To my disappointment, someone has been on my Amazon listing and given the two excellent reviews I have received so far for Smugglers at Whistling Sands the thumbs down. Now, the first one is rated three people out of four find the review helpful, and the other that two out of three find it helpful.
I just find it annoying that someone, under the cloak of anonymity, should do that to me. Have they taken the trouble to leave their own review, explaining what they liked and presumbly what they did not? No, of course they haven't.
Have they commented on the two reviews I have received to date, explaining why they don't agree with them? No, of course they haven't. Instead they have just quietly, effortlessly used the thumbs down sign.
Have they even read the book? Who knows! It has crossed my mind whether it is from a rival author / publisher out there. Perhaps I shouldn't read too much into it, I just think when you go to the trouble of seeking to knock a fledgling novelist like me and imply that my book isn't even worth the 86p I'm asking for it - whoever it is might at least explain why.
Whether it will knock future sales I don't know - I've just got to hope others continue to buy it, and hopefully I will pick up some more reviews - not necessarily five star as my current two are - but honest crits, which hopefully will be more positive than negative.
My sales have now reached 33 - they definitely don't appear to be exactly taking off, but it is still early days yet and I am, frankly, doing next to nothing to promote my book - I really need to find the time to do so.
Showing posts with label Kindle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kindle. Show all posts
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
A few more sales - just wish I could invest more time in pushing my book
Despite having done very little to promote my book - including failing to keep this blog up to date - I have continued to pick up slow but steady sales. In my last entry I had reached a milestone of 20 sales of Smugglers at Whistling Sands. This tally has now leaped to 31 - well I say leaped, it is after all nearly a fortnight since I wrote that entry!
On Saturday evening I had two sales and this afternoon I had another two, which pushed me up to #35 in the top 100 in children's fiction action & adventure category on Amazon's Kindle bookstore.
I badly need to start pushing the book again to build on this - selective use of Twitter and Facebook spring to mind, but it all takes time and I've been very busy with work and also family matters over the last few days.
My very first buyer, fellow fledgling novelist Martin Jones in Toronto, Canada, has done me an excellent analysis of the first chapter of my book, which I'm very grateful for. The value of having a fresh pair of eyes can be summed up in just one observation alone of his - something no-one else has spotted, including my wife! I was selling my ebook with one of the principal characters, 12-year-old Jack, referred to in the first chapter as "John".
John was his original name, but I changed it to Jack ages ago, and thought I had altered every single reference in the book - but clearly I missed one. As soon as I read this, I changed the hard copy of the novel in Word format on my desktop, converted it to ebook format and uploaded it to Amazon to over-write the original file. I am not happy that a good few people will have bought my book with that mistake contained in it - that said, it will create no more than a momentary confusion and I don't think anyone will be that furious with me. But certainly I feel a little furious with myself!
There are three or four other minor changes I intend to make arising from Martin's analysis. And a number of his suggestions I will reject and leave things as they are, grateful though I am for them. It's a sign of strength to listen to criticism and be willing to change your novel - but it's also a sign of strength to reject certain observations and say, "well, I'm the author, that's how I want it!"
I shall soon be sending Martin a little analysis of my own of his part-written book, and I expect him to do the same - maybe take on board some of what I say, and reject some of it. Talking of which, I think it's time I plugged his book in this blog which I am very much enjoying. I find it's whole basis is highly original and unusual. It's called They Shoot Birds Don't They? - and you can find a long extract from it on the writers' site Authonomy.com run by HarperCollins, under Martin's author name MP Jones. Click here to go directly to it. Martin's book is now ranked very highly by fellow members, up to 117 as I write this out of several thousand other books. So take a look!
Talking of which, the Authonomy website is very interesting, not had time to get my head round it properly yet, but looking forward to delving into it in more detail. And I promise not to leave it another fortnight before updating this blog!
On Saturday evening I had two sales and this afternoon I had another two, which pushed me up to #35 in the top 100 in children's fiction action & adventure category on Amazon's Kindle bookstore.
I badly need to start pushing the book again to build on this - selective use of Twitter and Facebook spring to mind, but it all takes time and I've been very busy with work and also family matters over the last few days.
My very first buyer, fellow fledgling novelist Martin Jones in Toronto, Canada, has done me an excellent analysis of the first chapter of my book, which I'm very grateful for. The value of having a fresh pair of eyes can be summed up in just one observation alone of his - something no-one else has spotted, including my wife! I was selling my ebook with one of the principal characters, 12-year-old Jack, referred to in the first chapter as "John".
John was his original name, but I changed it to Jack ages ago, and thought I had altered every single reference in the book - but clearly I missed one. As soon as I read this, I changed the hard copy of the novel in Word format on my desktop, converted it to ebook format and uploaded it to Amazon to over-write the original file. I am not happy that a good few people will have bought my book with that mistake contained in it - that said, it will create no more than a momentary confusion and I don't think anyone will be that furious with me. But certainly I feel a little furious with myself!
There are three or four other minor changes I intend to make arising from Martin's analysis. And a number of his suggestions I will reject and leave things as they are, grateful though I am for them. It's a sign of strength to listen to criticism and be willing to change your novel - but it's also a sign of strength to reject certain observations and say, "well, I'm the author, that's how I want it!"
