Sales update

There isn't anything to report: no sales!

I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised. I thought my key words and word of mouth might generate some interest in my book. But it hasn't. So this month, I'll upload another book and I'll look at buying ad space for my books. We'll see if that makes a difference.

Am I disappointed? Somewhat. But this tells me a lot about sales: you have to generate at least some buzz in order to be noticed. Once you're noticed, it becomes self-perpetuating.

So let's get me NOTICED! Spread the word. Tell your friends. Click that button: buy!

Okay. That's my promo for the day  8)

The Experiment continues

I thought I'd update you on where I am so far ...

I uploaded Penance a month ago. The uploading itself was relatively easy (at Smashwords) but the 'approval' from Smashwords took a while (a few days). Amazon was much, much faster. Note that the person who formats for me does a fabulous job of vetting the finished product, so I'm assured it will look fine once uploaded and I'm assured it will pass Smashwords' verification process.

So far, just a few sales. BUT -- I haven't promoted it at all. I'm using this as an experiment to see what promotions might work and what don't, because I can track royalties immediately with my self-pubbed books. There's real-time royalty reporting there.

In a week or two I'll start purchasing some promotion space at review blogs, etc., and I'll track progress. Then I'll do the same at other review sites. I'm willing to take the time at this because I'm truly curious about what works, what doesn't.

Here's my costs so far: $120 for cover; $50 for formatting. I'll be tracking other expenses as well. I'll be happy if I make a profit, and if I don't, I figure it's still worth the try.

I'll keep you posted!

What a great cover!

Thrilled about my newest cover for my next time travel adventure, this one set in the current day and featuring Nico Haidess, a man who was infected by an immortality virus.

What a great cover!!

Can't wait to get it uploaded and ready for purchase.

Patience, I know. Patience...

We have lift-off!

Whoo! Penance is available on Amazon, right here:

 

It was very, very easy to do to get it uploaded. I'm still waiting to get it 'approved' in Smashwords, which means it will then be available in multiple formats (.epub, .mobi, etc.)

So stay tuned -- the ride has begun!

Self-Publishing Process: Step 1

Since my time travel books are my first experiment in self-publishing, I decided to use this blog as a diary of the process, sharing with you the ups and downs of the entire experience.

Let's see ... to start:

I found someone to do the formatting of my books for me. Lori Devoti has agreed to format my books for Kindle, Sony, and Nook for a very reasonable price. The books need to be converted from Word format to various e-formats (.epub, .prc, etc.) And it's not a real straightforward process. The book has to be run through a filter then it has to be cleaned up. Lori has agreed to give the books a try for a low price. If it turns out to be too time-consuming, we'll re-negotiate a price.

I can't have the books formatted until I get a cover for the books. I can't use the covers I originally had. Those are owned by the publisher. So I had to find a cover artist. Luckily, I love the covers from my Wild Rose cover artist. A few Google-searches later, and I found her. I sent her a file of my ideas, and she's drafting a cover for me.

Once I get the cover, I can send everything to Lori for creation of e-book formats. Once I get the formats, I can upload the books to Smashwords and Kindle -- I hope. Stay tuned for that process.

I also want the books available for print. To do that, I'll need a different cover artist to create the book jacket, spine, and back cover. She'll take the original art work and do that. I have the name of someone. Haven't contacted them.Yet.

Costs? I'll let you know. I don't have the bills yet. I'm anticipating about $300-$500 per book. I plan to price the first book quite low (.99 or thereabouts).With the 70% royalty rate, I need to sell about 700 copies of the book to break even.

We'll see. I'm not skeptical, but I'm wary. That's one thing I've learned in publishing: be wary.

I'll report back as The Event unfolds.