1 Year Update!

​
 1 Year New Author Update
So after July 20th 2018 started my second six months as an author. At the end of June I had sold 100 books (ebook-pb and direct sales) of my 1st Novel (so it took me 5.5 months to do that). At the end of August 27 I got a Bookbub Deal on that book and sold 336 books at .99 cents. Gained 5 pre-sales on book 2, - 2 new Amazon reviews and 2 goodreads star ratings. Below was my highest rank during the 7 day sale. I paid $164 for the BB Deal.


So I was happy with those results. From Sept 4th (after the BB Deal) to Sept 19th I sold 12 Books and gained another 8 presales. So I had a total of 17 presales for book 2 when it released on Sept 21st.  Now with the release of book 2 (which is part of the same series). For book 2 it took me “a few” days under a month to sell 100 books of so yay Progress!
 
Also at some point I finally made a chart so I could “try” to track what I was making. Now you see why I really don’t believe in free and I’m firmly in the camp of “pay for my work”. Selling 100’s at .99 cents gets you nothing, while regular price 2.99 to 3.99 you can make the same amount with 30 to 40 books. Readers and future writers we don’t get paid much for the many hours, months and on avg $300 to $500 we put into EACH book (that amount is what “I” put into each book) many other Indie Authors spend upwards to $1200 per book. Below is what you get for an ebook. That being said if you can “afford” to give away your work for free it may increase exsposure (it may also train readers to expect free). It’s really just a choice. Once I get a real catalog of work I do plan to attempt some “free” bookbub deals. Maybe in summer. But I personally think it’s pointless when you don’t have any other books for readers to buy who would like to purchase your work, after reading the freebie.​


Margins for Paperback are about the same as if you price your PB to high no one will buy it. So I get about $2 to $2.50 on my PB priced $9.25 and $10.50. So write what you think is a good book, a professional readable book in the style and voice you want for your characters and don’t be afraid to think your work has “value”.
I had another BookBub Deal on book 2 in November. Another .99¢ dea; I think I sold about 52 more copies than book one.
 
BBD 2018 8-27 to 9-3 Book 1
336
sold

BBD 2018 11-4 to 11-9 Book 2
388
sold

 
So these were my totals as of 2018 for Total Books sold.
2018 Total
1184
copies

2018 Sales
1497.56
dollars
​
These includes the two Novels and my Poetry Book, online and in person sales, as well as the Short.
So on one hand I’m happy! Out the blue Author, heck I’m happy to have sold anything. If we get “technical”  what I made vs what I spent then I’m still in the red. But I think it’s a start.


 














​

​
A lot of the ads, and book promotion are things that just have to be done, to gain exposure and potentially get profits. As it was my first year I was trying a bit of everything. Probably will do the same this second year if money permits. There is a huge sea of ever changing “book promoters/options” etc out there. Some I will not be going back to. But others that I feel are worth doing though honestly it’s hard to tell where your sales really come from on most of them, but AMS and BB Deals.


Okay, enough of where I’ve been let’s talk about where I pray to go.  So at the end of 2018. I decided to do a series of shorts to tie into the “Instant Chemistry” series. The plan is to publish 6-2 for each book in the Trilogy. The first of which was released in December Below is my publishing goals for 2019:
Short 2-Jan
Short 3 Feb
Novel 1 Feb
Short 4 March
Novel 2 April
Poetry 2 May
Short 5 June
Short 6 July
Novel 3 Aug
Write, Write, Write  Sept
Novel or Novella Oct
November and Dec I hope to be strictly writing months (and just to be clear I’ll be writing every single month, editing, etc) it never stops. For me this is a job that often requires over 8 hours a day. The first year I had the time. This year I may have to learn to do more with less hours to spare. I am not a “full time” author in that it pays the bills, so income needs to come from somewhere.

I have 7 Author Vendor events lined up this year as well (the cost for those were paid last year and were $820), that does not include travel. 3 are non-local and you have to add in the cost of the books, swag etc for the event each event
These events are also a “see what works and exposure tactic”. I may decide to do less in 2020 or if I feel they go well and I can afford it I may book more.

The Shorts I have in KU (Kindle Unlimited) and will continue to keep all my other work WIDE.

I’ve also entered a few writing contests this year. If I place in any I’ll let you know.

So that was my 1st year as an Author and what I hope to accomplish in my second. I have all my book covers for the year so I’m excited about that−now I have to do the hard part…write them.

My next blog I intend to focus on “What Kind of Reader Are You”

Until then (readers or writers) keep reading! Expand your mind and genres!
For my author friends KEEP WRITING. We can do this!

---