Christian Indie Authors

Want to join the CIA
Before you get all excited, it's not really the CIA as in the government office. Instead it's Christian Indie Authors.  We are a group of authors that just love to write Christian Fiction. 

Website 
CIA has a great website and we are growing every month. We offer a place for each of our Authors to post an Image, Link, and brief comments about their work.  Check it out Here    We have Romance - Women's Fiction, Young Adult Authors,    Children's Authors and everything in between.  Fantasy, Thriller, Non fiction, Crime Drama, and more. 

Facebook 
Most of our day to day conversations take place on our busy Facebook group.  We are 103 members and growing every week.  We welcome advertising of your new books, of your blogs, of questions about anything to do with writing.  Though we are all Christians we don't normally discuss religion, but we don't shy from questions that anyone might have, especially if it has to do with their Novel. We have documents too, for sharing our links samples of our work, and we often have Like My page, Tag my book sessions.  We are very supportive of our members.

Covers Artist
Our Christian Indie Cover Design Facebook group was created for the Christian Author that is trying to find an Artist for their Cover.  It's a way of connecting Authors and Artists.  It's very important that we have the best cover possible so if you're in need of a Cover Artist, or if your an Artist that wants to join, check us out.

You don't have to be a Christian to be one of our Artist, but you must be willing to not advertise any images, be it your profile image or a image you share, beyond anything of a pg13.  We have on the website a Pre-made cover section where you can offer images.  There is also a page where we advertise for our Cover Artist, and you as an Artist can show off covers you've made for other Authors.  

Editing 
Christian Indie Editing Service  is a brand new group.  We are small right now, with only 19 members but I expect that this group will grow also. There is also a place for our Editors on our website, here.  You're more than welcome to join this group, if you are looking for an editor or you do editing.

Sponsors 
We're open to allowing Sponsors. Right now you can join us for free.  If you have a product we think would be good for our Writers, then we'll post a link and an image and a small feature about your site or product.

Christian Indie Authors Daily Paper
The CIA paper is filled daily with blogs and book trailers from our Christian Authors.  Please feel free to subscribe.  We can carry about 25 blogs a day in the paper, and we are very fair about letting our authors have spots in the daily paper.  

Ever Changing Group
We are always growing or changing, so please check back often.  We are all about the Christian Indie so if you've been writing for years, or if you are just starting, you will find a place here among other authors just as yourself.  The best way to contact us is through our Face Book Group Here.

Samantha Fury
President and Owner of Christian Indie Authors

Nano - Forum Threads and Face Book Group

I love Nano
You may ask why do I love Nano and promote it so much.  Well, I'll tell you.  It's what started my path to self publishing.  Most of the time if you complete the contest you win a free proof of the book that you worked on that year.  I won the contest. I typed 50 thousands works in the month of November on a brand new story that I had never worked on. Once I uploaded my word count to the Nano site, I won, and I got my proof.

Create Space 
I can not guarantee that Create Space will once again sponsor a free proof at the end of the contest but they have for the last for years.  They normally wait until the contest is over and then they will announce that the winners will receive a free proof of their winning Novel.  This past year Create Space offered us 5 free proofs.  Yes I said 5.  That was shipping and all for those of us in the States.


Two places to join in on the fun: 

Indie Authors 

Nano Face book Group

Official Nana Word Count Thread
This will be on the Indie Authors Forum.  Come in and join in on the fun and see what your fellow Nano Authors are doing.  There will also be lots of chatting and cheering sections if you need some help. Then there will also be the Word Count thread, were each of us can post our daily word counts.  In that thread there will be no chatting just counting.

Indie Authors Face book Group
I'm sure there will be word counts tossed about here too, but the forum is best to keep up with a daily word count.  If you have a competitive nature as I do, you will want to see what others are doing on the forum.  Then I'll also check in on what everyone is doing on the face book group.  Hearing their goals for the day and how they are enjoying or hating their nano experience.

Nano Preparation 
Come join us on the forum or the face book group if you want to learn more about Nano or how to get ready for Nano. I also suggest that some people love and do better with a support group.  It can really help when you are not getting the word counts that you need.  Drop by and say hello!

Samantha Fury
Nano Head.. lol

My Wattpadd Fans

Free book offer
If you're one of my faithful readers on wattpad, from now until December 25th, I'm offering a coupon for the entire book Street Justice Charlie's Angel on Smashwords.  You'll just need to contact me through my website to get the free book coupon.  I know I've had lots of reads so I'm hoping some of my fans will take me up on this offer.  Just go to my website and click the Email Samantha and I'll get you that Smash Coupon in your email.

Wattpad 
I think Wattpad is a great website where you can upload samples of your work. I just love the kids over there, they are so supportive of each other.  Some of them are very talented when it comes to making covers.  If you're a member be sure and look me up and we can fan each other. If you're an Author and you'd like to share some of your work just head over to Wattpadd.  I always warn folks just beware it is mostly teens so rate your work accordingly.


Book Trailer
There is even a place for you to share your book trailer if you have one.  I just uploaded my trailer today I think it will help to get the attention of more readers.  I will have to change the trailer when I get the new cover uploaded but for now this is still the Official Trailer for Charlie's Angel

Reads - Votes  - Comments 
I've had over 500 reads and considering I don't upload the whole book to the site, that's really good.  I have updated just today and now there is 28 free chapters, and that offer of a free read from Smash until December 25th is my Christmas Present to my fans and readers.

