# Results So Far / Advice for Asipiring Authors



## I Give Up (Jan 27, 2014)

{Moving}


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## KL_Phelps (Nov 7, 2013)

awesome, congrats on the success!


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## Lionel&#039;s Mom (Aug 22, 2013)

Congrats on your success, I have your first in my TBR   

Also glad you're healthy again and living your dream!


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## kwest (Mar 16, 2013)

Viola, congrats on your success... I think it's so awesome that your hard work has paid off so soon. $8,000 in your second month of publishing (at age 22)? That's amazing. You should be proud of yourself.

Thanks for sharing your story and this very informative post on how you did it.

And on a sidenote, I also quit my entry level job - my last day was last Friday, so this begins my first week as a full-time writer.

Just keep feeding that fire and may the success continue!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Awesome covers. Awesome story. Wishing you continued success and good health.


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## D.L. Shutter (Jul 9, 2011)

Viola

What Kwest said. What you've accomplished in so short a time is remarkable. Best of luck with the rest of the series.


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

Congrats on all your success; you deserve it!


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2014)

Viola!!!!

Thank you so much for posting your process and what has happened to you so far.  Also, it's so good to read that your cancer is in remission.

I look forward to watching your journey this year.  You are truly an inspiration.

Jolie


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## Elizabeth Jones (Feb 6, 2014)

Congratulations! Your words are inspirational - and you deserve, very much, to have this success. Cheers!


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## kiwifruit (Dec 30, 2013)

Viola thank you so much for this wonderful post ! It was just what this jaded, cynical generally-pissed-off-with-her-self-sabotaging-ways writer needed to hear.  I wish you EVERY success on the path ahead but I don't think you need luck, with your smarts and attitude, the sky's the limit for you xxx Shay


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## K.A. Madison (Feb 28, 2014)

An inspiration to us all! Here's hoping that your next 2 _years_ will be doubly successful!


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## kwest (Mar 16, 2013)

violarivard said:


> Thanks, guys, and congratulations on quitting your job Kyle---isn't it just the best feeling, ever?


Um...yes it is! My bosses and co-workers could not believe it when I told them. I'd kept it a secret the entire time. Now that it's here, it's incredibly surreal, yet awesome!


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Marla, 
It's so funny that you posted this tonight. Just a few hours ago, I happened to be looking at your KBoards author page, and thinking, "Wow, she sold all those books in just the last month??!!!" and wondering how you did it. Now I know, and what an inspirational story it was! I never tire of reading these "how I did it" tales, and yours is no exception, but I found it even more moving than most. Congratulations on all your success, wishing you many months and years more of the same.
--Maria

P.S. Love, love, love the covers!


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

Good for you for overcoming the hurtles you have. I think we spend so much time trying to follow the "right" path that we don't see the best path. I've been following your success and I think you've given some solid advise. Especially writing what you want to read.  

Also, love your covers. Who do you use?


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## KL_Phelps (Nov 7, 2013)

as I already said, congrats on the success, but more than that (as an oncology nurse) congrats on beating the cancer!


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

You're knockin' heads and takin' names, Viola. It's been a trip to watch -- great going. 

BTW, I think a sell-though rate of 33% is really, really, REALLY good. That speaks to excellent quality, in addition to the other things you mentioned.


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## bluwulf (Feb 1, 2014)

You have had amazing results and totally deserve it !  What an inspiration you are.  Thanks so much for wanting to help other aspiring authors.  I am going to absorb the "write the book I want to read" advice.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

Another example of the power of positive thinking! None of it - from achieving remission, to writing and publishing, to successful sales - could have happened without positive thinking. We're all excited for you.


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## Silly Writer (Jul 15, 2013)

THAT is freakin' inspiring. You rock, girl!


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## EC Sheedy (Feb 24, 2011)

Great post and an equally great strategy! Well done. I love these success stories. I can only believe your success will compound and pay continuing high interest.    And I'm so happy to hear you are healing...


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## redacted (Dec 16, 2013)

Man, people love wolf threesomes!


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## kathrynoh (Oct 17, 2012)

Congratulations.  I must say, every time you post on here I look at your covers with envy!


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## D.L. Shutter (Jul 9, 2011)

> Man, people love wolf threesomes!


Lol, hell yeah they do!

Claimed 1: #127, free

Claimed 2: #285, paid

Claimed 3: #257, paid

Claimed 4: #481, paid


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## Tabitha Levin (Nov 1, 2011)

Wow, congrats on your success.    

Apart from your awesome books, do you think your pricing strategy helped? (I notice you started #2 at $2.99, but then dropped to 0.99 for that and the subsequent books).


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## ricola (Mar 3, 2014)

Threesomes aren't my thing, but I downloaded the first one.  Let me add a few craft-related things that Viola's probably too modest to mention.  

1.  Viola's writing is solid.  You know instantly what's happening.  You know why.  You get a very clear picture of who the characters are immediately, and that's maintained.  Her sex scenes are rock-solid, too, pun intended.    All the things that readers of the genre she's targeting are handled well.  This is crucial.

2.  Viola's pacing is excellent for the sub-genre she chose.  She gets right into the parts that readers care about, and there isn't a lot of "extra" scenes, the plague of so many new writers.

3.  She puts effort into the world, something that few people do very well.  Though this isn't the focus of the book, it makes it unique and makes it stand out from other BBW werewolf stories, so many of which have zero in terms of worldbuilding so they don't seem special or all that interesting after the sex.  But she doesn't load up the book with the worldbuidling--it comes in only where needed.

All of these are rare in someone's freshman book.  I have a strong feeling that although this is the first thing she's published--likely even finished--she has a fat drawer of other writing that she's done over the years.

Also, she's putting work out FAST.  Speed is crucial to get this kind of traction.

Writing to a super-popular trend is a great way to launch.  Most readers won't follow you to other books outside the trend, but enough will that it can create your traction for you and begin the very solid start of a career that isn't fad-powered (though it may continue to be popularity-powered, which isn't a bad thing).

You don't have to love every single aspect of what you're writing about, but I believe you have to love it ENOUGH to have joy in your work because it's hard to write with verve you don't feel.


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## redacted (Dec 16, 2013)

Tabitha Levin said:


> Wow, congrats on your success.
> 
> Apart from your awesome books, do you think your pricing strategy helped? (I notice you started #2 at $2.99, but then dropped to 0.99 for that and the subsequent books).


I think it's super smart for a new author. She'll be able to package the whole thing later in an omnibus and she's got her name out there. For her next book, she'll be able to price higher. The OP is playing the long game. The fact that she's making money now anyway is probably icing on the cake.


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## RichardWolanski (Jan 20, 2014)

Holy wow! 

Congrats.


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## LanelleH (Jul 4, 2013)

Awesome post, and congrats on all of your success!