I shall soon be sending Martin a little analysis of my own of his part-written book, and I expect him to do the same - maybe take on board some of what I say, and reject some of it. Talking of which, I think it's time I plugged his book in this blog which I am very much enjoying. I find it's whole basis is highly original and unusual. It's called They Shoot Birds Don't They? - and you can find a long extract from it on the writers' site Authonomy.com run by HarperCollins, under Martin's author name MP Jones. Click here to go directly to it. Martin's book is now ranked very highly by fellow members, up to 117 as I write this out of several thousand other books. So take a look!
Talking of which, the Authonomy website is very interesting, not had time to get my head round it properly yet, but looking forward to delving into it in more detail. And I promise not to leave it another fortnight before updating this blog!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Milestone of sorts as I reach 20 sales
Apologies for taking five whole days since I last updated this blog. It isn't a sign that my interest is waning in my book writing project. Quite the contrary in fact, I am raring to get stuck in, both in promoting my current book, and starting to get on with writing another.
I have not been selling well the last few days, there has been a definite slow down, but I think that is probably as much as anything to do with the fact that many people still simply do not know about my book, Smugglers at Whistling Sands.
But tonight I had my 17th sale on Amazon.co.uk and I have now had three sales on Amazon.com making 20 in total. When you consider that those sales have come in little over my first month I should not be too displeased. I am now, temporarily no doubt, back in the top 100 bestsellers in the category children's fiction, action and adventure on Amazon.co.uk - just - at #99.
I think I should mention as well, the power of Twitter - I searched on the key word Abersoch on Twitter at the weekend and a few tweets came up from people who had mentioned Abersoch. I sent a personalised tweet to one of them, the woman in question had already heard of my book, was delighted I had got in touch and promptly bought it, once I had explained how. She also told a friend of hers who has since been in touch via Twitter but who wants to wait until I bring out the hard copy of Smugglers (which I will at some stage).
I mentioned how keen I am to plunge myself into my novel writing ambitions. Unfortunately for me, I have been kept very busy at work recently, not only trying to keep up to speed with my own output of columns, leader columns and features, but having to cover for the farming correspondent who is currently off.
And the more work I have to do, the more I daydream about novel-writing and then take even longer getting stuff done. I need to have more self discipline, dear boy, I tell myself. Unfortunately, I don't always listen, not even to myself!
I have not been selling well the last few days, there has been a definite slow down, but I think that is probably as much as anything to do with the fact that many people still simply do not know about my book, Smugglers at Whistling Sands.
But tonight I had my 17th sale on Amazon.co.uk and I have now had three sales on Amazon.com making 20 in total. When you consider that those sales have come in little over my first month I should not be too displeased. I am now, temporarily no doubt, back in the top 100 bestsellers in the category children's fiction, action and adventure on Amazon.co.uk - just - at #99.
I think I should mention as well, the power of Twitter - I searched on the key word Abersoch on Twitter at the weekend and a few tweets came up from people who had mentioned Abersoch. I sent a personalised tweet to one of them, the woman in question had already heard of my book, was delighted I had got in touch and promptly bought it, once I had explained how. She also told a friend of hers who has since been in touch via Twitter but who wants to wait until I bring out the hard copy of Smugglers (which I will at some stage).
I mentioned how keen I am to plunge myself into my novel writing ambitions. Unfortunately for me, I have been kept very busy at work recently, not only trying to keep up to speed with my own output of columns, leader columns and features, but having to cover for the farming correspondent who is currently off.
And the more work I have to do, the more I daydream about novel-writing and then take even longer getting stuff done. I need to have more self discipline, dear boy, I tell myself. Unfortunately, I don't always listen, not even to myself!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Another 5-star review . . . but sales dried up today (never mind)
Today I was very pleased to receive my second review - another five stars, from "Bart" who is a regular holidaymaker to Abersoch and loved the book, as did his young daughter. "Bart" is the guy who contacted me via Facebook and has now very kindly repeated his positive comments publicly on my Amazon listing.
Also pleasing, is the fact that someone has already marked it a "helpful" review so all this will help me with future sales.
Talking of which, I have now notched up 15 buyers, but I'm feeling a little disappointed today because I've not had any sales in the last 24 hours and have dropped from hovering just outside the top 5,000 best selling on Kindle to 18,000. You soon get punished if you don't sell books, your ranking drops swiftly, by around 500 an hour. But as I've said before, that is good because it shows that people are buying books on Kindle.
Ultimately, my book will keep selling if it's any good and sales will dry up if it isn't and that is the way it should be.
Also pleasing, is the fact that someone has already marked it a "helpful" review so all this will help me with future sales.
Talking of which, I have now notched up 15 buyers, but I'm feeling a little disappointed today because I've not had any sales in the last 24 hours and have dropped from hovering just outside the top 5,000 best selling on Kindle to 18,000. You soon get punished if you don't sell books, your ranking drops swiftly, by around 500 an hour. But as I've said before, that is good because it shows that people are buying books on Kindle.
Ultimately, my book will keep selling if it's any good and sales will dry up if it isn't and that is the way it should be.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Fantastic message from a reader - makes it all worthwhile!