Fan Me
It's not a requirement to get the free book, but I will appreciate it very much and who knows I might be hosting some drawings for a free read for the Second book in the series Tidal Wave at some point.  I do appreciate my Fans and would love to hear from you. 

Contact Me.
If you'd like to send me an email just go to my website and click on this link and go to the Email Samantha. 

Till next time
Samantha Fury

September Sales Slump

Crashing Sales
I've heard from so many authors that this month has been bad for them.  It really shocked me when I checked in and seen how low my sales were.  I checked as I always did and there was that BBOS.  The brown bar of shame, that we all see at the first of the month.  You might not call it that, but if you're an author you've seen it, and you may have even kept checking back to see when that first sale of the month comes in. 

Down Down Down 
My sales over the months have been anything from 50 books to 80 books so when I checked in this month and I kept seeing that brown bar of shame, and low sales I started asking. Is my run over. Is this it?  Well, that is yet to be seen, but I have heard from many authors saying their sales were down.  Some of the Authors that have been doing this for a while say that sales are always down in September.

Explanation
Sorry folks, but I don't have one.  I could guess. Maybe it had something to do with School, Fall Activities, and folks generally trying to save money. I said on one of my FaceBook groups Indie Authors Unite, that maybe people finally realized that gas was almost 5 dollars a gallon and they decided they needed to cut back somewhere.

Final Numbers 
Tonight, the last day of the month I hit 17 books for my final sales for September.  I don't think I've hit this low in over a year, but that is the way the cookie crumbles, or the ebook crumbles. Now on to next month, and we'll see what happens.  If I have another bad month like this one, I'll drop Charlie's Angel back down to .99 cents and see if that spurs sales once again. I'm hoping this is just a September slump that will end tonight at midnight. 

Maybe October will bring more treats than tricks. 

Talk soon
Samantha Fury

Changing E book Pricing

A time for a change 
I always wondered from the day I set my first book to 99 cents, should I ever change it to 2.99 to see what would happen.  I have my novels on Amazon and Smashwords so  I assumed all I would need to do, would be go to Amazon and Smashwords and change my prices.  As I've said in the last post, boy was I wrong.

Amazon Price Matching
Amazon was easy to change, I just switched it to 2.99 and went on my way, but what I quickly learned was that they price match. Street Justice Charlie's Angel was still coming up as 99 cents.  I had no idea why because I'd changed my prices on Smashwords and Amazon.  Well Smashwords had not contacted all of their retailers and it seemed like they were taking a long time to do so.  I decided after a few weeks to start contacting them myself.  

Red Tape
I emailed Smashwords about four times over about a two month period.  I even contacted several of their retailers, some of them changed the price for me and others said no.  They told me that although that was my book on their shelf, they couldn't change it until they'd heard from Smashwords. I don't recall who told me what, but it was not a happy experience.

Finally 2.99
I know it took them some time, but finally one of my emails to the fine folks at Smashwords hit it's mark and my book magically appeared on line at all Smashword retailers and it then appeared on Amazon for 2.99.  I'm not saying that the folks at Smash did anything wrong, it's just a tedious process and I'm sure they have lots of people wanting their prices changed. I'm just saying be careful when you set a price anywhere. Think long and hard about what you want your book to be sold for, because if you change your mind it may take you a while to get the price to change.

The new price
After all of my hard work at getting Street Justice Charlie's Angel up to the price of 2.99 I'm more than likely going to lower it back down to .99 cents.  It is my first novel, and I really consider it a giveaway to get noticed, and to be found among all of the authors that are out there.  

Sales did drop in half
Though I am making the same amount of money that I was while I kept the book at 99 cents, I am not gaining the same amount of readers.  I think at this early stage in my career, it is best to gain more readers, than it is to worry about revenue. 

What has been your experience in sales?  Feel free to comment and share your experience.

Samantha Fury
Author of the Street Justice Series

A lesson on E-Book Sales

Background

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.  

A Cover Face Lift

Hello Everyone! 

I know it's been a while since I blogged and I'm sorry but I've been so busy.  I've been working on book three, and my new covers.  I am not finished but I thought I would let you see what I've been up to. 

Street Justice Series
I think that it's time for a face lift for my Street Justice series. I love this series and thank God that he gave me Angel and Charlie and all of these wonderful people that live in this in this ongoing series.  I just love the first Angel, but since he's not modeling anymore, I'm going to change models.  I don't think the models that we place on the covers usually suit most readers, but I like to find the best image I can for the front cover and the book trailers.

Angel Morganson
I searched through thousands of images and I've finally settled on Jimmy Thomas for the new model that will portray Angel Morganson.  He's handsome, he's fit, and he has a gun. :)  I don't know how many covers he'll grace, but I love the new image and here is the first peak at the new cover for Charlie's Angel.  This cover will undergo a few changes before it hits the Amazon Pages.  I've not bought any of the images yet so all of the lines, circles and such will fade with time.

Making a cover is not an easy task, and I've always been an artist/musician, so I can't help but tackle the task of making my own covers. That said there will be some Artist that joins me on this venture to help iron out a few issues that I'm having. 

The new downloads of Charlie's Angel will also contain the first five chapters of the second book in the series Tidal Wave, which is also getting a face lift.  Thanks for being patient and I'll try to blog a more often.

Samantha Fury
Author of the Street Justice Series.