It’s been 24+ hours since I attempted two advertising paths. This is just a preliminary opinion, but I’m going to toss it out there:
- Wattpad is not giving me a boost like I had expected. I set it up Sunday night and have 35 ‘reads’. That’s only 8 more than what happened the first time and that only lasted for three hours. I did everything the same, except have a sales pitch at the beginning. I’m going to add the .99 cent price to that and see if anything changes. So far: Not impressed, but no harm done.
- I submitted a free press release to Author Alliance, who I found through Twitter. I have not heard back from them beyond a ‘thank you for following. look at our services’ message. It seems like they’re busy, so it might be more than 24 hours to get a response. So far: Waiting patiently and will make a bigger post later.
Looking at other authors and their ranks on the Kindle Paid List, I’m curious about how consistent sales are. I’ve gone from selling 100 eBooks in a day (highest rate) to selling 10 eBooks in a day. So, am I at the normal rate for a self-published, one book author? Did everything that happened within the first two months occur because of something I unintentionally did caused a fluke? I’m not going to lie and say I know what I did, which is why I mention everything that I did that garnered any hint of success. Have I finally reached the normal state of the first-time indie author and I’ve been too enamored with the Amazon lists to realize it? Why am I doing that 1950’s radio serial that Ionia teases me about? Only ‘The Shadow’ knows, but I don’t feel liking contacting Alec Baldwin.
Legends of Windemere 
You are at the normal rate, 10 books a day. Mid-listers are lucky if they can sell 20 books a week (digital, not print). Reading is down, down, down, which is depressing. My publisher wants 100 books sold a month in order to extend the life of the contract. Apparently that isn’t as easy as I hoped, especially because being in the 100,000 ranking means you’re selling about 15 books a week (and it’s supposed to be a good thing to be below 500,000). Have you tried buying an ad on BookBub? It’s pricey but supposed to increase your sales exponentially.
LikeLike
I don’t have the money to do any advertising that costs until the sequel comes out. I did a few paid sites at the beginning like AskDavid ($10) and Goodkindles ($7-$25). Maybe those can help you out. Each one requires a unique blurb for your book, but they helped a lot.
Weird that being in the 100,000 ranking isn’t good enough. Do you think you will go self-publishing if the contract expires?
LikeLike
I might self-publish it. I’m also watching the treacherous waters of publishing to see what role agents will play in the future. They say it’s easier to get an agent once you have a contract, but I don’t want the mainstream houses, not after what I read about them: reputable houses buying out vanity presses and scamming authors using these services. I don’t want to be associated with a house that does, so small presses are what I want to stick with.
Amazon rankings are so weird. I thought being that low would mean you sold crap tons of books because there are 10 million books on Amazon and to be in the millions generally means you might as well not even try to sell, yet being in the 100,000s means you’re only selling like 15 books a week??? That seem preposterous to me.
LikeLike
I’m at 10,751 and only doing about 10 a day with an occasional surge. It makes one wonder how those lists are calculated. Well, it’s by total, which means my grand opening is keeping me afloat.
Agents are going to have to adapt. I wouldn’t worry if you go self-publishing since you’d have to be your own agent. Maybe it’s time we make them come to us.
LikeLike
That’s amazing then. That means you’re a bestseller! 😀 You’re living my new dream.
I agree. Time to make agents work. That’s what I like about small presses too–no agents! So you don’t have to spend as much time waiting because the waiting game in publishing is already bad enough. Adding an agent in just worsens things.
LikeLike
I gave up focusing on an agent after I got my most ridiculous rejection letter. It’s rather infamous on my blog now:
“We think you’re a talented author and you have a great story. But you’re not Stephen King, so we can’t help you.”
After that, I figured most agents wanted someone already established and were terrified of risks.
LikeLike
Are you…you’re…Oh. My God. Do you remember the agency? I gave up when a friend of mine sent out over 500 query letters for different books, only to be told she had a great story, but, in hidden terms, it just wasn’t marketable, apparently. “You have a great story, but it’s not what we’re looking for right now.” That’s when I knew publishers were in trouble. But I can’t believe an agent told you that.
LikeLike
I don’t remember the agency, but I’m hoping I can tell Stephen King that story some day. Not sure how he would react to it.
I got a lot of the ‘not what we’re looking for right now’ letters. Those roll off my back very easily.
