Sherry D. Ficklin's Blog, page 9
August 27, 2015
Advertising with BookBub
There are a lot of ways and a lot of places to advertise your books. I’m not talking about marketing your books, I’m talking advertising. Advertising is a piece of marketing, one component in a larger marketing plan, and in this case, I’m specifically talking about paid advertising.
At first, paid advertising can be daunting. How can you afford to advertise to sell your book before your book is selling?? I get that completely. But you know the old saying, you have to spend money to make money? It’s kinda true. Paid advertising can boost sales in ways few other things can.
Let me tell you, I’ve done it all. Facebook ads, goodreads ads, google ads, ect. Fun fact, my book was selected to be featured as a summer read in Glamour UK, all I had to do was come up with the $5K price tag. YOUCH! (Ultimately, I passed on that one, because UK sales make up such a small fraction of my income. If it had been US Glamour, I’d have sold a kidney in Mexico to make it happen)
Now there are some free places that you can advertise your book, but it has to be on sale or free. One of my favorite places is http://www.ebookbooster.com/. You can pay them a small fee and they will send your book to like 50 blast sites, or you can do it yourself for free. It’s time consuming, but ultimately worth it. Again, this only works for ebooks that are free or on sale.
There are some other places too, some charge a small fee, others are free. Places like BookGorilla and Midlist are a few of my favorites. They have huge lists of clients and they blast a selection of books to that list every day, so being on those lists can give you a serious jump in sales.
Then there’s the big guns. Places like BookBub. They have MILLIONS of subscribers who want books. They charge a hefty fee, depending on the price of your book and the genre, anywhere from $100 to $600 for a one day listing. I I KNOW, Right??
It’s a lot to fork out. And it’s not guaranteed that you’ll get the spot. My book was being submitted every month for nearly a year and it just now got accepted. (You do not pay unless your book is accepted, so you can request a listing over and over for no cost, as long as you can pony up when you get that YES) So I thought I’d share some real time results with you about how that ad worked out for me. I also want to mention that sometimes publishers will pay for these ads, so it’s worth asking, but sometimes you are on your own. I’m very fortunate to have a good company who invests real funds in advertising. Some aren’t so lucky. And also, as with everything, your experience may be vastly different. There are a lot of factors in why people choose books, and yours may do way better, or way worse. There’s no way to know for sure, but I feel like this is a pretty good average experience.
It’s also worth noting that my books are already selling extremely well. Both book 2 and 3 are holding strong in the top 20 of their primary categories and book one is #1 in those same categories (in the free store). So I went into this ad with a lot of momentum already. Will that help or hurt? I don’t know. It’s possible that my pool of readers, that is the people who are going to buy my books, is already saturated. Or on the flip side I could see a huge sales spike. We shall see.
Book Listed: Queen of Someday
Price: Free
Listing Date: 8/25
Fee for listing: $110 (Teen YA, Free)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173 Free in Kindle Store
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Historical Fiction
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
#12 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Literature & Fiction
Other Book in Series:
Queen of Tomorrow #2
Price: $4.99
Starting Sales Rank on Amazon: 10,009 over all
#10 in Books > Teens > Romance > Historical
#12 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
Queen of Always #3 (pre-order)
Price: $5.99
Starting Sales Rank on Amazon: 18,335 over all
#18 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
#24 in Books > Teens > Romance > Historical
Why am I showing you all three titles? Because the goal of advertising a free book is to boost sales on the books that aren’t free as well. Yes, having 20K downloads on a free book is great for getting reviews, exposing your stories to new readers, and ultimately cultivating fans. But it’s in the sales that we are able to judge how it’s working. Also, this is same ad is happening over in iBooks, B&N, and KOBO, but because those numbers are a little harder to track in real time, I’m sticking with Amazon. It’s my #1 sales portal right now anyway (with iBooks closing fast, whoda thought?).
Again, a word of caution. All the paid advertising in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t already have the key components in place, which are: a sell-able cover (and a sell-able cover and a cover you like are not always the same thing, just FYI), a well written book with good editing and formatting, and a professional online presence, even if it’s just an amazon author page.
Now, it’s been 24 hours since the ad ran and here’s where I’m sitting:
Queen of Someday
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15 overall (free) (though it hit #11 at the wee hours of the morning)
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Historical Fiction
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Literature & Fiction
Queen of Tomorrow #2
Sales Rank on Amazon: 6,202 over all (paid)
#2 in Books > Teens > Romance > Historical
#3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
Queen of Always #3 (pre-order)
Sales Rank on Amazon: 11,003 over all (paid)
#13 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
#17 in Books > Teens > Romance > Historical
That breaks down to over 15K free downloads, and double my average daily sales on book 2, and a slight bump in book 3.