In a way I'm sort of in the same situation you were, I'm 21, I had to drop out of college due to personal reasons and now I work in a call center (entry level) and commute by foot (which I hate).  My passion for writing started when I was a little kid but I never thought I could make any sort of profit out of it.  After stumbling upon self-publishing I'm now working on my first novel and your post has seriously inspired me to hurry up and finish it.  I have so many self doubts, but I guess I'll never know how well my book will be received until I actually publish it.  Even if I get no sells the fact that I tried would definitely be a win for me.  Thanks!


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## von19 (Feb 20, 2013)

Whoa... you're awesome... :O

Congrats on your success, cant wait for your post on serials. I'm in desperate need of info about them.

Sent from my SM-T210R using Tapatalk


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

violarivard said:


> -My covers are done by Yoly @ Cormar Covers


Thanks! Really great work.


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## LanelleH (Jul 4, 2013)

violarivard said:


> -I _really _like your book concept, Barbie. Hang in there!!


Thank you!! And I downloaded the 1st book in your series, looking forward to reading it.


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## Rae Scott Studio (Jan 26, 2014)

Thank you so much for sharing your success story. It is truly inspiring.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Thanks for sharing this, Viola. I love success stories!


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## coolpixel (Sep 17, 2012)

violarivard said:


> -V.M., you're making me blush! And yes, I have a whole _apartment _full of used notebooks.
> 
> -My covers are done by Yoly @ Cormar Covers
> 
> ...


inspirational.. if i can ask about the mechanics behind those numbers... what kind of promotion/marketing/advertising did you do Viola, and where?


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## ThrillerWriter (Aug 19, 2012)

I just wanted to say congrats on beating cancer. Remarkable


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## carriebeth (Mar 9, 2014)

Thanks for sharing your story and your methods. This is very helpful stuff--and also very inspirational on all levels.


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## Dor North (Mar 24, 2014)

Wow! Congrats!

I was really intrigued by this part:



> My book sold itself right from the get-go, again, not because I got lucky, but because I picked a name that would generate exposure. There are dozens of "Claimed by" titles, and even a few "Claimed by the Alpha" titles. The reason I picked my series name is because I knew that anyone searching for one of these titles would see my book. As a result, I sold over a hundred copies of my book in the first week without doing anything to promote it.


I've seen a few books in the bestseller charts which had the same titles as other well known works (My Sister's Keeper was one). Interesting.


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## MissyM (Jun 21, 2013)

This is a fantastic post with a lot of great information, especially in terms of understanding what the market wants. It sounds like you've been through more trials and tribulations than a lot of people experience in their lifetimes, so you're a real inspiration. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences! I'm sure this is just the beginning of an amazing writing career.


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## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

Phenomenal! I love the way you own your success. It definitely seems like you thought things out before jumping in, so thank you for sharing that strategy! Congratulations!


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## Philip Gibson (Nov 18, 2013)

Fantastic post! I'm so happy for your remission and your publishing success. You put a lot of well-thought-out effort into this and it's nice that you disregarded the 'luck' part of it from the start.

Well done! And here's to cracking that top 100 list very soon!

Philip


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## VMJaskiernia (Jan 7, 2014)

Congratulations! You've put a lot of work into this, you deserve it!


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## sstroble (Dec 16, 2013)

You are a survivor and inspiration.


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## nico (Jan 17, 2013)

Always great to see hard work, dedication, and attention to detail lead to success. Kudos!


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## Huldra (Nov 7, 2013)

Well done and thank you for the inspirational post!


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2014)

violarivard said:


> No marketing, promotions, or advertising. Essentially, I just rely on my mailing list to put it at the top, and then other people notice/buy it. The first book went to #1 in its genre and #49 in the free store after it became permafree, which generated exposure for book two and helped me to build a mailing list. By the time I released the third book I had a mailing list of around 250 people and their purchases put book three at the top of the genre. My mailing list was about 550 with book four, and I know it'll definitely make top 200s, but I've yet to crack Top 100 in the paid store, I think my highest was book three @ 182. I'm sure it's possible to crack top 100 w/o Bookbub/advertising, but I'm just not that popular yet.
> 
> And thanks to everyone else for their kind words. It makes my morning


Yet, it's nice to know an author does *not* have to crack top 100 to be successful! Look at you! You made over $8,000 in one month! That's way more than I need to make. However, I certainly wouldn't turn it down if it happens. 

Rock on, Viola!


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## NewbieWan (Jul 21, 2013)

What a great testimony to doing it your way and being able to reach the success level you have. Way to go!!!


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## SawyerPentecost (Jul 11, 2013)

Tamed by the Betas isn't sounding so far fetched, right about now...


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## SM Barrett (Feb 28, 2014)

Viola,

I'm a new guy in this industry, so something you said struck me as a little odd. You made the comment that you garnered poor reviews when you were selling at 2.99, and that was part of the reason you lowered your price, at least on the first title.

Were the reviews poor because the readers didn't like the price? Was that their complaint? Were they happy with your work apart from that, generally speaking?

I'm just trying to determine how price relates to reviews.


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## George Hamilton (Dec 14, 2010)

Awesome post and story Viola. Thank you.


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## SM Barrett (Feb 28, 2014)

So price in relation to length was the primary issue.

Thank you for sharing that. I appreciate you talking so openly about it, very kind of you.


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## Ava (Mar 31, 2014)

Really impressive, looking forward to reading those future threads you mentioned


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## AgnesWebb (Jan 13, 2013)

Fantastic, Viola! Gorgeous covers, excellent strategy. Thanks for sharing your story.


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## victoriarichards (Feb 11, 2014)

Marla,

Congratulations on your success. You're such an inspiration!

Victoria


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## Lia Cooper (Jan 28, 2014)

violarivard said:


> I didn't write the book I wanted to write, _I wrote the book I wanted to read._
> When I set out to write my serial I asked myself "What is the book that I, as a lover of [insert your genre here] would like to read?" This is where knowing your genre becomes important.


SUCH a good distinction and really useful to keep in mind. I've noticed that when I'm writing something that I'm more interested in reading than the stack of books I have in my "to read" pile not only do MY readers seem more interested, but my productivity goes through the roof.

grats on all your success and thanks for sharing your insights!


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## Twizzlers (Feb 6, 2014)

This is a very good thread. It's made me realize how important using certain keywords and phrases in my erotic and erotic romance titles is.


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## Josey Alden (Aug 6, 2013)

Viola, I am thrilled to hear that your hard work is being rewarded with success. I've published in the past to small-time success, but yesterday, I published the first book for a new pen name. I feel (hope) that this is my chance to use all of the self-publishing knowledge I've gathered since 2011 to achieve the next level of success.


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## busywoman (Feb 22, 2014)

Wow! Congrats.  It is amazing how fast you were able to jump to success. 

I am so inspired by what you overcame. How big a role did your illness play in causing you to focus on your goals? Or would you have ended up at same level of focus regardless?


