Writing a book is only the start
Well, I’ve just finished the final proof of Sam Mouse. I’d like to say that’s the end of the process. I can pat myself on the back and say I wrote a book. Its no small thing. Even if it is only 47000 words. I’ve learnt a lot in the process. But this is only half the process. Conceiving of the ideas, writing the book, re-writing, editing, re-writing, proof reading, re-writing. Finding a publisher, Cover design, formatting for Amazon, publishing on Amazon. Each step is, in itself, a maze of issues to be tackled. I’ve actually started to put together a bit of a ‘how to’ on each of these steps.
But it doesn’t end with the book appearing on Amazon. After that happens, you’ve got to hope that some actually buys the book. (Ok, thanks Mum & Dad, I know you’ve put in a pre-order.) Of course, you wrote the book purely for the literary merit, and don’t care a bit if no one buys it…but still…it would be nice to read a review or two. So maybe it would be nice for it to sell one or two copies.
Selling by pre-order
Authors put books up for pre-order, not because they want to get your money before they’ve finished the job, but because they want to get their book noticed. Its all to do with sales algorithms. You see, if you put the book up for sale, and someone buys a copy today, and another person buys it tomorrow. They some else buys it the day after, you’ve made three sales. But that’s hardly a spike in the ‘top ten list’ on Amazon. But if you put it up for pre-order, and over the period of a month ten people order your book, on the day your book goes live, your sales rank is immediately ten. Doesn’t sound like much, but ten books on day one is enough to actually get a book into the top 100 of some genres. In fact, in many genres it can get it into the top 20. Even if the book is in the top twenty for only a day, that is often enough additional sales. Which keeps you in the sales ranking. Then, of course, your book as to live on its merits. And reviews.
Good reviews. Or even bad reviews that are honest.
So, Sam Mouse is ready. He is sitting on Amazons servers, waiting to go. On the 22 April, Amazon will set him free!
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PS: I’d love to hear from you if you buy ebooks with someone other than Amazon. Leave a reply to let me know who you use. My next step is to finalize the paperback copy of Sam Mouse, and to upload the book to Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes etc. I’d love to hear what people are using for their ebooks.
So looking forward to reading it.
So looking forward to reading it.
Congrats, I’ve pre ordered it. I’m up to 30,000 out of about an estimated 90,000 words of my final working draft and, as usual, you spur me on. Best of luck with it, if you were a dancer, I’d say ‘Chookers!’
Congrats, I’ve pre ordered it. I’m up to 30,000 out of about an estimated 90,000 words of my final working draft and, as usual, you spur me on. Best of luck with it, if you were a dancer, I’d say ‘Chookers!’