# In 2015, I'd like to...



## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

I've just read through the pulp speed thread and considered joining and by the end, I thought Nah. There is nothing wrong with my production speed. I could certainly write 7000 words a day, but all I (in my case) would end up is a buttload of crap and RSI. My brain doesn't think 7000 good words a day. I write 5-6 books a year at 1000-2000 publishable words a day. I'm cool with that. In fact, I'm planning to write less.

In 2015 I want to SELL more of what I already have.

I've got series set up. I'm continuing to add to those series.

My sales are not really bad but could be better (Over 2014 I've averaged $1000 per month). I want them to be better. I think there is the potential for sales to be better.

So, failing someone showing me into the inner sanctum of top writers' secret groups, I'm going to do some other stuff:

1. Advertising? Well, screw Bookbub. Actually, I'll take another ad if they give it to me, but I think I've applied about 30 times (for about 6 different books) this year and been accepted only twice. Other advertising will continue as I'm doing now. Which is: whenever it suits me.
2. Freebies: will stay free. I'll continue to advertise these for free whenever I can
3. This is going to be the year of cross-promotion. Phoenix Sullivan said that her sales took off when she started promoting other people's books. I'll be trying my own version of this. Not box sets (the tax stuff would give me nightmares), but I'm planning to do more cross-promotions and interviews.
4. A lot of the sales effort will go into stuff no one can see. Adding links to books, giveaways, newsletters, and other things to add subscribers.

If anyone has any great ideas, let me know.


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

Be less lazy. I don't care about pulp speed either, I just want to work a little every day, not do crazy sprints every couple weeks.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Haha, 7,000 a day is something beyond Pulp Speed, more like Ludicrous Speed. Sounds like you're in good shape. Good luck in 2015!


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

IMO there is no point writing at pulp speed if you can't sell those books.

It's the selling bit that needs help, not the writing bit.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

I can't sell what doesn't exist yet. Write first, publish second, sell third.


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## joebananas (Nov 3, 2014)

Take the plunge and actually publish the three stories I have written and edited over this past year. I would like to be able to support myself with my writing by this time in 2015. I currently do freelance wed engineering, because of this I already can work from home or where ever I would like but lately I have been dealing with clients that are making my life stressful, even though my contracts make sure I am compensated I would love to cut back on my hours and make up for that with my writing.

I do know that chances are slim that I will make as much writing as I do now, but I live very modestly and I can do fine with at least $2,000 a month. That's my goal for 2015, I want to grow from zero income from writing to $2,000.

This may be my first post to these boards but I have enjoyed lurking the past six months while writing my stories. This will be my motivation to keep going now that I have my goal written down some where public. I also tried out NaNoWriMo this year for my second time, I still didn't hit 50k words but my first try  I only hit 17k and this past one I broke just over 30k words.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Box sets are nice, for sure, mainly for mailing list building, in my experience.  Perhaps see if you could join a set instead of running one? (That way the tax headache is someone else's)   I'd begin by looking at sets in your genre and writing polite emails to whoever did the set (or just pick an author if you aren't sure who organized it and ask), and let them know you'd like to be considered for a set in the future once you are in touch with whoever puts it together.

For 2015 I want to finish 6-8 novels, though only publish 4-5 of them so I have some written ahead for launch in 2016. I'm going to be utilizing pre-orders harder and keeping a close eye on that data to see if they are actually worth it or not (I'm on the fence but need more numbers). I also have a long list of stuff I need to get organized, like getting a professional website instead of just the lame half-blog I have now, getting affiliate stuff set up, continuing to grow my mailing list, etc.


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## vlmain (Aug 10, 2011)

Patty Jansen said:


> IMO there is no point writing at pulp speed if you can't sell those books.


So true! Wishing you the best for the coming year!


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Welcome, joebananas.