After 48 hours:
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26 overall (free)
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Historical Fiction
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Literature & Fiction
Queen of Tomorrow #2
Sales Rank on Amazon: 4,810 over all (paid)
#2 in Books > Teens > Romance > Historical
#3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
Queen of Always #3 (pre-order)
Sales Rank on Amazon: 15,303 over all (paid)
#18 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Historical
#23 in Books > Teens > Romance > Historical
Now, while I fully expect to see the Queen of Someday numbers slowly creeping back up as downloads wane, I also expect sales on the other books to hold pretty steady as people read the free book and then go purchase the others. I ended up the three days at around 17K downloads of book one, and double to triple my average daily sales on the second book. The third book only saw a slight bump initially, but it’s a pre-order and that could always change. The real question is, did we make our money back on the ad?
Yes. In the first three days alone the ad has paid for itself and then some, and I could see this increase of sales last for weeks to come. And I had paid more, say rather than having book one free I listed it at a sale price of $1.99, and gotten even a fraction of those downloads… well, you can do the math.
And that is how Bookbub and similar ads work. Also keep in mind that this is all on a book that has been out for several months and has had many similar ads run for it already.
Oh, and one more quick bit of advice. I see many authors make their book free or dirt cheap (and not as a sale, but permafree or .99) before there is another book in the series on sale. IMHO, this is a huge mistake. It’s one thing to use a free or low cost book to draw in sales for a series, but if your book is free of cheap to try to garner reviews or get exposure, that’s almost always a bad plan. Here’s why. Of those 17K downloads, how many people do you think will leave reviews? Because I’m betting it’s a very small number, like maybe a handfull. Typically, people who grab those free and discounted books don’t leave reviews, some fill their kindle with free books and never even read them. That is why it’s in the sales you measure a success, and not in those free downloads. So before you go making something free to run an ad, be sure you have other books already published to point people too. Otherwise, you are throwing away your money.
If your goal is to get reviews and exposure, I highly suggest a Netgalley listing instead. It gets your book in front of people who DO review books. They can be expensive, but if you want to do a shorter listing, say 1-3 months rather than 6, you can use a service like Xpresso tours or Broad Universe and it becomes much more affordable.
Hope this info is super usefull! And, shameless plug, you can grab my free book, Queen of Someday, HERE. Have a great weekend everyone!
August 22, 2015
CTP Multi-Author Release Bash!
Clean Teen Publishing and Crimson Tree Publishing are celebrating one giant release day today as they launch four amazing titles. From much anticipated sequels to a highly sought after spin-off series, CTP has the perfect read for you today. Check out the new titles below that are available to purchase today and don’t forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post so you can join in on the release party this coming Friday!
CAGE OF DECEIT by Jennifer Anne Davis
AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / iBOOKS / MORE
Jennifer Anne Davis’s best-selling True Reign series captivated readers from the very first page. Now, get ready to become entangled in the follow-up series, Reign of Secrets. In this new series, follow Allyssa, the daughter of the beloved Emperor Darmik and Empress Rema— and find out what happens after happily ever after.
Seventeen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion—she’s beautiful, elegant, and refined. She spends her days locked in a suffocating cage, otherwise known as royal court. But at night, Allyssa uses her secret persona—that of a vigilante—to hunt down criminals and help her people firsthand.
Unfortunately, her nightly escapades will have to wait because the citizens of Emperion may need saving from something much bigger than common criminals. War is encroaching on their country and in order to protect her people, Allyssa may have to sacrifice her heart. Forced to entertain an alliance through marriage with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom, she finds herself feeling even more stifled than before. To make matters worse, the prince has stuck his nosy squire, Jarvik, to watch her every move.
Jarvik is infuriating, bossy and unfortunately, the only person she can turn to when she unveils a heinous plot. Together, the unlikely pair will have to work together to stop an enemy that everyone thought was long gone, one with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. Now the cage Allyssa so longed to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she will have to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.
BLOOD THIEF OF WHITTEN HALL by Jon Messenger
AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / iBOOKS / MORE
In a world of science, magic is an abomination, but not the vile creation Royal Inquisitor Simon Whitlock once believed it to be. Accompanied by his apothecary companion, Luthor Strong, and Matilda Hawke, a werewolf, they return to the capital of Callifax, eager to convalesce after their last adventure.
Their peace is short-lived, however, as they are quickly sent on another mission. It seems the iron mines of Whitten Hall have ceased their production, no longer sending its ore to the crown. The Ministry of Trade has sent inquiries, but its representatives have all fled from the train ride to the distal outpost. It seems a vampire stalks the trains in and out of Whitten Hall, a vampire that will reveal the secret of the iron mine and the darkness that resides within.