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

That was a joy to read. What an inspiration you are, Viola


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## LeeBee (Feb 19, 2014)

Wow, Viola, your post is inspirational on multiple levels. Congratulations on your publishing success, your conquest of cancer, and your self-empowerment in the wake of your disease. And thanks for your immense generosity in sharing the details of your process to help other self-publishers.


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Congrats Viola Your post is truly an inspiration. 

I choose books based on the cover also. I am amazed by the amount of lousy covers out there.


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## LG Castillo (Jun 28, 2012)

What an inspiring post! Congratulations on your success, Viola.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2014)

violarivard said:


> Thanks, guys. All of my worst reviews got upvoted overnight (I was able to do some damage control, so it's mostly better as of now) but I anticipated something to that effect going into this. I definitely don't regret making this thread, and for those who asked, I intend on making the thread on serial writing in mid April. Until then, I'm happy to answer any questions, either here, or in private messages.


The poor reviews got upvoted immediately after you posted this thread? That makes me ill. It seriously does.

I'm not sure how active I'm going to be at WC after my first novel is published in June.


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## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

Viola - your story is truly an inspiration. Not just the writing success, but new outlook in life post cancer. Have you thought about writing a memoir?


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## ElaStein (Feb 8, 2014)

Huge congrats to you, you deserve all your success for all your hard work and having the guts to go after your dreams.


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## Jacqueline_Sweet (Jan 10, 2014)

Viola, congrats on your success! I love when people share inspirational threads like this.

I may have missed where you addressed this, but did you do any advertising or promotion?


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## Charmaine (Jul 20, 2012)

I just wanted to say that, your success is definitely well earned and that I'm happy you're healthy and cancer-free


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## anniejocoby (Aug 11, 2013)

Your success is inspiring. I especially like the advice about picking a title that's similar to bestselling other titles. It makes a lot of sense, although I admit that I have been too shy myself to try that. But I think that I might. At any rate, you've inspired me to try my hand at an erotic serial myself, as soon as I wrap up my current series. I'll be reading yours for sure so that I can see what a successful paranormal erotic series looks like, because I have no clue. But damn, I think that it would be fun to write! 

Hats off to you, and may you remain healthy for the rest of your life. That's really what's most important, in the end.


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## Perro Callejero (Dec 23, 2013)

Great post, Viola. Your approach--equal parts passion and strategy--was brilliant. I wish you continued success.

But!... at the risk of sidetracking this thread's topic, I felt obligated to respond to Sapphire's statement:


Sapphire said:


> Another example of the power of positive thinking! None of it - from achieving remission, to writing and publishing, to successful sales - could have happened without positive thinking.


I wish positive thinking was all it took. I wish that the power of the mind itself was great enough to conquer cancer. Frankly, it's not. I've never been a ray of sunshine, but my bitterness/cynicism/pessimism reached new depths during my treatment for stage IV lymphoma. And yet I lived, and some of the other happier, more positive people in the infusion room with me didn't. We don't get to control the outcome of a cancer diagnosis, no matter how dedicated we are to positive thoughts.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

M.F. Soriano said:


> We don't get to control the outcome of a cancer diagnosis, no matter how dedicated we are to positive thoughts.


My husband is a scientific editor and he's actually read a number of studies on this. Despite what people think, positive thinking does absolutely nothing for beating cancer and the like. Thought it was interesting since I had always believed it did something.

On another side note, I was listening to a piece where a cancer survivor hated being called a warrior. She said it made it seem like she somehow fought harder than someone that didn't make it. I'm not so sure I think the phrase is bad but I can understand what she was getting at. Having many issues myself, including a severely autistic child and my own medical issues, I've found that most people don't really know what to say and sometimes we just have to be a little understanding. Because in the end, it's the sentiment that matters most.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2014)

M.F. Soriano said:


> Great post, Viola. Your approach--equal parts passion and strategy--was brilliant. I wish you continued success.
> 
> But!... at the risk of sidetracking this thread's topic, I felt obligated to respond to Sapphire's statement:I wish positive thinking was all it took. I wish that the power of the mind itself was great enough to conquer cancer. Frankly, it's not. I've never been a ray of sunshine, but my bitterness/cynicism/pessimism reached new depths during my treatment for stage IV lymphoma. And yet I lived, and some of the other happier, more positive people in the infusion room with me didn't. We don't get to control the outcome of a cancer diagnosis, no matter how dedicated we are to positive thoughts.


Positive thinking may not have helped Viola beat cancer, but I appreciate Viola being a positive person and not a negative one.

Negative people do nothing but make me more negative, and the last thing I want to be is a negative woman.

That's why I look for people like Viola.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2014)

violarivard said:


> It wasn't that bad. I was actively monitoring it after posting the thread (yes, I have no faith in mankind) and it was about 4-5 overnight. I just messaged a few readers and they were happy to help fix it.
> 
> I'm not about to hang up my WC hat. Not to make myself out to sound like a martyr, cause I'm far from it, but people like that are in the minority and I can't be bothered to care. For every person who would do something like that there are a hundred people that are eager for help and advice.


And here's just another example of why you're a positive person, Viola. Thanks for your response.


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## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

Congrats. May your success continue


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## hs (Feb 15, 2011)

Thanks for your inspirational story, and congratulations on your success and recovery!
I hope you become what you wanted to be in your third grade essay and much more. By the way, whatever happened after you won that contest?


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## nico (Jan 17, 2013)

violarivard said:


> They complained that the price was too high for the length.


I wonder about this. You may not have an answer, but do you think they were complaining about the price with respect to length or did it have more to do with the serial nature of the story, i.e. they felt they weren't getting a full story for their money?

I ask because we price novellas at $2.99 and though they don't sell spectacularly at that price, we don't get too many complaints about the price. In our case, it may just be people choosing not to buy instead of buying and being disappointed by the length.

Thoughts?


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## Justawriter (Jul 24, 2012)

Viola,

Awesome post. Thanks so much for sharing.


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## Harriet Schultz (Jan 3, 2012)

Outstanding, amazing and inspirational on all fronts. Your success is well-deserved and it was generous of you to share your strategy. Thank you and continued success (and good health)!


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## GP Hudson (Sep 16, 2013)

violarivard said:


> It wasn't until after I published the first book in my serial and experienced the immense sense of accomplishment that comes from following one's passion that I realized the difference between being alive and actually living.


This is one of the most inspirational things I have read in some time. Congratulations on your success.


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## redacted (Dec 16, 2013)

nico said:



> I wonder about this. You may not have an answer, but do you think they were complaining about the price with respect to length or did it have more to do with the serial nature of the story, i.e. they felt they weren't getting a full story for their money?
> 
> I ask because we price novellas at $2.99 and though they don't sell spectacularly at that price, we don't get too many complaints about the price. In our case, it may just be people choosing not to buy instead of buying and being disappointed by the length.
> 
> Thoughts?


