Halfway Through July
Well, it’s been 20 days since my debut novel was released into the world and, as of today, I have officially sold 60 copies!
Wanting to keep this momentum going, I started a 5 day seminar on how to effectively understand and utilize Amazon ads. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my research on how to boost book sales, it’s that Amazon ads are almost always necessary. The indie authors who make the most money and retain the most readers are those who use ads. Obviously which ads are most successful depends greatly on the genre you’re writing in and how many books you have out, but keeping readers engaged with your work means keeping your book in front of potential readers.
Today was the first day of the seminar and while I don’t actually expect the ads I’m creating to generate an enormous amount of royalties, I am hoping to learn how best to utilize the different types of ads available through Amazon. Then I can do whatever I need to do to adjust them to reach the right kind of reader for my book. And, as I continue to write and release more books, those ads will continue to widen that reach.
On the subject of my sequel, I’m giving myself permission not to work on it right now. I’ve had some really intense mental health issues the last month and a half (okay, realistically, it’s been years, but whatever) and I keep stressing out about being behind my initial goal for finishing the sequel, making my mental health worse. And I would rather it take me two years to complete the sequel and release a solid, well done manuscript than rush it and release a book I’m not happy with.
My psychiatrist is switching up my medications, which could mean that I get a shitload of writing done in the next month or so, or it could mean that I get nothing done at all. Adjusting/switching out meds is unpredictable. And I’m slowly weaning off of Zoloft and starting a very high dose of Wellbutrin, so I’m not sure how that’s going to impact me. I guess we’ll see starting tomorrow.
But rather than force myself to meet some stringent writing goal, I’m choosing to enjoy the rest of my summer, as well as focus my efforts on reaching my sales goals for my book. Reaching 60 books sold in 19 days is…fucking wild. I’m still hoping to reach 75 books sold by the end of July, and I have another book signing this Saturday, so we shall see. But I also want to get out into nature, read as many books as I can, get back to writing poetry — even if it never sees the light of day — and hugging trees. Literally. There’s something invigorating and healing about being out in nature, and it genuinely helps me feel more grounded, more focused, more centered.
I hope to take at least two trips to the coast over the next month and a half. I need the ocean. I need the sand. I need the salty air and the brisk morning wind on my face.
On top of continuing to market my debut novel, I’m also getting myself out on TikTok, making videos related to my books, my characters, my writing process, my book sales, my poetry books, as well as meeting other writers and supporting their efforts, too. Networking, ya’ll. It’s important.
I’m also excited about a virtual writing conference that drops in a few days called Inkers Con. I don’t know exactly what to expect from it, but I’m hoping to learn as much as I can about marketing and the post-publishing necessities to widen my book’s reach and gain more readers, more ratings, and more reviews. The more I can learn now, the more I can get done in the coming school year when I’m back to teaching full time. I’m honestly so grateful that I chose to switch careers. The flexibility of substitute teaching is absolutely incredible. I get to choose what assignments I take and how often I work. And while I definitely am going back full time, I know there will be moments when I give myself breaks.
And I am absolutely fine with that.
Let’s see how the rest of July goes!
