B.E. Sanderson's Blog, page 19
January 24, 2020
Writing Necessities and Obsessions
Earlier, a FB friend was talking about her obsession with pens and paper. And I commented that I don't have an obsession, but then went on to talk about my 'writing necessities'. At which point, she pointed out that I perhaps do have an obsession. She's isn't wrong.
In order to write, I have to have a 5-subject notebook and a red gel pen.
On the other hand, I don't think I'm as obsessed with the tools of the trade as some writers. I don't feel the burning need to buy stacks of notebooks or boxes of writing implements. I don't have any pretty notebooks - except the ones I got as prezzie that I don't actually write in. I don't have any really nifty pens. And I only write longhand as a way to shake myself up or when I need to work through a problem.
For that, I need one big notebook and at least two pens - one for using and one for backup in case the first one runs dry.
Now, the reason I use a 5-subject - must be college-ruled - is that it has the right heft, so I don't feel like I need anything sturdy behind it when I'm writing in my chair. And college-ruled, because the wide ruled just feels wrong somehow. You can get more on a page with college-ruled anyway.
As for the red gel pen, I think I got into the whole red thing as a way to combat the fear of the editor. I mean, red means bad. If it's red, you've done something wrong, right? So, I use a red pen for regular writing. And when I have to do any editing on that, I use a plain ol' black ballpoint. Whichever one is handy.
In the last package of red gel pens, I got a purple pen for free. Not sure what to do with that sucker. I mean, I know a gal who writes in purple, but :shudder: totally not my bag.
I know we don't actually need any particular item to write. We could all write as easily on one thing as another, with whatever implement put marks on paper. But writers get into their grooves and stepping out of the groove harshes our ability to make stories. For me, it's one thing. For you, perhaps another.
What about you? What are your writing necessities? And if you don't write, what little things do you need to do your job? Are you obsessed with them?
In order to write, I have to have a 5-subject notebook and a red gel pen.
On the other hand, I don't think I'm as obsessed with the tools of the trade as some writers. I don't feel the burning need to buy stacks of notebooks or boxes of writing implements. I don't have any pretty notebooks - except the ones I got as prezzie that I don't actually write in. I don't have any really nifty pens. And I only write longhand as a way to shake myself up or when I need to work through a problem.
For that, I need one big notebook and at least two pens - one for using and one for backup in case the first one runs dry.
Now, the reason I use a 5-subject - must be college-ruled - is that it has the right heft, so I don't feel like I need anything sturdy behind it when I'm writing in my chair. And college-ruled, because the wide ruled just feels wrong somehow. You can get more on a page with college-ruled anyway.
As for the red gel pen, I think I got into the whole red thing as a way to combat the fear of the editor. I mean, red means bad. If it's red, you've done something wrong, right? So, I use a red pen for regular writing. And when I have to do any editing on that, I use a plain ol' black ballpoint. Whichever one is handy.
In the last package of red gel pens, I got a purple pen for free. Not sure what to do with that sucker. I mean, I know a gal who writes in purple, but :shudder: totally not my bag.
I know we don't actually need any particular item to write. We could all write as easily on one thing as another, with whatever implement put marks on paper. But writers get into their grooves and stepping out of the groove harshes our ability to make stories. For me, it's one thing. For you, perhaps another.
What about you? What are your writing necessities? And if you don't write, what little things do you need to do your job? Are you obsessed with them?
January 22, 2020
Next Up on Sale - Project Hermes
Next up on the rolling book sale, PROJECT HERMES. Only 99c/99p right now. (Always free in Kindle Unlimited.)
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017Y6G0EWUK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
It's the little things that kill
The highest levels of the government believe Project Hermes is the best way to control America’s immigration problem. A simple microchip carrying a citizen’s information will allow officials to sort out who belongs—and who doesn’t. Harmless.
Unless the chip carries more than just information.
#political #suspense #medical #conspiracytheory #ebook #99c #99p #nanotechnology
January 20, 2020
Forced Diversity
I saw a link to something the other day and the commentary that went with it, but I didn't follow the link, so I can't respond to anything but what the commentary indicated. And to what seems to be a thing in the writing community. Diversity in fiction. Apparently at the end of the link was a thing advocating forcing diversity in fiction.
