#eve reads acos

[pillowfriends]

MAT HOW DOES IT FEEL TO LIVE MY DREAM (getting fucked up on pitchers of wine with Birgitte)

[ozma914]

Amazon Ads and Unsolvable Puzzles, But I Repeat Myself

 I embarked on a fun experiment at the end of November, and by fun I mean it wasn't much fun, and by experiment I mean I had no idea what I was doing.

One of my goals has been to increase book sales, a goal for most authors. The problem is, when it comes to sales an author is competing with--well, almost all those other authors. Writers don't like to think of themselves as being in competition. Writing can be tough, and selling--well, that's way worse. So we support other writers, because we know just how hard it can be.

That doesn't change the fact that there are only so many readers, seemingly fewer all the time ... and a lot of those readers are writers. They can read only so many books--I only managed about a dozen or so last year. So, while we'd like all authors to succeed, we all have to fight to be heard ... I mean, read.

Social media, once a great way to get the word out, has in the last few years bombed. Why? Because the people who run social media sites have realized they can get money from people who are trying to get the word out. As a result, they've changed things around so that an author finds it almost impossible to reach people on the internet, unless they pony up some cash, first.

And most of us can't afford a pony.

"Wait ... no ponies?"

 So I tried promotion websites, and I tried Facebook Ads. Both gave me a few more sales, but not enough to justify the money I spent. Here's a fun fact, kids: If you spend more on advertising than you make in sales, it's bad. (It does sometimes work in the short term, like those "loss leaders" offered in stores.)

And so I turned to Amazon Ads.

Honestly, I'd rather sell direct, through our website or an independent bookstore. I'd also rather eat chocolate for all meals and be 25 years old again, forever. But never mind that--in this case we're talking about Amazon, the Godzilla of online selling. (I've heard Apple is the second biggest online bookseller.)

Figuring out how to run an Amazon ad is hard.

I mean, driving in a NASCAR race when you've never actually driven at all hard.

I had to learn about impressions, clicks, targeting, keywords, and, most important of all, ACOS.

That means Advertising Cost of Sales. In other words, how much does it cost you to sell a book? If ACOS is over 100, you're spending more money on ads than the book itself sells for. This is bad. If your ACOS is right at 100 you're still in trouble, because Amazon takes a cut--you're still spending more than your' making. The best number is right around 30, give or take, so you're making at least a little money.

I decided to experiment with my latest published novel, Coming Attractions. I set up an Amazon ad for the book, which hasn't sold a single copy through Amazon since November--of 2020.

On November 27 of 2021, my Coming Attractions e-book Amazon rating was 2,931,646. That's almost three million books selling better than mine. On November 28, the rating was 264,568.   It peaked on New Year's Eve at 63,798. That was the book's highest Amazon ranking ever, including when it was first published--when I labored long hours to publicize it.

 My goal for last year was to sell an average of one copy of our books every day. It didn't happen. In December it did: 37 e-book copies and two print copies of Coming Attractions, and one copy of The No-Campfire Girls sold in a little over thirty days. Here's what it looked like:

After a few weeks of joy and celebration I checked my numbers, and what I found made me very unhappy.

I was indeed selling a lot of books, but when I checked the ACOS, I learned that for every 99 cent e-book I sold, I was spending almost nine dollars to advertise it. This, for those of you who don't care to do the math, is unsustainable, unless you're a millionaire who's not concerned about spending money. I'm not a millionaire. I don't think I'm even a thousandaire.

So, like any sharp businessman, I panicked.

I spent the next several days tweaking all the details, including the list of terms I mentioned earlier. My sales dropped, but as of the first full weekend of January I've gotten my ACOS down to 56%. For me that's about breaking even, so still not great, but at least I'm not bleeding money. They don't make bandages for that.

I'm going to try again, of course, this time going in a little wiser. I haven't decided whether to try one of my other published books, or wait until the next new one comes along, but for once in my life I haven't been cowed by math. Much. I should add that most people who use Amazon ads say it's pretty common to have high ACOS ... ACOS's? ... at first, although I suspect my early numbers would have made them faint.