I won't give his name as his comments weren't posted on a public forum but somebody who has recently bought my book, Smugglers at Whistling Sands, has sent me a message via Facebook to say how much he enjoyed reading it - and also his 10-year-old daughter, who was particularly pleased and proud that she could relate to the photographs I have sprinkled throughout the book.
Furthermore, he stays in a place not too far from where I and my family stay while on holiday at Abersoch - and he's invited me to join him for a beer when I'm next up there. I have, of course, been only too happy to agree!
The buyer has also promised to spread the word about the book, based as you will know, at Abersoch. That sort of thing is crucial to my success as a fledgling novelist. Think of my book like a restaurant you've been to for the first time. If you don't like it, you won't recommend it - but if you do and you tell others about it, then word of mouth can work wonders. I've now had 13 sales and that's pleasing because it shows a steady trickle of orders.
Anyone reading this who are themselves fledgling novelists, do take a look at the site www.authonomy.com run by Harper Collins - it was recommended to me by a fellow writer. Absolutely excellent place to be for anyone seeking help, advice and feedback on their own writing. The only catch being, you need to dole it out to others. But one thing I am fast learning, is the sheer goodwill that exists in the writing community and towards writers.
As you may know, I am a journalist - and the reaction to that when I meet people socially for the first time can often be one of slight unease, curiosity, and a sense of wondering what sort of chap we have here.
No such qualms exist towards novelists, who are much loved by all. I'll raise a glass to that!
Furthermore, he stays in a place not too far from where I and my family stay while on holiday at Abersoch - and he's invited me to join him for a beer when I'm next up there. I have, of course, been only too happy to agree!
The buyer has also promised to spread the word about the book, based as you will know, at Abersoch. That sort of thing is crucial to my success as a fledgling novelist. Think of my book like a restaurant you've been to for the first time. If you don't like it, you won't recommend it - but if you do and you tell others about it, then word of mouth can work wonders. I've now had 13 sales and that's pleasing because it shows a steady trickle of orders.
Anyone reading this who are themselves fledgling novelists, do take a look at the site www.authonomy.com run by Harper Collins - it was recommended to me by a fellow writer. Absolutely excellent place to be for anyone seeking help, advice and feedback on their own writing. The only catch being, you need to dole it out to others. But one thing I am fast learning, is the sheer goodwill that exists in the writing community and towards writers.
As you may know, I am a journalist - and the reaction to that when I meet people socially for the first time can often be one of slight unease, curiosity, and a sense of wondering what sort of chap we have here.
No such qualms exist towards novelists, who are much loved by all. I'll raise a glass to that!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
A five-star review for Smugglers on Amazon
My book picked up a fantastic review last night posted on my Amazon listing from Canadian buyer Martin Jones in Toronto - and it may well be no coincidence that I had two sales overnight, taking me to 9, of which 4 were in the last 12 hours. (Click the Amazon link to my book on the right hand side to see Martin's review and info about the book).
I was sort of dreading my first review so I was delighted to receive such a good one and a couple of criticisms made by Martin were delivered gently and constructively. Book reviews are in the hands of the reader and can be as harsh or as flattering as people wish to deliver them and that's the way it should be.
What particularly pleased me is that he clearly enjoyed Smugglers At Whistling Sands and felt that it had pace and was a page-turner - which is what I wanted. I hope other buyers will also find the time to post reviews and I really do hope I can keep getting the book out there and selling. I am not interested in acquiring riches - what I want is readers!
Martin described my book as "fantastic value" at 86p and said that its low price didn't reflect its quality. He felt it must be a marketing strategy on my part to set the price at that level. He is absolutely right - the marketing strategy is to maximise sales - ie. readers. My research tells me that setting the price low is important for unknown and self-published authors like me if we are to have any hope of readers taking a risk on us. At 86p I am hopefully worth a punt - but why should you pay £4.99 when you've never heard of me before?
Longer term, I would love to make money from writing novels for this very simple reason: if it paid the bills then producing creative fiction is where I want to be. The important point though, is to write for the love of it, and if it pays, it can become the day job. Until then, as the saying goes: don't give up the day job!
I was sort of dreading my first review so I was delighted to receive such a good one and a couple of criticisms made by Martin were delivered gently and constructively. Book reviews are in the hands of the reader and can be as harsh or as flattering as people wish to deliver them and that's the way it should be.
What particularly pleased me is that he clearly enjoyed Smugglers At Whistling Sands and felt that it had pace and was a page-turner - which is what I wanted. I hope other buyers will also find the time to post reviews and I really do hope I can keep getting the book out there and selling. I am not interested in acquiring riches - what I want is readers!
Martin described my book as "fantastic value" at 86p and said that its low price didn't reflect its quality. He felt it must be a marketing strategy on my part to set the price at that level. He is absolutely right - the marketing strategy is to maximise sales - ie. readers. My research tells me that setting the price low is important for unknown and self-published authors like me if we are to have any hope of readers taking a risk on us. At 86p I am hopefully worth a punt - but why should you pay £4.99 when you've never heard of me before?
Longer term, I would love to make money from writing novels for this very simple reason: if it paid the bills then producing creative fiction is where I want to be. The important point though, is to write for the love of it, and if it pays, it can become the day job. Until then, as the saying goes: don't give up the day job!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Another sale, and my thoughts are turning to reviews . . .
