Alessandra Torre's Blog, page 4

Hitting the NYT List... and are print books dead?

I read recently that self-published books can't get onto the New York Times Bestseller List. That they weren't allowed.. or that the New York Times doesn't recognize self-published sales. I knew, when I read it, that it was false. Black Lies, my erotic romance, hit it three times last year. But it was still a welcome sight to see Hollywood Dirt, my newest baby, hit the list. Twice. Technically, three times, because it hit the eBook list AND the Combined Print/Ebook list.

What does that mean?

If you are a reader, it doesn't mean much. But if you are an author, or a bookseller, it means a pretty good deal.

Here's the numbers. My first week of sales, Hollywood Dirt had 24,215 regular sales plus 4,254 presales. Those presales are included toward the NYT list sales count. So... we are talking 28,469 sales that week. It's a lot of ebooks. That week I sold next to no physical books, due to a glitch with my print supply. So.. maybe 100. Maybe.

Hollywood Dirt, with those 28,469 sales, hit the NYT eBook list at #4. It was #4 in the country that week in Fiction eBook sales.

THAT SAME WEEK, Hollywood Dirt hit the NYT Print and eBook combined list at #8. Meaning that, out of all print and ebook fiction sales in the US, Hollywood Dirt was #8 in the country. With 28,500 sales, respectively. That surprised the hell out of me. The fact that Hollywood Dirt had NO print sales, yet held its own against books that were stacked on every bookstore shelf in the country, competed against Walmart, Target, airports and drugstores, against paperbacks with print runs of 100k or more.

It's not that Hollywood Dirt is so great, that's not what I'm trying to say. I'm trying to say that I know Hollywood Dirt's numbers. And it only takes 29k sales of print AND ebook to get in the Top 10 of all books sold in the nation.

Tweet: "It only takes 29k print AND ebook sales to get in the Top 10 of all books sold in the US." Read more>> http://ctt.ec/aAz0b+

There are 647 Barnes and Nobles in the United States. There are 260 Books-A-Million. Over 700 independent bookstores. Plus every Walmart, Target, etc in the US. You'd think/hope that their hottest ten books would each sell... 7 copies? One a day? 2000+ bookstores, selling 7 copies of Book X, would total... 14,000 sales. Those sales should knock any ebook-only book out of the water. How can my little ebook compete with books that have a 10,000 point head start? They shouldn't be able to. Ebooks shouldn't rank on a Combined Print and Ebook list unless print books aren't selling.

Tweet: Ebooks shouldn't rank on a Combined Print and Ebook list unless print books aren't selling. Read more>> http://ctt.ec/8Uev5+

Its a scary thought. I want print books to succeed. I prefer reading a paperback to ebook. I, as an author, want every bookstore in this country filled to the brim. Something magical happens in places where people gather to read. I love walking down an aisle stacked with books. But it Just. Isn't. Happening. And I don't know how to fix it. Higher ebook prices aren't the answer. I think smaller bookstores are the answer. I think we need specialized bookstores, focusing on certain genres, with employees that read and recommend intelligently. I'd rather have a hundred great books to choose from than 10,000. We need local book clubs, where we can read a book with a hundred others. In-store author events and readings. We need something different, we need bookstores to recognize indie books and sprinkle in new authors alongside all of the names we've seen a hundred times. If print books are going to be saved, we need a movement. We need publishers to change, as well as bookstores. And we need it to happen soon.

xoxo,

Alessandra
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Note, if you would like to read Hollywood Dirt, purchase links are below.

amazon: http://amzn.to/1L81mxb

nook: http://goo.gl/I4zClF
iBooks: https://goo.gl/XRi5tG
kobo: https://goo.gl/NqLnFX

MASSIVE NOOK SALE!

Okay, here's the deal.

I made a solemn vow to never put a book on sale in the first year of its life.



Then Nook selected me for some one-day promo and discounted Hollywood Dirt to $1.99. I feel like I should apologize for this, because most of you preordered at $2.99. So I am really sorry about that. It's a one-day sale and then it will go back up to full price at $4.99.



THE GOOD NEWS IS....
The Girl in 6E, Blindfolded Innocence AND Masked Innocence are ALL $1.99 TOO!

So go and grab those babies if you haven't already! I'm not sure how long the Blindfolded and Masked sales will last, but the Girl in 6E promo is for 2 weeks (yay!). Girl in 6E hasn't been price-matched by Kindle yet, but the others have.
Here's the link to the Nook sales: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/nook-...

So go forth and enjoy.... I hope you are all having WONDERFUL Saturday mornings!

★ HOLLYWOOD DIRT IS LIVE!!! ★

My newest book just released and readers are LOVING this contemporary romance about a small town that is invaded by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood!

Please see below for the description and links!

★ DESCRIPTION ★
Cole Masten. Abandoned by his superstar wife, Hollywood’s Perfect Husband is now Hollywood’s Sexiest Bachelor: partying hard and screwing even harder. Move over Colin Farrell, there’s a new bad boy ruling Los Angeles.

Summer Jenkins. That's me, a small town girl stuck in Quincy, Georgia. I cook some mean chicken and dumplins, can bluff a grown man out of his savings in poker, and was voted Most Friendly my senior year. Other than that… I don’t have too much going on.

