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This can be a visitor put up from my pal Lindsey Nubern, writer of 501 Questions: A Journey Sport.
Earlier this yr, I requested Heath, “Ought to I replace my e-book?” It’s just a few years previous and there have been just a few outdated sections that I knew I might get up to date in a few days. However I wasn’t positive if it might be price it. Would it not increase gross sales? Would I’ve to publish a complete new e-book, or might I simply replace the file?
Little did I do know, Lindsey was working by way of these identical questions as she up to date her e-book. I’ve requested her to write down a visitor weblog on tips on how to know if you happen to can or ought to replace your e-book.
Take pleasure in!
Congratulations!
You printed your e-book some time in the past and now you’ve had time to see the response. You’ve seen your e-book achieve traction; nonetheless, critiques and detrimental critiques preserve you up at evening and also you’ve been maintaining monitor of a listing of updates you wish to make in your cellphone. With one other winter of COVID forward of us, you’ve thought of taking the time to replace your e-book, however you haven’t taken the plunge but.
Listed below are 5 issues to consider if you happen to ought to tackle this challenge and if now’s the proper time to go for it.
In February 2020, I used to be in your footwear. My sport 501 Questions: A Journey Sport had been out for yr, the sport simply had a profitable vacation season, and it had obtained many nice critiques and some critiques that had been bothering me.
Additionally, for a yr, I had been flirting with the concept to alter the inside from shade to black and white. Just a few months after publishing the unique sport, I spotted I might decrease the sport’s printing prices and make double the royalty for every sale by merely altering the inside from shade to black and white. In January 2020, I used to be attempting to resolve if making a second version was a worthwhile funding of my time and assets.
Listed below are 5 issues I thought of earlier than deciding to begin the second version. I wish to share these ideas with you to consider if now’s the proper time so that you can replace your e-book.
1. Are there objects in your e-book that must be up to date?
First, because you’ve printed your e-book, are there objects inside your e-book that you understand must be up to date? Have any ideas or steps modified? Or, perhaps that you must do one other learn by way of with recent eyes to verify every little thing remains to be up-to-date.
For instance, my sport 501 Questions: A Journey Sport contains 180 journey trivia questions that I knew I wanted to double-check if the solutions had been nonetheless appropriate. As I began going by way of the sport’s questions, I discovered a number of trivia solutions that wanted updating.
One thrilling change was the query: “Which planet in our photo voltaic system has essentially the most moons?” The unique sport was printed in 2018. Again then the reply was Jupiter with 79 moons. Nonetheless, in 2019 scientists discovered 20 extra moons round Saturn. With that discovery, we now know Saturn has essentially the most moons with 82 moons! I undoubtedly wanted to replace that query.
2. Have you ever obtained suggestions you possibly can enhance on?
Have you ever obtained options from readers or have some detrimental critiques been maintaining you up at evening? We’ve all obtained detrimental critiques on our books and irrespective of what number of nice and sort critiques we obtain, the detrimental ones have their maintain in our minds. I’ve obtained 66 critiques as of scripting this, however the two detrimental critiques I’ve obtained have caught with me:
“Underwhelmed: This e-book is cute and can be entertaining, however the phrase “e-book” is admittedly deceptive right here. It’s virtually a pamphlet. The e-book may be very small, flimsy, and virtually the scale of one thing you’d discover in a cereal field. For $5, this wouldn’t have been a difficulty and I’d have given this a fantastic evaluate. For almost $15, this seems like a little bit of a rip-off/ripoff. The e-book can be enjoyable however each time we use it I’ll be considering, ‘I paid $15 for this factor!?’ “
Ouch!
“Not for journey trivia followers: Total upset with this. Purchased it after listening to about it on a journey podcast however solely one in all 4 sections is journey questions. The opposite subject areas are basic dialogue questions like ‘would you somewhat’ ‘inform me about’ or ‘if you happen to might’. The solutions journey trivia questions then don’t give loads of element for instance for reply to ‘which is the biggest continent?’ It simply says ‘Australia’ versus ‘Australia which is xyz acres’
Ouch once more.
These critiques have damage.
Nonetheless, by updating my e-book, I might make these enhancements. I might add extra questions and bulk up the sport so it’s not as “small and flimsy” but in addition preserve it minimal to pack on journeys (maintaining it small and minimal was intentional).
And, I might present extra enjoyable info within the trivia solutions so we are able to be taught extra of the why behind the solutions. I additionally thought, if these two individuals felt this fashion and took the time to share their critiques, perhaps others felt upset once they obtained the sport, too, and that’s not the sensation I needed clients to have!
Now, after launching the second version of my sport 501 Questions: A Journey Sport, I obtained this evaluate:
“This e-book leaves my total household begging for “yet one more query” each time! We love all of them, however our favourite class is difficult journey trivia. We’re studying a lot! We’ve laughed collectively extra as we reply and talk about questions than ever earlier than. We’ve completed questions on the dinner desk, within the automotive, and with family and friends. It’s a fantastic useful resource and there are such a lot of questions, it’ll be a really very long time earlier than we get by way of all of them!”
Whereas detrimental critiques are part of promoting any product, it is a nice likelihood to handle them and enhance your e-book.
3. Are you able to lower your expenses on printing or earn extra royalty with a brand new model?
Is there a manner it can save you cash on printing prices so you possibly can have extra flexibility within the value of your e-book? Or, is there a manner you may make extra royalty on every sale? Perhaps you possibly can change your web page depend or change your inside from shade to black and white.