Umm, yah.
I don't know about other writers, but I pretty much let the characters tell me who they are. I mean, at the beginning of Fertile Ground, Teri walks into a meeting where a big black guy is getting the go-ahead to investigate a case that might not be a case. When it came time to write another SCIU book, the guy stepped in front and demanded I write his book and thus came Ned Washington in Early Grave. I like Ned. He was fun to write. (And if you haven't read it yet, he pairs up nicely with Lynn from Dying Embers.)
The idea for a, if not bad certainly annoying, guy in Wish in One Hand came from mixing Othello up a bit and making Iago the Moor. Later in the series, Hans is gay because it was an interesting juxtaposition to Frank. Then there are the twins, who are black because white Nubian princesses would be weird. And, naturally Ezekiel ben Aron is Hebrew, modeled after an Israeli guy I knew.
All of the characters in Accidental Death are white except for the librarian, mainly because in a small town in Colorado, that's about the ratio you get. There might be gay people in there, but their sexual preferences weren't germane to the story. In my opinion, it rarely is.
In both of my dystopian novels, I don't think I even describe race. It's just not important to the story. It doesn't matter because whoever you are, you're going to get screwed if those futures come to fruition.
Gah, just writing this post, trying to pinpoint which characters might check the diversity boxes made my head hurt. I don't write them that way. I don't think that way. I'm more of an 'each individual is who they are inside' kind of person. Good and rational comes in every color, shape, size, etc. Evil and irrationality comes in every wrapping, too.
The point is that of course you should pepper your stories with different characters. Because it adds seasoning and makes things interesting in your story. Not because you're ticking off a bunch of boxes in the social justice pamphlet. Definitely not because some twerp somewhere has a checklist they're comparing to every piece of fiction written, praising those that adhere and damning those that don't.
Stop thinking about it and focus on writing the best story you know how. The diversity will come if you do that. If you force it, it will only hurt the story because readers can tell when something is forced. And the story is really the most important part, right?
Umm, yah.
I don't know about other writers, but I pretty much let the characters tell me who they are. I mean, at the beginning of Fertile Ground, Teri walks into a meeting where a big black guy is getting the go-ahead to investigate a case that might not be a case. When it came time to write another SCIU book, the guy stepped in front and demanded I write his book and thus came Ned Washington in Early Grave. I like Ned. He was fun to write. (And if you haven't read it yet, he pairs up nicely with Lynn from Dying Embers.)
The idea for a, if not bad certainly annoying, guy in Wish in One Hand came from mixing Othello up a bit and making Iago the Moor. Later in the series, Hans is gay because it was an interesting juxtaposition to Frank. Then there are the twins, who are black because white Nubian princesses would be weird. And, naturally Ezekiel ben Aron is Hebrew, modeled after an Israeli guy I knew.
All of the characters in Accidental Death are white except for the librarian, mainly because in a small town in Colorado, that's about the ratio you get. There might be gay people in there, but their sexual preferences weren't germane to the story. In my opinion, it rarely is.
In both of my dystopian novels, I don't think I even describe race. It's just not important to the story. It doesn't matter because whoever you are, you're going to get screwed if those futures come to fruition.
Gah, just writing this post, trying to pinpoint which characters might check the diversity boxes made my head hurt. I don't write them that way. I don't think that way. I'm more of an 'each individual is who they are inside' kind of person. Good and rational comes in every color, shape, size, etc. Evil and irrationality comes in every wrapping, too.
The point is that of course you should pepper your stories with different characters. Because it adds seasoning and makes things interesting in your story. Not because you're ticking off a bunch of boxes in the social justice pamphlet. Definitely not because some twerp somewhere has a checklist they're comparing to every piece of fiction written, praising those that adhere and damning those that don't.
Stop thinking about it and focus on writing the best story you know how. The diversity will come if you do that. If you force it, it will only hurt the story because readers can tell when something is forced. And the story is really the most important part, right?