I had the fourth sale of Smugglers this afternoon and it is a funny feeling to think that, with the exception of my first buyer, who hails from Canada, I have no idea who the other three are.
Could they be the next door neighbour but one, could it be a family member? A work colleague? The fact is, almost nobody knows about my ebook and all members of my family are under instructions not to buy it off Amazon which is currently the only place I have my it for sale. I simply want to feel that any purchase is a genuine one, ie. one made by a stranger or a sworn enemy or something - not my best mate, or a sympathetic neighbour, or a kindly in-law who feels I need a little encouragement.
And the other thing is, will the book get reviewed - I can be pretty sure one of those buyers will review it but not necessarily the others. I do feel a slight feeling of unease that anyone anywhere in the world can download my book and just read it for themselves. My first buyer, who is himself writing a book, expressed that very emotion in an email to me and it made me realise I feel the same way.
I suppose it is easy to be nervous about any possible criticism but it is through critical appraisal that we all learn and all fledgling novelists should remind themselves that the greatest writers in history have their critics and indeed, from Shakespeare through to the likes of Thomas Hardy, have stuff to their name that is, shall we say, not their best.
It's interesting that my favourite author, George Orwell, so disliked his early two novels A Clergyman's Daughter and Keep The Aspidistra Flying that after early print runs, he refused to allow them to be reprinted in his lifetime. I enjoyed reading both, but in particular, Keep The Aspidistra Flying - a harrowing tale of a struggling writer who could barely make ends meet and felt worthless in the process. There is some very powerful, and at times poetic language by Orwell and I only wish he had written more of this type of book.
Anyway, enough of Mr Orwell for one evening, it is already nearly half past midnight here in North Wales and I could go on about him all night, and after another tiring day on the paper (working from home today though, not the office) I probably ought to get to bed.
Could they be the next door neighbour but one, could it be a family member? A work colleague? The fact is, almost nobody knows about my ebook and all members of my family are under instructions not to buy it off Amazon which is currently the only place I have my it for sale. I simply want to feel that any purchase is a genuine one, ie. one made by a stranger or a sworn enemy or something - not my best mate, or a sympathetic neighbour, or a kindly in-law who feels I need a little encouragement.
And the other thing is, will the book get reviewed - I can be pretty sure one of those buyers will review it but not necessarily the others. I do feel a slight feeling of unease that anyone anywhere in the world can download my book and just read it for themselves. My first buyer, who is himself writing a book, expressed that very emotion in an email to me and it made me realise I feel the same way.
I suppose it is easy to be nervous about any possible criticism but it is through critical appraisal that we all learn and all fledgling novelists should remind themselves that the greatest writers in history have their critics and indeed, from Shakespeare through to the likes of Thomas Hardy, have stuff to their name that is, shall we say, not their best.
It's interesting that my favourite author, George Orwell, so disliked his early two novels A Clergyman's Daughter and Keep The Aspidistra Flying that after early print runs, he refused to allow them to be reprinted in his lifetime. I enjoyed reading both, but in particular, Keep The Aspidistra Flying - a harrowing tale of a struggling writer who could barely make ends meet and felt worthless in the process. There is some very powerful, and at times poetic language by Orwell and I only wish he had written more of this type of book.
Anyway, enough of Mr Orwell for one evening, it is already nearly half past midnight here in North Wales and I could go on about him all night, and after another tiring day on the paper (working from home today though, not the office) I probably ought to get to bed.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sales of my Abersoch based ebook triple!
Oh yes, you can prove anything with statistics, can't you! Mind you I'm easily pleased where my ebook Smugglers At Whistling Sands is concerned. I had my second sale yesterday and my third sale about an hour ago. That's right I've sold three copies (since July 21, 2011).
It's great news. I was thinking I was going to go down in history as the only person to write a book and have no sales at all. So I'm very chuffed that I have made this progress. Here's to sale number 4!
My prediction yesterday that I was to end up on enforced gardening leave all day, so to speak, proved accurate. I ended up chopping down the enormous runaway bamboo bush outside our dining room windows. It was becoming a bit of an eyesore and it looks a lot better now. Still got the roots to dig out though - I'm hoping bamboo roots don't go down too deep. And today I was back at work at my beloved newspaper, writing a personal column and a leader column and finishing off a double-page feature which should have been sorted on Friday but wasn't. It had to be finished today because it's going in tomorrow's paper - a deadline is a wonderful thing.
I was thinking of sketching out a bit of plot for another book I'm hoping to get started on on the train coming back but it was a bit packed, and I was a bit tired so I settled down to read Quentin Letts' 50 People Who Buggered Up Britain. Very amusing and apt it is too - particularly reading it in the wake of the riots which have buggered up Britain even more of course.
Quentin Letts is an excellent, fluid writer - I recommend him to those of you unacquainted with his skilful prose. That said, it's a pity he's not prime minister.
It's great news. I was thinking I was going to go down in history as the only person to write a book and have no sales at all. So I'm very chuffed that I have made this progress. Here's to sale number 4!
