Sunday, August 14, 2011

Lessons I'm learning along the way

Ten days have passed since the release of my first novel, An Unlawful Order, on Amazon Kindle and in paperback at Lulu. Here are a few things I've discovered so far.

1) Supporters -- and supporters are those who buy your book -- can come from the most unlikely avenues. For example, a friend posted the news of my novel's release on her Facebook page, rallied her friends, and several of her friends immediately downloaded the book. And, this friend posted a review on Amazon. Now that's a friend. I can't wait until it's time to help promote her book.

2) Likewise, those I'd expected to support me by downloading the book for $2.99, haven't. (Lesson learned: For whatever reason someone gives you for not supporting you, just smile and keep writing your sequel.)

3) Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook (see #1) really, really work. Since the release of the book, I've become Twitter followers of several Tom Clancy and WEB Griffin fans, and guess what? A handful of those fans are now following me.

4) The Amazon sales rankings are shrouded in mystery. How one $2.99 download of my book can jump it 20,000 in sales rankings is beyond me, but according to Amazon, the rankings take everything into consideration, including how long your book has been on the market. Meaning, I suppose, that my book is moving faster than a book that was released six months ago. Therefore, every sale of my book counts more. Still, such a mystery.

5) For all the buzz about Kindle, Ebook, EPub, iPad, etc., don't believe the hype that everyone on the planet has made the transition. I've lost count of how many sales I've lost because the paperback hasn't appeared on Amazon and Barnes and Noble yet; the approval process for both companies apparently takes weeks. The paperback is available at Lulu's bookstore, but not everyone on the planet has heard of Lulu yet, either. So, be prepared for a few setbacks; be willing to explain to your readers how to download a free "Kindle for PC" from Amazon, so they can download your book. 










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2 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 16, 2011 at 7:20 PM

    Congrats on the release of your book.

    2) Right on. It's very surprising.
    4) If you ever crack that code please let me know. It's more of a mystery when you jump several thousand places and didn't sell a thing.

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  2. Carver GreeneAugust 17, 2011 at 4:47 AM

    4) I think you have to BE on crack to understand the rankings. :)

    Thanks for the congrats, Ben. If you get a chance to read, I'd love your feedback.

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