Wednesday, February 22, 2012

February Sales Update II

198,278 Books Sold






Totals are as of February 21, 2012 @ 10PM and do NOT include over 160,000 FREE downloads
(Amazon and B&N combined Sales)
Borrows have also NOT been included in total sales



Return of the Rose - Released March 2, 2011 $2.99
Medieval Time Travel Romance


March: 298
April: 894
May: 1,600
June: 1,475
July: 1,291
August: 2,352
September: 1,955
October: 1,527
November: 981
December: 1,074
January: 1,457
February: 1,029*


Total: 15,933*


A Knight in Central Park- Released March 18, 2011 $.99
Medieval Time Travel Romance

March: 247
April: 6,071
May: 4,306
June: 2,414
July: 1,330
August: 9,812
September: 2,088
October: 1,348
November: 876
December: 2,383
January: 2,685
February: 1,055*

Total: 34,615*


Taming Mad Max - Released April 25, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Comedy

April: 30
May: 182
June: 265
July: 310
August: 934
September: 1,872
October: 2,125
November: 2,150
December: 1,561 (272 borrows)
January: 4,393 (782 borrows)
February: 804* (89 borrows)


Total:  14,626*


Finding Kate Huntley - Released May 5, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Suspense

May: 187
June: 261
July: 325
August: 1,159
September: 3,363
October: 2,089
November: 1,095
December: 4,421  (1,088 borrows)
January: 2,523  (791 borrows)
February: 1,260* (112 borrows)

Total: 16,683*


Abducted - Released May 29, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Suspense/Thriller


May: 25
June: 694
July: 1,708
August: 12,917
September: 39,413
October: 18,176
November: 6,645
December: 3,649
January: 2,118
February: 23,619* (3,903 borrows)

Total: 108,964*



Dead Weight - Released December 22, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Suspense/Thriller


December: 451
January: 1,430
February: 5,576* (181 borrows)

Total:   7,457*


*sales as of February 21, 2012 @ 10 PM (B&N and Amazon combined)


For more info on self-publishing, go to my LINKS tab.

I enrolled ABDUCTED and DEAD WEIGHT in KDP Select in the beginning of February to see if I could get sales moving again. I put Abducted for FREE for 2 days (2/9 and 2/10) and had 50,000 free downloads. 48 hours later, ABDUCTED hit #5 in the All Kindle Paid list. Woohoo! There has been a definite crossover in sales for my other books, too. DEAD WEIGHT has made the Top 10 List in Romantic Suspense and the 100 All Kindle Paid list for the first time. As far as I can tell, ranking is everything. Better ranking = better sales. I know that's pretty obvious, but this is why giving away books can be used as an important marketing tool. Many authors disagree and that's fine. In my family, we often agree to disagree. The famous cookie lady, Mrs. Fields, wasn't selling any cookies until she hit the street and started giving them away.

I realize my sales are above average. To those who might not be selling as well as they would like, remember that nothing has changed when it comes to trends. If you have a well-edited entertaining story, readers will come...eventually. Right now thrillers are HOT. I lucked out, but I'm not talking about dumb luck, I'm talking about hard work + opportunity + good timing = luck. Down the road, another genre will be hot. Until your sales begin to climb, focus on writing the stories that you love to read. Write with passion. Don't rush it. Your time will come.

Recently, Nina Pierce, author of Deceive Her With Desire, wrote a post about her sales because she wanted to let other authors know that "it ain’t all roses and royalty checks for everyone" If you feel as if you're the only one not making enough to quit your day job or buy a new car, you must read Nina's informative and helpful POST.

Self-publishing a book might be easier than ever, BUT you're not going to be successful unless you put in the work. If you have just finished your first book, join RWA or another writers' group. Find a critique partner. Attend writing workshops in your area. Take a class. If you can't afford an editor, but your not sure if your book is ready, have the first ten pages edited so you can get an idea of how much work might need to be done. More than anything you must BELIEVE in yourself. Life is way too short to be fearful. You can do it!

***
David Gaughran is asking self-published authors, whether they have sold 10 books or 10,000 books, to take a quick survey. Steven Lewis runs the Taleist Self-Publishing blog and the Taleist 2012 Self-Publishing Survey is now open. SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS TO ALL!