My prediction yesterday that I was to end up on enforced gardening leave all day, so to speak, proved accurate. I ended up chopping down the enormous runaway bamboo bush outside our dining room windows. It was becoming a bit of an eyesore and it looks a lot better now. Still got the roots to dig out though - I'm hoping bamboo roots don't go down too deep. And today I was back at work at my beloved newspaper, writing a personal column and a leader column and finishing off a double-page feature which should have been sorted on Friday but wasn't. It had to be finished today because it's going in tomorrow's paper - a deadline is a wonderful thing.
I was thinking of sketching out a bit of plot for another book I'm hoping to get started on on the train coming back but it was a bit packed, and I was a bit tired so I settled down to read Quentin Letts' 50 People Who Buggered Up Britain. Very amusing and apt it is too - particularly reading it in the wake of the riots which have buggered up Britain even more of course.
Quentin Letts is an excellent, fluid writer - I recommend him to those of you unacquainted with his skilful prose. That said, it's a pity he's not prime minister.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Why I don't want to mow the lawn today
It's Sunday afternoon, 12.20pm (BST) and the smell of roast beef is wafting from the kitchen through to the lounge where I sit with my laptop on my knees typing this. But on pain of not getting any Sunday lunch my wife requires me to get out of my chair, into the garden and mow the lawn. After lunch, there will probably a number of other horticultural tasks available for me to do, in addition to helping look after our young kids aged 4 and 3.
At the risk of stating the obvious, I don't want to mow the ruddy lawn! I want to be working on book-related things. I have got a number of ideas for pushing my Smugglers children's book and I also want to be rolling up my sleeves thinking up ideas for book number two.
And yet, an afternoon in the garden beckons. Ok, that's not such a terrible chore, I'm just mindful of the fact that today is Sunday, I'm sailing through it fast, I spent all yesterday helping my parents who were taking part in Open Garden Day to raise money for their village church and tomorrow, I'm sorry to tell you, is MONDAY again.
When oh when will get some quality time to work at being a novelist? I just have to make time I suppose. And now my wife has summoned me to the kitchen to help prepare lunch. Oh well . . .
At the risk of stating the obvious, I don't want to mow the ruddy lawn! I want to be working on book-related things. I have got a number of ideas for pushing my Smugglers children's book and I also want to be rolling up my sleeves thinking up ideas for book number two.
And yet, an afternoon in the garden beckons. Ok, that's not such a terrible chore, I'm just mindful of the fact that today is Sunday, I'm sailing through it fast, I spent all yesterday helping my parents who were taking part in Open Garden Day to raise money for their village church and tomorrow, I'm sorry to tell you, is MONDAY again.
When oh when will get some quality time to work at being a novelist? I just have to make time I suppose. And now my wife has summoned me to the kitchen to help prepare lunch. Oh well . . .
The value of building friendships for aspiring and unknown novelists
As I am now finding out, trying to make it as a novelist when no-one knows you or what you've written is a tough battle. But it should be remembered that numerous others are also treading the same path and there is so much we can all learn from each other.
You could be negative about this and see it as unwanted competition but that's not my view. To me, other wannabe novelists are friends, not enemies. I am happy to help others to get their books out there in front of the reading public and happy also to tap into their advice..
As you'll know from my recent posts, I have acquired my first buyer for my Abersoch-based ebook Smugglers At Whistling Sands. He has also given me some excellent advice - namely the importance of making one's book or extracts of it available to online reviewers, many of whom will themselves be aspiring novelists - and receiving constructive advice and criticism from the community. Furthermore, that there are more avenues to explore than just selling one's ebook on Amazon.
Someone who has often been a source of inspiration for me to further my ambitions as a novelist is Keith Robinson, who is British but now lives in America and who has recently completed a trilogy of fantasy novels in his Island of Fog series about apparently normal youngsters who develop special powers and who can transform themselves into mythical creatures.
He is also the brains behind an excellent Enid Blyton tribute website, very much underpinned by his own love of Blyton's tales. Keith also writes a regular blog http://www.unearthlytales.com which tells of the ups and downs along his own road to become a recognised author - at this stage self-published but hopeful of winning a publishing deal one day.
Following on from a reply to one of his recent posts, Keith has invited me to plug my book on his Enid Blyton website http://www.EnidBlyton.net This will undoubtedly be a big help. Keith's site is hugely popular among Enid Blyton fans and as best-selling Kindle author John Locke points out, a key element to marketing your books is to know where that market is and target it. And my book is the sort that fans of Enid Blyton may well like (if I say so myself!).
So I am feeling very heartened by the response both from Keith and from my first buyer. Making friends and chatting with lke-minded "indie" authors can be hugely helpful and very rewarding.
You could be negative about this and see it as unwanted competition but that's not my view. To me, other wannabe novelists are friends, not enemies. I am happy to help others to get their books out there in front of the reading public and happy also to tap into their advice..
As you'll know from my recent posts, I have acquired my first buyer for my Abersoch-based ebook Smugglers At Whistling Sands. He has also given me some excellent advice - namely the importance of making one's book or extracts of it available to online reviewers, many of whom will themselves be aspiring novelists - and receiving constructive advice and criticism from the community. Furthermore, that there are more avenues to explore than just selling one's ebook on Amazon.