In 2015 I'd like to figure out how the hell to start selling on sites other than Amazon. I really don't understand why I sell so well on Amazon but barely anything elsewhere, and I'm veeeery uncomfortable about having all my eggs in this particular basket.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

ㅈㅈ said:


> Box sets are nice, for sure, mainly for mailing list building, in my experience. Perhaps see if you could join a set instead of running one? (That way the tax headache is someone else's)  I'd begin by looking at sets in your genre and writing polite emails to whoever did the set (or just pick an author if you aren't sure who organized it and ask), and let them know you'd like to be considered for a set in the future once you are in touch with whoever puts it together.
> 
> For 2015 I want to finish 6-8 novels, though only publish 4-5 of them so I have some written ahead for launch in 2016. I'm going to be utilizing pre-orders harder and keeping a close eye on that data to see if they are actually worth it or not (I'm on the fence but need more numbers). I also have a long list of stuff I need to get organized, like getting a professional website instead of just the lame half-blog I have now, getting affiliate stuff set up, continuing to grow my mailing list, etc.


You know, all the blog-setting-up stuff takes so much time.

In 2015, I want to move my blog and website to another ISP, because this one is slow and annoys the crap out of me. It's all time down the drain that you see little immediate benefit of, except all of a sudden you do.

I'd love to be part of a box set, but I'm notoriously bad at schmoozing my way into stuff, and my sales numbers are obviously not up to scratch to be asked. Yeah, impostor syndrome.

In 2014 I concentrated on the "material to sell" part. You can't really run a lot of effective promos without a decent stable of books to keep readers engaged. So I agree with the "write first, sell later" advice. At some point your focus has to shift from writing material to making the material you have work for you.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Lydniz said:


> Welcome, joebananas.
> 
> In 2015 I'd like to figure out how the hell to start selling on sites other than Amazon. I really don't understand why I sell so well on Amazon but barely anything elsewhere, and I'm veeeery uncomfortable about having all my eggs in this particular basket.


IMO this is a better problem to have than the opposite, which is my problem. I sell decently elsewhere, but can't sell on Amazon. Why is this bad? Because the potential on Amazon is obviously much bigger.


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

In 2015 I'd like to write four books in the JAFF series I have planned and release them on a consistent schedule. I'd also like to add at least one book to my Apocalypto series.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

LKRigel said:


> In 2015 I'd like to write four books in the JAFF series I have planned and release them on a consistent schedule. I'd also like to add at least one book to my Apocalypto series.


I just _love_ your covers, LKRigel.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Patty Jansen said:


> You know, all the blog-setting-up stuff takes so much time.
> 
> In 2015, I want to move my blog and website to another ISP, because this one is slow and annoys the crap out of me. It's all time down the drain that you see little immediate benefit of, except all of a sudden you do.
> 
> ...


I totally agree. Having the material to actual sell is important as well as figuring out once you do have a series or three how to place it best. It's a hard balance to strike, because at the end of the day, nobody knows what will sell well or what selling well will mean for each book and each series.

I have an epic fantasy series that I doubt even with the best marketing etc would ever sell more than maybe 200-300 books a month each (they do about 100-150 each at the moment without any help from me beyond swapping in better covers). It's one reason I started writing urban fantasy instead, because I wanted to aim at a slightly different fantasy market with a bigger potential. I have a fantasy/mystery series that I think from looking at sales of the first book could become a 1k per book per month kind of series (so somewhere between where my UF is and where the EF is), because all on its own with no help from me book 1 is selling 200+ a month at 3.99.

So from a purely mercenary standpoint, the order I'm going to add to those series is UF as a priority (because I can sell thousands a month of each book), mystery/fantasy as second (because I think I could get it up to selling 500-1000 a month of each with more than one book and some marketing help), and my epic stuff last (if I didn't love the world and characters, I'd probably abandon this series, honestly, because I have other ideas that I think could sell thousands, but I'm stubborn and I love the world so I'll take a hit to my potential for this one).

Some books will never have wide appeal. Just the nature of the business. My goal going forward will be to give each series a chance, devoting resources to cover art, editing, marketing if applicable, and then sit back and evaluate. Because not every product is the same and sometimes the answer really is to write the next thing and see if it can launch bigger than something that isn't working out.