The Blood Thief of Whitten Hall is the second book in the Magic & Machinery Series by Jon Messenger. Read Wolves of the Northern Rift today for free.
SECONDS BEFORE SUNRISE by Shannon Thompson
AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / iBOOKS / MORE
Two nightmares. One memory.
“Chaos within destiny. It was the definition of our love.”
Eric has weeks before his final battle when he’s in an accident. Forced to face his human side, he knows he can’t survive if he fights alone. But he doesn’t want to surrender, even if he becomes the sacrifice for war.
Jessica’s memory isn’t the only thing she’s lost. Her desire to find her parents is gone and so is her confidence. But when fate leaves nightmares behind, she decides to find the boy she sees in them, even if it risks her sanity.
Seconds Before Sunrise is the exciting sequel to Minutes Before Sunset by Shannon A. Thompson. Find out why readers are enthralled with the Timely Death Trilogy.
WICKED FATE by Shannon Maynard
AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / iBOOKS / MORE
How can Ava St
arr’s dream come true be Dax Miller’s worst nightmare?
Ava’s mother always told her to be careful what she wished for. From the moment Ava woke up on Lamarai Island, she wanted nothing more than to find Preston. But now that she has, her heart is caught in a fierce game of tug-of-war. In a place where danger lurks around every tree, she must quickly figure out who she can trust, and who is out to destroy her dream of a happy ever after.
Dax’s plan to capture Ava’s heart was all falling into place. That is, until Ava’s past showed up on the island in the form of a tall, dark, and handsome pilot named Preston, leaving Dax to wonder if he’s inherited Ava’s wicked luck. Preston is determined to pick up his relationship with Ava where they left off before a plane crash separated them, but Dax will stop at nothing to fight for the girl of his dreams and discover the truth behind the mysterious pilot.
But Dax isn’t the only one troubled by the surprise appearance of Preston and his flight crew. The new visitors to the island have caused Dax’s stepsister, Roxy, to develop a bad case of sibling rivalry, as well as managed to attract the unwanted attention of a vicious tribe of cannibals. Now Dax must figure out a way to keep his new tribe of misfits safe, while Ava is left to make the most important decision of her life. Will they succeed, or will fate decide for them?
Wicked Fate is the heart-pounding sequel to Wicked Luck, a new adult adventure romance series.
JOIN THE PARTY
Join the virtual party this Friday between 7pm-9pm (Eastern) and celebrate our amazing releases this month. There will be so many giveaways, you won’t be able to see straight. Gift cards, swag, signed books, and more. Our authors have gone all out to provide the most entertaining party for our readers yet. Make sure you stop in for the fun. It’s free and better yet, you can attend in your pajamas…or whatever. Click the link to join the party on our Facebook event page, and you will get a reminder on Friday when the fun starts. JOIN THE PARTY!
August 17, 2015
Threesomes in YA, the debate
Holla my sweet cremesickles of awesomeness! Hope everyone had a great weekend. I made the mistake of posting an article on my facebook page, then wandering out to the mountains and leaving it unattended, and it literally blew up my feed, which basically tells me, this is a discussion worth having. It all centers around this article from the New York Daily News, I will give you a minute to go read it:
Threesomes in YA
Back? Great. So, were you shocked? Appalled? Mildly disinterested? Does grandma need her heart medication?
Because this is a thing. And it’s real. And we should talk about it.
Here’s where I stand, and I know that opinions will vary wildly, and I welcome kind, respectful dissenting options in the comments (but I will delete a-holeness like a ninja).
Basically, I’m in the camp of CENSORSHIP IS BAD PERIOD. I get that parents cringe at the idea of their kids reading this stuff, and that is their right. Don’t let them read it then. Or even better, let them read it and then have an honest, open discussion about the nature of sexuality and sexual relationships. (I’m not sure which scares some parents more, their kids reading about sex from some outside source or having to actually talk to the about if face to face).
At the end of the day, I don’t think publishers or authors or bookstores should be bound to any restrictions on the content of a book. That’s too slippery a slope. Because I’ve had parents tell me, “I don’t mind language, but no sex”, or “I don’t mind sex, but no gay talk”. Even, “I don’t want language or violence of any kind in YA fiction”. So which of these people should get to decide where the line is?
None of them. You decide for yourself and for your kid, period.