Someone who has often been a source of inspiration for me to further my ambitions as a novelist is Keith Robinson, who is British but now lives in America and who has recently completed a trilogy of fantasy novels in his Island of Fog series about apparently normal youngsters who develop special powers and who can transform themselves into mythical creatures.
He is also the brains behind an excellent Enid Blyton tribute website, very much underpinned by his own love of Blyton's tales. Keith also writes a regular blog http://www.unearthlytales.com which tells of the ups and downs along his own road to become a recognised author - at this stage self-published but hopeful of winning a publishing deal one day.
Following on from a reply to one of his recent posts, Keith has invited me to plug my book on his Enid Blyton website http://www.EnidBlyton.net This will undoubtedly be a big help. Keith's site is hugely popular among Enid Blyton fans and as best-selling Kindle author John Locke points out, a key element to marketing your books is to know where that market is and target it. And my book is the sort that fans of Enid Blyton may well like (if I say so myself!).
So I am feeling very heartened by the response both from Keith and from my first buyer. Making friends and chatting with lke-minded "indie" authors can be hugely helpful and very rewarding.
Friday, August 12, 2011
I got it! My first sale
Yes! It's official, I've found out this morning that I have had my first sale! It's to a chap in Canada who is also writing his own children's novel and who's given me a couple of interesting ideas for getting the book read by people and reviewed. I enclose the evidence below from Amazon.co.uk:
Of course, you may be reading this and thinking, that it's pretty bad having only sold one book three weeks after publishing it. To that I would point out that the likes of John Locke had pretty poor sales at the start too. The first thing any unknown author needs to know loud and clear about succeeding, is that it is incredibly hard. The trick is not to give up - at least to give it a good go.
As I said in an early post, I am not that bothered whether I make it as a novelist, but I will be very bothered if I go through life feeling that I never tried. Now, I have a question for you: who is going to be my SECOND customer?
- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 722 KB
- Publisher: Overton Press (21 July 2011)
- Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
- Language English
- ASIN: B005E0AK2O
- Average Customer Review: Be the first to review this item
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #10,985 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
Of course, you may be reading this and thinking, that it's pretty bad having only sold one book three weeks after publishing it. To that I would point out that the likes of John Locke had pretty poor sales at the start too. The first thing any unknown author needs to know loud and clear about succeeding, is that it is incredibly hard. The trick is not to give up - at least to give it a good go.
As I said in an early post, I am not that bothered whether I make it as a novelist, but I will be very bothered if I go through life feeling that I never tried. Now, I have a question for you: who is going to be my SECOND customer?
Thursday, August 11, 2011
I think I'm poised to get my first sale . . .!
Yes folks, you read it here first! I think I might be about to get my first ever sale of my Abersoch-based ebook Smugglers at Whistling Sands on Amazon.
Quite a while ago, I sold a few chapters of the book while still unfinished, on eBay, actually printing them out in mini magazine format and selling them in parts, each containing two chapters each. It was not the most efficient or effective way to do it and ran aground in large part because I realised I wanted to re-edit the book as I was writing it.
However, a chap who bought a few of those opening chapters never entirely gave up on me and has rediscovered my book now that I have launched it on Amazon's Kindle in electronic format. It's pleasing to think that here was somebody who liked the thing enough to still remember my book and look out for it on the web, hoping one day it would get finished. And on that note, my book, although recently published, was started a good while ago in 2006 but then dropped before getting sorted out some two years later.
As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, I got it to one traditional publisher, only for it to be rejected, albeit politely, and I then put it on the back burner, until Kindle Direct Publishing and ebooks came along.
Oh and I've also had a very nice reply from a lady via Facebook who responded to my Facebook campaign targeting a number of individuals in Abersoch to let them know about the novel. No-one has moaned at me for "spamming" them so I think I may send out a few more Facebook messages. After all, isn't that really what social networking is all about - to allow people to contact those that they don't know but with whom they have something in common?
Anyway, here's looking forward to My First Sale - I'll let you know when it happens!
Quite a while ago, I sold a few chapters of the book while still unfinished, on eBay, actually printing them out in mini magazine format and selling them in parts, each containing two chapters each. It was not the most efficient or effective way to do it and ran aground in large part because I realised I wanted to re-edit the book as I was writing it.
However, a chap who bought a few of those opening chapters never entirely gave up on me and has rediscovered my book now that I have launched it on Amazon's Kindle in electronic format. It's pleasing to think that here was somebody who liked the thing enough to still remember my book and look out for it on the web, hoping one day it would get finished. And on that note, my book, although recently published, was started a good while ago in 2006 but then dropped before getting sorted out some two years later.
As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, I got it to one traditional publisher, only for it to be rejected, albeit politely, and I then put it on the back burner, until Kindle Direct Publishing and ebooks came along.
Oh and I've also had a very nice reply from a lady via Facebook who responded to my Facebook campaign targeting a number of individuals in Abersoch to let them know about the novel. No-one has moaned at me for "spamming" them so I think I may send out a few more Facebook messages. After all, isn't that really what social networking is all about - to allow people to contact those that they don't know but with whom they have something in common?
Anyway, here's looking forward to My First Sale - I'll let you know when it happens!