Anyway, I'll quit rambling. I've been thinking a lot the last few months about how to build series and brands and how to know when to push something and when a book or series just isn't going to get to the level I want no matter what I do. These are tough things to decide, because in the end... nobody knows.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

ㅈㅈ said:


> I totally agree. Having the material to actual sell is important as well as figuring out once you do have a series or three how to place it best. It's a hard balance to strike, because at the end of the day, nobody knows what will sell well or what selling well will mean for each book and each series.
> 
> I have an epic fantasy series that I doubt even with the best marketing etc would ever sell more than maybe 200-300 books a month each (they do about 100-150 each at the moment without any help from me beyond swapping in better covers). It's one reason I started writing urban fantasy instead, because I wanted to aim at a slightly different fantasy market with a bigger potential. I have a fantasy/mystery series that I think from looking at sales of the first book could become a 1k per book per month kind of series (so somewhere between where my UF is and where the EF is), because all on its own with no help from me book 1 is selling 200+ a month at 3.99.
> 
> ...


The thing is, if I didn't have my epic fantasy, I'd be nowhere, and in the eyes of some people I'm probably nowhere anyway. I probably couldn't spot a marketable book if it hit me in the face, because I don't usually like a lot of bestselling books in the first place.

I do like a lot of books that are written in long series that continue to sell at a steady pace long after the first book was published. I'm a total fangirl of the Miles Vorkosigan series and C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series, neither of which are big but both continue to sell steadily. I think that's the sort of feel I'd be best to emulate, having failed the "How To Write A Bestseller" course.

I do have an idea for urban fantasy, but it will be different urban fantasy, with lots and lots of politics, corruption and were-possums.


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

Lydniz said:


> I just _love_ your covers, LKRigel.


aww.. thank you kindly


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

Pulp speed is literally 3500 words a day. Most of us already hit that and don't realize it. We just take days off.  

If you want to sell more, start analyzing your ideal reader. Who is going to pick up your book and just LOVE IT. What kind of jobs do they hold? Tv shows do they watch? What's their education level? What kind of clothes do they wear, food do they eat? Etc. 

There's more than just Bookbub to reach readers. Readers have other hobbies, think about that too. I'm sure if you come up with ways to reach readers who like fantasy books you'll do great.


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

ㅈㅈ said:


> I totally agree. Having the material to actual sell is important as well as figuring out once you do have a series or three how to place it best. It's a hard balance to strike, because at the end of the day, nobody knows what will sell well or what selling well will mean for each book and each series.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> ...


I've been doing this since 2010 and nothing I've written has hit. I don't think I'm a totally crappy writer, but I've done a lot of things wrong - like bring out series books haphazardly and write in weird, hard-to-hold genres.

In 2015, I'd like everything I put out to be written with the market in mind. Call it mercenary or call it writing books people already know they want to read. I'm just losing my soul writing books I love that people aren't interested in. I need to get back to my old mantra:

Write what they want to read until they want to read what I write. I've always known this is good advice. This year, I mean to take it.


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## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

I feel you should love what you write (which is not always the same thing as writing what you love), but also keep in mind what market you are targeting. Before I begin any project now, I'm going to ask myself who the target readership is and what their expectations will be. I did this with my urban fantasy, which was the first time I tried it like that (instead of writing what I wanted to and then worrying about if it had a market and if I'd targeted that market properly). So far, I'm a huge fan of the results.


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

ㅈㅈ yes, yes, yes.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

ㅈㅈ said:


> I feel you should love what you write (which is not always the same thing as writing what you love), but also keep in mind what market you are targeting. Before I begin any project now, I'm going to ask myself who the target readership is and what their expectations will be. I did this with my urban fantasy, which was the first time I tried it like that (instead of writing what I wanted to and then worrying about if it had a market and if I'd targeted that market properly). So far, I'm a huge fan of the results.