I’m not even going to get into the fact that YA fiction is fiction written ABOUT teens, not necessarily FOR them (by definition of the genre any story featuring a teen protagonist is YA by default, no matter the content), or the fact that some teens are engaging in this sort of behavior (not that that makes it morally right) or the fact that fiction is escapist by it’s very nature and not some sort of how-to manual for life. I’m not even going to harp on the fact that statistically most readers of YA fiction are women ages 25-35. Because at the end of the day, none of that is really the point. No one gets to say what can or can’t, or for that matter should or shouldn’t be allowed in YA novels.
Which is why I’m such an advocate for disclosure, or basically a rating system for books. It’s one of the biggest misconceptions about my publisher, Clean Teen Publishing. It’s not that all their books are “clean” (because how could they be? What one person calls clean another might be totally offended by) but that they offer a rating, right on the cover. It’s a five point scale based on the levels of violence, sex, language, and alcohol/drug use. And if a book has an M rating (for mature content) there’s a barcode you can scan with your smart phone and it will tell you EXACTLY what gave it that rating. For example, my book Losing Logan got a 5 for language, and if you scan the code, it will tell you exactly which words were used. Queen of Someday got a 5 for sex because there is non-graphic closed door sex after a wedding. But with this system, you KNOW what you (or your kid) is reading before you even crack a page, or fork out ten bucks.
So why don’t all publishers do this? I’m gonna tell you a little secret, I spoke to one of the big 5 publishers at BEA this year and we talked a little about the disclosure system. He actually laughed and said, “If we told them what was in it, sales would plummet.” (that’s paraphrased because I can’t remember his exact wording, I was in too much shock. But that’s the gist)
Let that sink in for a second.
Now, threesomes are extremely rare in YA, despite what that article might say. Less than 0.3% of YA books have one. I know, because I looked. The article rather shames characters who “think about” threesomes, or that might feature masturbation or even just sex in general. So before you go burning your kid’s book stack, do some research. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, go search the title on Goodreads or Amazon, generally any mature content will pop up in a review somewhere.
Maybe I’m biased. My YA/Historical novel Queen of Always (releasing this September) features what I hope is a very tasteful, non-graphic threesome. The book is based on the life of young Catherine the Great, and if you know anything about her, you know it’s completely accurate to how she lived. I didn’t add it for shock value, or to morally corrupt teen readers, I did it because it was necessary to the story, and had been building for two books. I think my job as a writer, is to tell the story in the most honest, real way I can, and hope that people accept it for what it is.
On the bright side, I may have actually hit that banned books list this time.
(and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, please, go and have a peek. See how many of the books on that list you agree or disagree with)
Tell me what you think in the comments below, but remember, play nice and use your inside voice because this is my sandbox and I make the rules here.
XOXP
Immortal Moon~ Cover Reveal
Crimson Tree Publishing presents a new cover reveal in the Paranorm World Series by June Stevens. This new adult paranormal romance series hit shelves earlier this year with the release of book one— Voodoo Moon. We are excited to share the official cover reveal of Immortal Moon, the second book in the Paranorm World Series which releases on November 9, 2015.
BOOK ONE: VOODOO MOON
A sinister magic is sweeping across Nash City…
To Fiona Moon, it’s just another day at work. And some days, well, they’re a helluva lot worse than others. As a member of the elite Black Blade Guard, Fiona is tasked with hunting down the most-dangerous Paranorm criminals. To find out who is kidnapping mages and sucking the life energy from their bodies, she has to work with the one man that embodies everything she despises.
Master Necromancer Ian Barroes, a rich professor of Necromantic Studies, wants only one thing in this world… Fiona.
They each hold secrets that could destroy them, but ones that could also be the key to destroying the evil Voodoo priest, Bokor. They must learn to trust each other and track down Bokor before more innocent lives are lost. When Fiona becomes a target of the evil madman, she is lured into his trap. Now, she and Ian have to fight for survival… and their very souls
BOOK TWO: IMMORTAL MOON
November 9, 2015
Anya Moon only has one personal rule: Don’t date vampires. She never dreamed the price for breaking it could be her life.
In his five hundred years as an assassin, Jarrett Campbell has never gone beyond a one night stand with a woman. As a vampire, he knows a lasting relationship with a Norm is out of the question. But Anya Moon is just too intriguing to pass up. A two week fling can’t hurt as long as they both know how it will end…right?
Caught up in a romance he never expected, Jarrett forgets that his life as an assassin is never safe… especially when one of his past targets returns from the dead. Now he is in a race against time to save Anya, but is her life worth his death?
August 11, 2015
Freebies and Giveaways!
With the finale of the stolen Empire series releasing next month, I wanted to stop by and give you all some updates!