January 15, 2020
A Dennis Haggarty Mystery Sale
It's time again for another sale. This time around,
Accidental Death
and
Natural Causes
are on sale for 99c/99p each.
Actually they're on sale today through next Tuesday night, but I made the graphic for posting on FB.
I know tons of people bought Accidental Death , but haven't bought Natural Causes yet. Now's a good time to rectify that, if you're one of them.
In AD, you get to meet Dennis Haggarty, a gritty Denver Homicide Detective, as he comes up against small town attitudes while trying to solve a murder no one wants to believe is murder.
In NC, you find Dennis is now the Chief of Police in a small mountain town where an apparent cougar attack isn't what it seems. The place has changed, but the attitudes haven't.
I got the idea for AD while living in a small town in the middle of nowhere and realizing how easy it would be to have a murder explained away as accidental. The young man found hanging in his garage. The stranger found burned up in his car in the middle of a wildfire. The time my insane neighbor almost asphyxiated us by letting her guests run their RV in her driveway while my home filled with exhaust. Little things that made me wonder and wondering always leads me to stories.
I grew up outside a small town, hearing about the attitudes inherent there - although being outside of it then. Then I found myself smack in the middle of it later in life. I'm well outside of it now, but hell, I hear about it here, too. Three different towns, three different states, same small-town ideas and prejudices and attitudes. Go figger.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing these books. I hope you have a lot of fun reading them.
Actually they're on sale today through next Tuesday night, but I made the graphic for posting on FB.I know tons of people bought Accidental Death , but haven't bought Natural Causes yet. Now's a good time to rectify that, if you're one of them.
In AD, you get to meet Dennis Haggarty, a gritty Denver Homicide Detective, as he comes up against small town attitudes while trying to solve a murder no one wants to believe is murder.
In NC, you find Dennis is now the Chief of Police in a small mountain town where an apparent cougar attack isn't what it seems. The place has changed, but the attitudes haven't.
I got the idea for AD while living in a small town in the middle of nowhere and realizing how easy it would be to have a murder explained away as accidental. The young man found hanging in his garage. The stranger found burned up in his car in the middle of a wildfire. The time my insane neighbor almost asphyxiated us by letting her guests run their RV in her driveway while my home filled with exhaust. Little things that made me wonder and wondering always leads me to stories.
I grew up outside a small town, hearing about the attitudes inherent there - although being outside of it then. Then I found myself smack in the middle of it later in life. I'm well outside of it now, but hell, I hear about it here, too. Three different towns, three different states, same small-town ideas and prejudices and attitudes. Go figger.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing these books. I hope you have a lot of fun reading them.
January 12, 2020
Self-Publishing Income Versus Outgo.
It's time to talk about the thing I hate most - Income versus Outgo. What I've made versus what I've spent.
As you might have guessed, I keep it all in a spreadsheet. Every time I spend money on the writing business, I put it in there. And every time I make money from the writing business, I put it in there. Of course, since I hate looking at this, I hadn't then taken those incomes and outgoes and transferred them to the sheet that does the math on it all since last January. I did that on Saturday, so I figured I'd share the results with you here today.
At first glance, the income and the outgo nearly match with income coming out a little ahead. This is because for 'incoming', I also put down any money I've contributed to the process from other non-writing sources. The reality of 'sales' versus 'outgo' is the depressing part. The reality of it is that I am $8K in the hole.
:shrug: That's the reality of this self-publishing thing I'm doing. Some writers have it better. Some have it worse. I expect a lot of writers are about the same.
Okay, so how does outgo/sales break down by year?
2015: -$4958.94 / $1357.92
2016: -$2079.18 / $786.15
2017: -$1525.56 / $318.92
2018: -$2329.14 / $627.53
2019: -$428.00 / $468.80
On the upside, last year is actually showing in the black by like $40.
I won't bore you with the actual 'by book' numbers. The book I've made the most money on is Dying Embers. I assume because this one has been out the longest and my first year was my best year. The book I've spent the most on is Wish in One Hand - because I had to do the cover art twice and I spent a huge sum on the first cover. The book that is closest to being in the black is Accidental Death. Another $100 in sales without spending any more on it and it'll have paid for itself.