I've done this, too. It's why I started the historical fantasy series with female main character. The results haven't really been very different from anything else I've written. In fact, my trilogy, which has sold best out of everything, was totally unplanned, totally written on a whim, just because I wanted to write it, and because I wanted to see if I could write a really big story.

As far as I'm concerned, trying to second-guess the market doesn't guarantee any measure of success.

I think there are two types of success: the hit-wonders (which you have no way of guessing) and the steady build (which you control by strategically releasing series). There is no way anyone can predict which books will take off by themselves, but you can predict which writers will do moderately well by looking at their persistence and their stable of books.


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

Yes you can predict.

Here, I'll do Galactic Empire Science Fiction books. Now ideally you'll want to do what I'm doing a number of times to get a true idea of the readers BUYING the books. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/6809438011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kstore_2_5_last

10/20 books are $4.95-$4.99. Only 3 of the top 20 are 99 cents. Clearly, it's a readership looking for good stories, not the 99 cent bargains which is still prevalent in other genres (like 15 of 20 contemporary romances are 99 cents right now). So price matters. Also important to note those 99 cent books are bundles, so they're not really going towards the core readership, people buying to fill their fix of a space opera.

#1 in genre is #234 in the Paid Kindle Store. So this IS a genre with deep pockets, it's not obscure. #20 is #1896 in the Paid Kindle Store, about 80-100 sales in a day. More because it's holiday times. So releasing in non-peak times would make it EASIER to crack the top 20. Only ONE name in the top 20 is female. So a male pen name might help sad as that is to say, males often do that who write romance so it happens. The most dominating author has dozens of titles and releases every 1-2 months since 2011.

It looks like MOST of the top 20 are not new releases. They have hundreds of reviews. But most were released this year. #20 of the Hot New Release list is #10,000 or so in the Paid Kindle Store, that's 10-30 sales a day depending on the time of year.

You can do this on ANY subgenre list. Look at the cover, look at the prices, look at the age of the books. I would say that Space Operas Galactic Empires is likely NOT getting enough books for the readers. Study the top sellers, what are they doing that's appealing to readers. If you look on this page you can see on the left hand side there's only 1309 books in Galactic Empire. So the job is to be a book that LOOKS better than the other 1309 and that resonates with the readers buying the top 20. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/6809438011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kstore_2_5_last


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Elizabeth Ann West said:


> Yes you can predict.
> 
> Here, I'll do Galactic Empire Science Fiction books. Now ideally you'll want to do what I'm doing a number of times to get a true idea of the readers BUYING the books. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/6809438011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kstore_2_5_last
> 
> ...


I've been doing that. Only for some reason I can't see the number of books in the category. Weird. I have seen it before.

Anyway, for the type of books they are, I cannot see what I should be doing with the listing that I'm not already doing. In fact, I found a book of mine on 22 in free at Galactic Empires.

I redesigned my covers recently (I do this all the time). For anything I have up, I can't change pen name because some of it is tied up with tradepubs.


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

I hate to say it but I think permafree is your problem.  

Can you write under a pen name? Try Pat Jansen. And even with your redesigns, I can't really read your author name in thumbnail  The name is what readers latch onto. "Oh, I know Patty Jansen books . . . I love them!"  

I honestly trying to help, not criticize. The product description on some of the books is odd too, weird formatting. You can claim the books in author central and override the description the publisher put in KDP.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Elizabeth Ann West said:


> I hate to say it but I think permafree is your problem.
> 
> Can you write under a pen name? Try Pat Jansen. And even with your redesigns, I can't really read your author name in thumbnail  The name is what readers latch onto. "Oh, I know Patty Jansen books . . . I love them!"
> 
> I honestly trying to help, not criticize. The product description on some of the books is odd too, weird formatting. You can claim the books in author central and override the description the publisher put in KDP.


Yeah, but Author Central has a habit of cutting out and doing whatever it wants. Me and Author Central are not friends. What do you find weird?

What about permafree? It's not actually a problem, because before permafree I was selling 10 books a month on Amazon. With it, I'm selling about 100. So I definitely call that a win.