Firstly, I currently have THREE books (full length novels) free on ebook. They are:
Queen of Someday
Prodigal
Chasing Daybreak (under my pen name Ranae Glass)
I know every reader’s personal tastes and preferences vary. These represent a selection of my current series, so you can try one for free, and if you like it, you can buy the rest! Just click on the title or the image and it will open the amazon page for you!
Also, I have two more books about to release.
Queen of Always is releasing (on ebook) September 15th. I currently have a Goodreads giveaway going and we put TWO print ARCs up for grabs! You can enter that here.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Queen of Always
by Sherry D. Ficklin
Giveaway ends September 01, 2015.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Also, Playing With Fire, the first book in my new #HACKER series releases in October, and you can pre-order here. I also have a goodreads giveaway for that book, for one print ARC, and you can enter that here.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Playing With Fire
by Sherry D. Ficklin
Giveaway ends August 17, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
I hope everyone can find something they enjoy, and please be sure to leave those reviews on Amazon (or wherever you buy books). They mean so much not just to us authors, but to help out your fellow readers as well. Thanks! Have a great week!
July 5, 2015
The (inevitable) death of Barnes & Noble
I’m not going to lie folks, I have a pony in this race, a BIG one. And for many reasons, I’m a pro-Amazon author, but I’m not anti-Barnes&Noble. I see them as having a very important function in the book marketplace. However I, and many industry insiders, are already seeing the mega-giant for what it is, a sinking ship. And really, I’m kind of fine with that. For those wondering why, here’s a no kidding peek behind the curtain. The opinions and experiences described here are 100% my own, your mileage may vary.
Why is this the beginning of the end for B&N? Well, to begin, they have failed pretty miserably at the e-book game. They tried, with NOOK, to compete in the digital marketplace, but at the end of the day, they are being wiped off the board by both Amazon’s Kindle, and iBooks for IPad. NOOK sales dropped a massive 40% last year. I have many theories as to why this happened, but at then end of the day it boils down to this, B&N’s home base was always print books. Sometimes diversification is good, important, but sometimes it takes too much away from your core and ends up being the nail in your coffin.
Case in point, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend at B&N brick and mortar stores, the same problem I saw with Borders before it’s downfall. That is that stores are carrying more and more non-book items (games, toys, movies, music, etc) and less and less actual books. As a matter of fact, it’s really hard to find older books, firsts in a series books, and the like on shelves. Because their actual book space is now extremely limited. If I go in, looking for the first book in the Hourglass Door series (fantastic books BTW), for example, I’m told to order it online. They are actively telling people to order it from home, and have it shipped straight to their house. The fundamental problem with that is that it keeps people OUT of the physical store. Let’s face it, for some time now, B&N has functioned as little more than a showroom for books. People go, they browse, then they leave and order books online to get the steep discounts (not always, but this seems to be the norm). B&N counteracted this by charging publishers a premium for that “face forward” shelf space (this is basically what their big battle with Hachett was all about). This company is literally driving away customers, then can’t understand why sales are down.
And I will also tell you something most people don’t know. As an author, working with B&N really sucks. They jack up release dates, shelve books in the wrong sections, and are generally (but not always) very rude to all but the biggest name authors. And if you do have a problem with something (Like your new book releasing almost TWO MONTHS EARLY, ahem) there is nothing but a crappy customer service email address, that bounces you from person to person, rarely actually addressing your problem. Why? They hate working directly with authors (or at least that’s my working theory). I’m not saying that Amazon doesn’t have it’s share of screw ups, but if I have an issue, as an author there is a number I can call and speak to a living person right away and get my issue handled without all the nonsense. And you know what? They treat me like a author, not like something they scraped off their shoe, which is something both B&N online and individual stores have a reputation for.
Now with all the recent hubub about Amazon’t KU program, and how they are only paying authors like 0.06 per page read, I know people are saying, how can you LIKE working with Amazon?
First of all, please go read this.
It sums up my feelings on that matter quite accurately.
But in reality, it has been my experience that Amazon never does anything to try to hose authors. If anything, they are really good about trying new avenues of delivering books to the public, and when they have a system in place that isn’t working, they are quick to amend it (which is funny because every time Amazon twitches the indie community panics and grabs the torches and pitchforks). They are a fluid company in an ever evolving industry and that is one of the main reasons Amazon is floating to the top. They are easy to work with (as an author) and more importantly to me, they treat everyone, big 6 and indie alike, with the same level of respect–Something B&N has never done. They want to make money, for themselves and for authors, but they also want to offer readers the best deals around. Maybe this is all part of some overreaching Skynet plan to wipe all other book sellers off the face of the planet and rule over us with an iron fist. But let’s blow up that bridge when we reach it, shall we?