I've seen books where the first 10 "Most Helpful" reviews are people complaining about the length of a book (each review giving it 1-2 stars) and saying they'll never buy it again and how it's a "rip off" ... and the book still sells like crazy.

Which makes me wonder about the "power" of reviews, or if readers are now just clued in how easily Amazon reviews can be gamed.

OR, the more likely, *people likes what they likes*, and screw you for trying to tell them different!


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## Redacted1111 (Oct 26, 2013)

I don't in any way want to downplay the difficultly one might face when diagnosed with cancer or any other life threatening disease. I had two little cousins die of leukemia when they were young children. But the power of the mind is something that is far beyond "positive thinking." Positive thinking on it's own has very little power. It is simply a conscious controlling of the conscious mind. To have any real effect, the subconscious mind must be addressed and controlled. Trying to "think positively" is a complete waste of time. 

If anyone doubts the power of the mind, take a look out the placebo effect. Every drug tested in America is tested against placebo. Placebo is THE most powerful drug out there. Placebo deals with belief, and belief is far deeper than conscious positive thinking. You can't control belief unless you fundamentally change who you are. And that, is no small feat. 

Viola, I'm really happy to hear you healed from leukemia. The survival rate for leukemia was much lower when my cousins died in the 90s. Now it is much higher. 

It is inspiring to see someone who has survived so much in their young life to then go on to accomplish so much in such a short time. Hopefully, there is some hope for the rest of us.


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## Redacted1111 (Oct 26, 2013)

jackcrows said:


> I've seen books where the first 10 "Most Helpful" reviews are people complaining about the length of a book (each review giving it 1-2 stars) and saying they'll never buy it again and how it's a "rip off" ... and the book still sells like crazy.
> 
> Which makes me wonder about the "power" of reviews, or if readers are now just clued in how easily Amazon reviews can be gamed.
> 
> OR, the more likely, *people likes what they likes*, and screw you for trying to tell them different!


I think it has as much to do with the fact that there is a very verbal minority of people who hate serials. It almost seems like there is a serial hater conspiracy on Amazon to one star bomb any serial they see. It's easy to ignore these people if you actually like serials.


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## kathrynoh (Oct 17, 2012)

> OR, the more likely, people likes what they likes, and screw you for trying to tell them different!


I think there's a huge gap between what people like (or say they like) and what they buy. Readers will whinge about serials and cliffhangers but they seem to keep buying them. I wrote a NA novel with a cliffhanger and got canned for it in reviews but just released book 2 and many of those same people have reviewed that as well so it hasn't stopped them from buying.


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## LeeBee (Feb 19, 2014)

kathrynoh said:


> I think there's a huge gap between what people like (or say they like) and what they buy. Readers will whinge about serials and cliffhangers but they seem to keep buying them. I wrote a NA novel with a cliffhanger and got canned for it in reviews but just released book 2 and many of those same people have reviewed that as well so it hasn't stopped them from buying.


This same phenomenon can be observed among people who blog their personal reviews of television shows. Some of them will absolutely savage a particular program... week after week after week. I always want to ask them why they continue watching when they clearly hate the experience. Maybe the answer is that they really are enjoying it but also enjoy expressing their contempt for what they enjoy.


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## redacted (Dec 16, 2013)

kathrynoh said:


> I think there's a huge gap between what people like (or say they like) and what they buy. Readers will whinge about serials and cliffhangers but they seem to keep buying them. I wrote a NA novel with a cliffhanger and got canned for it in reviews but just released book 2 and many of those same people have reviewed that as well so it hasn't stopped them from buying.


Like I said -- they like the story, the genre, and they will keep buying it ... even if they whine about it nonstop. And that's just the vocal minority. The vast majority will buy it regardless of reviews because they likes what they likes. Who reads reviews anymore? I don't know. I wouldn't be surprise if the vast majority of people just look at the number of reviews, the average rating, and decide on that, the "Hey, if a lot of people seem to like it, how bad could it be?" majority. That, in combination with the cover, blurb, and sample pages, will result in a buy. You'll notice that even the "Most Helpful" reviews (whether pro or con) are only liked, on average, 10-20 times. You will spot the occasional huge number of upvotes/downvotes, but they are rare in my experience.


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## Donna White Glaser (Jan 12, 2011)

Just wanted to add my thanks and congratulations to the pile!    I love the mix of passion and business-sense. A beautiful combo!


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## Jana DeLeon (Jan 20, 2011)

violarivard said:


> See my picture? That was me two months in remission from cancer. Note the wig. I was skinny. Like, 90lbs. Today I'm about 70lbs um, _fuller_, which would put me in the category of 'curvy girl'. Despite the fact that I have a voluptuous figure, I really just don't like reading BBW. Yep, I like my heroines taut, petite, and _thin_. But werewolf/BBW is what's in right now, so I took the werewolf story that I wanted to write, and incorporated the BBW aspect into the story, despite the fact that it's not my personal preference.


Huge congratulations on your success, Viola! Yours is an inspiring story.

And can I just say Holy Crap, you should be the poster girl for remission! Until I read this thread, I had zero idea you'd been so ill. You can't tell from your pic. I just thought "I bet she ran her high school." I will also bet that with the additional pounds, you probably look even better. 

I'm so happy you're in remission and that you've found success writing. You have a solid business plan and that makes all the difference in the world.


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## von19 (Feb 20, 2013)

So... are there rules for serials? Such as a word count thats "good"  for X price and wont get you flooded with bad reviews?

Ex:
Pricing one page at $.99 is a no no? Or... 
Pricing anything under X number of words at $.99 is unacceptable?

Where do you draw the line? I would really like to leave a good impression and not have anyone feel cheated.


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## Capella (Jan 16, 2014)

Hi Viola,
There really are many of us that appreciate your post so much.  I grabbed each of your books and am excited to read them.  The samples rock!  I'd love to know more about serials, but not at the cost of bad reviews to you if you do another post. I've done well with full length series, but I've feared the nasty reviews too much to do a serial yet.  Eek!  Sounds like you've figured out the right way to do it!


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## DaniO (Oct 22, 2012)

Hi Viola, 
Congratulations on your success. You're such an inspiration! I have downloaded your series & can't wait to read it tonight


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## ricola (Mar 3, 2014)

If people like the story enough, some will complain about length NO MATTER WHAT.  Seriously.  110k novel, and I got length-related complaints.  There was an entire thread about it on a major genre board, all about how terribly short the book was.

So I'd be more concerned about bang-for-buck than just shortness complaints.  You can't get away from those.

I'd say at least 20k at $2.99.  25k is better.  That's me as a reader.    But it also seems to be what sells fairly decently outside of erotica.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

vmblack said:


> If people like the story enough, some will complain about length NO MATTER WHAT. Seriously. 110k novel, and I got length-related complaints. There was an entire thread about it on a major genre board, all about how terribly short the book was.