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## dgrant (Feb 5, 2014)

I want to lose 10 kilograms, and I want to do it while eating pate and good cheese and excellent coffee...

(This is where my husband chimes in "If you say one more time that you want a pony, I'm bringing home some horse meat.")

Seriously, we've set a goal of four releases. (Moving ate this year's third release; it won't be ready until January.) It's an ambitious goal for us, but I have high hopes and am not afraid of taking on more of the housework to free up more writing time for him.


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

Elizabeth Ann West said:


> Yes you can predict.
> 
> Here, I'll do Galactic Empire Science Fiction books. Now ideally you'll want to do what I'm doing a number of times to get a true idea of the readers BUYING the books. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/6809438011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kstore_2_5_last
> 
> ...


Well, I hope you're right, Elizabeth, cause I've got a Galactic Empire/space opera series. I've even been in the category top 100 a few times, when I had a new release out. I hope to have the next one ready early next year, so we'll see.


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

Respectfully, all I can offer is what I see. This isn't meant as a personal opinion of you or your writing, just observations from three years of selling other authors' books to readers and seeing the data.

You have 38 titles. I don't think permafree is doing you any favors. You're using it to get exposure, I get it, but the issue isn't whether or not readers will take a chance on your writing, it's whether or not they KNOW about it. Permafree only makes sense when you're so new or unknown that readers can't get a read on you. Going to your author page, I see an author with multiple books free. That tells me as a reader there's a lack of confidence (and I KNOW that's not true). I'm speaking from a reader who buys regular priced novels stand point, not for ALL readers. And I don't mean it as an insult, I mean it as an honest reaction from a reader who doesn't want to waste time trying out books but immediately pick one up I will enjoy. I am not a permafree customer. 

Quite frankly, and I don't mean this meanly or anything, but permafree isn't the savior it once was. It quickly becomes a crutch. We talk about layers of readers. Certain readers will NOT download free books. Certain readers only download free books. Some do both. As a publisher you have to understand the types of messages you're sending to different swaths of readers. It's up to you which readers you want to reach.

You've written many books. But they're all for different audiences. Some are YA, some are for grownups, etc. A few years ago, two or three books was enough to get vested with readers. Now it takes more titles because there IS more competition. I can't immediately look at all of your books and SEE they're all yours. They all look like they were written by other authors all because of the different styling of the author name. 

Traditionally, you'd be using different pen names for all of these different genres. And I understand some don't want to go with what a trad pub would do but it's what readers have come to expect. Even Nora Roberts who most KNOW is J D Robb doesn't publish her mystery/thrillers under Nora Roberts.

When I first published I didn't want to believe my author name needed to look big. But it did. As soon as I changed Cancelled's cover sales increased. You can still see the old one on the paperback version. IN the three years I've been sharing book deals there's just certain variables that repeat over and over again in the authors who build a readership that follows them release after release. The first is making it super easy for readers to recognize the author's brand in the sea of books. (For example, when I looked at the top 20 galactic empire books, I immediately recognized one author had numerous titles because his name was the same and the covers were similar)

I'm not a mega seller. I'm just a midlister who was a reader in need of more of my favorite genre. But I studied and did everything I could to guarantee my success in a genre I know sells well. That part wasn't an accident. That part I planned.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

I really don't think it's all that simple as that. 

My author name used to be a lot bigger, but a number of people told me they thought it was ridiculous. Making it smaller has not lost me any sales.

I have a lot of shorter work in KU and those stories sit at the back of my author page because there's no print version.

The kids book sits at the front because it accidentally went free on Google Play (my fault, not theirs), and Amazon price-matched. It's just gone back to paid, and will disappear off the front page soon.

As for the rest, there are two complete series and two series I'm working on. They're ALL SF and Fantasy.