Now, am I saying I think B&N will be gone in a year? In five? Maybe not. But you can expect stores to be closed and jobs to be lost in the very near future because in order to stick around they are going to need to take a long hard look at their business practices. They have a new CEO on his way in (the third in as many years, I believe) and to make it solvent he will need to do two things. Firstly, he will need to cut off the capital hemorrhaging NOOK properties (that is the physical readers themselves) and adopt a multi format online ebook sales strategy. Basically I mean, allowing consumers to buy ebooks of various formats through B&N.com, similar to the way Smashwords does, so the books purchased there can be read on any reader or iDevice. And secondly and most importantly, they need to realize their strength in the one market they still dominate, actual print book sales. This means less filler crap in stores, widening their selections, and, I suggest, opening stores up to at least top selling indie authors.
Which brings up a very interesting point that I feel warrants discussion.
Why doesn’t B&N shelve indie authors when they make up a HUGE chunk of overall book sales in the e-market right now?
Well, it’s mainly because most indie authors print through either Lightning Source or CreateSpace (a B&N affiliate company, BTW) and those books are non-returnable, Print-on-Demand, meaning the books are printed as they are ordered, no warehousing costs or waste (though, a quick note that you can opt to make LS books returnable).
Why does returnability matter?
Because B&N actually MAKES money when a book is returned. Did you know that? When a book goes unsold for a few weeks, they pull it off the shelf and return it, and they get back the money they paid for the book, plus a return fee from the publisher. So what to they care if a book sells or not? They make money either way. But if a book isn’t returnable, then they have to sell it, or they are out money. That’s the bottom line.
And even if your books ARE returnable as an indie author, you probably still won’t get shelf space. See, the process at that point becomes that you send a copy of your book to the B&N hdqtrs with a note about why they should order and shelf it. Most of the time books going through this process are either rejected off hand or they buy, say 10 copies, send them to the stores, who hold them only for a few weeks before just returning them. B&N has a whole section of employees whose entire job is to decide what books end up in their store, they are the GATEKEEPERS OVERLORDS BUYERS, and unless you have the ability to get in front of one of them (the big 6 meet with them all the time) then your odds of shelving in that very important book showroom are next to nothing.
But never fear! Should B&N flounder, another chain shall rise up like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes and take it’s place (*crosses fingers* please be BAM, please be BAM). Why am I so confident, you ask? Well most indie stores, while awesome, can’t offer the sheer variety of a chain, nor the discounts needed to keep folks from just buying online. But people will always want a store they can walk into, grab a hot chocolate, and wander the racks seeing what the latest releases are. As for me, I’m bi-libral, meaning I love both ebook and print formats, but even I know there’s nothing quite like the smell of a book, the feel of it in your hands. And as much as I love Amazon, wandering a digital shelf just isn’t the same.
I’m curious what you think about the downfall of B&N, please leave your comments below! (Keeping in mind that I’m the queen here and while dissenting comments are cool rudeness is not and will be removed. KTHANXBI)
July 3, 2015
A holiday present fit for a queen!
WE HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU!
As if celebrating Independence Day isn’t amazing enough, we have a special surprise for you. QUEEN OF TOMORROW by Sherry D. Ficklin released early! That’s right, the highly anticipated sequel that USA Today calls a “Must read romance,” is available at this very moment. So grab yourself a lawn chair, an iced beverage, and your e-reader. You have some reading to do before the fireworks tonight. ***Keep reading all of the way to the bottom for another present!!! ***
QUEEN OF TOMORROW by Sherry D. Ficklin
AMAZON / NOOK / iBOOKS / SMASHWORDS / KOBO
Sophie—now Catherine, Grand Duchess of Russia—had a tough first year at Imperial Court. Married at sixteen to Grand Duke Peter, heir to the throne, and settled in their own palace, things start to look up. As a new day dawns, Catherine thinks only of securing her future, and the future of their country, during one of the greatest political upheavals of her time. Fighting desperately against forces that try to depose the Empress Elizabeth and put the young Prince Ivan on her throne, Catherine soon finds herself in the middle of a war brewing between her beloved Prussia and her new empire. While navigating the fragile political landscape, she quickly realizes that she has only begun to discover the tangled web of deceit and infidelity woven over the lavish court of Oranienbaum Palace.
When a strange and delicate alliance forms between the young couple, Catherine glimpses a future of happiness, only to see it vanish at the hands of those who still seek to end her life—and prevent her reign. Out of favor with the empress and running out of options, Catherine must sacrifice her own innocence on the altar of Russia if she is to save the nation and herself. To survive, she will have to do the unthinkable, betray those closest to her and become something greater and more dangerous than she ever imagined she could be… a queen.
Queen of Tomorrow is the enticing sequel to Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin. Find out why USA Today called the Queen of Someday, “a must-read romance!”
