Breakers is Free Today!

That’s right. The newly becovered Breakers is free on Amazon today. Please download and enjoy.

It’s not yet noon, and it’s already been downloaded 1200 times. In the time it’s taken me to type this sentence, it’s been downloaded another 6 times. Seriously. As of the end of this sentence (which took me a little longer to fix typos), it’s had 24 more downloads. What is the root of this madness?

It’s definitely not me. It’s thanks to sites that watch and mention free ebooks. Every single one is valuable, but I’d like to single out three of the largest for special mention.

The first is Michael Gallagher’s Free Kindle Books and Tips. Michael is very personable and accessible. Lately, he’s been running a series of posts on Kindleboards to help authors get their books listed on the free book sites. The first is on making sure your book has a strong description. The second is on the importance of covers. Both have a lot of sound advice from someone who runs one of the most prominent free and bargain book blogs out there. I highly recommend giving them a look.

The second site I’d like to mention is Ereader News Today. This site is extremely prominent. If you’re listed there, you can count on a successful day. I haven’t had any direct conversations with its frontman Greg, but from everything I hear, he, like Michael, is very friendly and helpful. I’ve seen him drop in on KB a few times. Whenever he does, you can be sure he’s made some author’s day. ENT offers a really diverse selection of books, too.

Lastly, Pixel of Ink. I don’t quite know what to tell you about Pixel of Ink. They’re very mysterious! And also extremely influential in getting your book in front of readers. Like the other sites, the best way to get listed with them is to have a great cover, a strong description, and equally strong reviews. If you can get mentioned by them, it will make a world of difference. I’m kind of in love with them. So, hey, POI. Are you, uh.. seeing anyone?

There are many other free book sites out there (Freebooksy, for one, looks like it’s positioned to become a success), all of which I’d recommend keeping on your radar whether you’re a reader or a writer. They’re almost uniformly run by great people who love books.

I will return with the numbers and the analyzin’ as new results come in. Oh, and in the 15 minutes it’s taken me to put this together? Over 250 more downloads.

Wow. Thanks, everyone.