Of course, I've spent $300 on two books that aren't even out yet - covers for Ugly and the Beast and Cinder Ugly. Maybe I'll start recouping some of that in the first half of this year. We'll see. I'm still playing with the idea of publishing those without sending them through the editor. If I go with the editor, add another $400-$500 to each of those.
So, there are the hard numbers for my first five years of publishing. Like I've said before, if you're in this for the money, you'll probably be sorely disappointed. Then again, maybe you'll break out and soar. Your mileage will probably vary. Good luck out there and may 2020 be a better year for us all.
And here's the point where you can ask questions. I'll answer them if I can.
As you might have guessed, I keep it all in a spreadsheet. Every time I spend money on the writing business, I put it in there. And every time I make money from the writing business, I put it in there. Of course, since I hate looking at this, I hadn't then taken those incomes and outgoes and transferred them to the sheet that does the math on it all since last January. I did that on Saturday, so I figured I'd share the results with you here today.
At first glance, the income and the outgo nearly match with income coming out a little ahead. This is because for 'incoming', I also put down any money I've contributed to the process from other non-writing sources. The reality of 'sales' versus 'outgo' is the depressing part. The reality of it is that I am $8K in the hole.
:shrug: That's the reality of this self-publishing thing I'm doing. Some writers have it better. Some have it worse. I expect a lot of writers are about the same.
Okay, so how does outgo/sales break down by year?
2015: -$4958.94 / $1357.92
2016: -$2079.18 / $786.15
2017: -$1525.56 / $318.92
2018: -$2329.14 / $627.53
2019: -$428.00 / $468.80
On the upside, last year is actually showing in the black by like $40.
I won't bore you with the actual 'by book' numbers. The book I've made the most money on is Dying Embers. I assume because this one has been out the longest and my first year was my best year. The book I've spent the most on is Wish in One Hand - because I had to do the cover art twice and I spent a huge sum on the first cover. The book that is closest to being in the black is Accidental Death. Another $100 in sales without spending any more on it and it'll have paid for itself.
Of course, I've spent $300 on two books that aren't even out yet - covers for Ugly and the Beast and Cinder Ugly. Maybe I'll start recouping some of that in the first half of this year. We'll see. I'm still playing with the idea of publishing those without sending them through the editor. If I go with the editor, add another $400-$500 to each of those.
So, there are the hard numbers for my first five years of publishing. Like I've said before, if you're in this for the money, you'll probably be sorely disappointed. Then again, maybe you'll break out and soar. Your mileage will probably vary. Good luck out there and may 2020 be a better year for us all.
And here's the point where you can ask questions. I'll answer them if I can.
January 10, 2020
Talking Pricing Again
I've been noticing something lately. The price point for new indie books seems to have risen again. I'm seeing quite a few that are set at $6.99. (In fact, the book I just finished that I got for free is now $6.99. It was pretty good, but I would never have gotten it at that price.)
Six ninety-nine.
I mean, it's good margin if you can get that much for your books. But are they actually getting that much?
I just looked at one that sounded really interesting in the FB marketing post. Clicked over to Amazon... $6.99. Nope. Too rich for my blood. And then I noticed it had no reviews and its ranking is in the 7 millions. (I've never even seen a book in the 7 millions before. Ugh.) For a book published in 2018. Sad.
So, the question in my mind is 'what is driving these indie authors to price their books so high?'
Okay, the first real question was 'am I pricing my books too low?' It's an eternal question floating around my head. The answer... I don't know. A few years back a popular author told people on his blog that $2.99 books were all crap. (Yeah, thanks for that, dude.) All my books were $2.99 at the time. Since then, I've raised several of them to $3.99 and a couple to $4.99. But for me, the regular price doesn't really matter because I'm only actually moving books when they're on sale.
