but in my opinion, competition is a GOOD thing. I LOVE to see competition for what I’m writing about.

If you check Amazon and see that something is already selling well, it’s basically a shortcut to telling you that your idea is profitable.

2. Bad Formatting – Blah! This one still stings because it hurt me BIGTIME.

I had one book that was selling VERY well. As far as I knew, the formatting of the book was fine. I was only getting positive reviews so I had no reason to think otherwise.

And then… the first bad review hit.

And then another, and another…

And for some reason, Amazon likes putting the 1 star reviews up on the front page. One of my books has 151 5-star reviews and 5 1-stars…. yet only the 1-stars are the ones on the front page, and they are NOT the most recent.

(And that’s even after I’ve fixed the mistakes.)

So if you’re going to put a book up, PLEASE make sure you have the formatting right. I don’t know why Amazon doesn’t make it easier, but it can be a headache and a half.

Though definitely worth it if you want to make sales.

(Side note: If you’re interested in a great formatter that does the formatting for you, I highly recommend this).

1. Rewritten PLR/Low Quality Books – I’ve had books that were MAJORLY rewritten from PLR. I’m talking…. most people would have ZERO idea that the author of the rewritten book even knew the PLR existed.

But for some reason, Amazon was still able to tell.

I can’t recommend NOT using PLR materials enough for your Kindle books.

Amazon will shut you down in a heartbeat if they suspect you of this.

In the same vein, I highly recommend NOT using low quality books.

Some people think getting a low quality book is a shortcut… throw up a book, make some sales, rinse and repeat…

BAD IDEA.

Aside from accruing lots of bad karma ;) , people forget that Amazon is a REVIEW-DRIVEN shopping cart.

If you have a crappy quality book, people will leave you bad reviews, and you’ll have to start your book-writing process ALL over again.

So what are you supposed to do there?

Here’s Where The Fun Surprise Comes In…

As some of you know, I LOVE outsourcing. I like being off the computer as much as possible.

So it only made sense to combine my love of Kindle with my love of outsourcing. I started talking to people about how to outsource for Kindle books… and I was amazed at how many people were interested.

I shared this with James Jones, who is a total Kindle (and life) superstar… and we decided to put our knowledge into a course called “Outsourcing A Kindle Book“.

We’ll officially launch it tomorrow, but we’ve decided to give away 3 copies today.

Here’s what the course entails:

  • How to get AMAZING writers (I’m talking MBA Level) to write your books for pennies on the dollar…
  • How to get your book written VERY quickly… for HALF of what you expect, at least…
  • What to do to find best-of-the-best writers immediately, WITHOUT having to deal with crappy workers…
  • How you can get started for just $25…
  • …and basically, everything you need to know to get QUALITY books written for you INEXPENSIVELY.

Sound like something you’re interested in?

SWEET!

Simply leave a comment below (Facebook or regular is fine) and tell us why you’d like to win a copy, OR your biggest take-away from this blog post.

We’ll pick choose some winners at 9pm EST tonight and email or Facebook message you with your prize.

And if you’d like to sign up for the early bird notification list for the Outsourcing A Kindle Book, you can sign up right here.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

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  • Eva

    Great tips! I would LOVE to win your course. I’m still to publish my first Kindle book, and so far gathering the best tips and tools I can to get started – Kindle Triangulation, Kinstant Formatter etc. I’m ready to go, and this course would be an awesome addition and a great help!
    Thanks for the opportunity :)

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  • Chris C.

    I would be interested in hearing more.  I am getting started in outsourcing and any way I can do it and save money is something I want. 

    [Reply]

  • Celeste

    I would like to win a copy of the course simply because James Jones over delivers on his products.

    I’m doing his current Kindle Triangulation Lookin Course and the only word I can use to describe it is “AWESOME” – I’m a newbie to kindle publishing but he has a way of imparting technical information in a user-friendly easy to understand format. He’s also ready to answer all our questions and has a great product support team.

