G.P. Sorrells's Blog, page 2

Free Promo Results

The free promotion for What Remains is Infinity ended at 3:00am EDT, after four solid days of support for an otherwise unknown author. This promotion took place with two goals in mind:

Get the book into as many hands as possible.Walk away with an influx in reviews.

I can safely say the promotion itself was quite the success in the distribution department. All told, a staggering 1,642 free copies were sold during the promo period! Would I have preferred to earn royalties from those “sales” rather than give them away? Of course, I’d be lying if I proclaimed the opposite to be true as my end goal is to make the authoring of novels my profession.

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Still, some concessions need to be made as an independent author striking out into the publishing realm, aiming to make a name for themselves. Choosing to make your work free doesn’t cost anything outside of a willingness to forgo some royalties. If the response is positive (see: lots of downloads), the book in question will rise up on the rankings and enter the consciousness of people who may not have heard about it were it buried down in the depths. This in turn can result in people downloading a copy during the promotion who may not have discovered it from your marketing means.

Eventually, the hope becomes that a portion of the people who downloaded the book end up reading it, enjoying it, and then leaving a review. Or telling someone about it. Or, fingers crossed, both! Goal number two’s success is a bit trickier to quantify. At this point, it’s a bit premature to expect even one review to be up. That would require someone to have downloaded What Remains is Infinity with nothing currently on their To-Read list, blown through it in a few days, written the review, and gotten through the hurdles of the Amazon review process without issue. It’s possible, but not likely.

Plenty of people download a book they see listed for free and never read it. Even more grab a copy and mark it To-Read, yet don’t get to it for an indeterminate amount of time. My hope going into this was that, no matter how many people ended up downloading a copy, the end result would be 1% total reviews on the low end and 10% total reviews on the high end. Not only do plenty of people download books they never read, more than a couple read books and walk away at the turn of the final page without sharing their thoughts (I’m guilty of this one, admittedly). Taking all this into account, and looking at the final numbers, I’m hoping that in the coming month or so, What Remains is Infinity can at least hit the low end goal and garner 16 reviews.The high end, if it happens, will likely take a little longer, but the low end gives me a ton of flexibility with regards to further promotion.

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Arguably the best part about the promotion was getting the chance to see my first novel on Amazon Best Sellers lists across multiple countries. For much of the weekend, it sat at #3 in the U.S. in Time Travel Fiction, with a high of #2. It also managed to hit #1 in that same category in the U.K., Canada, Australia, & Brazil. For the General Science Fiction category, What Remains is Infinity was typically between #15 & #25 over the entirety of the four day period. Midway through the promotion I added the thriller/suspense category to both listings (Kindle/Paperback) and ended up in the top 20 the last two days.

One nice surprise was that the paperback rankings shot up during the promotion. This version wasn’t on sale, and it had dwindled to #1.4 million in the rankings (out of 8 million +), but on Friday evening I noticed it made a jump into the low one hundred thousands. When Saturday afternoon rolled around, it had spiked up the 76,000. These numbers are in the entire Amazon storefront, as far as books are concerned. What this means is the paperback version likely sold 5 copies during the promotion. There’s a high end to the calculations, but I’m erring on the side of reality for this.

Looking back, I’m glad I did the free book promotion. So far, it seems to have accomplished what I set out to do. It’ll be a little bit before I know for certain just how well it did, but I’m cautiously optimistic. In the meantime, I’m nearly 90 pages into the sequel, and looking ahead at some future promotions that will hopefully increase the paid rankings.

Oh, before I go, I also started a new side project. Check out the Instagram link below for more information.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!

G.P. Sorrells

Celebratory Deal (at the bottom)

This time a month ago, What Remains is Infinity was made available for purchase on Amazon. Going into something of this magnitude, you hope that every box is checked off by the time the decision to publish is made. That no single decision was left by the wayside. The truth of the matter is this won’t always be the case — at least not the first time.