Now, back to the question of what's driving this. I suspect part of it is a wish to make more per book - I mean, who doesn't want to make more per book? - and the belief people will actually buy their books at that higher price point. I mean, if traditional books are $9.99, why not price your indie books at $6.99? Surely people will see that your book is worth that. The problem comes when people aren't actually buying books at the higher price point because the author is unknown to them, the ranking sucks, etc. Which makes the rankings worse and... it's a vicious cycle.
Then the question comes around of 'if your books aren't selling at $6.99, why are you keeping them at $6.99?' Or maybe that's just a question in my head and they aren't thinking about it. :shrug:
Anyway, I'm just pondering things this morning. I did feel bad for the guy. Like I said, the story sounded really interesting. I might've even taken the chance if it were $3.99 or $2.99, but I just can't afford to drop $6.99 for a new-to-me, underappreciated author. Plus, I've been burned taking a chance on books that were 99c or free. And every burn makes me less likely to take a chance again. I'd love to be in a position to splash money around to all the indies I wanted, but I just can't.
What about you? What are you willing to spend on a book? What if it's an untried author?
Six ninety-nine.
I mean, it's good margin if you can get that much for your books. But are they actually getting that much?
I just looked at one that sounded really interesting in the FB marketing post. Clicked over to Amazon... $6.99. Nope. Too rich for my blood. And then I noticed it had no reviews and its ranking is in the 7 millions. (I've never even seen a book in the 7 millions before. Ugh.) For a book published in 2018. Sad.
So, the question in my mind is 'what is driving these indie authors to price their books so high?'
Okay, the first real question was 'am I pricing my books too low?' It's an eternal question floating around my head. The answer... I don't know. A few years back a popular author told people on his blog that $2.99 books were all crap. (Yeah, thanks for that, dude.) All my books were $2.99 at the time. Since then, I've raised several of them to $3.99 and a couple to $4.99. But for me, the regular price doesn't really matter because I'm only actually moving books when they're on sale.
Now, back to the question of what's driving this. I suspect part of it is a wish to make more per book - I mean, who doesn't want to make more per book? - and the belief people will actually buy their books at that higher price point. I mean, if traditional books are $9.99, why not price your indie books at $6.99? Surely people will see that your book is worth that. The problem comes when people aren't actually buying books at the higher price point because the author is unknown to them, the ranking sucks, etc. Which makes the rankings worse and... it's a vicious cycle.
Then the question comes around of 'if your books aren't selling at $6.99, why are you keeping them at $6.99?' Or maybe that's just a question in my head and they aren't thinking about it. :shrug:
Anyway, I'm just pondering things this morning. I did feel bad for the guy. Like I said, the story sounded really interesting. I might've even taken the chance if it were $3.99 or $2.99, but I just can't afford to drop $6.99 for a new-to-me, underappreciated author. Plus, I've been burned taking a chance on books that were 99c or free. And every burn makes me less likely to take a chance again. I'd love to be in a position to splash money around to all the indies I wanted, but I just can't.
What about you? What are you willing to spend on a book? What if it's an untried author?
January 8, 2020
Updates and Changes
I started a paranormal mystery last night and sure enough, it had a black cat in it. And this one talked, too. Again.
Other than the cover art for Ugly and the Beast, it's not that hard to change the cat from black to some other color. At this point, any other color would do.
I need to contact my ultra-busy cover artist and see if she can squeeze a quick change in. If swapping out the black cat for another cat is too much work or requires extra payment, I may just nix the cat from the cover altogether. She didn't charge me when I had her pull Mary off the cover of In Deep Wish, so there's hope.
It's just as well I'm finding this stuff now. Once the book goes live and people start reading it, it's a bitch to change anything in it.
If she can't do it, Kazimir (formerly Oliver) will remain black. No help for that. Can't have a black cat on the cover and not have the damn cat be black.
I keep having to change things in these books because I keep finding similarities to other books. Which reminds me, Pinky isn't Pinky anymore. He's still a pink hellbeast, but the name has changed to something more interesting because someone else had a hellhound named Blue. Too same-same. I like the new name better. It has a story behind it - relating back to a manager I had once upon a time who wore the most garish pink nail polish, and her use of nicknames for everyone. But I'm not talking about the new name here because it seems like every time I let a piece of info out, I have to change it and it's very confusing.