Brenda Hiatt is collecting data on independent publishing. Help her out by sharing your numbers so that we can all benefit. It's all done anonymously. Click HERE for more information.

If you are thinking about self-publishing, but don't know where to start when it comes to marketing, promotion and formatting, don't worry. There are so many helpful authors willing to share what they have learned. My advice to you is to join Indie Romance Ink run by Cate Rowan and Carly Carson. There are over 500 members. Many IRI members are traditionally published and have already self-published a book or two. Some members are undecided. All are welcome to join and learn.

Twice a month I share my number of books sold in hopes that these numbers might help other writers make their own decisions about self-publishing. Every writer has their own personal and unique journey. My hope is that I can inspire others out there who are working hard at their craft to NEVER GIVE UP. Let me know if you have any questions at all.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Meet Cathy Perkins!

Cathy Perkins’ suspense writing lurks behind a financial geek day-job, where she learned firsthand the camouflage, hide in plain sight, skills employed by her villains. Born and raised in South Carolina, she now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her work-a-holic husband and a 75-pound Lab who thinks she’s still a lap-puppy.

Set in South Carolina, stopping the serial killer who is terrorizing college campuses drives the plot of THE PROFESSOR. The tension and stakes build as the characters’ wants and needs set them on a collision course: Charismatic State Agent Mick O'Shaughnessy wants more from life than work and a pretty face. Fiercely independent graduate student Meg Connelly always wanted a loving family and professional success, but has to learn to trust in order to get either. The Professor knows the only way to get what he wants is to take it—and taking Meg’s life will destroy Mick with the same stroke of his knife.

Did you ever want to quit writing? Why or why not?
I started writing for my own pleasure. I didn’t even think about publication until later. There were times when I wondered if I would ever push that particular boulder all the way up the hill, but I never considered not writing. Creating the characters, the world, and turning them loose is simply part of me.

Have you truly mastered grammar and sentence structure? Do you feel 100% confident about every comma in your book?
What a funny question! Have you ever read Eat Shoots and Leaves? Funny grammar guide – add your own commas to the title and it means completely different things!

Having said that, given the teachers who drilled grammar rules into me, I do feel confident. What I’ve noticed, however, is a change in the publishing industry’s rules of grammar. Commas are deleted; phrases rearranged. Hyphens are removed from words. As long as the meaning of the sentence is clear, I don’t worry about it. I’ve even ended a few sentences with prepositions. Remind me to tell you a joke I heard about that.
How many pages do you think you could write in one day if you had zero interruptions from 8 AM to 8 PM?

I cannot imagine a day with zero interruptions…
I’m still working the day job, so I write early in the morning or at night. I’ve written a chapter (10 to 15 pages) in an evening, so as long as I have an idea where the story is going, I can probably write several chapters—if that mythical free day appears.

How do you think (take a guess) writers like Nora Roberts write so many books in a year?
She cloned herself. It’s the only answer.

What would be easier for you to write, a sex scene or a murder scene?
I don’t think one is more difficult than the other. In a gross, over-generalization (which means, of course, this would never apply to you!) I think people stress over love scenes because they aren’t comfortable with the subject or they’re  forcing the action. When the characters have reached a point in the relationship and/or the story arc where they would make love, I find the emotions flow and the scene isn’t difficult to write. I enjoy these scenes for the richness of the emotional connection.

Murder scenes can be a challenge unless I’ve gotten into my villain’s head and know why he’s killing. Once I know that, I just have to channel my inner serial killer. J
If you were allowed to have only ONE book (of yours) for sale on Amazon and B&N, which book would you select? Why do you think readers might enjoy it?

I have a book I’ve never tried to sell (the working title is Gone) that’s probably my favorite story. My beta readers loved the characters – and invested in them so heavily I had to remind one reader these were fictional characters when she got upset about an experimental treatment I employed! But the story opens in a very dark psychological place that I’m not sure most readers will accept. For now, that story is just for a few carefully chosen readers. I may change my mind later… stay tuned.
What made you decide to become a writer? 