LikeLike
I use to work in direct marketing and I don’t know if you know this but the average return on advertising is about 2% on flyers…less on other forms of advertisement…so if from the give aways of your book if you are getting 2 purchases for each 100 books you gave away you are on pace with the model. I apologize I never took advantage of the give aways…I will however buy your book when I do have the disposable funds…right now it has been very tight…but back to advertising which is a necessary evil when promoting something but the truth is most of your sales will come from the people who have read your book and recommended it to other people… it is why Facebook puts ads with your friend’s face saying they like the product because you are more inclined to trust a friend than a corporation or a glitzy ad campaign. As long as people are buying your book you are fine…time will do the rest, the cream will always rise to the top when everything settles… unfortunately because of technology and everyone’s ability to self publish, authors now face stiffer competition for consumer dollars because the market is saturated at the moment… it is why publishing houses in the past only put forth so many publications a year, to avoid the saturation of the market…also there is much to read for free on the internet which means something has to really stand out for people to shell out there hard earned dollars… I wouldn’t worry about it too much Charles, I might not have read your book but I have read your blog and I would say just keep doing what you’re doing and good things will come…you can and do write a level above most of the dribble out there, it will eventually pay off…
LikeLike
Thanks. The Goodreads Giveaway for my book is going on for the end of the month. It isn’t a guarantee, but you’d be in the running for a free signed paperback if you want. What is your reading platform? Kindle, Nook, Paperback, PDF, etc.
Good to hear I’m on track and I have a few new reviews. The second book should give me a boost too. It’s just so hard to fall from the high that I got from how this started. It’s immature of me and I think I’m coming to terms with it. I should get back to the mentality that the reviews and word of mouth is the way to go.
LikeLike
word of mouth and reviews, they really are the best because of the market saturation.. maybe it will help to draw comparisons to your blog I am assuming (don’t make and ass out of you and me here) but I am assuming that your weekly views neaps and ebbs, you may have spikes but you always plateau somewhere until the nest spike or drop in views…this is a good example of how sales work some weeks are good others aren’t, no one can really say why… you could try to do consolidated sales analysis every week and keep track of things such as global weather patterns and holidays and other things that factor into sales, but there is no accurate predictor of sales on a week to week basis even with tools such as these…and I think your time would be best spend producing your next book…
LikeLike
You’re spot on with the views on my blog. Standard and will have a sudden shift if I hit a nerve with a post or something happens.
I’ve been doing week-long analysis and found that Sunday is typically my worst day. Something about that day drops me like a rock.
Once I get my cover art, the second book is going up for $2.99. I’m still deciding on using my last 2 free days on the first book to celebrate. I have all of my advertising sites and literature ready to go too. It’s probably true that along with reviews, a second book is the best advertising.
LikeLike
get ready for smaller numbers on the weekend with the better weather coming…I’m sorry to say it’s the nature of the beast…but you are right about the second novel is advertising because what is says on a psychological or subliminal level with your target market is that the first book must have been a success if there is a second book…illusions and optics play a roll here…a third book would be an even bigger boost because if the third was published well damn the first two must be really good books I better read them… I hate degrading it like this but most people are bandwagon jumpers…
LikeLike
You’re right. Bandwagon jumpers make up a big factor in success. The third book is in the cover art stage too, but will probably take another 3 months or longer. I’m hoping to have the first 4 books out by the end of the year.
LikeLike
when I was interested in publishing I came up with my cover “anti-art” that is to say I was going to have the book bound to resemble a bible “faux leather, or whatever” and not a single word on it… this was going to be my marketing ploy to get people to open the book… I did explore self publishing but that was before the internet… no chains, but I found a few independent bookstores that would sell it on consignment… I did all the ground work but never went forward on it… have you talked to local bookstores about a consignment… chains probably won’t do it but independents are usually looking for a hook and featuring local writers is a good one for them… and consignment is no risk for them, if you convince them featuring a local writer is a good idea you might also be able to get prime real-estate on the cashier counter…Point of Purchase location in a book store is also a pretty heavy recommendation
LikeLike
I looked into consignment, but everything around me is a big chain. The local bookstores went belly up years ago.
LikeLike
Get Alec Baldwin to endorse the book. Problem solved. 🙂 I’m going to be doing a post about a similar subject here in a few.
LikeLike
I’ll keep an eye out for it. Speaking of endorsements and posts, I decided to ignore shy-based caution. I’m writing a post on editing and revising tomorrow, so I thought about getting some big insight. I sent a private FB message to R.A. Salvatore asking him the question before I could stop myself. Every time I see my Facebook tab get a (1) on it, I start to freak out.
LikeLike
Lol. You will be fine. I’m totally picking on you in this post.
LikeLike
Eep!
LikeLike
I would actually say you’re above average…I’ve always been under the impression (based on other self-published authors I follow) that having only one book out there is still the equivalent to being invisible and that increasing your virtual shelf space is the real key to selling more books. Right now I’d give anything to be selling 10 books a day so congrats!