    James also had Rachael Rofe on as guest on the Kindle Triangulation Course talking about outsourcing for Kindle and if the “Outsourcing a Kindle Book” course is anything like the information she gave us, then its going to be a course to get your hands on! As you can see from the great blog post above, Rachael knows what she’s talking about.

    I feel confident that the “Outsourcing a Kindle Book” will help me to do what James and Rachael say it will do!

    [Reply]

  • Graeme

    I’ve already written the books for my first two collections. So finding the right niche for what I have might be a problem. Outsourcing and PLR are not problems for me. Except for my third collection I have 19 eBooks that will need re-working. Whilst they ARE all my books they do include bits and pieces from a range of different sources. Most of these are unknown to me now as they were included years ago when first written. Is this likely to be a PLR problem? If so how do I solve it?
    Graeme 

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  • Patti Lowe

    Hi Rachel!  I LOVE Kindle ebooks.   I am an avid learner and internet marketer.  I have a handful of books on Amazon with limited success.  As I read through your post, I realized that all of my books have at least one of the mistakes that you mention as deal breakers which maybe why I have had only limited success. 

    Thank you so much for your insightful post and for the opportunity to win a copy of Outsourcing a Kindle Book.   I wish both you and James Jones much success with your new Kindle product and hope that I can continue to learn from your experiences and success.  I respect and appreciate both of you and hope that I can win a copy of your new product and ‘pay it forward’ like you did in your post. 

    Thanks again!

    [Reply]

  • Reg Boczko

    I am a 63 yr old guy that has 2 books on Amazon… I have not made one sale and they been on there for about a year. I feel that I need all the help from James, so I can earn a income to help my low Social Security… Since I lose my job in 2009 I tried looking but could land one because of my age so I had to take a early Social Security when my unemployment ran out. Been very interested in being a publish writer for a long time… So please choose me to help me out… Thanks for listening…
    Reg B.

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  • stan

    Just starting a kindle bus. Would love this

    [Reply]

  • Miranda

    Amazingly, even though most of us will read this post and realize that someone else made those mistakes and they’re not a good idea, a small percentage will go on to make the EXACT same mistakes because they are not focusing on what their business plan is and implementing the strategies and suggestions from people who have been there. Your advice is invaluable!

    I am so grateful to Amazon for giving us this kind of opportunity, and I, for one, am determined to treat it like a real business and with the respect it deserves. Thank you so much, and best to you in your publishing.

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  • Roger

    Hi Racael,

    I enjoyed your post, and I agree with everthing you say, quality over quantity every time. The same should be true of ooutsourcing and outsourcers, so finding good writers is a must, but are they realy affordable and why don’t they just put up their own books, instead of receiving a one off fee? I look forward to your thoughts on this and more tips.

    Roger

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  • Jim Lindsey

    Great post – good info.  My takeaway was the emphasizing that Amazon review-driven.   I am a buyer of Kindle books and I noticed right off when I got my Kindle that the majority of personally published books I bought are of poor quality or formatting, enough so that I have just recently felt I could do better so have started research to learn how to write Kindle books of good quality that will be of value to buyers.  Have discovered James Jones through whose e-mail I found this post.  Again, thanks for the info.

    [Reply]

  • David

    Thanks for the information. I would love to get started with kindle publishing and what better person to learn from than you Rachel.

    Looking forward to the launch tomorrow.

    [Reply]

  • http://twitter.com/Alans_IM Alan’s IM

    Thanks, that’s a nice few tips.  I’ve just downloaded my first kindle ebook and the formatting is readable, just really irritating and unpleasant to look at!  Have you ever tried outsourcing Kindle Formatting on Fivver or do you simply prefer the software (Kinstant Formatter)?