We were from different worlds. Our lives shouldn’t have collided. But then Cole Masten read a book about my small town. And six months later, his jet landed on our dusty airstrip, and he brought Hollywood with him.

From the start, I knew he was trouble. For our town. And for me.

Sometimes, opposites aren't meant to attract.

★ PURCHASE LINKS ★
Kindle US: http://goo.gl/8cr56l
Kindle UK: http://goo.gl/WRvM9G
Nook: http://goo.gl/I4zClF
iBooks: https://goo.gl/XRi5tG
Kobo: https://goo.gl/NqLnFX
This book is priced at $3.99 until September 17th, then it will increase to $4.99.

★ (F) BUDDY-READ ★
Our Shh Buddy-Read is open NOW, feel free to join in!
Join the group here: https://goo.gl/CdbiCH
Join the Buddy Read here: https://goo.gl/cjKEzm

★AFTER YOU READ★
Reviews are crucial to a book’s success! Please take a moment after reading and share your opinion of Hollywood Dirt.
Goodreads: http://goo.gl/4vlLMT
Amazon: http://goo.gl/8cr56l
And please post your art on the Reviewer’s Art Thread: https://goo.gl/8lCwJM
Post thoughts/comments after you finish reading here: https://goo.gl/PxWXgw

I hope you enjoy it!!! xoxo Alessandra

Sneak Peek at my next novel!

Want to read the first pages of Hollywood Dirt?
Click below to check out the book's launch page!
You can read the Prologue and first chapter there!
⭐ www.MeetColeMasten.com ⭐


Also, be sure to add Hollywood Dirt to your Goodreads list - it is coming out on September 7th! The cover will be revealed very, very soon!

Hollywood Dirt
Release Date: Sept 7th
Pricing: $2.99 on preorder, $3.99 on release, $4.99 on Sept 15th
Standalone: YES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 100,000 words

Cole Masten. Married to Nadia Smith. One half of Hollywood’s golden couple. The press adored them, fans worshiped them, the box office was owned by them. Together, they could do no wrong.

Cole Masten. Abandoned by Nadia Smith. Hollywood’s Perfect Husband is now Hollywood’s Sexiest Bachelor: partying hard and screwing even harder. Move over Colin Farrell, there’s a new bad boy ruling Los Angeles.

Summer Jenkins. That’s me, a small town girl stuck in Quincy, Georgia. I cook some mean chicken and dumplins, can bluff a grown man out of his savings in poker, and was voted Most Friendly my senior year. Other than that… I don’t have too much going on.

We were from different worlds. Our lives shouldn’t have collided. But when Cole Masten’s jet landed in our country airport, we all sat up in our rocking chairs and watched. And when I got a front row ticket to the action, I jumped at the chance. I didn’t expect Cole Masten to be an ass, or to pursue me, or for everything to get tangled up around set riggings, camera cords and heartstrings.

Sometimes, opposites just aren’t meant to attract.

HUGE MOVIE NEWS!

It's official...

The Girl in 6E, my award-winning erotic suspense, will be made into a movie! I have signed a deal with EuropaCorp Inc. to shoot a full-length feature film of The Girl in 6E! EuropaCorp is the studio behind the Taken trilogy as well as Lucy and the Transporter movies. In addition to having a studio, contracts are already executed for Vertigo Entertainment (The Grudge, Poltergeist) to produce the movie, and a female writer has already begun writing the script.
I will be an Executive Producer on the film and will definitely keep you all updated on the progress via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads!

Watch the announcement here:
https://youtu.be/UH-kedyHqls

Read the Hollywood Reporter story here:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat...

Join in and celebrate this news!
On Shh.... Smut, Heroes & HEAs, my Goodreads Group, there will be a week of movie chat, trivia, buddy reads, casting discussions and prizes! Join us from now until August 1st!
Join Shh here: https://goo.gl/N85LVH, then join the chat here: https://goo.gl/N85LVH

Live Chat TONIGHT with Kendall Ryan

My Goodreads Group Shh… is hosting a live chat TONIGHT (Tuesday) at 9pm EST with Kendall Ryan! RSVP and then ask a question in tonight's chat and you will be entered to win one of 5 $10 Amazon gift cards!

Need to know what time that is where you live? Use this time zone converter: http://goo.gl/ChR6Ls



First, in order to be able to access the two below links, you have to join the group here: http://goo.gl/OmQUZv

Link to Live Chat: https://goo.gl/BRZNXm
RSVP/GIVEAWAY: https://goo.gl/07vfpV

**Live Chat All Week Long!**

 

My goodreads group Shh… Smut, Heroes, and HEAs is hosting the  ‪#‎ ShhIndieSTARchat‬  where fans can chat LIVE with some of the hottest names in Romance and Erotica!

Four authors will join forces for a shared LIVE chat for the whole week. The featured authors for this week are: ME, Pam Godwin, Roxy Sloane, and Elizabeth Brown! This chat will run from today through the 11th and we are answering questions, posting giveaways, teasers and more!