Explanation: It was *so* good that people plowed through it at ultra-high speed and then were all surprised to have reached the end so quickly. "Hm, Amazon says this is 400 pp. long, but that must be a mistake! Grrr ..."


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

violarivard said:


> I'm not about to hang up my WC hat. Not to make myself out to sound like a martyr, cause I'm far from it, but people like that are in the minority and I can't be bothered to care. For every person who would do something like that there are a hundred people that are eager for help and advice.


Thank you.


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## ricola (Mar 3, 2014)

Becca Mills said:


> Explanation: It was *so* good that people plowed through it at ultra-high speed and then were all surprised to have reached the end so quickly. "Hm, Amazon says this is 400 pp. long, but that must be a mistake! Grrr ..."


This was an actual TRAD-PUBLISHED PRINT BOOK. They had it sitting in front of them! They could see how thick it was and that the type was smaller than in other books! My publishing house actually threatened to charge me over the length. That's how long it was. And it was only 110k because I resorted to deleting words in paragraphs that had a single word on a line, and I even did every trick to keep it technically in standard manuscript format but to squeeze 26 lines per page instead of 25 and get an additional 5 or 10 characters on each line.

I actually started to argue (younger then, ahem) and then I was like, well, if they HAVE THE BOOK IN FRONT OF THEM and can see it and still think it's "way too short," there is nothing at all I can say that will convince them otherwise.

So I joke that I have the dubious distinction of writing way too short long books.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

Sapphire said:


> Another example of the power of positive thinking! None of it - from achieving remission, to writing and publishing, to successful sales - could have happened without positive thinking. We're all excited for you.


Clarification needed here:
Positive thinking won't cure anyone. It will never replace medical treatments. What it does when dealing with illness or injury is to help in the recovery after the treatment. Healing isn't all physical. A serious illness or injury eventually requires emotional healing in order to achieve full recovery after the physical healing.


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## DaveHughes (Aug 10, 2011)

Awesome thread, awesome post...and hey, Viola! Part 3 is currently #20 in paid Fantasy as in "Kindle eBooks>Science Fiction & Fantasy>Fantasy...not a sub-category). 

You're sharing the first page of the Fantasy bestseller list (the top 20) with the likes of George R.R. Martin, Blake Crouch and Patricia Briggs.

Not bad company to be in, m'dear...way to go!


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## Alex Owens (Mar 24, 2011)

Very inspiring! I picked up the first in your series and I'm enjoying it so much I wish the Terdlings would leave me alone to read more


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## Gregory Colt (Mar 11, 2014)

I love this thread, and have very little to add to what's already been said except, yeah, you're awesome   And I'm really liking the last name 'Rivard'.  I don't know... just something about it.


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## LAwriter (Dec 23, 2013)

Wow... I'm SO inspired by this thread. Big congrats to you on everything! I sent you a PM btw  Would love to hear back from you when you have time!


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

vmblack said:


> So I joke that I have the dubious distinction of writing way too short long books.


LOL. Well, everyone deserves to be "distinctive" in some way.


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## Maia Sepp Ross (May 10, 2013)

Thank you for posting this.


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## Paris Marx (Mar 25, 2014)

This is super inspiring, Viola! You make me want to go back and finish the scifi serial I took a break from a couple months ago.

I do have a question I don't think you've answered yet though. Do I understand correctly that the only thing you paid for initially was cover art? Did you leave professional editing until you were making money from your books? Why did you make that decision?

Congrats on the success, and I'll be looking forward to your next thread on serials.


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## hyh (Jul 21, 2013)

Hi Viola - just wanted to add my thanks for your incredibly inspirational post and your generosity. What I find really inspiring is not just your sales (amazing as they are) but your whole attitude, given what you had to deal with. I see so many people who would have just gotten bitter and given up - and you turned it around into something that would have been amazing even for someone who hadn't had the health challenges you've had to deal with. 

I've been away from KBoards for a while and just catching up again for the first time today - and this was a wonderful post to come back to!   I also like that you don't ascribe ALL your success to luck - it gets very disheartening for us newbies to keep hearing that it's all luck and there's nothing we can do. I know luck plays a huge role - maybe the biggest role - but it's nice to think that you can "influence" that luck too in some way - as shown by your story! 

Wishing you continued success & health!
Hsin-Yi


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## kwest (Mar 16, 2013)

vmblack said:


> If people like the story enough, some will complain about length NO MATTER WHAT. Seriously. 110k novel, and I got length-related complaints. There was an entire thread about it on a major genre board, all about how terribly short the book was.


Definitely this. My first book is 41k...a long novella, or a short novel, depending on how you look at it, and gets the most complaints about the length. The newer books in my series are 70-85k words, and people say it's too short. The point is, if people are enjoying a story, they don't want it to end.


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## von19 (Feb 20, 2013)

Never thought of it like that, but wow. Be happy someone is so in love with your work its never long enough.  

Sent from my SM-T210R using Tapatalk


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## Deke (May 18, 2013)

This seems to fall into the most lucrative trend in self-pubbing: short word count steamy romance/erotica. Is anyone having similar sales stats outside of that genre?


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

Deke said:


> This seems to fall into the most lucrative trend in self-pubbing: short word count steamy romance/erotica. Is anyone having similar sales stats outside of that genre?


Romance has been a big seller even before self-publishing. Harlequin books weren't particularly known for being thick. But this is a serial and that's sorta the standard (plus or minus the sex).

But yes, I've seen a ton of people in other genre selling just as well for the exact things that Viola has mentioned. Writing what you want to read and have sharp editing/cover/blurb are the biggest factors in all this. Serials seemed to have gained since Hugh came on the scene and shook things up. In turn, that's cleared a path for genre to get some attention.


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## Twizzlers (Feb 6, 2014)

I was afraid writing shorter novella length serials wouldn't fly in romance like it does in erotica (although in erotica i guess you can get away with a 5000 word short story, although mine aren't selling great) but it appears that works just fine. 

I've written a few short erotica pieces, but they aren't selling as well and I'm finding I'm struggling to write a book that is mostly sex. I crave story and plot. 
I read the book "How to Write Erotic Short That Sell- A Simple Formula" by Christina Palmer and I've been following that formula, but it's kind of boring. 

However, I've currently started on a billionaire erotic romance (or hell just romance?) that's got a lot of plot and just a little bit of steamy sex in it. I'm having a blast writing it as opposed to the erotic short stories (though i will still put them out) so writing what you love is definitely paramount. 

I've always been a story person, in everything I do. I play video games on the easiest setting because I don't play them for the challenge, I play them for the story. When I was Dungeon Master playing D&D we had entire sessions with no combat, because I wanted to present the story and story was above all else. 

