Exodus: Book 4, the First Week.

I released Exodus: Empires at War: Book 4: The Long Fall on Saturday, October 12, 2013.  I had a general idea that the book would do well, since everything that has come before has done so.  Book 3: The Rising Storm actually reached number 2 in Books Space Opera on Amazon in June of this year.  It plateaued out at about 6,500 books, and I think part of the problem was the price, since it got over a hundred and twenty reviews worldwide for  a 4.6 star average.  I priced the book at $5.49, mostly because the book was double the length of either of the $2.99 precursors.  I have heard that some people will not pay over $5 for an ebook, no matter the author.  I have decided since then to put out standard sized novels, from 120 to 150K words, so I can keep them below that $5 mark.  And Book 3 is now $2.99 for the month of October, to let people who wouldn’t pay $5.49 a chance to catch up on the series before moving on to Book 4.  It will go up slightly at the end of the month.

So, how did Book 4 do in its first week?  Very well, thank you.  Over seven hundred and fifty sales and loans, the great majority sales, in the first seven days.  Highest ranking of #6 in Books Military Science Fiction and #12 in Kindle Space Opera, with some fluctuation around those points.  Today, the start of the second week, has been about the same.  For an Indie with the no corporate marketing behind him that is great.

Right now I am working on two books at the same time.  Exodus: Empires at War: Book 5: Ranger should be ready by early to mid December, while Refuge: Book 4: Kurt’s Quest should be out by early January.  I know my Exodus fans will wonder why I am still working on Refuge, which is not doing near as well as Exodus.  Obligation.  I put Books 1 through 3 out there in that series with an implied contract to the fans, and there are over two thousand to that series, some of whom don’t read Exodus, that the series would continue to a logical ending point.  That point is book 5.  That doesn’t mean I will kill the Refuge series.  Maybe a break for awhile, then some marketing to see if I can increase readership of that series.  I also plan to put out the third book in The Deep Dark Well trilogy, which also has several thousand fans.  I already have the first draft finished of the second trilogy, something I completed in 2012 just because I loved the idea behind that book.  There is a connection between Exodus and TDDW, one that many of my fans may not realize, and maybe one that will become more apparent as I reach the end of the Exodus series.  And when will that series end.  Not anytime soon if I can help it.  I have a lot of ideas in the Exodus series, and many subplots to develop.  It may go on for years.  And I am appreciative at the sales it is making.

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