I think authors who write Austen re-imaginings would agree when I say that we have the best fans/friends in the book business. Because of the internet and social media, we are able to share our love of the writings of Jane Austen with people from every part of the globe as if they were our next-door neighbors. Because of this, a symbiotic relationship has developed between writer and reader. Readers rely on the author to provide a compelling, well-written story, while authors are dependent on readers, not just for the purchase of our books, but for telling your friends about a story you have enjoyed.
Because self-published authors are so dependent upon Amazon for their sales, we have to pay attention to what drives book sales on their site, and it has an array of metrics to measure a book’s popularity. For example, below the title on the book’s main Amazon page is a “like” button. Apparently, if you get fifty “likes,” your book is more prominently featured on other Amazon pages. The tags near the very bottom of the page will place your book on other Amazon lists. For instance, Mr. Darcy’s Bite has “tags” for paranormal and Gothic, among others. If the book does well, it will appear on these lists, greatly increasing the chance of a reader finding my book.
This is where the reader plays a huge role in helping an Austen author or any author whose books they buy. If everyone who visited a book’s page clicked on the “like” buttons and the “tags,” it would be a bighelp in bringing that book to the attention of other readers. The insert shows exactly what you can do to help your favorite authors.