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Marketing my Kindle ebook feels like a tough call
You know how it is when you're trying to roll a boulder uphill? No nor me, but I would guess it feels something like I do now. I just feel like I don't really know how to market my book and any attempts that I make are like cries in the desert, unheard by anyone.
Yesterday I adopted a direct marketing approach to pushing Smugglers At Whistling Sands. I contacted around 50 people with connections to Abersoch via Facebook. I didn't spam them by saying "please buy my book, it's just 86p." I would like them to, of course, but above all I just wanted them to know of its existence and that it is set in a place they know and probably love. Furthermore, I didn't choose them at random, but rather because they seemed the right sort of people whom it was worth contacting. Perhaps, if they tell others, news of its existence will spread by word of mouth.
So far, I have no reason to think that this approach will be successful however, indeed it might backfire, so I probably won't continue with it for now unlessI feel it does yield something positive. I have had no responses from anyone, but on the other hand, I've not had any complaints either.
The other thing I looked into today, was offering my ebook for free via Amazon's Kindle store as a limited promotion, on the basis that at this stage it isn't royalties I'm after, but readers. There are, after all, quite a number of pretty interesting looking books which are available via Kindle for free. But this is not an easy route to go down, I have discovered.
Kindle Direct Publishing does not allow authors to offer their books for free. You must charge the minimum of 86p (75p +VAT) on Amazon.co.uk and its equivalment on Amazon.com and Amazon.de. The reason a number of books appear on Amazon for free is because the company is committed to beating or at least matching the lowest price, so if Amazon finds your work is free elsewhere, it chooses to reduce your price to zero. But you can't do it yourself.
Maybe that is a route I should not be tempted down anyway. I spent a lot of time writing the 45,000 words to be found in Smugglers At Whistling Sands. I'm only asking 86p for it in any case. I've just got to keep finding strategies of driving people to my book.
Anything that works for me, I will gladly share with readers of this blog. In exchange, let me know what is working for you - I do hope something is!
Yesterday I adopted a direct marketing approach to pushing Smugglers At Whistling Sands. I contacted around 50 people with connections to Abersoch via Facebook. I didn't spam them by saying "please buy my book, it's just 86p." I would like them to, of course, but above all I just wanted them to know of its existence and that it is set in a place they know and probably love. Furthermore, I didn't choose them at random, but rather because they seemed the right sort of people whom it was worth contacting. Perhaps, if they tell others, news of its existence will spread by word of mouth.
So far, I have no reason to think that this approach will be successful however, indeed it might backfire, so I probably won't continue with it for now unlessI feel it does yield something positive. I have had no responses from anyone, but on the other hand, I've not had any complaints either.
The other thing I looked into today, was offering my ebook for free via Amazon's Kindle store as a limited promotion, on the basis that at this stage it isn't royalties I'm after, but readers. There are, after all, quite a number of pretty interesting looking books which are available via Kindle for free. But this is not an easy route to go down, I have discovered.
Kindle Direct Publishing does not allow authors to offer their books for free. You must charge the minimum of 86p (75p +VAT) on Amazon.co.uk and its equivalment on Amazon.com and Amazon.de. The reason a number of books appear on Amazon for free is because the company is committed to beating or at least matching the lowest price, so if Amazon finds your work is free elsewhere, it chooses to reduce your price to zero. But you can't do it yourself.
Maybe that is a route I should not be tempted down anyway. I spent a lot of time writing the 45,000 words to be found in Smugglers At Whistling Sands. I'm only asking 86p for it in any case. I've just got to keep finding strategies of driving people to my book.
Anything that works for me, I will gladly share with readers of this blog. In exchange, let me know what is working for you - I do hope something is!
Thursday, August 04, 2011
New lower price for my Kindle ebook set at Abersoch!
Tempting though it is to go for Amazon's 70% royalty from sales, I have decided instead to accept the lower commission rate of 35%, allowing me to drop the price of my ebook Smugglers At Whistling Sands from £1.71 to just 86 pence. Yes it's a shame that I will only pick up a royalty of some 26p from that from any sales on Kindle, compared to £1 but right at this moment, making money from my book is a secondary consideration. What I really want is sales.
And so far, I have not sold a single book of my children's adventure novel set at Abersoch on the Llyn peninsula of North Wales. Is my price drop a sign that I don't think it's worth £1.71? No of coures not. If anything I believe it is worth far more than this, but unknown authors like me need to take a reality check.
Why should you, reading this, risk shelling out £1.71 on someone you've never heard of before? It seems more reasonable to ask you to part with 86p on the basis that, in the event that you hate my book, it is not a huge amount to lose. When you consider how John Locke and Amanda Hocking started out - they offered their books at very cheap prices. Now that they are well known and have got tens of thousands of sales, they can charge more because they have a following.
And the other thing to bear in mind, of course, is that writing novels has got to be about more than making, or trying to make, money. It has got to be about the love of books. If somebody reads my book free of charge, right to the end, they have paid me the huge compliment of investing their time into bothering with my efforts when there are so many other writers out there.
And so far, I have not sold a single book of my children's adventure novel set at Abersoch on the Llyn peninsula of North Wales. Is my price drop a sign that I don't think it's worth £1.71? No of coures not. If anything I believe it is worth far more than this, but unknown authors like me need to take a reality check.