In short....writing is fun.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

JRODell said:


> I was afraid writing shorter novella length serials wouldn't fly in romance like it does in erotica (although in erotica i guess you can get away with a 5000 word short story, although mine aren't selling great) but it appears that works just fine.
> 
> I've written a few short erotica pieces, but they aren't selling as well and I'm finding I'm struggling to write a book that is mostly sex. I crave story and plot.
> I read the book "How to Write Erotic Short That Sell- A Simple Formula" by Christina Palmer and I've been following that formula, but it's kind of boring.
> ...


My romance shorts are what convinced me to keep writing. I'm still getting quite a few sales from them and it's been nearly a year since I put them out.


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## Twizzlers (Feb 6, 2014)

So romance short stories, not erotica? Hmmm.....I do like this romance novella series I've started and I have plans for two more. 

I also plan on still releasing erotic short stories while working on these.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

violarivard said:


> The only thing I paid for initially was cover art. After I found someone I could afford, I paid for proofreading (which I think is a very sound investment). Full-scale editing is still out of my budget. I am considering having a copyedit done once the serial is complete, but I may just order another proof, bundle it, and move on to the next. It's been so lucrative as is that I don't know that a copyedit would be a worthwhile investment at this point. I'm pretty good at keeping my storyline in check, and I'm sure fans will point out any inconsistencies.


I did editing for a number of years and I can honestly say, with your numbers I don't think I'd bother with the copy edit on this series. Proof is totally worth it no matter what and for most shorts I say it's good to get copy-editing but you're already out and doing well. Firmly of the belief that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Now maybe the next series you might want to because there are tons of benefits to getting a copy-edit on shorts. But if you're going to write full length, go for the edit. There are just so many ways to make mistakes and a trained eye will pick up on things you won't even think of.


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## Paul Kohler (Aug 14, 2013)

Thank you so much for sharing. Congrats on the great success. I didn't start much earlier than you (September/2013) and I recently just surpassed the sales you had in your first month. I had moved 163 books from September thru February. March finally took a step up and sold 109. I obviously didn't choose a genre that was hot...  Perhaps I should add some paranormal wolverine romance into the next part of my serial... 

Anyway, keep up the good work! I want to read you post next month, where you say you doubled March's numbers!


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## Redacted1111 (Oct 26, 2013)

JR O'Dell said:


> I was afraid writing shorter novella length serials wouldn't fly in romance like it does in erotica (although in erotica i guess you can get away with a 5000 word short story, although mine aren't selling great) but it appears that works just fine.
> 
> I've written a few short erotica pieces, but they aren't selling as well and I'm finding I'm struggling to write a book that is mostly sex. I crave story and plot.
> I read the book "How to Write Erotic Short That Sell- A Simple Formula" by Christina Palmer and I've been following that formula, but it's kind of boring.
> ...


Haha, you sound like me. I tried erotic/erotic romance shorts, but I sold better with more plot. I'd also learned some of the conventions of romance so that helped. I'm moving to full length novels now. Hopefully, that will be a good move. The D&D thing made me laugh. The one time I DM'd, my game was so story and character driven my computer geek boyfriend had a nerd rage before I ever got to the combat. Everyone liked my game better.


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## Jason Eric Pryor (Jan 30, 2013)

I was very moved by your post. I'm a published newbie myself. (less than a year) My genre (science fiction/adventure) isn't as hot right now as yours, but I absolutely agree with writing books that you would want to read, which is exactly what I do. Reading about your success is very inspiring. I can't wait for the day I will be able to quit my job and write full-time!

I was moved even more by hearing of your cancer remission. I recently lost one of the most important people in my life to cancer. I was cut deeply when I lost her. But, I caught myself smiling ear to ear as I read that you had beat it and were getting better. I don't know you, but it made me genuinely thrilled for you. Congrats on everything that's going your way in your life now. I'm so happy for you!


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## Twizzlers (Feb 6, 2014)

I have been reading your first book and I must say, it is really really good. I am having trouble putting it down. I read a few pages this morning before getting ready for work and cursed the time when I had to stop. 

My question is this. You talk about BBW in this genre being popular. But you describe Mila as like 180 pounds I think? And you mention yourself as curvy and her as curvy. 

To me curvy and BBW are too different things. Personally I find myself attracted to curvier girls but not BBW's. To me a BBW is someone that's basically morbidly obese but not quite to the point she needs a cart to get around Wal-Mart. I have the same idea of a BHM too (big husky man). Curvy is completely different in my eyes. Is my definition off?


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## Twizzlers (Feb 6, 2014)

violarivard said:


> As an example, I use Ashley Graham for my protagonist's concept art. She has thick thighs, a waist that isn't flat, and a full chest.


Hey now that's my kind of woman! *growl*


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## Twizzlers (Feb 6, 2014)

When I write my erotica I find that I want to write the woman as curvy more often than not. That's what I'm drawn to naturally in real life. Maybe I should write BBW werewolf romance? I actually have a decent idea....


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## SawyerPentecost (Jul 11, 2013)

It is simply too hard to run from werewolves in high heels. Hence the reason these girls keep getting 'claimed'!


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## DaveHughes (Aug 10, 2011)

I would just like to point out, by the way, that in today's "Hot New Releases in Science Fiction & Fantasy" email from Amazon, there are a couple of verrrrrry familiar covers featured. 










Not bad for a couple of books that are "too short". Again...way to go!


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## NerdyWriter (Nov 23, 2013)

What will be your first big purchase? Personally, I would want to go to Disney World and stay in one of the resorts within Disney!!


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## Crime fighters (Nov 27, 2013)

Wonderful thread - wonderful success- wonderful everything, really. Congratulations for everything you have accomplished, especially beating cancer. Truly inspiring!


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

violarivard said:


> I'm going to Nordstrom and having one of the sales associates help me pick out a ridiculously expensive outfit. Sounds silly, but I used to work across from Nordstrom and I'd walk by and see the models in the window and think "Ugh, I'll never be able to afford to shop there."


That sounds fantastic! I'd love to do that. Make them work!


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## KMatthew (Mar 21, 2012)

Congrats on your success! You hit the ground running.


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## A.A (Mar 30, 2012)

Congratulations on getting through those very difficult years and your successes. There are so many niches out there for writers - both fiction and non-fiction. Good on you for studying the market and then writing your books the way in which you wanted to. Great tips!


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## Alex Owens (Mar 24, 2011)

violarivard said:


> Thanks Dave! They're doing pretty darn well. I think I'm about 150/day shy of USA Today. I'm hoping to hit it with the next entry, but I also have high hopes for a more mainstream series I'm releasing next month.


That's fabulous! Congrats!

I can see why... I'm anxiously awaiting CBTA #5


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## Briteka (Mar 5, 2012)

Paul Kohler said:


> I obviously didn't choose a genre that was hot... Perhaps I should add some paranormal wolverine romance into the next part of my serial...


