H.S. Stone's Blog, page 40
February 11, 2012
Latest free promotion results
Numbers Plus Four went free for one day yesterday. It garnered just 27 downloads and reached the #4,000+ rank on the "Free in Kindle Store" list. It never made the top 100 list in the Short Stories category. Since this promotion fared much worse than the one that ran on a Monday last month, I'm going to use my last free promotion day on a Monday in March.
February 10, 2012
February 4, 2012
Writing without a net
The idea for
George and the Galactic Games
came to me in 2004. In the days after my spark of inspiration, I outlined the story and then wrote a synopsis of every chapter. Seven years later, when I finally got around to writing the novel, it was relatively easy. Because I already knew how to proceed and what would happen at each stage of the book, it was just a matter of writing the prose to relate the story.
For the novel I'm working on now, I decided to take a different approach. I'm followin...
For the novel I'm working on now, I decided to take a different approach. I'm followin...
January 28, 2012
More reason to write, not market
I've been spending more time writing instead of marketing this week, and I feel better for doing it. It's mostly because I'm working on something I can control (when I will finish my book) instead of something that I don't know how to influence (how many books I will sell).
I also came across this blog post that reinforces the same ideas. According to the post, if you view your writing as a career than spans many years instead of as a vehicle for instant gratification, then what you should do ...
I also came across this blog post that reinforces the same ideas. According to the post, if you view your writing as a career than spans many years instead of as a vehicle for instant gratification, then what you should do ...
January 21, 2012
On Marketing
In my Dec 17 post, I mentioned that I started doing other "author-y" stuff, mainly related to marketing my books. I've continued to do that ever since, sometimes to the detriment of my writing (because there are only so many hours in a day and any time spent marketing is less time spent writing). What has all the marketing netted so far? A nice feature on Books 2 Heart, some Twitter followers, maybe a little name recognition, but NO NEW SALES! And in the end, isn't the goal of marketing...
January 20, 2012
Featured on Books 2 Heart
I'm happy to announce that I'm one of the featured authors at the Books 2 Heart website today! I think this is the first time I've been featured on a website not edited by me. :-)
Woo hoo! I feel a little like Steve Martin when the phone book arrived. I'm somebody!
Woo hoo! I feel a little like Steve Martin when the phone book arrived. I'm somebody!
January 14, 2012
KDP Select free promotion results
From Jan. 9 to Jan 11,
Numbers Plus Four
was free on Amazon as part of the KDP Select program. Before going free, the book averaged just one sale per month and was ranked around #500,000 in the Kindle Store. On the first day that it was free, about 100 people downloaded it. The book reached #1,800 on the "Free in Kindle Store" list and as high as #47 within the Short Stories category! (See screen shot below)
Interest faded quickly on the second and third days of the promotion. By the second da...
Interest faded quickly on the second and third days of the promotion. By the second da...
January 8, 2012
Trying KDP Select - Numbers Plus Four will be FREE!
I enrolled my collection of short stories, Numbers Plus Four, in the Amazon KDP Select program. What that means is that the book is available to borrow for free under the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. Also, there will be five days when the book is free to buy for everyone! And guess what, the first free period starts tomorrow! If you visit the book's Amazon page between tomorrow, Jan. 9, and Wednesday, Jan. 11, you can download it without charge!
I've heard some amazing results from other au...
I've heard some amazing results from other au...
January 7, 2012
Blog hopping
Maybe it's because I'm an old fuddy duddy, but I had never heard of blog hops before last month. Then someone asked if I wanted to give away a copy of
George and the Galactic Games
as part of a blog hop giveaway. I agreed to do it, and I've gotten some exposure and made some online (mainly Twitter) connections as a result. Then one of the people I started following on Twitter clued me in to a Young Adult Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop. Since I read YA Fantasy books, I visited several of the p...
January 1, 2012
Happy New Year
Happy New Year, everyone!
Last year, my New Year's resolution was to write my first novel, which, to my surprise, I did.
For 2012, I have two resolutions:
Finish writing my second novel (the one I started in November but haven't worked on for the past two weeks)Read at least ten books by indie authorsWhat are your New Year's resolutions?
Last year, my New Year's resolution was to write my first novel, which, to my surprise, I did.
For 2012, I have two resolutions:
Finish writing my second novel (the one I started in November but haven't worked on for the past two weeks)Read at least ten books by indie authorsWhat are your New Year's resolutions?