I look at other authors who sell well. For example Mark Cooper sells military SF mixed with YA and fantasy under his name on the same page. J.R. Tomlin sells Histfic and fantasy under the same name on the same page. Lindsay Buroker has various different types of fantasy series all under her name. Those are just a few examples. There is cross-pollination of SF and Fantasy readers, so I can't see a reason to use a pen name. If I were to jump to a completely new genre, I'd use a pen name, but maintaining pen names is a big headache, and I'm not convinced that it's necessary.

I may go back on the permafrees, but to be honest, I am certain that if I do, my sales will completely collapse. I look unknown because I am unknown.

Anyway, I spent a lot of time fiddling with all this stuff. New blurb, new cover, new categories yada, yada, and it all made not one iota of difference in sales. So for the time being I'm chalking it up as a waste of time and I'm going to try something different. Which will be: cross-promotion and working on my mailing list. And getting books 3 and 4 of two respective series out.

ETA: book 1 of my space opera thriller series is 99c (normally $6.99) because of the SFF cross-promo on 1 January that I'm running. I needed to change the price on Apple before the holidays, and couldn't change the price on Apple without triggering nasty pricematching shenanigans, so I've made it 99c everywhere in anticipation of the promo.


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

Well I truly hope 2015 is your year.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Elizabeth Ann West said:


> Well I truly hope 2015 is your year.


I think I'll just keep plugging on as usual: slowly increasing as the number of volumes in my series increases.


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

Space opera... I wonder if that is really an offshoot of what is selling in the videogame world?

I have had this wacky idea that for a genre like that, a group of writers should get together and cooperatively write a collection of novels. The group (perhaps formed as a multi-party partnership or a LLC) would build a common set of worlds, a common technology, vocabulary, a common mythology or heroic past, and some key characters. Costs would be shared, and readers could traverse the many worlds through a rich but cohesive collection of novels, which could be released in a very short time.

It's just one of those ideas. 

-Bruce  (Mondello Publishing)


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

555aaa said:


> Space opera... I wonder if that is really an offshoot of what is selling in the videogame world?
> 
> I have had this wacky idea that for a genre like that, a group of writers should get together and cooperatively write a collection of novels. The group (perhaps formed as a multi-party partnership or a LLC) would build a common set of worlds, a common technology, vocabulary, a common mythology or heroic past, and some key characters. Costs would be shared, and readers could traverse the many worlds through a rich but cohesive collection of novels, which could be released in a very short time.
> 
> ...


That's been done.


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## M T McGuire (Dec 6, 2010)

For what it's worth. My first book is perma free. I sell about 12 - 18 of the others, in total each month. This may sound risible but I find it almost impossible to persuade people to read my first book even though it's free so the conversion rate for people who actually do read it then going and reading the others is probably 50%. It's won awards, it's on Awesome Indies and IndiePENdents. None of the big sites like Als Books and Pals will look at it. 

So, what I'm saying is that for a book no bugger will read, except practically at gunpoint, my books are selling really well. Free has resulted in about 13 - 17 more book sales per month than I was getting before.

I would kill to sell my books somewhere other than Amazon. The free one is often downloaded from Google Play but if Googlers are reading the paid ones they're buying them on their Amazon App. I get the odd sale through Smashwords but that's all. Then again, several of my readers have tried to review my books on iBooks and nobody can get a review to stick there. 

One of my biggest headaches is that I write humour and most American promotion sites don't have a humour category - or a 'humor' category. What's with that? But things that have worked for me.

1. Make the first book free. Since it's a really hard sell, it being free has netted me a fair few reads that I wouldn't otherwise have had and upped my sales hugely.
2. Recommend other books in the back of your own by authors who write similar tales - they don't even have to be the same genre, just share the same attitude as you. Explain what you've done and ask if they'd like to recommend you back. Most will, on their site or in their books. I'm sure this has netted me some sales.
3. Get a collective together, even if it's just a small one. You can pool ideas, encourage each other, take tables together at conventions etc. You can even publish an anthology. X number of mailing lists will bring more sales than one.
4. Write more books. Write books that you like with covers that you like - even if they're completely different to everyone else's because otherwise you will find it hard to sell them with conviction.
5. Accept that this is a marathon, not a sprint (except for some lucky people). Julia Donaldson (Gruffalo) and Michael Murporgo (War Horse) wrote both those books in the 1980s. 'Overnight' success is often the result of several years hard work. 
6. Don't look at how far you have to go or how far behind other writers who started much later than you you are, forget how much snail and tortoise dust you're eating. Concentrate on how far you've come. Go at your own pace. Believe in what you're doing and take it one mouse step at a time.