On the bright side, I’m now armed with considerable information about how to approach this venture more effectively going forward. Reviews play a vital role in the success of any book, particularly for one put out by an independent author. Especially in the early days when the first surge of sales take place, reviews let interested parties who aren’t familiar with the author know whether the book is worth taking a chance on, or if it’s something they should pass on altogether. Going forward, I’ll be looking to get some advance review copies out in an effort to try and have some reviews available on or around launch day.

Marketing is another important piece of the puzzle. This was something that stayed in the back of my mind leading up to launch day, but I’ve begun to tinker with it as of late to try and boost sales of What Remains is Infinity. I’ve come across a few solid outlets with whom I’ll be doing business at launch of Book 2 in the Micah Brantley Saga. Between marketing and advance review copies, I’m confident that the next novel will be a step forward. There’s a little bit more that needs to take place, but those two are of the utmost importance.

I wanted to do something special to celebrate a month in publication for What Remains is Infinity. Ultimately, my goal was to get the story into as many hands as possible. Because of this, I’ll be running the following sale:

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Knocked down from the normal price of $3.99, this is a great chance to pick it up if you haven’t already gotten around to it; or if you chose the paperback route but would like the option to read it on the go. If you know anyone who may be interested in a fictional take on the multiverse theory, please share this link with them.

Although I won’t make any money during this sale, the story will inevitably get into more hands which will, hopefully, lead to more fans. Should you finish the novel and feel so inclined to leave a review, that would also be wonderful. Just be honest about the way you felt when you read the final word.

Lastly, I want to once again give a sincere thank you to everyone who already took a chance on an unknown author and purchased a copy of What Remains is Infinity. None of the success this novel has reached thus far would be possible without your belief in its worth. I hope you found it enjoyable, and I look forward to the opportunity to take you to other interesting worlds in the near future!

Progress Update

It’s been nearly two weeks since my last post which, admittedly, is not as often as I’d like to get something out into the world. Truth be told, sticking to a schedule has proved challenging in the midst of being furloughed from my job due to Covid-19, and having all this unexpected time off. In an ideal world, there would be an update at least once a week. Our world is anything but ideal, though I will do my best to stick to the desired cadence.

While I don’t wish to bombard your inbox with a message every single day like some stores who promise to offer you a good deal if you sign up for their email list, I do intend to periodically provide a glimpse into my writing process. If you’re interested in what’s to come, this will be the place the find out. I’ll keep those posts to a max of one a week, with minor exceptions. Eventually some other items may pop up on the blog feed that are unrelated to my overall progress. Something that piques my interest, perhaps, which I felt like sharing. I’ll try to keep those at a bit of a minimum as well, but it will help to keep things fresh.

The real meat and potatoes of this post, however, is providing an update on my writing progress. We’re now 23 days removed from the publication of What Remains is Infinity. I’ve learned a lot in putting it out there, about how to approach publication more effectively and how to set each book up for success. A few of you have already finished the story and shared your thoughts, most of which has been quite the ego booster as I’m notoriously tough on my own work. Thank you to everyone who has helped in all the success this novel has achieved thus far!

Originally, the plan was to work on a novella series following the publication of What Remains is Infinity. It was even mentioned here on my Camp NaNoWriMo post as my project of choice. Although I do still intend on releasing that series in the future, it has been placed on the back burner for the time being.

Work has now shifted, mostly, to novel #2. I refer to it as such because the title has not been determined outside of the fact that it will officially be known as Book 2 of the Micah Brantley Saga. I’ll release more information on this novel in the near future, but know that it will be quite a bit different in scope from Book 1 (aka What Remains is Infinity).

During my time away from writing that novel, I’ve spent quite a bit of time preparing for the one which will follow it. Novel #3, known currently as Book 1 of the Annabelle Atala Saga. This is a story I’m passionate about getting out into the world, one which will likely be viewed as a space opera in the same vein as Star Wars. That’s not to say it will live up to the well deserved hype that follows that storied franchise, but I’m creating an entire world that I hope will be interesting enough to be immersed in once the final word makes its way onto the page.