LikeLike
Thanks. I don’t really know the sales of everyone else, so 10 feels like a few to me. I never really thought of asking about exact sales of people because it felt rude. I figured everyone had 5-10 sales a day as long as they were advertising.
LikeLike
Would that we could all get Alex Baldwin to endorse us………..
LikeLike
Oh crap. Did I write his name wrong? Now, he’ll never play ‘Words with Friends’ with me.
LikeLike
I mean, Alec…….
LikeLike
Shows how lazy I am today. I didn’t check my post or the second message. I just assumed you were right.
LikeLike
What a great post and discussion. Thanks for being so open about this because I honestly had no clue about what to expect with a first novel in terms of sales but this post was such an eye opener. Looking forward to your post on Revising.
LikeLike
Thanks. I hope tomorrow’s post meets the hype that’s brewing.
LikeLike
Yeah, Charles, thanks for posting this and your links on advertising in general. I know I will find them more and more helpful as my time for publication draws nearer.
LikeLike
You’re welcome. How soon is your debut?
LikeLike
First draft won’t be done until the end of the summer…then edits and more edits. So, a ways to go.
LikeLike
Hopefully there are a ton more advertising sites for self-published authors when you’re ready to enter the ring.
LikeLike
Charles, I won’t pretend to understand how difficult it must be to watch sales with the ebb and flow. But I think that you are doing an amazingly for your first book and it would seem that those in the know how (from comments above) would agree. Your book is going to be successful because it is a wonderful read and word of mouth is going to spread! You are a gifted writer and people will see this and anticipate the second books release!!
LikeLike
Thank you. I really appreciate that. I’m on that list of people anticipating the second book. I get to flex my drama muscles on that one.
LikeLike
Now that sounds like fun…drama here Charles comes!! 🙂
LikeLike
Oh, it’ll be a blast. At least for the readers. The character might not be very appreciative.
LikeLike
I have averaged one to two sales a month since I went live on Amazon.
LikeLike
What did you do for advertising?
LikeLike
My blog, twitter, facebook. I’ve been featured on StoryCartel and several book review blogs. I’ve given away a lot of free copies, and gotten a lot of good reviews, but not many people seem to want to pay $2.99 for it.
LikeLike
I thought $2.99 was one of the better prices. That and .99 cents seem to have the biggest success rates. Have you ever tried to drop the price for a limited time to entice buyers? I’m just throwing out ideas as they come.
LikeLike
I’ve done free promotions, and they seem to work, but I’ve never tried going under $2.99. Under that price break my cut on Amazon drops to 35%, and I figure if I’m making under a buck a book, I might as well go with free.
LikeLike
Well, if it’s a stand-alone book then putting it at .99 cents for a limited time could help. People love a limited sale. You’ll get a little money instead of going for free and the sales will count toward your overall numbers. Amazon no longer counts free books in the Paid Kindle stats.
LikeLike
I’ve started a reply to this a couple of times, but I think that what I have to say is better suited for a blog post, so I think I’ll do that instead.
LikeLike
Okay. Sounds like it will be interesting.
LikeLike
I just have to say, as for the books I read, I never go by any advertising. In fact, I have yet to see an advertisement for a book that made me want to buy it. It is all in the cover art and the blurb on the back. Which is why I really hate reading a bunch of “reviews” I want to know about the story!!!
The best you can do is put it out there and maybe try to get people to share it on facebook and twitter.
LikeLike
Twitter, facebook, and blogging are definitely the big guns. The hard part is getting the shares and retweets. I have a few people that help out, which seems to be the norm.
LikeLike
I am no help on twitter as I just created my twitter account and still have no clue where it is concerned, but if you friend me on Facebook I will gladly help out!!! My name is whiteravensoars there as well!!!
LikeLike
Thanks. I barely understand twitter myself. Hashtags are still beyond me for now. I think I found you on Facebook. If not then I followed a random woman, which suddenly sounds creepy and illegal.
LikeLike
nope, that was me, you’re safe! **grins**
LikeLike
Nothing to add, only to say (again) that I find all these posts absolutely fascinating, and admire your courage and dedication to your work. Wow, I actually sound really serious there. But I do mean it, I’m absolutely blown away by what you’re doing here.
LikeLike
Thanks. I’m hoping I can make things easier for other authors too. That’s become a big goal of mine. Even if it’s through demonstrating what not to do.