Psh, it's all about the Cuttlefish these days! http://www.amazon.com/Someone-Cuttle-Cuttlefish-Shapeshifter-Erotica-ebook/dp/B0087PTMW2


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2014)

violarivard said:


> I'm going to Nordstrom and having one of the sales associates help me pick out a ridiculously expensive outfit. Sounds silly, but I used to work across from Nordstrom and I'd walk by and see the models in the window and think "Ugh, I'll never be able to afford to shop there."


Viola, You go girl!    If my books take off, here's where I'll get my expensive outfit.


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## GaryCecil (Jan 5, 2014)

Jason Eric Pryor said:


> I was very moved by your post. I'm a published newbie myself. (less than a year) My genre (science fiction/adventure) isn't as hot right now as yours, but I absolutely agree with writing books that you would want to read, which is exactly what I do. Reading about your success is very inspiring. I can't wait for the day I will be able to quit my job and write full-time!
> 
> I was moved even more by hearing of your cancer remission. I recently lost one of the most important people in my life to cancer. I was cut deeply when I lost her. But, I caught myself smiling ear to ear as I read that you had beat it and were getting better. I don't know you, but it made me genuinely thrilled for you. Congrats on everything that's going your way in your life now. I'm so happy for you!


I hope you become a success, but have you ever thought of changing your name to J.E. Pryor? It's still you, but it flows way better than your full name, just something to keep in mind is all.


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## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

Gosh, three books, two years, and 200 sales... I thought I was doing quite well until I read all this!

Seriously, well done on some big successes! I need to seriously up my game, pick a genre, stick to it, and write loads more stuff!


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## LBrent (Jul 1, 2013)

Congratulations on your success in both recovered health and self-publishing! Extremely inspirational.

I just wanted to know, how long is your pre/pro/post/publish turnaround time? You seem to be very fast.

Love your covers, too.


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## Kee (Jun 3, 2013)

I never saw Viola's book links on Amazon to pick up a copy!


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## Twizzlers (Feb 6, 2014)

tbl said:


> I never saw Viola's book links on Amazon to pick up a copy!


Go to Amazon and search "Claimed by the Alphas". They're the first ones that pop up.


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## Jason Halstead (Mar 18, 2011)

Congrats on your early successes! I hope they keep going...

The but? Yeah, it's there. Be careful, that's all I want to say. I had some serial novellas in a sci-fi genre performed similarly in 2012. Then they crashed hard. Perhaps in a different genre it would have been a different story (er, so to speak). I'm just advising caution and hard work. sounds like you've got that done, so keep up the good work!

And yes, to second your message to people trying to make a go at it, it really is all about dedication and hard work. Keep punching out the words and do what makes you happy (whether it's PNR or stamp collecting).


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## LBrent (Jul 1, 2013)

2 weeks. Nice!


Thanx.


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2014)

Jason Halstead said:


> The but? Yeah, it's there. Be careful, that's all I want to say. I had some serial novellas in a sci-fi genre performed similarly in 2012. Then they crashed hard.


"Similarly" as in as high up on Amazon as Viola's have hit?? (Which is pretty damn high.)

If that's the case, why would your books crash "hard"? I can see interest waning *over time*. That can happen with any serial in any genre.

But crashing hard? Why do you think that happened?


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2014)

violarivard said:


> I'm not too worried about that. I'm a very cautious person. I always assume the worst, so I take a lot of precautions. For writing, I'm building a network of peers, I have a mailing list of around a thousand readers, and probably most important of all, I've established the characters for my next book in the current series. I'll go more into detail about the things that I did and brand-building once my next serial is out. And, if it turns out that I'm delusional and it all falls apart, well as of today I've made enough to pay for a few years of college, so there's always that


You'll be fine. You're just starting on this journey and you've got many more books, on various themes, in the works.


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## Briteka (Mar 5, 2012)

Joliedupre said:


> "Similarly" as in as high up on Amazon as Viola's have hit?? (Which is pretty d*mn high.)
> 
> If that's the case, why would your books crash "hard"? I can see interest waning *over time*. That can happen with any serial in any genre.
> 
> But crashing hard? Why do you think that happened?


Sales can easily crash the minute your books leave Amazon's promotional system (Pop lists and bestseller lists). This usually happens the day after your book hits the 30-day mark. There's things you can do to mitigate this, and Viola is doing them, such as having a fast turnaround that allows later books to prop up the earlier books and keep the brand visible.


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## A.A (Mar 30, 2012)

Jason Halstead said:


> The but? Yeah, it's there. Be careful, that's all I want to say. I had some serial novellas in a sci-fi genre performed similarly in 2012. Then they crashed hard. Perhaps in a different genre it would have been a different story (er, so to speak). I'm just advising caution and hard work. sounds like you've got that done, so keep up the good work!


Would this be a worry? Just in terms that if people stop wanting to read short serials, you have the option of packaging them into books. Or in the case that a certain niche dies a bit or gets oversaturated, it's still worth it to have made great money over a short term, and you can swap to other niches and keep writing.
(Or am I missing something about serials?)


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

A.A said:


> Would this be a worry? Just in terms that if people stop wanting to read short serials, you have the option of packaging them into books. Or in the case that a certain niche dies a bit or gets oversaturated, it's still worth it to have made great money over a short term, and you can swap to other niches and keep writing.
> (Or am I missing something about serials?)


I think the warning is something like save some money for a rainy day. Always wise. 

Major congratulations, Marla! 
Thanks for this very generous thread. 
I'm watching and taking notes!


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2014)

Cherise Kelley said:


> I think the warning is something like save some money for a rainy day. Always wise.


Well Cherise, as you know, I'm an article writer. We do that already . . . if we're smart.


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## Briteka (Mar 5, 2012)

A.A said:


> Would this be a worry? Just in terms that if people stop wanting to read short serials, you have the option of packaging them into books. Or in the case that a certain niche dies a bit or gets oversaturated, it's still worth it to have made great money over a short term, and you can swap to other niches and keep writing.
> (Or am I missing something about serials?)


You're absolutely right. Once I release the last installment, I pay no more attention to a series. I release the box set when I notice the first major sales drop, and then it's done. I research current sales trends, write something in a popular niche and then continue on.

Serial publishing is different than novel publishing. It's unlikely you'll ever "nurture" your series into a bestseller. It either hits when you publish it, or it doesn't. And if it doesn't, that's fine because you get to try again next month.

With serial publishing, you get the initial sales income, and then the series turns into a small trickle that adds to all the other small trickles. I couldn't live off my earnings until I had 50 titles, and I'm cheap. It'll probably take me 100 titles before I make what a sane person would consider enough money to go full time.