Now for the surprise:

It’s a cliffhanger.

No, really. Check back next week for some big news to celebrate a month in publication for What Remains is Infinity.

Thanks for reading!

This Calls for a Celebration

Earlier this afternoon, I decided to take a gander at the sales reports for my bookshelf on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). For the uninitiated, this is the means by which I’m able to see how many people are enjoying what I’ve put out into the world of fiction. There are reports on the KDP site which show me the different types of sales (paperback or ebook) as well as the amount of pages being read by people who have obtained the book via either Kindle Unlimited or the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

The KDP site also offers me the chance to see just who is buying my books. No, I can’t see it with the kind of specificity necessary to know the name of the person who purchased a copy — frankly, I wouldn’t want that kind of information — but I am able to see the marketplace, or country, in which a copy was purchased. Today was the second or third time I noticed a copy sold in Australia.

Normally, that wouldn’t have struck me as odd. When I hit the publish button, I did so knowing full well that my novel would be available in 13 different marketplaces around the world. That being said, I never expected it to sell outside of the United States unless it somehow became a commercial success.

Here’s where it gets interesting, though. At the time of this writing, What Remains is Infinity is officially a bestseller!

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Granted, this must be taken with a grain of salt as it only applies to one market out of the 13 it’s currently available in. However, it’s a bestseller twice in that same market as it currently ranks in the top 100 in two different categories. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected this to happen quite this quickly. The only thing left now is for this same feat to be repeated in some of the other marketplaces. I’m anxiously awaiting the moment that I can make a post similar to this announcing that it’s reached the same milestone in the U.S.

In order to make that a reality, I’ll now need to look into the less interesting side of the book business and explore marketing. Time to see just how far this story can go.

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One Week In…

Looking back to this point in time one week ago, I had just announced a major personal and professional milestone: a novel I wrote was being published and made available for purchase on Amazon.

Fast forward to today and I’ve finally had the chance to hold the real deal, physical copy in my hands. Much like a kid on Christmas morning, anxious after weeks of speculation to find out what was inside, I tore apart the package with a big grin on my face. The first purchased copy of What Remains is Infinity rested neatly inside.

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It was a bit surreal. I knew to expect its arrival, and it wasn’t a shock to know that my dream had become a reality, but something about working five years toward the same goal eventually causes one to wonder if said goal will ever be achieved — even when all the evidence points toward that being the case.

Suffice it to say I’m ecstatic to finally have reached this point. While part of me never doubted the possibility, there was always this nagging feeling that made me wonder if I was cut out to be an author. Did my voice matter? Was this a story worth being told? To that, and every other negative question that swirled about my mind over the past few years, I answered yes with all the emphasis possible.

If you haven’t already, please consider picking up a copy for yourself or recommending it to someone you know who may be interested in this story. Of course, if you’ve already picked up a copy of your own, thank you. It means the world to me that you chose to give this story a chance. I hope it exceeds your wildest expectations. Please do consider leaving a review once you’ve finished reading.

Lastly, I’m looking into the possibility of running some contests in the future to give out copies of the book, and if the interest is there, I’ll make it happen.

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful week!

We’re in Business

It’s official…What Remains is Infinity is available for purchase on Amazon. Late yesterday afternoon, I hit the publish button and waited what felt like an eternity for the notification email informing me that each version was live on the website.

To be honest, it’s a bit of a surreal feeling, knowing that something you’ve spent so much time and effort on is now out in the open, ready to be consumed by the masses. Until reviews pour in, if they do, there’s no way to know how well it’s received. One simply has to hope that the overall message and tone of the story is well received by all who choose to flip through the pages.

Naturally, I posted about it across various social media outlets. More than anything because I’m so proud to finally have reached this point. I see it as the stepping stone to greater things and I’m hopeful that in some way this is able to propel me, at least a bit, to the next steps along the way.