LikeLike
I don’t have anything to add either, but I’ve been reading the comments avidly, searching for pointers! I personally call Twitter the 8th circle of hell, but I’m slowly adapting to its particular learning curve. My only worry is getting lost in the sometimes-overwhelming amount of information that is there.
LikeLike
Twitter doesn’t seem to have as much practicality as I was led to believe. I have so much junk to sift through to get people I know. There have been weeks where I don’t see the tweets of any of my friends because they’re buried too much.
LikeLike
I started on twitter five weeks ago. To develop a following you have to devote a decent chunk of time per day tweeting and retweeting, and eventually a snowball effect kicks in and your number of followers increase and increase.
Is Twitter worth it? I don’t know yet. I’ve seen only a few clicks to my blog come from Twitter. Most come from Facebook, some from Tumblr. Twitter is at the bottom as far as re-directs go.
LikeLike
I used to have a Tumblr account, but nothing came of it. All I found were Supernatural fans, Doctor Who fans, conspiracy theorists, and far too many meme posters.
LikeLike
I haven’t given up on Tumblr, but I know what you mean. I have a friend who is a social media consultant and she tells me not to give up on Tumblr yet.
LikeLike
I’m not sure what I would use it for these days. Would I be able to hook my blog up to it, so my blog posts go on Tumblr?
LikeLike
Yeah. You can link tumblr and twitter to your blog posts. Every time I publish a blog wordpress pushes a short message and link to facebook, tumblr, and twitter.
LikeLike
Cool. I might just set one up and use it solely for my blog posts appearing on it.
LikeLike
From what I’ve read (although the posts would be a few years old by now), ten sales a day is brilliant. Most self-published books struggle to get above 100, with the good ones being at 500-1,000. Ten a day, especially this long after release, is very good!
LikeLike
Thanks. I guess this is where I stand for now. Not a bad place and maybe something will catch fire unexpectedly like the first time. Who knows now since I still don’t know what I did the first time.
LikeLike
You wrote a really good book – based on the reviews I’ve read! Marketing is always important, but a quality product always makes the job so much easier. Continue to push with advertising and getting yourself out there, but take pride in the fact that your writing alone has generated a lot of word-of-mouth backing. 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks. I’m out of advertising ideas for now. At least those in my price range.
LikeLike
Like a lot of things in business, the cheaper ones tend to be more useful. Lots of self-published writers seem to fork out for advertising that just isn’t going to work. Generally, the expense is for the popularity and prestige of the site or wherever the ad is placed, it rarely is based on the outcome.
Hopefully my little project can be done in time for the sequel and help give a boost. 😀
LikeLike
Even if it’s before the sequel, it’ll help out. Even one new reader is a step in the right direction. Curious to see how things come out.
LikeLike
Same, I’m looking forward to getting the sketches in so I can start to play around with it! It’ll be a nice distraction from editing.
LikeLike
Funny how we get into editing and then start looking for nice distractions from it.
LikeLike
We writers detest writing. 😛
LikeLike
Mostly the re-writing part. It’s always a little depressing.
LikeLike
I’m hoping the fact that it’ll be my first proper venture into it will make it more fun.
Then again, the reason I never edited my fantasy book was because the thought always gave me migraines…
LikeLike
Is that the book you’re editing?
LikeLike
The one I’m editing will be my first proper attempt, which is the thriller.
I attempted to write a fantasy before but didn’t get far. 🙂
LikeLike
Fantasy is easy as long as you remember magic, elves, dragons, evil, good, swords, axes, odd religion, trolls, orcs, Tolkien, demons, evil advisers, oracles, dim-witted princes, damsels in towers, warrior women, dwarves, one trip on a boat, spellbooks, undead, and that the standards get changed every few years. 😉
LikeLike
Mine had… magic, elves, evil, good, swords, axes, evil advisers, dim-witted princes (oh the shame!), one trip on a boat, sort-of-undead… a fair few alright. 😛
LikeLike
Didn’t get to the dragon, huh? Smaug will not be pleased.
LikeLike
What’s a Smaug?
I set myself the challenge of leaving them out. Now another fantasy I have planned… that bad boy is centered around them!
LikeLike
The big, red, mean dragon from The Hobbit. Probably the most famous mean dragon.
LikeLike
I laugh in the face of big, red, mean dragons 😛
LikeLike
Wise bumper sticker says, Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
LikeLike
Off topic, but how many of you employ a copyeditor?
LikeLike
I don’t. Not sure about everyone else.
LikeLike
Ah. I’m several drafts from making that decision, but I wondered if you had one.
LikeLike
Due to being financially strapped (eating hot pockets level), I couldn’t afford it. I had to edit myself and use people willing to read things over.
LikeLike