Okay it's been a while,
but hey, I've been editing number two so that those few who read this
will know that another Brother Sebastian story is on the way. Since
my last post I have continued to try to convince a wide, diverse
group of people that my book is something that they can not live with
out.
Via Twitter, this blog, a
very long and far flung blog tour, Friends, co-workers, neighbors,
and people I have chased down the street, Facebook, Alumni reports,
and I'll even be going to a book fair next Saturday, I have spread
the word about Junior Inquisitor.
Yes you should come out to Manassas, meet me and eat some of the candy I'll be bringing. Oh yea, and buy a signed copy of my book!
Last I checked I have
somewhere around 13K followers on Twitter, I have several hundred
friends on Facebook, a couple dozen flesh and blood friends, a few
score of coworkers, and a decent size family, all of whom have, at
some level, bought, reviewed, spread the word for and with me about
my book. I have quite a few (over twenty-five 5 star) reviews on
Amazon out of thirty total, and third of my five stars are verified
purchases. Multiple times I have been complimented on my clever
marketing pitches, I have had people share my giggle inducing ads,
been number one in several people's networks and advertise to a
rather large audience.
The results – modest at
best sales. I can not even claim to be a mid-list author, like Rick
Gualtieri. According to Kindle Direct sales, I have not sold a single
copy in Canada, a country of thirty million, that speaks English,
where I have several cousins and a few fans. I have broken triple
digits in book sales, but it maybe a long hard slog to crack four.
As far as I can tell, I
have done most everything correctly, I have marketed the hell out of
Junior Inquisitor, I have done so in a clever and unique way, that is
still appealing, my audience consists primarily of authors and
readers who should be receptive to my pitches. Those who have read my
story have, for the most part, really enjoyed it, and have become
fans, sharing their enjoyment with others, spreading the word. And
yet.
So the moral here is that
marketing, while essential to the self and indy publisher is not a
guarantee of success. Good marketing is not good sales. Fate, luck, or what ever you wish to call it,
plays a role. Now, in no way am I suggesting that the hard work of
shouting the message - “Buy Junior Inquisitor, you will like it,”
day after day in a variety of ways and forums is not rewarded. Luck
may assist, but will never replace hard work.
Next steps – Obviously I
don't quit, wailing that the world doesn't love me and my stories
while gnashing my teeth or rending my clothes all dramatic like.
I am neither that shallow,
not that childish.
NO!
I will continue to edit
The Soulless Monk, until it is ready to go, decide on cover art, tag
lines, blurbs, and everything else that needs to be done for a book
launch. Marketing continues, but soon it will be for both books.
At some point, I'll hit a
tipping point, and my books will sell in volumes I can appreciate.
Maybe it will happen with The Soulless Monk, maybe it will happen ten
books into the series. So I continue on, working hard and fighting
the good fight until I have bent the world to my will and am
victorious as I define it.
So where can you get my book? Good question -
Smashwords
- http://goo.gl/XsGgAC
Nook
- http://goo.gl/MVLXia
Google
Play - http://goo.gl/g2kNPa
3 comments:
I follow you on Twitter and I wanted to say thank you so much for writing this. I released a book today with "modest at best" sales, too. It was brave of you to write this and I really appreciate it.
Best to you, my new writer friend. We write, promo and do all we can to get our books out there. Charmaine, author of many Romance/suspense stories. Love me, love my books.
I have come to think of writing as business, and the author has to do all of the work if they want to be sucessful.
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