Why should you, reading this, risk shelling out £1.71 on someone you've never heard of before? It seems more reasonable to ask you to part with 86p on the basis that, in the event that you hate my book, it is not a huge amount to lose. When you consider how John Locke and Amanda Hocking started out - they offered their books at very cheap prices. Now that they are well known and have got tens of thousands of sales, they can charge more because they have a following.
And the other thing to bear in mind, of course, is that writing novels has got to be about more than making, or trying to make, money. It has got to be about the love of books. If somebody reads my book free of charge, right to the end, they have paid me the huge compliment of investing their time into bothering with my efforts when there are so many other writers out there.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
The Start of a Journey
The journey, to be precise, is towards the promised land of being a published novelist. I already have made it into print as a journalist, writing features and personal columns in the UK regional press.
But like many hacks, I yearn to make it as an author. I want this blog to chart that journey from the very beginning. The first big step towards being a novelist is to write a novel and I have done that. I have written a full-length 45,000 word children's adventure story called Smugglers At Whistling Sands set in Abersoch, North Wales. The next enormous step is to get it published and so far I have sent the opening chapters to one publisher and been rejected, albeit politely.
My next move should have been to push it towards other publishers and agents but a few weeks ago I discovered Amazon's e-book self-publishing service Kindle Direct Publishing. And I thought: what a potentially amazing idea. And then I learned of the success of people like John Locke and Amanda Hocking who have sold more than a million copies each exclusively through Kindle.
Personally, I never thought e-books would take off but they clearly have and that opens up great possibilities for unknown, self published writers. And so I have for now made the decision to publish my book via Amazon's Kindle. That's not to say that I won't try to get it out there as paper and ink, but for now I am happy to try and promote it as an e-book.
The research I have done into self publishing via Kindle throws up a mixed bag of some authors enjoying regular sales and others not doing half so well. One thing we must all bear in mind is that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. In other words, if our books are, frankly, not very good then ultimately, they will not meet with much success.
But what a service like Amazon's Kindle does, via the magic of the internet, is to give people the chance to read your book almost instantly if they should wish - and, one would have thought, cheaply if you are an unknown.
On that note, an unknown is very much what I am. The world does not know George Chedzoy, nor Smugglers At Whistling Sands. Nobody seems to know that it is now available on Amazon for the reasonable sum of £1.71. Not a single person has bought a copy of it since I uploaded it about 10 days ago. I am not aware of anyone in the Abersoch / Llyn peninsula area of North Wales where the book is set knowing a thing about it.
To date, my book has only been read by my wife, my mum, my dad, and my best friend. My goal is to get at least a few people out there, in the world beyond the fields which surround my house in North Wales to take an interest in it, purchase it and hopefully, to enjoy it. My other goal is to get on with the task of writing more books, the next one possibly aimed at the adult market.
So you join me right at the very start of a difficult journey. You may be in the same position yourself, hoping to launch your first-ever book. If you are like me, you won't care if you never make it, you'll only care that you never tried. Here's to having a go!
But like many hacks, I yearn to make it as an author. I want this blog to chart that journey from the very beginning. The first big step towards being a novelist is to write a novel and I have done that. I have written a full-length 45,000 word children's adventure story called Smugglers At Whistling Sands set in Abersoch, North Wales. The next enormous step is to get it published and so far I have sent the opening chapters to one publisher and been rejected, albeit politely.
My next move should have been to push it towards other publishers and agents but a few weeks ago I discovered Amazon's e-book self-publishing service Kindle Direct Publishing. And I thought: what a potentially amazing idea. And then I learned of the success of people like John Locke and Amanda Hocking who have sold more than a million copies each exclusively through Kindle.
Personally, I never thought e-books would take off but they clearly have and that opens up great possibilities for unknown, self published writers. And so I have for now made the decision to publish my book via Amazon's Kindle. That's not to say that I won't try to get it out there as paper and ink, but for now I am happy to try and promote it as an e-book.
The research I have done into self publishing via Kindle throws up a mixed bag of some authors enjoying regular sales and others not doing half so well. One thing we must all bear in mind is that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. In other words, if our books are, frankly, not very good then ultimately, they will not meet with much success.
But what a service like Amazon's Kindle does, via the magic of the internet, is to give people the chance to read your book almost instantly if they should wish - and, one would have thought, cheaply if you are an unknown.
On that note, an unknown is very much what I am. The world does not know George Chedzoy, nor Smugglers At Whistling Sands. Nobody seems to know that it is now available on Amazon for the reasonable sum of £1.71. Not a single person has bought a copy of it since I uploaded it about 10 days ago. I am not aware of anyone in the Abersoch / Llyn peninsula area of North Wales where the book is set knowing a thing about it.
To date, my book has only been read by my wife, my mum, my dad, and my best friend. My goal is to get at least a few people out there, in the world beyond the fields which surround my house in North Wales to take an interest in it, purchase it and hopefully, to enjoy it. My other goal is to get on with the task of writing more books, the next one possibly aimed at the adult market.
So you join me right at the very start of a difficult journey. You may be in the same position yourself, hoping to launch your first-ever book. If you are like me, you won't care if you never make it, you'll only care that you never tried. Here's to having a go!
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