What Viola has done is incredibly rare, and it took a well written series combined with what are probably the most beautiful covers I've ever seen in the genre to do it.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

Joliedupre said:


> Well Cherise, as you know, I'm an article writer. We do that already . . . if we're smart.


Yep. It's so fun to see your familiar face here, Jolie!

Putting aside some of the money that comes in for a rainy day is right up there with making hay while the sun shines, not putting all our eggs in one basket, not counting our chickens before they're hatched, and not crying over spilt milk.

I love farm metaphors.


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## Silly Writer (Jul 15, 2013)

Cherise Kelley said:


> Yep. It's so fun to see your familiar face here, Jolie!
> 
> Putting aside some of the money that comes in for a rainy day is right up there with making hay while the sun shines, not putting all our eggs in one basket, not counting our chickens before they're hatched, and not crying over spilt milk.
> 
> I love farm metaphors.


I wanna play! I grew up near farms:

It's like finding a needle in a haystack.
You can keep on cryin' 'til the cows come home. 
Them there book covers are slicker than sh*t. (This is a compliment)
This publishing gig is tough as cow hide.



Eta: That's about as useful as t*ts on a bull. (No specific subject....I just forgot that one.)
And, It's a hard row to hoe.


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## Mahalo (Feb 7, 2014)

Viola -- might I suggest that college might not be necessary? You may save yourself some money by pursuing your writing career.


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## Silly Writer (Jul 15, 2013)

Ana Munroe said:


> Viola -- might I suggest that college might not be necessary? You may save yourself some money by pursuing your writing career.


^Ths^. I have your first book. You got some serious chops, girl!


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## sandarr (Mar 8, 2014)

Congratulations and continued success! I read the first book and it was really well written. After doing taxes this weekend I plan to get to the rest of them. 

Thank you for taking the time to provide all the great information. 

*Farm reference 
Reap what you sow


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## mary lisa (Sep 8, 2013)

Viola,
Thanks so much for posting this.  Your success is inspirational.  I'm making my way through your series right now and I love it!  I discovered it here on the forum.  I'm glad to hear you're healthy.  Best wishes for the future.  I look forward to your new series.


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## Jason Eric Pryor (Jan 30, 2013)

GaryCecil said:


> I hope you become a success, but have you ever thought of changing your name to J.E. Pryor? It's still you, but it flows way better than your full name, just something to keep in mind is all.


Yeah, I actually did think about it. I went through several variations of my name. J.E. Pryor, Jason E. Pryor, Jason Pryor, Eric Pryor, and played with my mother's maiden name as well. Jason Moss, J.P. Moss, Eric Moss, etc. I even played with a few pen names. I was seriously considering Jason Shepherd.

I decided on using my full three names. I know lots of writers use middle initials, but I don't like the letter "E" for that. I think the name "Eric" is stronger. I've joked that it sounds like an assassin's name (John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray) But, I think it works. I like the syllabic rhythm. It doesn't slide off the tongue like Stephen King, Timothy Zahn, or Tom Clancy, but at least it's no Keith R.A. DiCandido. I love his work but what a name!


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

Ana Munroe said:


> Viola -- might I suggest that college might not be necessary? You may save yourself some money by pursuing your writing career.


Seriously, skip college. It's expensive and I really don't see how it could add to what you've already got going on. Besides, you're not going to have time.

Side note, the 19th is sooooo far away. Great series.


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## Redacted1111 (Oct 26, 2013)

Ana Munroe said:


> Viola -- might I suggest that college might not be necessary? You may save yourself some money by pursuing your writing career.


Ack, totally agreed! Unless you plan to go to nursing school or something. If you want to continue writing, going to college isn't going to help you advance in your career any further than you already have. From what I've read of your work, you already have excellent language skills. Buy a house instead. I don't think you have to worry about your sales falling from under you. You already have a 1000 person mailing list. As long as you keep producing, you're golden. You've created a name for yourself and a fan base. Those are the things that matter.

I love hearing your advice because you are a person who is actually successful. You had the uncanny ability to read the market better than almost anyone starting out. It's impressive. What you said about writing the book you want to read is subtle advice, but it's also really huge. It makes me think differently about what I'm are writing.


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2014)

alf said:


> Ack, totally agreed! Unless you plan to go to nursing school or something. If you want to continue writing, going to college isn't going to help you advance in your career any further than you already have. From what I've read of your work, you already have excellent language skills. Buy a house instead. I don't think you have to worry about your sales falling from under you. You already have a 1000 person mailing list. As long as you keep producing, you're golden. You've created a name for yourself and a fan base. Those are the things that matter.
> 
> I love hearing your advice because you are a person who is actually successful. You had the uncanny ability to read the market better than almost anyone starting out. It's impressive. What you said about writing the book you want to read is subtle advice, but it's also really huge. It makes you think differently about what you are writing.


I agree. Also, you've listened to your fans by lowering the price of your books from $2.99 to $0.99. Smart move. After all, your readers and your fans are the ones who matter.


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## Zelah Meyer (Jun 15, 2011)

I have deleted this post as I do not consent to the new Terms of Service that Vertical Scope are attempting to retrospectively apply to our content.  I am forced to manually replace my content as, at time of editing, their representative has instructed moderators not to delete posts or accounts when users request it, and Vertical Scope have implied that they will deal with account deletion requests by anonymising accounts, which would leave personally identifying information in my posts.

I joined under the previous ownership and have posted over the years under different Terms of Service.  I do not consent to my name, content, or intellectual properties being used by Vertical Scope or any other entity that they sell or licence my data to.


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## valeriec80 (Feb 24, 2011)

Joliedupre said:


> If that's the case, why would your books crash "hard"? I can see interest waning *over time*. That can happen with any serial in any genre.
> 
> But crashing hard? Why do you think that happened?


That is the way of Amazon, unfortunately. Things rise quickly and fall quickly. And if you've ever experienced one of those crashes, you know how bad it hurts, too. Talk about panic. All the while, too, you're trying to tell yourself that it's okay, because you did so well before that you can deal with the drop. Still feels like a punch in the gut, though.

However, if you've had your book up in the top 1000 of the store, you may have a seriously different idea of what "crashing hard" is than someone whose books hover in the six digit range. So, I don't know what crashing hard here is.... Maybe it's #20,000 in the store of something. Certainly a drop, but also someone else's idea of the best day ever.


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## She (Apr 15, 2014)

Viola, I just wanted to jump into this thread as a former lurker and thank you for sharing this information with us. You sound like a lovely person and I loved the fact that you combined what you wanted to write with what you were confident would sell to find a happy medium where you could enjoy writing AND make money. I find this thread inspiring every time I look at it so thank you, so much


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## CristinaRayne (Apr 17, 2014)

As someone who has just released the first "episode" of a serialized fantasy romance novel, reading about your success certainly gives us newbies hope!  Thanks for sharing your story and glad to hear you're doing so well after going through such a terrible illness.


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