While I’ve had a life-long love affair with reading, I didn’t start writing until about five years ago. This probably isn’t how most people start, but I had a lengthy consulting job in a city about 90 miles away. I’d listen to music and daydream during the commute. Pretty soon the day dream had dialogue and I thought, hmm, this is turning into a good story. That particular book lives in a box under the bed, but I was hooked on writing, creating worlds and characters.
I realized how much I didn’t know about writing, so I took classes and joined a critique group. These writers encouraged me to join RWA and enter a few contests, including the Golden Heart. The Professor, my debut novel, won those contests and was a Golden Heart finalist, but I kept hearing ‘romantic suspense is dead’ so I really didn’t try to sell the book.

Instead, I put the story away and kept writing. About this time last year, I pulled The Professor out and thought, I love these characters and want to share them with a wider audience. Carina Press made an offer and I’m thrilled to say the novel released on January 23.
Any advice for new writers just getting started?

Never give up! The road to publication can take numerous twists and turns. Whether an agent or editor will want your story may involve timing and other projects they’re working on as much as the merits of your story. Add in individual likes and hot-buttons and you just have to keep working and submitting. If the story is rejected, remember it’s business, not personal. A well-written novel has multiple opportunities.
The second piece of advice is, keep learning. I’ve sat next to multi-published, NY Times best-selling authors and watched them take notes in a conference class. Sometimes it’s a new concept and sometimes a speaker hits me between the eyes with exactly the question or idea that I needed to pull a scene together.

There are so many new avenues for authors – traditional and small presses, digital first, and self-publishing. Which one to pursue is a very personal decision, based on your story and your personal publication goals.
I’ll leave you with some advice Angela James offered at the Emerald City Conference – just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Her point was, make sure whatever you send out is ready, polished and your best work.

Thanks for having me here today, Theresa. I appreciate the chance to talk about The Professor, my debut release from Carina Press. 


Links to learn more about Cathy Perkins!

http://twitter.com/cperkinswrites

www.cperkinswrites.com

Amazon   http://amzn.to/tm7uf6

B&N  http://bit.ly/rQKCHp

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

February Sales Update

167,028 Books Sold


Totals are as of February 7, 2012 @ 10PM and do NOT include over 108,000 FREE downloads
(Amazon and B&N combined Sales)



Return of the Rose - Released March 2, 2011 $2.99
Medieval Time Travel Romance


March: 298
April: 894
May: 1,600
June: 1,475
July: 1,291
August: 2,352
September: 1,955
October: 1,527
November: 981
December: 1,074
January: 1,457
February: 263*


Total: 15,167*


A Knight in Central Park- Released March 18, 2011 $.99
Medieval Time Travel Romance

March: 247
April: 6,071
May: 4,306
June: 2,414
July: 1,330
August: 9,812
September: 2,088
October: 1,348
November: 876
December: 2,383
January: 2,685
February: 303*

Total: 33,863*


Taming Mad Max - Released April 25, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Comedy

April: 30
May: 182
June: 265
July: 310
August: 934
September: 1,872
October: 2,125
November: 2,150
December: 1,561
January: 4,600
February: 289*


Total: 14,318*


Finding Kate Huntley - Released May 5, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Suspense

May: 187
June: 261
July: 325
August: 1,159
September: 3,363
October: 2,089
November: 1,095
December: 4,421
January: 2,511
February: 254*

Total: 15,665*


Abducted - Released May 29, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Suspense/Thriller


May: 25
June: 694
July: 1,708
August: 12,917
September: 39,413
October: 18,176
November: 6,645
December: 3,649
January: 2,294
February: 303*

Total: 85,824*



Dead Weight - Released December 22, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Suspense/Thriller


December:   451
January:    1,481
February:      259*

Total:       2,191*


*sales as of February 7, 2012 @ 10 PM (B&N and Amazon combined)


 
For more info on self-publishing, go to my LINKS tab.

As you can see, sales are starting to drop. I'm not worried because there is nothing I can do about it. Worrying won't help accomplish anything. I'm just going to keep writing and stay focused on writing the best books I can.

 

To read my review of Abducted by Kirkus Reviews go HERE.

Above, you'll see a spike in sales for Taming Mad Max and Finding Kate Huntley. I have put those two books in KDP's Prime Lending Program. Both books went free for 3 days and reaped the benefits after the 3 days were over. I plan to have each of my books in the prime lending program at least once for the three month period. I had over 1,500 borrows for two books in January and over 1,200 borrows for two books in December.

