THE QUEST FOR WORLD DOMINATION CONTINUES – A glance back at 2012 as I race into 2013

Okay, so world domination is a metaphor for the success of my business. I don’t really want to annihilate cities and enslave the masses, though my books might make that seem like a possibility. Maybe I can come up with a less aggressive way to express this goal. I suppose the closest comparison would be becoming a “household name”. You know the type: Michael Crichton. Steven Spielberg. Snooki.

My path to this level of success has been…different to say the least. I started successfully self-publishing in 2005, when most authors still scoffed at the idea and before anyone gave e-books a second thought. Happily, readers didn’t hold as much contempt for self-publishing, and my books sold well enough to interest agents and publishers. Since then, my career has been an ever-expanding mix of big publishing and self-publishing. Despite the fact that I’ve never once been featured in an article about self-publishing success, I’ve had one of the longest running (eight years) and most successful self-publishing careers around.

And it’s not because I’m so amazingly talented. I’m not. I’m just determined. You don’t set goals like “world domination” without gobs of ambition pushing you forward. Now that it’s 2013, I’m looking back at 2012 and asking myself, did I get closer to my goal?

The answer: yes!

Here’s how. *Disclaimer, I will discuss sales figures, but not money, so don’t ask.

In 2012, I wrote seven and a half new books, published seven new novels and novellas and seven audiobooks via my Breakneck Media imprint, expanding my total number of self-published books to twenty-eight. I sold 82,431 books in e-book, print and audio formats. That’s a 31% sales increase from 2011. Not too shabby! And it doesn’t include books sold by my publishers.

But my successes and growth for 2012 haven’t been limited to self-publishing.

My latest hardcover novel, SECONDWORLD, increased my hardcover sales by 100%! As a result, ISLAND 731 is getting a larger release in March, and I signed with Thomas Dunne Books for a 2014 hardcover release, tentatively titled XOM-B. It’s a very different kind of thriller. It’s going to be amazing.

But wait, there’s more! As Jeremy Bishop, I signed a two book deal with 47 North, Amazon’s horror imprint. That’s right, New York Times, I’m a successful self-publisher who is also published by a Big 5 publisher AND Amazon. Sounds like an article worth writing, right? Ahem. 47 North will be re-releasing THE SENTINEL in March, followed up by its sequel, THE RAVEN, in May. I cannot begin to describe my excitement about this.

And if that weren’t enough, Nemesis, the 300-foot tall star of PROJECT NEMESIS, received the honor of being licensed to be the boss character in Kaiju Combat, a videogame currently in development and slated to be released in 2013.

What all of this really means is that 2013 is going to be an even bigger year than 2012. Amazon rocks e-book sales, and I expect Jeremy Bishop sales to soon rival Jeremy Robinson sales. ISLAND 731 is going to get an awesome release, and I expect hardcover sales to increase yet again. And as for self-publishing, I have 10–12 original books in the works for 2013. And, if all goes well, perhaps a short film…or maybe even a movie deal. One can dream. Wait, I don’t dream. I set goals and then destroy them! Almost forgot that this was a quest for world domination.

Wondering what I wrote and published in 2012, or maybe what’s coming in 2013? Here’s some lists!

Written in 2012

1. Ragnarok (co-authored with Kane Gilmour)

2. Callsign: King – Blackout (co-authored with Sean Ellis)

3. The Raven (Jeremy Bishop)

4. Island 731

5. The Last Hunter – Lament

6. The Last Hunter – Onslaught

7. Project Nemesis

Published in 2012

1. Ragnarok

2. Callsign: King – Blackout

3. The Last Hunter – Lament

4. The Last Hunter – Onslaught

5. Project Nemesis

6. SecondWorld

7. Callsign: King – The Brainstorm Trilogy

8. Threshold (mass market paperback)

To be published in 2013

1. Prime: A Jack Sigler Thriller (Chess Team origin story, co-authored with Sean Ellis)

2. Omega: A Jack Sigler Thriller (Chess Team book 5, co-authored with Kane Gilmour)

3. The Sentinel (Jeremy Bishop – re-release)

4. The Raven (Jeremy Bishop, Sentinel sequel)

5. Island 731

6. SecondWorld (mass market paperback)

7. Unnamed 5-book novella series (from Jeremy Bishop)

8. A possible Cowboy novella (from SecondWorld)

9. A possible Jane Harper book #3 (from Jeremy Bishop)

10. Project Nemesis sequel

To be written in 2013

1. Prime

2. Omega

3. Xom-B

4. Jane Harper #3 (Jeremy Bishop)

5. Unnamed 5-book Jeremy Bishop series

6. Cowboy novella

7. Project Nemesis sequel

Holy guacamole, that’s a lot! But I’ve got some of the coolest readers on the planet, and I want to make you all happy. After all, you all are really the masterminds behind my success. Without all of you spreading the word, world domination would never be possible! Seriously. Thank YOU for reading the books. I am in awe of your support, and I promise to treat you all well when the thousand-foot tall statues of me stand in the heart of every major city around the world! Mwahahahahaha haha hahaaaa.

– Jeremy Robinson

JEREMY ROBINSON is the author of more than thirty novels and novellas translated into ten languages, including the wildly popular new novel, SECONDWORLD, as well as PULSE, INSTINCT, THRESHOLD and RAGNAROK, the first four books in his exciting Jack Sigler series. Visit his website at: www.jeremyrobinsononline.com