# Updated the cover art for my novel, and doing a free promotion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2013, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updated-the-cover-art-for-my-novel-and-doing-a-free-promotion/663022 "2013-07-09T09:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updated-the-cover-art-for-my-novel-and-doing-a-free-promotion/663022/21 "2013-08-16T12:54:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think I’ve got a good amount of reviews- 30+ is more than most indie novels. More couldn’t hurt (unless they’re negative, of course!). Yes. I was noting that while your promotion did not net sales dollars, or create an immediate wake of additional sales, it did potentially provide you with an increase in reviews. The larger review base should help with future sales in the longer term. It looks like you had a 30% increase in reviews since your previous promotion, which is a nice bump. I am guessing that this was part of your plan. > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > My sales are low enough that I’m not too worried about cannibalizing them 🙂 LOL. I am sorry to hear that, but I guess that is why you are trying to shake things up with the cover-art change and promotions. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updated-the-cover-art-for-my-novel-and-doing-a-free-promotion/663022/22 "2013-08-16T13:11:57Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Yes. I was noting that while your promotion did not net sales dollars, or create an immediate wake of additional sales, it did potentially provide you with an increase in reviews. The larger review base should help with future sales in the longer term. It looks like you had a 30% increase in reviews since your previous promotion, which is a nice bump. I am guessing that this was part of your plan. Yes- and most of the reviews are still positive, with a few mixed thrown in. > [@](#): > > LOL. I am sorry to hear that, but I guess that is why you are trying to shake things up with the cover-art change and promotions. Yeah. Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but I feel like there’s a big market for my book (low fantasy-adventure, with a protagonist of color, in a world derived from American and Caribbean history and lore rather than that of Medieval Europe) if I could just get the word out. But I still can’t quite figure out how… ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updated-the-cover-art-for-my-novel-and-doing-a-free-promotion/663022/23 "2013-08-16T13:49:30Z")
I hate to say it, but one of the things that most biases me towards trying a book by a new-to-me writer is that the author has already published a handful of them. A sort of extra proof that he’s a professional, that other professionals have thought his work worthy of continued support over a few years. Soooo. You are at work on a new book, aren’t you? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updated-the-cover-art-for-my-novel-and-doing-a-free-promotion/663022/24 "2013-08-16T13:57:30Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I hate to say it, but one of the things that most biases me towards trying a book by a new-to-me writer is that the author has already published a handful of them. A sort of extra proof that he’s a professional, that other professionals have thought his work worthy of continued support over a few years. > > Soooo. You are at work on a new book, aren’t you? 😉 Yes, two of them, in fact. I’m trying to focus more on writing new books then promoting the existing one- but the first one took a few years to write. It’s hard to find time to write on top of a full time job… but I guess I better get these finished before my wife and I decide to have kids 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updated-the-cover-art-for-my-novel-and-doing-a-free-promotion/663022.md?page=1)