I was too ready to feel disappointed about my free 24-hour promotion at the weekend. I have had seven sales today, six on Amazon.co.uk and one on Amazon.com. I feel pretty certain that they may well have been sparked from my promotion.
If so, that is a very good sign, because it is an indication of a sales increase caused by word of mouth from satisfied customers - the same basis on which a good restaurant will thrive. So I have just a nugget of hope that my book might start to take off. The six UK sales all came this afternoon, and have pushed me into three bestseller lists on the paid-for side: (correct as of 8.56pm on Weds Feb 22):
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #3,307 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#34 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Children's Fiction > Literature > Action & Adventure
#50 in Books > Children's Books > Fiction > Crime & Thrillers
#78 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Children's Fiction > Literature > Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
I am really pleased about this, coming two days short of a week since my new, improved book went back on sale. I was reading it myself on the train to work today and, maddeningly, came across about half a dozen errors that need putting right. But these are minor ones which readers might not even spot (although they may spot ones that I don't see!) - what I am so pleased about is that I had the sense to withdraw the book from sale last October when I realised the plot construction was flawed and needed improving.
I do feel now I've got a book to be proud of - just need more buyers!
Showing posts with label smugglers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smugglers. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Two sales today (which is progress!)
I am quite pleased today that I have had two sales of my book, one on Amazon.com and the other on Amazon.co.uk. That is better than nothing and it does mean that since my book promotion I have sold an extra five. Added to that are the two books I sold immediately prior to the promotion starting.
So that is seven paid-for sales for Smugglers at Whistling Sands since it was relaunched in Amazon's Kindle store Friday. It could start to build momentum from this point, or it could just fizzle out, but we shall see. I believe strongly that I have just got to keep the faith now, I have got the book how I want it and I've got to start pushing it in various different ways.
The twin planks to my strategy as an unknown author is a) sell cheaply - 77p UK and $1.22 including sales tax in America and b) to promote and promote. I shall be using all the remaining four of my free promotion days over the next three months, but spacing them out sparingly.
Tomorrow, my target is to sell three . . . !
So that is seven paid-for sales for Smugglers at Whistling Sands since it was relaunched in Amazon's Kindle store Friday. It could start to build momentum from this point, or it could just fizzle out, but we shall see. I believe strongly that I have just got to keep the faith now, I have got the book how I want it and I've got to start pushing it in various different ways.
The twin planks to my strategy as an unknown author is a) sell cheaply - 77p UK and $1.22 including sales tax in America and b) to promote and promote. I shall be using all the remaining four of my free promotion days over the next three months, but spacing them out sparingly.
Tomorrow, my target is to sell three . . . !
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Smugglers at Whistling Sands to get a new ending
I've spent a few hours today, including the extra one from the clocks going back an hour overnight, mapping out a new structure for the closing chapters of Smugglers at Whistling Sands.
As I explained in my previous post, because this is major surgery and not just minor tweaks, I no longer wish to be selling a version I am not happy with and am poised to replace and for that reason the book can't be bought any more.
Such is the flexibility of publishing a novel as an ebook, one can make these changes without having to wait for the end of a print run. I absolutely guarantee to allow those who have bought my book so far to have a copy of the revised ending.
I am very pleased at the progress I have made today in mapping out what I believe to be a better, more satisfying, more exciting ending for Smugglers at Whistling Sands and one which does proper justice to the confident, capable, strong-willed lead character, Lou (Louise) Elliott.
That now leaves me with the small matter of a complete re-write of the last 4,000 words. If the book becomes longer, and it might, then this will be possibly a writing job of some 6,000 words, some of which will ultimately be cut away in editing.
I do feel that I have grown as a writer since I penned this book. I can see flaws in it now that I could not see when writing it. By putting those flaws right, I will then have a novel which I feel I can be proud of and be confident in offering for sale.
How long will it take before I am in a position to sell it again? I'm not sure, but I've set myself a month to get it sorted and back on sale from December 1, 2011. It's frustrating in a way, because I want to be getting on with writing a second book, not fiddling with my debut one. But by getting this one right, I've got more chance of getting my next one right as well.
As I explained in my previous post, because this is major surgery and not just minor tweaks, I no longer wish to be selling a version I am not happy with and am poised to replace and for that reason the book can't be bought any more.
Such is the flexibility of publishing a novel as an ebook, one can make these changes without having to wait for the end of a print run. I absolutely guarantee to allow those who have bought my book so far to have a copy of the revised ending.
I am very pleased at the progress I have made today in mapping out what I believe to be a better, more satisfying, more exciting ending for Smugglers at Whistling Sands and one which does proper justice to the confident, capable, strong-willed lead character, Lou (Louise) Elliott.
That now leaves me with the small matter of a complete re-write of the last 4,000 words. If the book becomes longer, and it might, then this will be possibly a writing job of some 6,000 words, some of which will ultimately be cut away in editing.
I do feel that I have grown as a writer since I penned this book. I can see flaws in it now that I could not see when writing it. By putting those flaws right, I will then have a novel which I feel I can be proud of and be confident in offering for sale.
How long will it take before I am in a position to sell it again? I'm not sure, but I've set myself a month to get it sorted and back on sale from December 1, 2011. It's frustrating in a way, because I want to be getting on with writing a second book, not fiddling with my debut one. But by getting this one right, I've got more chance of getting my next one right as well.
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!
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