As long as I can remember I've told myself stories. When I turned eight, I started writing on paper along with telling myself stories. As I got older I kept writing, and writing. I have hundreds of novels hidden and written in various stages, on anything and everything from Floppies to tons of notebooks.
I always love reading my own stories, but never really thought others would. I entered the Nano Contest see here in 2010, I won and they offered me one free book. I thought, why not get it and see what it looks like. I worked for 6 months making my own cover, got the proof and fell in love with the idea of Self Publishing.
Sales 101
I'm writing this to help those that are just getting started, those that are seeing sales so low they are thinking about giving up. I'm selling anywhere from 17 to 80 books a month now. That was not how it started.
When i first released Street Justice Charlie's Angel on Amazon, I thought this is going to be good. Locally I was selling fair at 10 dollars a book. I thought I can sale a lot of novels at 2.99 Boy was I wrong.
2010 Sales
August nothing.
September One book @ $2.99
October nothing
November nothing
Price Change
What I didn't know back then was no one knew me. No one wanted or cared to read my novel, they didn't know who I was. I lowered my books to 99 cents. Things started to change, a little.
December I sold 4 books at .99 cents and since the change took effect this month I sold one at 2.99. I thought okay this is better I even managed to sale one in the UK.
In 2010 in 6 months I sold 6 books. Not impressive. But I didn't give up.
2011 Sales Still slow Staying at .99
Jan 4 3 in the gbp
Feb 1
March 1
April 1
May 6
June 5
July 5
August 7
Book Two is released
Here is where things started to break. I was shocked right out of the gate book two Street Justice Tidal Wave sold eight books it's first month. Slowly sales starting rising also on book one, but I still left it at 99 cents. I don't know why book two did this. I don't know why it still out sales book one. Maybe folks like the cover better, maybe the blurb is better, but I did learn to have patientce and give it time. I don't do a lot of marketing either. Sales are what they are because one book sales the other.
Sept 1 Charlie's Angel
Sept 8 Tidal Wave
Oct 3 Charlie's Angel
Oct 7 Tidal Wave
Nov 3 Charlie's Angel
Nov 17 Tidal Wave
Dec 12 Charles's Angel
Dec 17 Tidal Wave Book Three Coming Soon
I really can't wait to see what book three does. It amazed me how much having a second book out there helped. If you only have one book out there, don't waste your time trying to market it, or push it. Work on book two, get book two out there, and maybe even book three.
Five Book Plan
I personally don't plan on doing any heavy or real marketing until I have five books out. Then you may see my name in the paper or on the local news station. I want people to have some choices out there before I try to really become known. I don't want them to think I'm a one book wonder. As long as the good Lord allows me to stay on this earth, I'm here to stay and here to write.
In a few days I'll blog about 2012 Sales.
Samantha Fury
Author of the Street Justice Series.