Try everything! Believe in yourself. Do not stress about making mistakes. If you decide to try the 90 day exclusive thing and it doesn't work for you, at least you tried it. Life is way too short. Go for it!

***
Brenda Hiatt is collecting data on independent publishing. Help her out by sharing your numbers so that we can all benefit. It's all done anonymously. Click HERE for more information.

If you are thinking about self-publishing, but don't know where to start when it comes to marketing, promotion and formatting, don't worry. There are so many helpful authors willing to share what they have learned. My advice to you is to join Indie Romance Ink run by Cate Rowan and Carly Carson. There are over 500 members. Many IRI members are traditionally published and have already self-published a book or two. Some members are undecided. All are welcome to join and learn.

Twice a month I share my number of books sold in hopes that these numbers might help other writers make their own decisions about self-publishing. Every writer has their own personal and unique journey. My hope is that I can inspire others out there who are working hard at their craft to NEVER GIVE UP. Let me know if you have any questions at all.

Other authors who share numbers:

Lisa Mondello
Debra Holland
Norah Wilson
D.D. Scott
Trish McCallan and Jolyn Palliata

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Meet Caroline Fyffe!

I’m an equine photographer turned western historical romance author.  I have to say I think I’ve had two of the most enjoyable jobs a person can have.  I’ve spent 20 years photographing horses at horse shows and farm shoots, and now I get to write about them.  What could be better?  I’m married and have two amazing sons, of whom I’m very proud.  My oldest has recently earned an MBA and landed a good job—double yay in this economy.  My youngest is still in college and also a United States Army Reservist.  He returned home from Iraq on 11/11/11! How amazing is that?  A mother could not be prouder.

How many pages do you think you could write in a day with zero interruptions from 8am to 8pm?

It’s been years since I’ve counted pages.  I go by word count and work to get something like 1,000 or 2,000 a day.  I usually end up somewhere in-between.  I play a game with myself where I set a goal to reach with the time I have.  I break it down by hour and minutes.  I know I have to write X amount of words each ten minutes to attain the goal by 5 pm—that’s when I go down and watch the news.  I start at 7am and work until about 11:30am, take a break and trudge to the basement where I run on my treadmill, then back at it an hour later.

Did you ever want to quit writing? Why or why not?

Actually, I did quit.  From about 2002 until about 2006 I stopped writing and submitting.  I guess I was discouraged.  But, as time went by, I found I was unhappy and decided I’d start back up with the intent on submitting to contests—nothing else. (I really liked contests. LOL) It was barely a year after I started again I got a request from winning the 2008 TARA and was offered a publishing contract.

What are your writing career goals? (i.e. to write 2 books a year? To hit the NY Bestsellers List? To sell 100 books a month?)

All of the above!  A girl can dream, can’t she? In addition to those, I’d LOVE to see WHERE THE WIND BLOWS as a movie.  A good western—with handsome cowboys, beautiful horses—cattle and of course, a spit fire heroine, is hard not to love on the screen.  In that same vein, The McCutcheons are just itching for a weekly TV show on Lifetime.  LOL I believe one may as well dream big!

How do you think (take a guess) writers like Nora Roberts write so many books in a year?

For one, it’s their job.  But in addition, I think a writer gets faster with each book as she gains confidence in her abilities.  Insecurity in what we’re writing, or how we’re doing it, is what slows us down.  Those amazing authors have shown to themselves that they can do it—and that what they write is gold.  Each morning they just sit down and go for it!

Any advice for a new writer getting started?

Enjoy what you do.  Smile while you write.  Make friends with other writers. Get in a support group. Be courteous. Pat yourself on the back with your successes.  Comfort yourself when disappointments come. Know that very few people can do what you do. Never give up. Know life is short. Believe in yourself, your message.  And remember—no one can write the book that’s in your heart better than you can….     

Thanks for joining me today, Caroline! Years ago, Caroline and I were critique partners and then later we became brainstorming partners. We have shared many ups and downs and lots of laughs over the years. We have also roomed together at RWA conferences and shopped for clothes before conference. Caroline is as sweet as her books.

For more information about Caroline, you can find her at:

Caroline's Website/Blog
Twitter
Facebook