    [Reply]

  • Lawrence

    Great comments.  I and my partner are newbie Kindle publishers and everything you and Dennis have written has turned out to be true.  I would love to learn how to outsource as time at any age is a precious resource and at mine  seems to come in limited quantities :)  

    [Reply]

  • Phil Hirtes

    Thanks for your valuable information, Rachel. I haven’t been in the Kindle game for very long, and I’ve heard so often from many people what you have to say here. However, none of us can’t hear these things too many times. We need to have these important principles drummed into our heads over and over again. These types of errors can be fatal to our Kindle accounts and to our entire Kindle careers. The importance of paying attention to Amazon’s TOS cannot be overstated, and our eyes must always be kept on the overall goal of providing our customers with the best Kindle experience possible. If we always put our customers’ needs first, everything else should fall into place.
    Phil Hirtes

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  • Stan Lincoln

    Rachel- You’ve got great instincts, find out what works i.e. what people want, and give them more of it in the way they want. And I’ve been a fan of James J. for years. Have to think he’s a great partner. I’d love to get a copy of your outsourcing Kindle books guide since it’s exactly what has been speaking to me for months now, and you have the pulse of the market. Thanks

    [Reply]

  • Llafontaine5

    Hi James, Nice to meet you Rachel,
    Whenever I see ANYTHING with James Jones’ name on it, I pay attention!  I am a beginner learning more and more everyday and just last week, I outsourced two articles that cost me $24 by a supposedly very experienced writer and waited over-time and had to revise and re-write a lot of it…I am very drawn by writing Kindle e-books, have followed James success in this area, have ORIGINAL ideas, but need to be able to find good, reliable outsourcing at a reasonable rate.  I also need to buy the formatting tool.  So, plllllleeeeeaaase……Lise

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  • Erlend

    Why I should win? I’m a poor student from Norway, with bad grammar. Recently I had to ask for refund of good products bought, because I could not afford to have it. And if I could start for 25$, it would be a really good thing since I don’t have any job for the summer, and must live with my parents to get food this summer. I can ensure you will get a good review from me, if the course is good(but the grammar will not be good :P ). But, I think I will buy it for 7$ also….

    [Reply]

  • Shelley

    The information on reviews is interesting. How only the low reviews are showing up on first page. Also the importance of formatting properly. I think you should offer the Kinstant formatting software (which I have) as an upsell to the outsourcing  course. I’d love a review copy of the course. Always quality stuff!

    [Reply]

  • Inspent

    What could
    be better than to be able to help others (outsourcers) to get ahead by doing
    what they apparently love to do while at the same time getting subjects that I
    would love to publish works about written for me … and to have mentors like
    you to guide me and support me while doing that? It sounds like the work you
    are about to offer (created by you doing what you love to do and are good at) can
    help me do what I love to do, and am good at doing, while at the same time help
    me help others (outsourcers) do what they love to do and are good at doing.
    That scenario has all the makings of a truly all around win situation of which
    I would love (and be proud) to be a part. And our (completed) story could then
    be a great testimonial to you later. 
    Jack Liguori

    [Reply]

  • Sandy

    Hi Rachel, Great points, especially #1. The idea of outsourcing your books is really new and intriguing to me. I would love to win a copy of your course as I am ready to launch my first book on Kindle, and could use all the help I can get!

    [Reply]

  • Marcia

    Thanks for the reminder about PLR.  When I first started researching about kindle books, everyone was showing you how to find material that is out of copyright and make it your own.  UGH!  Then the push was to pay people on fiverr to give you reviews, not that’s a no no.  Seems to me that writing it yourself is the best bet and creating a following with your loyal readers.  Quality is king no matter how you look at it.  Interested to see what you and James have up your sleeves.  Thanks for the change to win a copy.

    [Reply]

  • joel

    Until I read this I didnt even know what a PLR book was. I have so much to learn but some good ideas I think for book titles and content and would have considered PLR content if I had found it but thanks to your information thats a no go! I look forward to learning more with the course and it would be even better if I won a copy of it!