AN EXTRA SPECIAL SURPRISE
You get to see it here first! Check out the brand new cover for book 3 in The Stolen Empire Series. Queen of Always—the stunning conclusion to this series— is scheduled to release in digital format on September 19, 2015. It will hit shelves shortly after on November 23, 2015. Please leave a comment and let us know what you think of this new cover!
CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE SERIES:
July 2, 2015
Lightning Kissed by Lila Felix, Cover Reveal
Clean Teen Publishing has a brand new cover reveal for your viewing pleasure. Check out Lightning Kissed by Lila Felix. This young adult paranormal romance is coming out January 4, 2016. You can pre-order it today on iBooks. More pre-order links to come. Subscribe to the Clean Teen Publishing newsletter for the most up to date information on book releases, sales, and giveaways.
LIGHTNING KISSED by Lila Felix
ADD TO GOODREADS
Colby Evans can leap from one country to the next in a heartbeat. She can see every sunset in every time zone in the same day. She can travel across the world in a flash. She defies gravity and physics with every breath she takes. She’s tested her abilities and found them limitless.
She is the lightning. She is Lucent. And nothing can stop her.
Except him.
Theodore Ramsey isn’t supposed to be able to flash like Colby. The power of travel is passed on from mother to daughter in their people. Except once in every hundred generations.
Theo is the one.
He can flash like Colby. And it makes him a target to their enemies and to himself. His abilities change everything he knows about life and throws his future into an uncertain tangent. In fact, the only thing certain in his life is the love he feels for Colby.
Their love defies time and space and has been the only constant thing in their lives since childhood. But even their infallible love will be stretched to its limits.
She will risk her life to protect him. But he will risk everything to protect them all.
Lightning Kissed is the first book in The Lucent Series by Lila Felix.
June 30, 2015
The Queen Has Arrived
It’s true what they say, royalty waits for no one. and so we are excited to announce that Queen of Tomorrow, the highly anticipated follow-up to Queen of Someday, is now available everywhere books are sold–a full two weeks early!
Sophie—now Catherine, Grand Duchess of Russia—had a tough first year at Imperial Court. Married at sixteen to Grand Duke Peter, heir to the throne, and settled in their own palace, things start to look up. As a new day dawns, Catherine thinks only of securing her future, and the future of their country, during one of the greatest political upheavals of her time. Fighting desperately against forces that try to depose the Empress Elizabeth and put the young Prince Ivan on her throne, Catherine soon finds herself in the middle of a war brewing between her beloved Prussia and her new empire. While navigating the fragile political landscape, she quickly realizes that she has only begun to discover the tangled web of deceit and infidelity woven over the lavish court of Oranienbaum Palace.
When a strange and delicate alliance forms between the young couple, Catherine glimpses a future of happiness, only to see it vanish at the hands of those who still seek to end her life—and prevent her reign. Out of favor with the empress and running out of options, Catherine must sacrifice her own innocence on the altar of Russia if she is to save the nation and herself. To survive, she will have to do the unthinkable, betray those closest to her and become something greater and more dangerous than she ever imagined she could be… a queen.
“A must-read romance!” -The USA Today
“Addicting.” -Goodreads
“A sequel that will surprise!” -Hit Or Miss Books
Queen of Tomorrow is a YA historical fiction based on the life of young Catherine the Great. Fans of the hit TV show REIGN will devour this scandalous glimpse into the life of one of the most dynamic women in history.
Grab your copy today!
Amazon B&N.com For more info on this series and for a free book club reading guide, visit the author at http://sherryficklin.com
June 10, 2015
Responsibility in YA Fiction
I read an interesting blog post today that an author friend of mine wrote, and I think her point is a discussion worth having. So let’s all use our inside voices, put on our big kid undies and have a serious chat.
I write YA fiction. What defines YA fiction? Well, some think it’s fiction written for young adults. I tend to disagree with that. It’s fiction about young adults. Basically no matter how “clean” or “dirty” the content may be, if the protagonist is between 13 and 18 years old, it’s YA fiction by default. It will be on the YA shelf in the bookstore. Period.
As an author, I realize that the majority of my readers, that is YA readers, are actually women from the ages of 20-35 respectively. Now obviously I’m not saying teens don’t read YA. But as a professional, I know where my target market is. I know that in my YA book club, all of whom are well past YA, we often find the super clean books boring or below what we might otherwise enjoy reading. Older readers want a little romance, a little excitement, a little danger. I’m not saying it has to be graphic, but it’s certainly something you have to keep in mind when your job depends on you actually selling books.