I rewrote the end of Ugly and the Beast, too. Which I think I like better. I kept the old ending, just in case.
Anyway, I'm making headway. I've re-read and edited the 9300 words I have for Cinder Ugly and will be adding new words to it starting today. Not sure where I'm going but the fingers will do the walking and we'll see what happens. Weeeeee.
And that's what's going on in my world.
I'm still not posting here very often. If you want more posts, visit The Writing Spectacle. If I'm not here, most likely I'm there.
Other than the cover art for Ugly and the Beast, it's not that hard to change the cat from black to some other color. At this point, any other color would do.
I need to contact my ultra-busy cover artist and see if she can squeeze a quick change in. If swapping out the black cat for another cat is too much work or requires extra payment, I may just nix the cat from the cover altogether. She didn't charge me when I had her pull Mary off the cover of In Deep Wish, so there's hope.
It's just as well I'm finding this stuff now. Once the book goes live and people start reading it, it's a bitch to change anything in it.
If she can't do it, Kazimir (formerly Oliver) will remain black. No help for that. Can't have a black cat on the cover and not have the damn cat be black.
I keep having to change things in these books because I keep finding similarities to other books. Which reminds me, Pinky isn't Pinky anymore. He's still a pink hellbeast, but the name has changed to something more interesting because someone else had a hellhound named Blue. Too same-same. I like the new name better. It has a story behind it - relating back to a manager I had once upon a time who wore the most garish pink nail polish, and her use of nicknames for everyone. But I'm not talking about the new name here because it seems like every time I let a piece of info out, I have to change it and it's very confusing.
I rewrote the end of Ugly and the Beast, too. Which I think I like better. I kept the old ending, just in case.
Anyway, I'm making headway. I've re-read and edited the 9300 words I have for Cinder Ugly and will be adding new words to it starting today. Not sure where I'm going but the fingers will do the walking and we'll see what happens. Weeeeee.
And that's what's going on in my world.
I'm still not posting here very often. If you want more posts, visit The Writing Spectacle. If I'm not here, most likely I'm there.
December 31, 2019
2019 Sales and Marketing Wrap-up
Happy New Year! Well, that's another year in the can. I can't say I'm sorry to see 2019 go. :waves buh-bye: Let's just go ahead and get this wrap-up out of the way so we can put 2019 away.
It was not a banner year for the whole writing/selling books thing. I had hoped to get two books out in 2019, if I remember right. That didn't happen. I started the year in a slump and it pretty much lasted all year.
I did get Ugly and the Beast written. I also got it kind of edited. Then I started Cinder Ugly and the wheels came off. I wrote part of a Space Bunny thing. I also did some noodling around with ideas for another SCIU and another Dennis Haggarty. I participated in NaNo and got another big chunk written on a YA fantasy I started 6 years ago. Oh, and I started a short Christmas story involving the genies. Not much to crow about considering there were 365 days in there with which to work and how little I actually worked on writing.
In the selling books arena, here are the numbers. It's easier to deal with numbers sometimes.
Total sales $: $469
Total copies sold: 484
Not as much money as last year, but better than 2017, so I'm not crying into my coffee too much. With no new books hitting the market, I should be happy I got that many sales. This year, I did roll over 3K books sold over the entirety of my publishing life. It averages out to 603 books and $712 a year. (2015 was a big year, so it skews the average.) Woohoo.
Dollars spent on marketing: $316
Sales $ earned from paid ads: $353
So, I finished the year in the black on paid marketing, but not by much. If it weren't for marketing, I wouldn't have sold much in 2019. I mean, take the $353 off the $469 and you get $116 worth of books sold without any paid advertising.
Average per book income: 97c
Considering that I only sold 24 books at full price, I'm amazed I averaged that much. I attribute it to Page Reads, which, while not netting me the same dollars as selling a full-priced book outright, certainly nets me more than a discounted 99c book. I sold 316 books at the sale price of 99c, of which I get about 64c.