    [Reply]

  • Sandra

    My biggest take away from this is your first mistake because it appears to be my worst mistake. 

    I wrote a book based on a niche that I have a site on.  The site is my best performing site.  A book based on my knowledge of this niche seemed like a shoo-in.  Nope.  Not at all.  I even had a hard time get reviews for it from the Kindle Case Study group though I did finally get enough with friends and family too to finally launch a free day.  That didn’t do well either.

    It was just too tight of a niche and the people are seeking information.  They even want the medical service for free.  I guess it was too much to expect that more than a handful of people would be interested in paying for the book.

    To me, picking the proper niche has got to be first.  I have certainly learned that lesson.  Now to learn how best to pick a niche.

    [Reply]

  • Clint

    The key takeaway for me is to put a bit of extra time and effort in and this can make all the difference.  SO many times I read the reviews on Amazon and people complain about the poor quality books out there.  I have yet to publish my first kindle ebook and have very limited time (and funds) since I have a new born baby so I need to learn how to outsource effectively and this course would be an amazing start.

    [Reply]

  • http://adfreelancewriter.com/ Amanda

    I’m currently writing my first book to be published on Kindle but have lots of ideas for more but not enough time to do them all myself as I homeschool my special needs son. Winning a copy of your guide would really help me get going with getting my ideas turned into books and then a proper income coming in to help support my family:) Thanks for the opportunity.

    [Reply]

  • Aldin

     great tips Rachel… I have couple of ideas but I suck at writing so I’d really like to find cheap quality writers… and to be able to start for $25 – I love the idea :) If I get a free copy I’m willing to get you a written and a video review

    best regards

    Aldin

    [Reply]

  • Glenda

    Hi Rachel, I am looking forward to getting this information but will hold off a bit. Have already purchased products only to find that they came automatically with my product drop membership. will this one too? everything that you and Dennis produce is valuable information. James Jones has gotten quite a few of my dollars too. Good to see you team up like that.

    [Reply]

  • Scott Jarvis

    I learned about formatting the hard way and it cost me dearly.  I originally didn’t know about the formatting issues and made my book look all pretty with footers, backgrounds, lot’s of photos….then I paid someone to format it for Kindle, itunes, Nook only to find out they didn’t know any better either. I ended up stripping all the extras out myself and and learning the whole process myself.  I could really use your course so I get the next one right the first time :)

    [Reply]

  • Thomwelch1

    Glad you shared this.  I am very interested in outsourcing a number of topics that would be really good value for readers in various areas but have limited time and energy for it!  And it’s so great to hear what your experiences are, and what we can leverage from you. I would put a gift copy to quick use and offer you immediate and ongoing feedback too–good for us all to track what’s working, and what’s better/worse to do. Thanks for the post.

    [Reply]

  • Soldout03

    I would love a review copy- as I think kindle is one of the best mediums for IMers to gain passive income. The biggest roadblock for me is content creation and formatting. I definitely want to stay away from re-using PLR. Also, having bought Rachel’s products in the past- I know this one will be jam packed with platinum nuggets as well ;)   Please consider me for a review copy……. have an aweome evening!!

    [Reply]

  • Dieseltaz1

    Hi Rachael!
    I love all of Jim Jones’, Dennis Becker’s and your products… I’d like to have a copy of this one. Times are tough, lost both of my long time jobs, loan remod, you name it. I’d really like to make a go of Kindle writing full time, as I have a 4 year old at home. I’ve got a good case of analysis paralysis, lol! I wanted to outsource a book, but a friend did, WAY OVERPAID, and it was GARBAGE. Passed copy scape, but was obviously like redone PLR. Anyway, taking a shot here, as I wouldn’t know where to start…
    Chris

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  • http://www.facebook.com/qyitlady Elizabeth Davidson

    James and Rachel,
    I agreed with all three (3) of your points about kindle publishing.  I especially like #1, choosing a bad niche.  It never did make sense to me to search google, when one should be searching where a product is to be published – Kindle.  I’m “newly retired” from teaching after badly breaking my leg in January.  After 3 operations I have time now  while I’m in Rehab to get my NEW career/business going!!!  Your course could allow my business to grow fast thru outsourcing.

