Every Indie Author should be using StoryOrigin.
If you’ve interacted with me at all as an Indie Author, you know I rave about StoryOrigin.
Simply put, it’s one of the best tools out there for authors!
Why should you be using StoryOrigin?
Because it can create efficient (and potentially profitable) funnels for your stories, finding you readers who want to read your work. Off the top of my head, here’s everything I use the website for:
Universal Book Links
Audiobook Reviews
Advance Reader Copies
Book Magnets
Newsletter Swaps
Mutli-Author Promotions
So without further delay, here’s my “Beginner’s Guide” to why every Indie Author should be using StoryOrigin!
(It’s worth noting that Evan Gow, the designer of the website, has already created a list of great Tutorials for StoryOrigin, but sometimes it’s good to hear from a user instead)
Reason #1: Universal Book Links
I love StoryOrigin because I can use it to create universal book links for all my books and keep them organized in one place. Here’s what my UBL dashboard on StoryOrigin looks like…
Universal Book Links make it easy for me to link any image or post about one of my books to my book product page—and it’ll direct readers to the store of their choosing, whether it’s Amazon (US, UK, etc) or Barnes and Noble or something else entirely!
It also embeds my Amazon Affiliate link.
Here’s what a link looks like: https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/aee98bf6-7c8c-11e9-a77e-bfb220cc3007
Try clicking the image to the left. It has an embedded clickthrough URL for my novel, Flight of the 500. You’ll notice, for the briefest moment, the website will take you to StoryOrigin, then it passes you through to Amazon (or another seller).
Once a reader has been to StoryOrigin’s website once, it remembers their store preference, and always automatically redirects them onward!
Reason #2: Audiobook Reviews
StoryOrigin has made it incredibly easy for me to track audiobook listeners who receive free copies of my book and then review them! I give them a free promo code, they drop a review on various websites, and I know they’re a reliable reviewer (regardless of what score they give me). Reliable reviewers I then will send future promo codes to!
Here’s what the Audiobook review dashboard looks like…
Notice I can list a book as “no longer available” for review codes. I can also check my “accepted applicants” to see if they’ve posted their reviews on StoryOrigin! The site actually tracks their review links to ensure they actually post where they say they will post.
Reason #3: Advance Reader Copies
I’ve used NetGalley in the past for advance reader copies, but StoryOrigin is too incredibly useful. I always distribute advance reader copies of my books through StoryOrigin because, like for audio review copies, the website tracks where readers drop their reviews. I know which readers actually review, and then no who to contact about reviews for future books!
While a website like NetGalley will put you in front of a suite of professional reviewers and audiences you may not normally have access to, you can’t beat StoryOrigin’s value for distributing review copies to your already existing fanbase.
Reason #4: Book Magnets
Possibly StoryOrigin’s most useful feature! I’ve used BookFunnel for book magnet distribution, too. Both websites have different audiences, and I like the tools available on both. StoryOrigin’s usefulness stems from its “all-in-one” nature, having book magnets right alongside universal book links.
To illustrate my success with Book Magnets through StoryOrigin, here are some numbers…
In 8 months, 993 readers downloaded Before Inferno from StoryOrigin.
In about two months, 68 readers downloaded Legacy of Light.
I’ve had hundreds of other readers download my free books through BookFunnel, but StoryOrigin’s numbers are pretty fantastic. And many of them have converted into long-term readers!
Reason #5: Newsletter Swaps
There’s really no comparison to StoryOrigin’s Newsletter Swap tool. You can easily schedule newsletter swaps with other authors (and sort by genre!). You can also investigate an author’s newsletter to figure out how many clicks they usually generate for books, and identify which authors “stuff” their newsletters with dozens of books (and then generate few clicks).
Check it out! I can easily take a look at the Swap list and schedule out with authors who have similar audiences to me…
Reason #6: Multi-Author Promotions
Like newsletter swaps, StoryOrigin has a very easy interface for finding multi-author promotions in which you can place your books. I’ve used these to generate downloads of my book magnets and for sales, too! Not every author promotion is created equal (you need to look for the promotions with good banners), but the tool itself is fantastic.
Here’s an example of a banner I’ve created for past multi-author promotions I’ve run:
If you use StoryOrigin, what have you found useful?
I’ve loved its features, and I didn’t even mention everything! For instance, mailing list integration is incredibly useful, as is the “campaign planner.” Not to mention the really nifty stats sections and “Word Count” tool. Simply put, StoryOrigin has everything.
Unsure of how to use any of the tools I discussed above? Drop a note in the comments or on Twitter!
And if you found this advice useful, feel free to reach out about how we can work together. As a freelance editor, when I work with my clients, I also help them succeed, providing advice on the publishing process from start to finish.