Trans-Atlantic Team-Up – Exploring Discoverability
Buzzwords. What did we do before they were invented? Or maybe they’ve always been with us, just under a different name.
One thing’s for sure – the buzzword of the day among indie authors is “discoverability”. The art of getting noticed. It’s not a new word, created in the epublishing revolutionm though looking about you you might think indie authors created the concept.
Actually it’s been around since forever.
But in the world of digital book selling it’s never been more important.
The e-charts get ever more competitive, and while we still love to read about the success stories of new and unknown authors beating the odds and winning the Amazon lottery, the simple fact is it’s getting harder and harder. By the day. Even for established authors with a brand and a loyal readership base.
As ebooks become more acceptable there are tons more indie authors out there competing for the attention of a limited number of ebook readers. Even by the most optimistic estimates only 25% of buyers are buying ebooks – print still has 75% of the market. And while the e-shelves may be infinite, the number of books that will be bought is not.
Most importantly, the once indie-friendly e-charts are suddenly not so indie-friendly after all.
Getting noticed is hard, and getting noticed beyond your home shores is harder still.
One advantage we still have as indies is the ability to be nimble. To take risks. To experiment. To look at new ways of becoming discoverable, and then trying them out.
Say hello to the Trans-Atlantic Team-Up.
Yes, it’s an experiment. Yes, it may fail abysmally. It may stall this year and take-off next year. Who knows. But one thing’s for sure: Nothing ventured…
So we figured, supposing we took a good seller from the UK doing less well in the US, and a good seller in the US not doing so well in the UK, and put them together in one volume? And then released it both sides of the Atlantic, so fans of author A would see author B’s work, and fans of author B would see author A’s work?
Box-Sets are commonplace ways of getting one author’s books “doubled up” to increase exposure, and exchanging links and recommending one another’s books is also a commonplace method of cross-promotion among indi9e authors. So why not take it to the logical next step?
We approached our in-house cover-designer Athanasios and put the idea to him. Back came a design we loved. A simple, yet elegant frame, whereby any two separate novels could be presented in one volume.
For the launch we chose Tom Winton’s stunning social-justice thriller, The Last American Martyr, and the first of our Rose Red crime thrillers, Snow White.
Yes, both are also still available as individual books, so this is very much a way of increasing exposure for both authors and both titles, while offering readers value for money.
This, the first of the Trans-Atlantic Team-Up series, has just gone live on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk, and will be appearing on other platforms very shortly.
Other titles will follow soon. Anyone interested in having their book(s) paired with an author across the ocean should get in contact and we’ll see what we can do.
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mark williams international 
That is such an awesome idea! I doubt I would have thought of that – it’s really quite ingenious. I’d say as long as the books are linked vaguely thematically, or even by genre at a larger stretch, this might really take off. People love a bargain, and few people love it more than avid readers on a limited budget, haha!
Well I know who I’d want to pair up with. *winks at Charley* She knows what books I’m thinking about. *grins*
I does sound liek a solid idea. Good luck and I hope your experiment goes well.
:} Cathryn
YES! THAT IS AN AWESOME IDEA! xD
Reblogged this on mark williams international digital publishing.
Always worth trying something new, Mark! Full marks for an excellent idea – and for pairing two first class books!
Intriguing idea, and I could see how it would work. Not only would fans be introduced to the other, but if one had a strong base who could boost it up the charts, randomers might come across it too.
Thanks so much, Mark! I appreciate what you and saffi have both done. Now…let’s sell, sell, sell!
What an exciting experiment! Our two economies are so closely linked (I saw today that US drugstore chain Walgreens has just teamed up with the UK’s Boots chemists.) So it makes sense to bring our books together, too. I’ll be watching this with great interest!
This is an intriguing idea, and I hope it pays out in the form of both readers and cold hard cash (be it pounds or dollars)! Good for you two (I mean three) and please let us know how it works.
Well done.
What a stellar idea. Here’s hoping it’ll fly, Orville!