Speaking of Page Reads...
Number of books sold through the KU program: 72.82
Dollars earned through Page Reads: $126.04
And the majority of that can be attributed to paid ads.
It's getting harder and harder to sell books as a self-published author. For me, anyway. I'm sure there are writers out there doing much better than I am. They're probably dropping new books at least 4 times a year, spending a bunch more on marketing, and have more social presence than I do. I can only do what I can do, so I'm trying not to come off as whiny. Like I said, this was a hard year but not the worst year ever. Sure, I'd like it to have been better. Who wouldn't?
My goals for the year ahead depend mostly on having the funds to pay my editor. If I can swing that, I'd like to see Ugly and the Beast and Cinder Ugly hit your ereaders in 2020. I'd also like to get another SCIU and another Dennis Haggarty at least written, if not out there in public. Beyond that, I can't commit to anything. Not yet. I hope to under promise and over deliver.
Ah, hope. It's a thing.
Do you have any questions for me? How was your 2019? What are you hoping to accomplish in 2020?
It was not a banner year for the whole writing/selling books thing. I had hoped to get two books out in 2019, if I remember right. That didn't happen. I started the year in a slump and it pretty much lasted all year.
I did get Ugly and the Beast written. I also got it kind of edited. Then I started Cinder Ugly and the wheels came off. I wrote part of a Space Bunny thing. I also did some noodling around with ideas for another SCIU and another Dennis Haggarty. I participated in NaNo and got another big chunk written on a YA fantasy I started 6 years ago. Oh, and I started a short Christmas story involving the genies. Not much to crow about considering there were 365 days in there with which to work and how little I actually worked on writing.
In the selling books arena, here are the numbers. It's easier to deal with numbers sometimes.
Total sales $: $469
Total copies sold: 484
Not as much money as last year, but better than 2017, so I'm not crying into my coffee too much. With no new books hitting the market, I should be happy I got that many sales. This year, I did roll over 3K books sold over the entirety of my publishing life. It averages out to 603 books and $712 a year. (2015 was a big year, so it skews the average.) Woohoo.
Dollars spent on marketing: $316
Sales $ earned from paid ads: $353
So, I finished the year in the black on paid marketing, but not by much. If it weren't for marketing, I wouldn't have sold much in 2019. I mean, take the $353 off the $469 and you get $116 worth of books sold without any paid advertising.
Average per book income: 97c
Considering that I only sold 24 books at full price, I'm amazed I averaged that much. I attribute it to Page Reads, which, while not netting me the same dollars as selling a full-priced book outright, certainly nets me more than a discounted 99c book. I sold 316 books at the sale price of 99c, of which I get about 64c.
Speaking of Page Reads...
Number of books sold through the KU program: 72.82
Dollars earned through Page Reads: $126.04
And the majority of that can be attributed to paid ads.
It's getting harder and harder to sell books as a self-published author. For me, anyway. I'm sure there are writers out there doing much better than I am. They're probably dropping new books at least 4 times a year, spending a bunch more on marketing, and have more social presence than I do. I can only do what I can do, so I'm trying not to come off as whiny. Like I said, this was a hard year but not the worst year ever. Sure, I'd like it to have been better. Who wouldn't?
My goals for the year ahead depend mostly on having the funds to pay my editor. If I can swing that, I'd like to see Ugly and the Beast and Cinder Ugly hit your ereaders in 2020. I'd also like to get another SCIU and another Dennis Haggarty at least written, if not out there in public. Beyond that, I can't commit to anything. Not yet. I hope to under promise and over deliver.
Ah, hope. It's a thing.
Do you have any questions for me? How was your 2019? What are you hoping to accomplish in 2020?
December 24, 2019
Merry Christmas! Here's a Present!
Since my writing is really the only gift I have to give, starting today the book that started it all, DYING EMBERS, is free. (And the other two SCIU books - FERTILE GROUND and EARLY GRAVE - are only 99c.)DE is free through Saturday. FG and EG are on sale through Monday night. Grab one or grab them all. Send them as gifts to friends and family. If you already have them, thank you so much. Your support means the world to me. I wish I had a prezzie to give you, too. :hugs:
Merry Christmas to you and all of your loved ones. Here's to a Happy New Year for us all.