If you decide to try it, my best advise is to learn everything you possibly can about the process, first. The homework might save you some cash. How have you other authors been doing in your sales attempts? Any tips?

    http://markrhunter.com/

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"

[generouslymagnificentobserv-blog]

Top Places To go To In St Louis

barrier net safety net application Read aloud "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" by Dr. Seuss. Make paper hats which can be adorned with pom poms, glitter, rick rack and feathers. After new heavy metal bands are wearing their handmade hats, make an "I Spy" game by giving clues about the hats for the children to answer. For 22 inch sump pump cover , say "I spy a student who is wearing a hat with purple stripes and feathers, but no pom poms." Create Hawaii street furniture supplier by giving out a math fact for each child to illustrate. For example, "3 hats + 4 hats = 7 hats" and so on. auto shade screens One of the most chunky jute rug New Year's Eve traditions is the dropping of the ball in Times Square. Every year, tens of thousands of people flock to Manhattan to watch this time-honored tradition. If you plan to attend, make sure to get there early, bundle up, and plan on staying for a while. This event is always packed, particularly with visitors from out of town who have seen it on television and make the journey to New York construction site safety to watch the ball drop. It's festive to be amongst the crowd, but beware as the temperature drops. It gets cold standing out there for long periods of time waiting until midnight! Guided tours of the Louvre start underneath the famed glass pyramid (crafted by largest producer of jute Im Pei) located in the center of the museum. Although there is a fee incurred for participating in the guided tour children under the age of 13 go free, while those under the age of 18 are offered a discount. While Nevada bathroom drain covers supplier become the lead designer of the building in 1546, he never saw it completed before his death. It was another architect, Giacomo della Porta who saw the project through to completion in 1590. That design is so well known and admired by architects that it has been copied frequently in famous architects and their buildings around the world, including the United States Capital Building in Washington. jute food Anyway, we finally arrived at a clearing alongside a river. There were concrete aco drain made from thatched palms and stick (more on that later). Basically, we left all our gear but lunches, helmets and headlamps in the truck: Cameras would get soaked (Unfortunately, I have to rely on photos taken by others to tell my story) unless carried in the guide's plastic bag, and my Fuji S5200 was outdoor fabric shade too big. So it stayed behind.

[recentanimenews]

Crunchyroll to Simulcast "KADO: The Right Answer" Anime

This weekend Crunchyroll announced plans to stream upcoming spring anime KADO: The Right Answer. Territories and other details will be announced later, but for now you can look forward to episodes 0 and 1 making their streaming debut on April 6 at 7:00am PDT. 

    Synopsis: 

Koujiro Shindo is a highly-skilled negotiator working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  As his plane at Haneda airport prepares to take off, a huge mysterious cube appears from the sky.  "It" expands rapidly, and absorbs the passenger plane and its 252 passengers.

  The cube's name is "Kado".

  A strange being called Yaha-kui zaShunina appears from within Kado and tries to make contact with humanity.  Shindou, who was been absorbed by Kado, ends up taking on the role of mediator between Yaha-kui zaShunina and humanity.  

  The Japanese government sends its own negotiator, Saraka Tsukai.

  Who is Yaha-kui zaShunina? What does he want?

  Previously: 

"Seikaisuru Kado" 1st concept trailer

  Making video

  Cast (Live Action):

 Hiroaki Miura

 M.A.O

 Kenji Akabane

  Staff:

 Director: Yuma Takahashi (Aniplex)

 Music: Taro Iwashiro

 DP: Chikara Takeshita

 AD: Kaori Yasumi

 PM: Ryosuke Mitsuoka

 Production: Atom-X

 Edi: 10GAUGE

 Planning & Animation: Toei Animation

  TVアニメ「正解するカド」新PV第1弾公開に合わせて、実写パート（三浦祥朗さん、Ｍ・Ａ・Ｏさん、赤羽根健治さん出演）のメイキング映像を公開しました https://t.co/EL9XPBKQdR #正解するカド http://pic.twitter.com/Bxq8P9E8ZU

— 「正解するカド」公式 (@Seikaisuru_Kado) January 24, 2017

   Main Voice Cast:

 Kojiro Shindo: Hiroaki Miura

 Saraka Tsukai: M.A.O

 Shuhei Asano: Kenji Akabane

 Yaha-Kui Zashunina: Takuma Terashima

 Ritsu Natsumi: Shizuka Ito

 Kanata Shinawa: Rie Kugimiya

 Kozo Inutaba: Hiroshi Naka

 Takumi Gonno: Takuta Kirimoto

  Main Staff:

   General Director: Kazuya Murata (Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet) 

 Series Director: Masaki Watanabe (Battle Spirits: Saikyou Ginga Ultimate Zero)  

 Scripts: Mado Nozaki (know, Fantasista Doll Eve)

 Character Design: Aco Arisaka (Magudala de Nemure, Vanishing Starlight)

 Character Supervisor: Horoshi Miyamoto (PreCure Dream Stars!)

 Music: Taro Iwashiro (Red Cliff, The Heroic Legend of Arslan)  

 Producer: Koichi Noguchi (Expelled from Paradise)

 Anime Production: Toei Animation

 Production: Toei Animation, Kinoshita Group, Toei

   ED Song "Eien no Kotae" is performed by HARUCA

  -------

Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS, every week at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox. 

