Progress

It's been a month and a day since TLWD hit stores (not as magically significant as a year and a day, but whatever), and I took some time this morning to do a little launch post-mortem. Lessons Were Learned.

For starters, reactions have been so much greater than I anticipated. Sales have steadily climbed and I've been sitting around the 50-80 mark on Amazon's Urban Fantasy bestseller list (though I'm nowhere near enough sales to crack the top 100 for general fantasy or horror. That's the REAL big time, right there). Now that the book's past a month old, I've just dropped off the "hot new releases in urban fantasy" list, so we'll see if I lose sales/visibility as a result. I've heard various arguments as to how important (or not) that particular list is, so I'm about to find out first-hand.

That, right there, is a big blind spot when it comes to ebook sales. Do readers find me by word of mouth and come looking for me by name? See the book on one of the bestseller lists, click and buy it from there? Find it by searching keywords? Amazon knows, but Amazon ain't tellin', which means it's basically a constant guessing game as to whether your efforts to reach readers are as effective as they could be. There's a whole lot of trial and error involved, and making tiny adjustments to see what ripples they leave behind.

(This may well be, and I believe is, intentional. Amazon REALLY doesn't like people trying to game their system. When authors have found ways to push themselves onto the best seller lists in the past -- like the classic "run a 99-cent sale to move lots of copies, end up in the top 100 and then return to regular price once you're on the front page" routine -- they quietly adjust things to correct the situation. Frankly, I like it that way; I'd rather focus on writing quality stories and work hard on reaching a long-term audience instead of relying on flash-in-the-pan numbers tricks.)

I've received wonderful feedback from so many of you, and listened to every bit of it. I actually went back and re-wrote bits of Redemption Song in the wake of some great constructive criticism for TLWD, trying to shore up some of the weaker bits of the characters' relationships. Hopefully I've hit the mark, but you'll be the judge of that in about three weeks...

(And thanks so much to those of you who have written reviews! That's a huge help when it comes to establishing a writer's credibility -- I can talk all day about my books but nobody sells 'em like a happy reader -- and I really appreciate it.)

I've learned after a month on the market that Amazon truly is the top dog when it comes to ebook sales. My traction on Barnes and Noble and Kobo is virtually nonexistent. That doesn't mean I'll stop putting stuff up on B&N, though: as long as the Nook is still a viable e-reader, I'll support the format. I'm still not up on Itunes' ebook store, but given how convoluted and arcane their sales interface is... Wow. To paraphrase Meat Loaf, "I'd do anything to put a book in your hands, but I won't do that."

Getting a lot of requests for print versions, and it's definitely on my radar but it's a considerable added expense and for most writers who focus on the ebook market, print sales lag way behind (as in "you'll never make this money back" levels of lagging behind). So, I'll make you a deal: when the third Faust novel comes out (right around Halloween, because of course it is), I'll take a long look at sales and evaluate if I can start rolling out print editions then.

Okay, that's enough out of me for now. Be safe, keep sharp, and stay awesome.