December 15, 2019
Whatever You Do, Make it New
I've seen three different books marketed as 'retellings' of Beauty and the Beast on FB and/or book newsletters this past week. Which is kind of sad for the authors who put all that work into their books only to have them all marketed around the same time.
It's possible they were all published at different times and just ended up being marketed at the same time. Maybe when each of them came out there weren't that many retellings of that tale... Except people have been retelling that tale in one way or another since the tale came out.
So, how does one differentiate oneself in the marketplace when the stories are all so similar?
Perhaps the answer there is to NOT market your book as a retelling of BatB. It doesn't change the story, but perhaps it changes the readers' perceptions of the story. Tell readers what your story is about instead of falling back on the 'this is a retelling' thing.
John is a beast of a man--rude, belligerent, and definitely in need of a shave--who has learned to stay the hell away from other people. Mary's a beauty whose looks could launch a thousand selfies. During a hike in the Rockies, Mary gets lost and winds up on John's property. She'd leave, but he's holding her until the cops arrive to arrest her for trespassing. A snowstorm forces them together and love ensues...
That sort of thing. Yeah, the blurb sucks, but it ain't my story to tell. Still, you get the drift. It's BatB retelling, but it doesn't wave a big banner in your face telling you, it shows it to you.
Show vs tell... just as important in your blurbs as it is in your writing. Imagine that.
I mean, look at You've Got Mail. It's a retelling. It's Shop Around the Corner for the 1990s. (By the way, SatC was also retold as In the Good Old Summertime.) And all of it was apparently a retelling of a Hungarian play, which makes sense if you've seen SatC because it's set in Hungary. Imagine if YGM was marketed as a retelling instead of a whole new story. It probably wouldn't have done as well as it did. No one is as excited about a regurgitation as they are about a new thing.
Imagine if West Side Story had been marketed as a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The common moviegoer would've been all "Shakespeare? :yawn:"
Whatever you do, make it new. Find something to set it apart. Maybe then, readers will be encouraged to buy your book instead of yawning and passing on yet another retelling.
Just a thought.
It's possible they were all published at different times and just ended up being marketed at the same time. Maybe when each of them came out there weren't that many retellings of that tale... Except people have been retelling that tale in one way or another since the tale came out.
So, how does one differentiate oneself in the marketplace when the stories are all so similar?
Perhaps the answer there is to NOT market your book as a retelling of BatB. It doesn't change the story, but perhaps it changes the readers' perceptions of the story. Tell readers what your story is about instead of falling back on the 'this is a retelling' thing.
John is a beast of a man--rude, belligerent, and definitely in need of a shave--who has learned to stay the hell away from other people. Mary's a beauty whose looks could launch a thousand selfies. During a hike in the Rockies, Mary gets lost and winds up on John's property. She'd leave, but he's holding her until the cops arrive to arrest her for trespassing. A snowstorm forces them together and love ensues...
That sort of thing. Yeah, the blurb sucks, but it ain't my story to tell. Still, you get the drift. It's BatB retelling, but it doesn't wave a big banner in your face telling you, it shows it to you.
Show vs tell... just as important in your blurbs as it is in your writing. Imagine that.
I mean, look at You've Got Mail. It's a retelling. It's Shop Around the Corner for the 1990s. (By the way, SatC was also retold as In the Good Old Summertime.) And all of it was apparently a retelling of a Hungarian play, which makes sense if you've seen SatC because it's set in Hungary. Imagine if YGM was marketed as a retelling instead of a whole new story. It probably wouldn't have done as well as it did. No one is as excited about a regurgitation as they are about a new thing.
Imagine if West Side Story had been marketed as a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The common moviegoer would've been all "Shakespeare? :yawn:"
Whatever you do, make it new. Find something to set it apart. Maybe then, readers will be encouraged to buy your book instead of yawning and passing on yet another retelling.
Just a thought.