After publishing the primary version of my sport that was printed in shade, I spotted I might decrease the printing value by half if the sport was printed in black and white. With this alteration, I might have extra flexibility with the value of the e-book just like the detrimental evaluate urged above. Or, with the e-book on the identical value, I might make double the royalty with every e-book sale.
Additionally, since I printed my e-book, I grew to become a mother and my perspective modified. I envisioned each further greenback I earned going towards my little boy’s school fund and I had a brand new motivation to be extra strategic.
You could suppose the printing value between shade and black and white would have been apparent to me whereas I used to be creating the primary version, however I used to be so targeted on the “enjoyable consumer expertise” with the sport that I believed the inside shade was essential and I used to be prepared to have a better print value.
Nonetheless, after publishing the sport and as I used to be contemplating altering the inside to black and white, I requested family and friends in the event that they thought the colour was essential. All of their responses had been they both couldn’t bear in mind it was in shade although they’d performed the sport or all of them thought the worth of the sport was within the questions, not within the inside shade. I took their suggestions and thought with the proper graphic designer, I might make the inside enjoyable even with black and white.
Is there a manner so that you can lower your expenses on printing or enhance your royalty on every sale? To see if you happen to might save on printing prices or earn extra royalty, you possibly can entry KDP’s print value and royalty calculator right here.
4. What does updating your e-book appear to be? Replace vs. 2nd Version vs. Quantity II
As you’ve gone by way of these ideas to contemplate, it’s possible you’ll be prepared to begin updating your e-book. Nonetheless, KDP’s updating requirements might decide which path you’re taking: a easy replace to your present e-book’s file, an enormous replace needing a brand new version of your e-book, or a complete new quantity of your e-book!
When you’ve self-published with KDP, you possibly can see tips on how to replace your e-book right here. This will likely offer you readability on what path you’re replace will take.
For my state of affairs, I spotted with KDP altering the inside from shade to black and white wasn’t a easy repair of importing a brand new model of the e-book’s file. With that kind of change, I’d should make a brand new e-book as a second version with its personal Amazon itemizing.
This meant I used to be ranging from scratch with my itemizing and critiques. That felt like an enormous enterprise, however with my new perspective, I believed it was price it and I made a decision I’d slowly work on it throughout my son’s naps every day.
So, since I knew I used to be creating a complete new second version and itemizing on Amazon, I made a decision it was my alternative to alter rather a lot and enhance the sport primarily based on the critiques the e-book obtained. I modified the duvet, the inside from shade to black and white, the inside design, the trivia solutions, and I added 250 inquiries to the sport. Now that the second version is printed, I can see myself making a Quantity II sooner or later with a complete new set of questions for individuals who like the unique model.
Do you’ve readability on how updating your e-book will look? Is it updating your present file, making a second version, or quantity two? You may see KDP’s updating requirements right here and you’ll at all times join with Buyer Service.
5. Do you’ve the capability for it proper now?
We’re arising on our second winter with COVID, and I’m already feeling a change in my schedule and assembly up much less and fewer with different individuals exterior. Is that this a season you will have an additional thirty minutes or hour daily to replace your e-book and work on it? May you get up 45 minutes early, keep up 45 minutes later, or spend an hour on Saturday morning devoted to it? This season of life might already be an excessive amount of and updating your e-book may have to attend—that’s okay.
Like I shared earlier, I had trivia that wanted updating, I had detrimental critiques regarding points I might reply and enhance on with the second version, and I additionally knew if I modified the inside I might earn extra with every sale. This meant I’d be making a complete new Amazon itemizing. It’d be an enormous endeavor, however I had a sense it might be price it.
Do you are feeling like you possibly can commit a small chunk of time daily or week to you updating your e-book or creating a brand new version?
When you want steering and accountability, I like to recommend studying Chandler Bolt’s e-book Revealed. He guarantees to information you in writing a e-book and launching a greatest vendor in 90 days. I’ve used this on my journey to launching each my first version and second version of 501 Questions: A Journey Sport. The e-book’s given me the steps to take to have the motivation and encouragement to go for it. I additionally join each Monday with an accountability accomplice who’s additionally engaged on a e-book, so we are able to preserve one another accountable to creating progress, encourage each other, and problem-solving collectively.
I began engaged on the second version designs with my designer Margo from Excessive Mountain Inventive in March and I launched the second version in November. It was an extended and sluggish nine-month journey. With just a little time devoted daily or week (relying on the week) and with the assist of my editor, my accountability companions, and launch crew, the second version is now on the planet! We did it!
I want you the perfect in your journey of updating or creating your subsequent e-book whether or not you’re beginning now or sooner or later!
Within the meantime, if you happen to’re on the lookout for enjoyable, laughter, and good dialog in your highway journeys, across the campfire, or zooming with household and mates, get our new sport 501 Questions: A Journey Sport Second Version! You’ll get 750 questions and trivia to unplug, get to know your journey friends higher, and make the time fly!
Like Lindsey, I finally determined to take a few days to learn by way of and replace my e-book. I discovered typos, fastened issues that had been not correct, and as a substitute of itemizing a totally new e-book, I simply up to date the e-book file and canopy. I had over 500 critiques I didn’t wish to lose!
So far as gross sales go, I launched the brand new up to date model of the e-book early in March:
This gave a significant increase in gross sales (this chart additionally exhibits a fantastic COVID dip in April) and gross sales stored coming in all year long. Is it as a result of I up to date the e-book or as a result of everybody purchased an RV this yr? That I can’t reply. However I’m sure updating the e-book solely helped!
For extra on tips on how to publish your individual e-book, take a look at the programs in our RV Entrepreneur College.