To join the live chat, first join SHH: http://goo.gl/OmQUZv
Then RSVP for a chance to win! https://goo.gl/aZIhuj
Then jump in the live chat: https://goo.gl/47MroI

 

Title, Release Date & Info on My Next Release!

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I am so excited to finally be able to share a project... a book. A book I have been secretly working on since back in September of last year.  I had to first set it aside to write Tight, since you loyal readers had been waiting so long for that. Then I had to set it aside again to write If You Dare (the third book in the Deanna Madden series, coming November 10th!). And now, finally, I am able to dive back into this book and finish it.

This book reminds me a lot of Blindfolded Innocence. It doesn't have the same sexual direction that Blindfolded had, but it feels very similar in its unfolding and energy. It has got an incredible cast of characters, and their chemistry and interactions are so entertaining and so *fanning myself* HOT. And... about 20% in, you will discover a piece of this book that you will absolutely LOVE, I promise you. You are going to set your Kindle aside and do a little happy dance at the secret little treat I have in store for you.

So... let me stop teasing you and get to the good stuff.

THE NAME. It is called Hollywood Dirt. You'll understand that name more later.

THE COVER. This is coming soon. I'm working with my cover designer on it right now, and hope to have it to you guys in a month or so. We are playing around with some really fun concepts and I can't wait to see what the end result is!

RELEASE DATE. Monday, September 7th, 2015.

THE DESCRIPTION. Here you go my lovelies... and enjoy. :)

Cole Masten. Married to Nadia Smith. One half of Hollywood’s golden couple. The press adored them, fans worshiped them, the box office was owned by them. Together, they could do no wrong.

Cole Masten. Abandoned by Nadia Smith. Hollywood’s Perfect Husband is now Hollywood’s Sexiest Bachelor: partying hard and screwing even harder. Move over Colin Farrell, there’s a new bad boy ruling Los Angeles.

I’m Summer Jenkins, a small town girl stuck in Quincy, Georgia. I cook some mean chicken and dumplins, can bluff a grown man out of his savings in poker, and was voted Most Friendly my senior year. Other than that… I don’t have too much going on.

We were from different worlds. Our lives shouldn’t have collided. But when Cole Masten’s jet landed in our country airport, we all sat up in our rocking chairs and watched. And when an opportunity crossed my path, I jumped at the chance.

But I didn’t expect what ended up happening. I didn’t expect Cole Masten to be an ass, or to pursue me, or for everything to get tangled up around set riggings, camera cords, bra straps and heartstrings.

I didn’t expect for my sleepy town to come under a national microscope. I don’t think any of us did.

MORE DETAILS. This book is a standalone. I expect it to be roughly 300 pages long and it will be a contemporary romance. Which means that it will have hot sex but that the plot won't be dominated by sex. It feels, so far, VERY similar in tone, feel and pacing as Blindfolded Innocence. This is not one of my giant AHA! moment books, there is no giant twist, no deceptive underlying story. But, trust me when I say that you will love it. I have full expectations that this will be my best book yet.

PRICING AND PREORDERS. My pricing structure will be designed to reward loyal readers. This book will be up for preorder at $2.99. It will release at $3.99. And, 10 days after release, it will increase to $4.99.

It will be up on all e-retailers for preorder within a week EXCEPT for Amazon. Amazon's preorder will go live on September 3rd at the $2.99 discounted price point. To be notified on release, click here.

Coming November 10th...

COMING NOVEMBER 10th….



Equal parts Dexter and 50 Shades, this is the eagerly awaited new novel from A. R. Torre, author of the award winning erotic thriller, The Girl in 6E.

The rules are the same. I can’t open the door. I can’t leave. I can’t kill anyone.

The only difference is, I don’t set the rules anymore. Guards in grey uniforms do. It is everything I never wanted and everything I always deserved. I write to you now, from a prison cell. My home for the next twenty to thirty years.

That’s the going term for murder.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS: If You Dare

LIVE CHAT with K Bromberg!

Shh… is hosting the monthly #ShhSPOTlightOn your favorite authors where fans can chat LIVE with some of the biggest names in Romance and Erotica! This month we're revving up for author #KBromberg's SPOTlight on LIVE chat scheduled for June 20, 2015 @ 11:00am EST. In the meantime, make a pit stop at PRE-chat for K. Bromberg thread to chat with other enthusiasts and enter the 1,2,3 Challenge! on PROMO by K. Bromberg thread for a chance to win Grand-prix prizes!

To see the full list of featured authors visit the SPOTlight on CALENDAR thread.

SPOTlight on hosted by Shh… [Smut, Heroes & HEAs…] with Alessandra, a Goodreads fan group of New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, Alessandra Torre.

SPOTlight on LIVE chat with K. Bromberg https://goo.gl/ctEjAQ
SPOTlight on PRE-chat for K. Bromberg https://goo.gl/inm3TH
SPOTlight on PROMO by K. Bromberg https://goo.gl/7pMi3K
SPOTlight on K.Bromberg GIVEAWAY/RSVP https://goo.gl/1Nt3RU
SPOTlight on CALENDAR: http://goo.gl/nYIblR
Join Shh…: http://goo.gl/OmQUZv