As a mother of teenagers, I would certainly hope my kids would think twice before looking to YA novels, any form of fiction really, for a role model. I hope this in the same way I would hope they wouldn’t try to emulate stunts from movies they watch or drive cars the way they do in video games.
My friend says in her post, that as an adult, married woman, she enjoys YA fiction with good girl/bad boy romances. She admits that the last few she’s read, and enjoyed (again, she’s not slamming any books or plots in general) the female teenager sleeps with the bad boy to get him to like her. And that by the end of the book, the bad boys have redeemed themselves and cast off their bad-boy ways. But she also says, it’s not reality. In reality, if you are dating a gang member/drug dealer, your odds of a HEA are actually hella slim. (my terms not hers, but the point is the same) So are these books teaching young girls that those types of relationships are healthy? Positive? Normal? She says, she doesn’t want her kids behaving that way, so she chooses to write books where the characters behave the way she would hope her children would behave, or at least, books she thinks wouldn’t set a bad example for them.
The point my friend made was not a judgement on YA fiction, it was simply this:
As authors, what kind of example do our books set for young readers?
I’m going to take that one step further.
What responsibility, if any, do we as authors have in setting that example?
Here are my personal thoughts on the matter, I know that yours may be very different and hey, that’s cool. Honestly, I’d love to hear them so please feel free to comment below.
I have always found that the responsibility of teaching children fact from fiction is a parent’s job. In whatever form that fiction may take, comics, video games, tv, or books, I and my husband are the first and last authority on the matter. When my teenage daughter wanted to read Twilight, I allowed it. But after, we sat down and had a really good talk about 1) How you should expect to be treated in a relationship and 2) That fictional boys 100% do not think or behave as real boys might. It was very healthy for us. She has a good grasp on the meaning of fiction, and that just because fictional characters behave a certain way, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to emulate it in real life.
But I also realize that not every parent will do that with their children. I’d suspect that many have no idea what their children are reading. Honestly, that makes me a little sad.
However, I just don’t feel that I, as a writer, am responsible for what other people’s children read, or what they take from what they are reading. Now, that may sound like shirking the blame, but follow with me for a minute. If writers aren’t writing about uncomfortable, awkward, sometimes scary things, then how will kids ever learn to process them in a safe way (ie, through the pages of a book rather than first hand experience)? I would argue that it is our responsibility to do just that, to offer a million different worlds and experiences and push barriers and to allow the readers, and hopefully in the case of kids their parents, to pick the ones that they want to immerse themselves in.
I have a YA paranormal romance (and now that I think of it, an NA paranormal romance as well) that have no sex in them. But there is strong language because it’s part of the character’s lives, how they were raised and how they express themselves.
I have a time travel series with zero bad language and no sex and no graphic violence and I still got a review that said, “I was offended by page 2″. For reals, yo?
In my historical fiction series, my young princess gets married at 15 and becomes sexually active. Because that was actually what happened. There are also many other mature elements including domestic violence, rape, and adultery. Will I let my kids read it? Yes. Because I think it’s a good way for them to understand that that was what life was like back then. I think books provide them a safe place where they can experience these things, through the filter of fiction, and open a dialogue for deeper understanding. Do I think it’s great for all kids to read that sort of thing? It doesn’t matter. I’m not forcing anyone to buy it and read it. That’s up to you. My job as an author is to provide it. My job as a parent is to determine the rightness for my children. They are two mutually exclusive things in my mind.
Most of my books are with a company I love called Clean Teen Publishing. The name is a little deceiving. It’s not that all their books are “clean”. Clean is too respective a term for that. What one person finds acceptable another will be morally offended by. What they offer is disclosure. On each book there is a little rating like in movies or TV shows that tells you what the content is with regard to sex, violence, language, and drug and alcohol use. So without having to read the whole book, a parent or teacher or whoever can look right at it and say, this is too high in violence or it has a little language but that’s no big deal, and decide for themselves. I’m a huge champion of this as a parent. I don’t want all the books my kids read to be squeaky clean. I think that is a poor way to prepare them for real life. And I can make that call for my own kids. But I certainly don’t feel qualified or obligated to make that decision for anyone else’s kids.
But as an author I want to tell stories. Maybe they are wild. Maybe they are sexy. Maybe they are terrifying. Maybe people will love them and maybe people will hate them. Maybe they will even be banned by some ultra conservative mother’s group who is convinced I’m trying to convert them to satanism because I mention magic. Who knows? All I can do is keep on writing the stories I want to read, the stories I think need to be told. I don’t write stories to try to set good examples or to preach my personal religion, or to in any way influence teenagers. I write stories to entertain readers. And I will let the readers be the judge of whether they want to be entertained by me or not.