There you go, that's my twopennorth. I'm rubbish at selling books fast but I used to be the marketing manager for a UK household name and I'm pretty sure it's just a case of going for quality in all things: mailing list, book ads, books, customer base and generate them all at a pace that you are comfortable with... but that may be just me.

Cheers peps


MTM
That's what has worked for me so far. My sales are laughably piss poor compared to most of yours but what if we look at percentage gains my marketing strategy has resulted in an almost twentyfold increase in sales... literally.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

MTM, thanks for this.

All too often we see people who sell well tell us that this is how it's done, but it really doesn't work like that.

You get lots of reviews because you sell, not the other way around
Your author page has your bestsellers at the top because they sell, not because of anything you can do
A cover change *can* trigger higher sales, but much more often, it doesn't. It can also make sales worse.
The same for a blurb change.
Formatting *does* make a difference
Titles in the top 20 are in there because they sell, not because of the way they look. You can try to emulate this, but it doesn't guarantee success.

Anyway, I'm not really unhappy about sales, and this is not a "what is wrong" thread, because I don't think anything is wrong. I am saying that after spending 2014 writing like crazy, I have to spend a bit more time in doing the work required to be smarter about selling those books.

Promos are nice, but they're short-lived and exhausting. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes, slow-burn stuff you can do, such as measures to increase your mailing list and other things I don't yet know about.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

ゴジラ said:


> Other vendors respond really well to freebies. Only downside is that Amazon will then pricematch, and Amazon's not treating freebies very well these days.


They're treating them well enough, but I think the shine has gone a little bit off the mega-promo freebie promo. Or maybe people at Amazon are just going a little bit more the way of other platforms: fewer freebie downloads, but more freebies actually being read. My sell-through rate used to be atrocious, something less than one percent, but lately it's been up to about 5-10%. Ironically, I'm getting both more downloads and have a higher sell-through. This is about the no-promo,organic sell-through. It's been ages since I've last done a decent promo.


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

Patty, I've only done one paid promo on my freebie since October, and am seeing the same thing. Less downloads but much higher sell-through. I'm going to ride out the no/very few ads for as long as I can, see how the whole organic thing keeps working. 
Of course, as soon as I'm eligible for a bookbub again, I'll be back in their lineup with my porridge bowl out, asking for another.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

I've decided not to set a goal for how many books I'm going to publish this year. I know it will be a minimum of 19 (yes, that sounds like a lot, but seven are already written). I tipping my toes back in the erotica market, and launching a new series under my pen name (although I won't be releasing a title a month like I do with the other series -- and the totals for that series are not included in the 19 -- they're just gravy). I think I could honestly hit 25 full books -- but I'm not setting goals for that. I have no idea how many erotica titles I will write. I have to get back in the swing of things (and there are some old titles I'm going to clean up and republish). I'm just looking forward to writing full time.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Lionel's Mom said:


> Patty, I've only done one paid promo on my freebie since October, and am seeing the same thing. Less downloads but much higher sell-through. I'm going to ride out the no/very few ads for as long as I can, see how the whole organic thing keeps working.
> Of course, as soon as I'm eligible for a bookbub again, I'll be back in their lineup with my porridge bowl out, asking for another.


LOL I had my last Bookbub in April,but they've since decided that they hate me. I must have submitted about 30 times (every 2 weeks, about 5 different books, different book every time) but all I'm getting is negatives, so I'm almost at the point where I'm thinking screw Bookbub. I'll do my own Bookbub (see January promo thread) and build my own mailing list etc. etc. Do I really need these sites? In the long term blergh probably not. Are you listening Bookbub? You *could* accept me just once and I'll think you're awesome again.