    [Reply]

  • Valh

    I had just begun researching outsourcing Kindle books when I came upon this post. If the material is like James Jones usual offerings, it will be top notch and a must-have resource. I’m reaby for it!

    [Reply]

  • Rob Sciubba

    I have been trying internet marketing for years now and I began with Kindle last fall. I finally decided to stick with ONE thing and ONE thing only and it’s Kindle. I’ve been through the ups and downs and I am a pretty good writer but I don’t like spending so much time writing. I am actually at the point where I am ready to outsource and get this whole Kindle thing right. I love this business but it means more to me than most anything now to find good writers through outsourcing because I want to give customers quailty content and keep Amazon happy too.

    [Reply]

  • http://compatibilityandlove.com/ Rosemary|CompatibilityandLove

    Was late coming to kindle and so thus far Ive been able to learn from others and have avoided a lot of the pitfalls.

    I say thus far :)

    [Reply]

  • Joe Cepeda

    this is a very interesting post but I’m not sure the last point is valid or maybe I’m not reading it right.
    There are quite a few ebooks that have to have been created from plr although not necessarily directly. They are that bad and couldn’t have been created from any other source, I think. And they have not been touched by Amazon.
    I agree that the topic/niche is what’s going to make the difference – the more competition you have the more scrutinized your ebook will be, and the readers are merciless. If something stinks, they will let you know with as many barrels as they can come up with.
    All in all, a great article.
    I wish everyone well, and specially those dreaming of writing their own book, I wish you the very best.

    [Reply]

  • Wchaney

    I do very little outsourcing. I do have your program for formatting my books but I have not used it yet. The reason is that I read a report from you about never using any PLR so what I had written, which contained some PLR had to be ditched and I was back at square one. Mainly because I could not be sure what was mine and what was PLR in the book. I could really put this new course to work to get me back up to speed towards getting some books on Kindle this year. I make all three mistakes with my first book and of course it never sold a copy..

    [Reply]

  • Kevin Strider

    I am ready to start creating some Kindle books :)   I have already got the Kinstant Formatter and a couple of James’ other products.  With this new Outsourcing course, I should have complete “Kindle Toolbox” ready :)

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  • Devin

    Hi Rachel!
    My biggest takeaway (summary) of all 3 points is that Amazon Kindle marketplace is a marketplace.  Meaning you have to do your due diligence (hey it only takes a few hours with online tools!) to find out what makes the buyers in that marketplace want to give you money.  What makes their hearts go pitter-patter.

    And you have to give it to them in an appealing way.  Which means looking at what sells like hotcakes and how their formatted and presented.

    Each marketplace is different-a different culture, a different type of person, and they want different things.  Just knowing what they want, what they buy, and then giving it to them, instead of guessing is the difference between failure and success.  Every marketplace is different, and needs just a little research and observation first.

    That’s my takeaway.
    Aloha, Devin

    [Reply]

  • Chris

    Hi Rachel. Hi James
    Thanks for your insights. I’ve been editing and formatting other author’s books for years, but I find that I need to outsource some of these tasks to be able to handle any kind of volume. With the digital revolution, I need to put out a lot more books than I can handle myself in order to stay in business. But we are planning not only to stay in business but grow in novel ways! It’s daunting how much we need to learn and stay on top of new technology, new marketing, new everything. I feel exhausted sometimes. Any help is much much appreciated.

    [Reply]

  • Darby Gunn

    Darby Gunn, Austin Texas
    One of the Trust Worthiest of the Warriors on the forum, I always felt you guys including
    James Jones have the goods, and don’t charge premium prices. You all seem to enjoy what you
    do. And you are always picking the niches , I’m interested in. Especially Kindle. Keep doin’ the Good!!

