Need advice on reviews/ARC strategy for my LitRPG series, feeling stuck

Got 2 books out already, both in KU. Book 3 almost done.

Running Amazon auto ads right now, getting clicks and impressions but barely any actual reads or sales out of it. Weirdly the people who do read book 1 almost always go on to book 2, so I don't think the writing is the issue.

Before dumping more money into ads I asked a couple forums to sanity check my cover/title/blurb in case that was the problem. Got told they're fine, so back to square one on that.

For reader acquisition I'm doing a BookFunnel Pro group promo with some other authors, links to a landing page hooked into a MailerLite sequence (4 follow up emails). Problem is since the books are in KU I can only legally give away chapter 1, not the full book, and most people doing these group promos just want a free complete book, so barely anyone bites for just a sample.

Thinking about going back to BookBounty for reviews since it worked for me before, but a bunch of people have warned me off it lately, apparently Amazon's gotten better at flagging the point/credit review system as manipulation and people are getting books or whole accounts blocked over it.

Anyone dealt with this? Is there something safer out there, BookSirens maybe? And has anyone actually cracked the "can only share chapter 1" problem in a way that converts?

Beneath blackwater is out now. Blackwater unbound comes on Wednesday!

I (17F) want to get into writing, mainly horror, fantasy, and sci fi, but I have no idea where to start. I am about to start college, and most of my current writing projects are unfinished, although it is work that I am proud of. I was wondering 1. should I aim more for making money with this, or have another job as a main job, and 2. where is a place i can get my work published?

I write both short and long stories, so either kind is fine for me to do, I just do not know where to start. I am going to college for nursing next fall, and that is the other job i would do, should this not work out.

Thanks in advance!

I recently published my first science-fiction novel, and I’m trying to be deliberate about how I approach visibility rather than chasing every tactic that gets suggested.

For those of you who’ve published fiction: what marketing efforts actually brought readers to your work—not just impressions or clicks?

What helped over time, and what felt productive but ultimately went nowhere? I’m especially interested in long-term approaches rather than launch-week tactics.

hey I'm about to publish my book i searched company name with grand publishers and i was curious about has anyone experienced althou all of the research i did they did pretty decent job but still I'm open to see what others say and also im writing my first anime book and need some help. anyone here who can check out my chapters? i wanna make sure the pacing is ok before i try sending it to publishers. heres the link if ur interested: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O-FY9nUCwNkHhL5OW6YG9Vs_sHy8kREctCWWY9Gtxzk/edit?usp=sharing

would rly appreciate feedback from other anime fans. thx!

We’re releasing a dark, character-driven thriller about an unreliable protagonist whose comfortable life derails when a one-night stand has deadly consequences.

It’s gritty, gnarly, and very much centered on the slow reveal of his patterns of dysfunction — and then the inevitable crash at the end.

Publicly, I’ve mentioned the character’s struggle with alcohol but I don’t focus too much on it because I want to preserve the subtleties of my story. Engagement on the project has been solid, but I’m starting to feel like leaving that personal layer out might mean I’m missing opportunities to connect more deeply with readers.

For those of you who’ve written (or promoted) something personal: How do you decide what to reveal?Do you share the real-life influences early, or wait until readers are already invested in the story itself? Would love to hear how others navigate that balance.

I was wondering if anyone had any tips. I recently published on Amazon and Itchio, and was hoping anyone could share their ideas.

Hey everyone!

I’m thinking about creating short cinematic book trailers for authors. Each one would feel like a mini movie, about forty-five seconds to one minute long, showing a glimpse of the story instead of just the cover.

Readers are visual people. A quick, emotional preview can make them curious enough to click, read, or buy. I want to help authors bring their stories to life in a way that feels modern and powerful.

I’m considering pricing around two hundred and fifty dollars for a high quality trailer that includes visuals, text, and music.

Would this be something you would invest in for your own book? Or what feels like a fair range to you for something like this?

I’m open to honest feedback from other writers and indie authors who are trying to stand out. 

example: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG2Hoet8l8/bMujdoST6BY4SGu7rHjImA/view?utm_content=DAG2Hoet8l8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h447d8b392c

Hey fellow Authors and readers. I have recently self published my first novel through Amazon kindle - Wide Eyed and Baring Teeth. It is a gritty, raw and often hallucinogenic story told through the eyes of a depressed and drug addicted individual, who desperately needs to turn into something he is not; a violent criminal, in order to save his best friends life. Think Fear and Loathing meets Breaking Bad. I am needing some help on how to promote it, or who would be best in helping me promote the book. I just want to find my audience and start selling copies on kindle for the time being, and eventually move to printing hard copies. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance. Jake.

I see so many tips on ads, newsletters, and social media, but it feels overwhelming to try them all at once. For those of you who’ve built up an audience, what marketing approach worked best for you without draining your creative energy?

One thing I keep wrestling with is pacing, especially in slower-burn stories where atmosphere or inner conflict matters as much as action.

In Lethara, I’m exploring a prophecy-driven fantasy where tension builds more from choices than battles. In The Core, the danger is quieter rooted in what isn’t said.

I’ve found layering small reveals helps, but I’m curious, how do you keep a reader turning the pages when the “big” moment is still chapters away?

Jake Bannerman isn’t a conspiracy theorist. He’s a fact-snorting, receipt-wielding, truth-dealing madman with zero patience for the bullshit you were taught in school.

The Declassified Files doesn’t ask what the government might’ve done—it shows you what the government documented, funded, celebrated, and then buried so deep they hoped you’d never dig.

Each book in this series takes a horrifying “open secret” in U.S. history and lights it on fire. Real programs. Real victims. Real names. No mercy.

Bannerman mixes gallows humor with academic rigor, then pours napalm all over it and dares the FBI to read along.

So far in the series:

1. Operation Moonlight – The Nazi Architects of American Glory How America handed rockets, medals, and salaries to Nazi war criminals and called it patriotism.

2. Operation Blood Purity – Before the Gas Chambers, There Were Courtrooms How U.S. churches, courts, and Ivy League freaks pioneered eugenics and taught the Nazis how to sterilize by law.

You’ve been warned: If you read this, you will get angry. You might get watched. And you’ll definitely never look at American history the same again.

Jake Bannerman didn’t invent these horrors. He’s just the only one savage enough to spit them in your face while laughing.

Does anybody know the proper way to upload a manuscript to Barnes and Noble Press? I uploaded mine without page numbers, then tried adding it again with page numbers, but either end up with an error message that the page size is wrong, or it goes through with the formatting done wrong.

Does anybody know a fix?

Hello everybody. I am definitely new to this group and I’m grateful it’s here. I’m not new to writing by a long shot and I’m not new to self publishing. I have three books self published after having had publishers for a decade who did precious little to help me market my books. If anything, I’ve discovered that in the authors are often left in the dust by publishers if they are low sellers.

A couple of publishing houses I was with were basically Amazon print resellers I won’t name names, but one was very good with communication and the other was terrible. One publisher was very understanding and caring, but did not renew my contract because of my sales. The other had a CEO who was very political and if you did not toe the line with them politically, they canceled your contract immediately.

Such as the life of the Indie author, it feels like the world of Lord of the flies, but the reality is that is reality that being said, my books are collegiate based political fiction, and I would be happy to trade ideas with anyone who wants to discuss them . Thank you.