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## M T McGuire (Dec 6, 2010)

Ah the secret of off Amazon sales. Yeh, it's a tough one. I think I might manage to publish one book next year - it depends if I can afford to have it edited. The only writing time available to me is 12.00 until 2.00 on school days so it takes me a while to get stuff done and I like to make the most of it. So I guess I just want to be more laid back about what I'm doing - less time panicking more time writing! And keep growing as a writer. I may end up working on a collaboration this coming year; something completely different and if it comes off I'm really looking forward to it. 

What some of you are saying about reads... I would cautiously postulate that I'm experiencing that too. I think my hit rate is about 20 or 30 percent though. Congratulations to those of you who are producing... well... even more than two books is awesome. It think it's the way to go if at all possible. If I can tidy up my short stories I might manage to publish two books this year! ;-) 

Anyway, all the best and good luck with your targets everyone but if life gets in the way and you don't get there, relax! I make about £40 a month from my book sales. I hope to make it £100 by the end of next year. We shall see.

Cheers

MTM


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

ゴジラ said:


> Other vendors respond really well to freebies. Only downside is that Amazon will then pricematch, and Amazon's not treating freebies very well these days.


Yes, I'm reluctantly starting to think I should give it a shot. I understand the thinking behind permafree but I've always resisted because my first in series is my best seller and I tend to take the view that once you've gone free there's nowhere else to go. I might do it but wait until I've finished the series.


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## rjspears (Sep 25, 2011)

I want my computer to learn how to read my mind, type up my book, generate a great cover, and then published it to every site.  Then the book will become a breakout bestseller, catch the eyes of a Hollywood producer, get caught up on a bidding war, and earn me a 7-figure sale, then gets made into box office blockbuster.

Outside of that fantasy happening, I want to finish off one of my series, complete the my latest genre-hopping book, learn how to have a better integrated marketing plan for it.  Then I'll have decide which of my ideas to turn into a new project.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

Lydniz said:


> Yes, I'm reluctantly starting to think I should give it a shot. I understand the thinking behind permafree but I've always resisted because my first in series is my best seller and I tend to take the view that once you've gone free there's nowhere else to go. I might do it but wait until I've finished the series.


If your first in series is selling, then there is no reason to make it free, imo.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Cherise Kelley said:


> If your first in series is selling, then there is no reason to make it free, imo.


It is selling, but only on Amazon. I can't get arrested anywhere else, for some reason. I'd only go permafree if I thought it would get me some traction with other retailers.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

Maybe write a prequel to be your permafree.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I'm not sure that would be possible with this series, although I admit the idea hadn't occurred to me before. Perhaps I'll give that some thought, thanks.


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## DawnLee (Aug 17, 2014)

In 2014, I wanted to publish my first novel and gain more confidence in my own voice, even though my voice isn't necessarily everyone's cup of tea. I did the first and I think I did the second. Maybe. 

In 2015, I dearly hope to be able to transition from ghostwriting to my own writing full time. I can't even imagine how wonderful that would feel.


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## Guest (Dec 26, 2014)

In 2015, I'd like to bring more attention to the books I wrote in 2011-2012. That, and sell more books outside Amazon than on Amazon. If there's one thing KU has taught me, it's don't put all your officers on the same shuttlecraft.


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## Robert Dahlen (Apr 27, 2014)

In 2015, I'd like to maintain my writing and publishing pace. That would result in Monkey Queen books 3-6 written and published, and books 7-8 in the wings.

I'd also like, once I get to book 4 or 5, to find the best promo methods that I can access and run with them.

And in the "pipe dream" category: Start another series that ties in my current one, but with novel lengths long enough to qualify for BookBub down the road.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Goals for 2015: publish another short story in my series and have the next novel mostly done by the end of the year. Also, change covers to something that looks more squarely urban fantasy.

Welcome, joebananas. Best of luck.


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## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

I'd like to finish a novella and publish the first in a new YA mystery series.


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