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[pillowfriends]

Chapter 31: Mashiara

this one might kill me. I've been waiting so long for the Lan/Nynaeve reunion 😭😭😭 if this is my last post... nice knowing you all. I died the way I lived - feral about fictional characters.

[pillowfriends]

chapter 25 (Moggy mindtrap) fucked me up. chapter 26 (Morgase post rape) fucked me up. if chapter 27 is not a NORMAL GODDAMN CHAPTER I'm going to throw something. Perrin save me

[pillowfriends]

A Crown of Swords new reader thoughts: Chapters 11-15

You know the drill (or maybe you don't) - first time reader, quick thoughts on each chapter plus a favorite moment (👑) if I have one. No spoilers please.

Chapter 11 (An Oath): YES EGWENE MAKE THEM SWEAR FEALTY. My Egwene mantra for this book continues to be "fuck em up" and she continues to deliver!!!

👑 Romanda and Lelaine's argument in front of Egwene. They're so salty!!

Chapter 12 (A Morning of Victory): Well, this chapter hurt me. So many details that are lodged in my brain causing me emotional damage. Lan flinching "like a nervous horse" when Myrelle touched him. The hickey on his neck. Trying to smile at Egwene but his eyes are so cold it cancels out the warmth of it. I'm throwing this book into a fire. Ow Ow Ow.

👑 Lan telling Egwene "I apologize for ever helping you leave the Two Rivers."

Chapter 13 (The Bowl of the Winds): I love Avi. "I probably won't have to kill these people and don't really want to, but just in case, here's exactly how I would." Never change. Also 🫣🌈🧐?????

👑 Lots of great moments but for now I'm going with Birgitte slapping the guy who looked up Elayne's skirt

Chapter 14 (White Plumes): Gambling stresses me out and so do all these Whitecloaks.

Chapter 15 (Insects): Shoutout to this Darkfriend for actually having a motivation to become a Darkfriend, even if it's not a great one (the Aes Sedai told her she wasn't strong enough to join them).

Overall: omg these chapters cooked, I sped through them. I love this book so far. Egwene is my girl again - we had a rough patch but my love is even stronger now.

< last

[pillowfriends]

A Crown of Swords new reader thoughts: Chapters 6-10

Hello! I'm a first time reader, back to share brief ACoS thoughts, and favorite/standout moments if I have them (👑). No spoilers past ACoS chapter 10.

Chapter 6 (Old Fear, and New Fear): I like the fan language. RJ has a habit of making up ways to show emotion without just saying it, which sometimes works for me and sometimes annoys me. Faile's fan is nice here because it gives me a brief reprieve from Perrin smelling everything. Anyway, I'm really waffling on whether the jealousy and possessiveness is kind of cute, or just annoying and toxic.

👑 Rand cockblocking Faile by walking into the room unannounced

Chapter 7 (Pitfalls and Tripwires): It's Rand angst hours again. Cool touch with Rand "remembering" LTT's experiences like with the plums.

Chapter 8 (The Figurehead): EGWENE I MISSED YOU. FUCK EM UP. Don't let Sheriam push you around!

👑 "Must I ask before the entire Hall why I cannot have the truth from my Keeper? I will have it, daughter, one way or another." FUCK. EM. UP

Chapter 9 (A Pair of Silverpike): Every Gareth mention salts my crops and ruins my day so I just have to ignore him. I'm extremely sus of Nicola - I think she's a Forsaken but was not in league with Moggy - and I love Leane and Egwene's friendship.

👑 Not a specific moment, but I love how Egwene doesn't react to her new position with self-doubt. She's like "No matter how I got here, I'm the Amyrlin now and they better fucking respect that" and it's very refreshing.

Chapter 10 (Unseen Eyes): Maybe ewe's milk really is the secret to good skin. At this point I'll try anything. I still love tel'aran'rhiod and the way Egwene describes it.

👑 Dream about Mat making bombs. I hope it happens soon

Overall: I did like the Rand and Perrin POVs but I was really happy to get Egwene. I love the Salidar plot and seeing her struggle for power.

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[pillowfriends]

extremely abnormal about the entirety of ACoS chapter 12. Lan is here and everything hurts.

[pillowfriends]

I'm shocked to realize I'm almost 25% through already. nothing has happened 😅 maybe the slog really is starting already. then again, LoC started the same way, so who knows

on my lunch break about to go crazymode on A Crown of Swords because goddamn I need escapism

[pillowfriends]

27 was normal (thank god) but Tylin calling Mat a "succulent little duckling" in 28 jump-scared me so badly I made a distressed noise out loud. and then it just got worse and worse. GET ME OFF THIS RIDE

chapter 25 (Moggy mindtrap) fucked me up. chapter 26 (Morgase post rape) fucked me up. if chapter 27 is not a NORMAL GODDAMN CHAPTER I'm going to throw something. Perrin save me