    [Reply]

  • Tamsin Young

    I love the idea of offering value to customers in niches that have demand, not reinventing the wheel and utilising your experience as seasoned Kindle authors. Being able to outsource correctly will enable me to maximise my time! A win-win-win situation all round :) Thank you !

    [Reply]

  • http://twitter.com/LeanneAnnett Leanne Annett

    I am excited how to do things the correct way on Kindle. It would be great to know what I should do and what I should not do!

    I look forward to hearing more about your product and the tips in it!

    I would like to win a copy as in the past I have made mistakes and done things that have not lead me to succeed online. It is now time to change that!

    Thanks :)

    [Reply]

  • Kevin Clancy

    Thank you for your post about mistakes to avoid. You have just saved me and many people much time and heartache. Your “Outsourcing a Kindle Book” program really interests me. I very much want to offer multiple books which will really be helpful to many people. Your program gives me a much better chance to accomplish this. I see it as getting the right information and inspiration in people’s Kindle as soon as possible. In the short-term and the long-term, this allows for many more people to benefit from information which is useful and meaningful to them.

    [Reply]

  • Margaret Hammond :)

    Hi Rachel!
    Awesome partnering up with “My Go To Guy” James Jones, I hope it will be another successful launch for the both of you!  I’ve purchased “Kinstant Formatter” and absolutely enjoying it! Coupled together with “Outsourcing A Kindle Book” program would be perfect for me.  Even though I do not know anything about outsourcing, this would be a great help to those who do not have a job whether here in the U.S. or the third world.  For those in the third world, even purchasing a goat (which will be their lively hood) would help a family, for myself, Freedom!

    Thank you for a minute of your time!  Looking forward to using the program!

    Kind regards,
    Margaret Hammond :)

    [Reply]

  • Anonymous

    Rachel, after publishing 2 e-books on Kindle I know for sure that your advice is top notch, but #1 is simply a knockout. I’d be totally crazy not to do it next time I publish a new e-book.

    Thank you

    [Reply]

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Vicki-Mueller-Roudonis/1496629044 Vicki Mueller Roudonis

    I have been looking and trying so hard to make a living from working online/at home and see this as something that I can do to meet that goal!  I’m excited to learn more and better ways to write  kindle books.  After reading what you’ve written above, I totally scrapped what I’ve done and will be starting all over, with what you’ve written here in mind!

    I live in the second poorest county in Michigan and there are very few jobs in the area that I can do.  I don’t have the money to move somewhere else or, at present, a vehicle to drive to the nearest city (45 min away)  I have only recently been receiving a widows pension following my husband death nearly 2 years ago!  Prior to that my only income was food stamps and a small amount from family to help with the elec and gas.  I had spent the previous 10 years taking care of my husband following a catastrophic stroke, so there just isn’t any unemployment or anything else to fall back on.  I had been getting medical through the state but that stopped when the VA pension kicked in and VA says they won’t cover me because I’m not a vet, my husband was.  Sigh.  I’d be very happy to win one of the free copies and begin helping others in may area who are also having a rough go of it – while, of course, sending them to James and you for the courses!

    Pleeeeese pick me as one of your lucky people!  But if you don’t, … God Bless you and I’ll still be here learning.

    [Reply]

  • Equest

    I am a passionate student of internet marketing (too passionate I’ve been told !) but I still have yet to see my way to making money online. I need to supplement my pension before I’m too old to move the mouse! I really need this course like a shot in the arm (as opposed to shooting myself in the foot!

    [Reply]

  • SkyHi Marketing

    Hi again, after having read all the comments, I know we are not meant to vote…….but for what it’s worth I vote for Vicki Roudnis to get a free copy

    [Reply]

  • Cassaundrahjirau

    Kindle or not, your post is a reminder of the absolute need to deliver value!

    [Reply]

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