Scratching my head over rankings coming out of free

[LucyRodgersEro]

Since Amazon is really the only place where my novella has any significant sales, I decided to try out the KDP Select program despite my discomfort with the exclusivity clause. On Friday and Saturday, I made the novella free. I was under the impression from the experience of other people and books I've seen come out of free status that my ranking from when the book was free would carry over to the pay side (although I did see a post a few months ago from someone who said Amazon explicitly told him the ranking for pay was never calculated based on the free ranking).

Well, MAID FOR IT was probably around 500 in the free store (it had been higher) when it fell out of free status on Saturday night. Its ranking was an abysmal 110k+.

So, what I'm wondering is what gives? I'm so confused right now, because I know others who've been in Select who came out of free and picked up a lot of sales because they appeared high up in bestseller lists they previously weren't on. Anyone have any insights? Beuller?

[Monique]

That sounds about right. Typically, a book will come off free and have a ranking in 100k+ area and move up over the course of a day or two. That said, a free rank of 500 might not give you much of a boost back in the paid ranks, I fear.

[LucyRodgersEro]

That sounds about right. Typically, a book will come off free and have a ranking in 100k+ area and move up over the course of a day or two. That said, a free rank of 500 might not give you much of a boost back in the paid ranks, I fear.

Why would it move up if it came out of free in the 100k's? It seems like its visibility would be worse than before (this novella bounced between the 60ks and the 20ks before going free).

It did pick up and got under 10k yesterday, but I attributed that to the new 5-star review it garnered.

[J.R.Tate]

Since Amazon is really the only place where my novella has any significant sales, I decided to try out the KDP Select program despite my discomfort with the exclusivity clause. On Friday and Saturday, I made the novella free. I was under the impression from the experience of other people and books I've seen come out of free status that my ranking from when the book was free would carry over to the pay side (although I did see a post a few months ago from someone who said Amazon explicitly told him the ranking for pay was never calculated based on the free ranking).

Well, MAID FOR IT was probably around 500 in the free store (it had been higher) when it fell out of free status on Saturday night. Its ranking was an abysmal 110k+.

So, what I'm wondering is what gives? I'm so confused right now, because I know others who've been in Select who came out of free and picked up a lot of sales because they appeared high up in bestseller lists they previously weren't on. Anyone have any insights? Beuller?

What was the highest that you noticed your book get when it was free? I've noticed that the higher the free ranking is when you go back to being on sale makes a difference.  However, the first day back on sale after it being free usually does have a bad ranking, and then the second and third day it should start getting much better.  On the bad sad though, you will see more returns on the book, too, as some people don't realize it is back to being on sale when they one click it.  

I have two books that I have put free with KDP Select and one of my books, Through Smoke, did awesome.  It also had more reviews then my other book, Dance With the Devil, that didn't do near as well. So, I think having more reviews is helpful too, though I'm not sure that's the main selling point.

Try putting them free again in a few weeks or so and see.  It's just about timing.  Right place right time sort of thing.  

[Monique]

I don't know why it happens, just that it does. A book will come off free with a very low (100k+) ranking and then move up over the course of the next day or so.

[Terrence OBrien]

Think of two completely different scoring scales. On the paid scale, the book had zero sales for two days, so its rank fell. Being free has no effect on this scale.

The other scale is the free scale, and it compares the book to everything else that is free. It pays no attention to the paid scale.

When the book becomes paid again, paid scale ignores the free scale, simply sees the book had zero sales for two days, and ranks it accordingly.

Any subsequent jump in the paid scale is due to new sales after the book is back in the paid scale.

[Monique]

While we don't know for sure, I'm assuming that what Terrance has illustrated is exactly what happens.

[Mike McIntyre]

This thread will help explain...

http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,102044.msg1562880.html#msg1562880

[Terrence OBrien]

I suspect the jump in sales after being free is due to the new Also Bought list the free period generated. The AB list would more accurately be labeled the Also Downloaded list. The AB list does change in realtime, but it also appears to make major changes two or three times per week.

So, take a look at your AB list. If it is the same as it was prior to the free period, monitor it and it will make a dramatic change reflecting the free downloads. This might happen the first, second, or third day after being free.