If you’re interested in reading What Remains is Infinity, please feel free to visit the whichever of the following sites aligns closest to your preferred way of reading:

For Kindle…https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087BBXVZ3

For Paperback…https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087CRN6FN

Although it may have taken five years to reach this point, I can guarantee it won’t take that long before my next piece is available.

Camp NaNoWriMo

In a move that would make my inner procrastinator proud, I chose April 18th as the day that I would sign up for Camp NaNoWriMo. For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo is an organization which hosts an event each year in November to celebrate National Novel Writing Month; hence the name.

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This year, they’re also hosting a second event during the month of April. The idea is the same — come up with a project goal and attempt to hit it during the month of the event. Your project can be anything from a novel to poetry to non-fiction; and just about anything in between. From there, you determine an overall word count for your project and attempt to reach or surpass it by the end. Based on the nature of the event, it works in your favor to have all hands on deck from start to finish.

Working against me is the fact that I have been laser focused on getting What Remains is Infinity ready for publication and didn’t even realize this event was taking place until the afternoon of the 18th. So, instead of having a full 30 days to pen a novel, I’ll see what I can manage in 12.

No big deal. Working against a deadline such as this will be even more fun with a daunting project goal staring back at me.

For this event, I will be writing the first of a planned trilogy of novellas. It will be called The Sometimes Hermit, and 40,000 words is the target at the end of the month. I’ll be sure to announce more information about this project as the event continues and the story has a chance to form into a recognizable shape.

Looking Ahead to Greatness…Maybe

In a few short days, I’ll do something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid: become a published author.

Technically, this isn’t idea which is completely foreign to me. I’ve had previous works of prose and poetry published within the pages of literary publications. There have even been times when I dabbled in the world of journalism. This happened most recently covering video games for a website I started up with a few friends, but I also covered the club hockey teams at Florida Gulf Coast University during my senior year. There was even the time five years ago when I published a short story of mine on Amazon.

One thing I’ve never done, until now, is publish a full length novel. So, when I say I’ll become a published author, I’m looking at it from that specific point of view. This is something which required considerable effort. It wasn’t something I decided to do just yesterday. Quite the opposite.

The beginning of the timeline for What Remains is Infinity, my upcoming novel, starts way back in November of 2014. I decided to get back to what I loved doing, but had grown away from for a time — writing fiction. It was during Thanksgiving weekend that year where I came up with the bones of what would eventually become the basic plot of the novel. I started with a blank page and had 30 pages before I knew what hit me.

Despite that hot start, I walked away for a few months before coming back with a clear idea of what I wanted out of the story. That may seem foolish, but I’m actually glad to have taken the time to step away and consider the paths the story could take before choosing which way to direct it as it ended in a far better place than it started.

Fast forward to Halloween of 2015 and the first draft was complete. A great moment, to be sure, but just a small step in the overall process of getting the story of What Remains is Infinity into the hands of any interested readers. I did multiple sets of revisions myself over the course of the next four years.

This year I was finally able to put the finishing touches on it all by having the novel professionally edited, a cover designed for it, and having it formatted. I followed it all up with one last run-through to make sure everything felt right.

When this all started, I never anticipated the process taking quite so long. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I had expected it to be a year; maybe two, at the most. But life has a funny way of showing you that you aren’t always as in control of things as you may like to think.

All that being said, the day of publication is nearly here. Once I press the button, there’s no going back. I’m hopeful that the story is at least somewhat meaningful to most who choose to read it, but I recognize that it may not be. I wrote What Remains is Infinity because I felt it was a story which needed to be told. I wrote it because I wanted to prove to myself that I was up to the task.

Although I would love to have some measure of success because of this novel, I’d be lying if I said I did it for anyone other than me. The next book in the works, however, that’s for everyone else. Now that I know what I’m capable of, my job is to keep blowing expectations out of the water.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Please feel free to subscribe for updates whenever I post something new. At the moment, I don’t plan for the posts to be much more frequent than 1-2 a week, so you shouldn’t have to worry about being bombarded with notifications. You can also like my page on Facebook for another way to keep tabs on what I’m doing next with my writing.