For those of you waiting, I am still working on the compiled list of reviewer-ish sites that you can use to promote your book. It's going to be a pretty nice list, so give me a little longer. It'll be worth the wait!
I wanted to update you on what I've been doing. Happily, writing again! Whew. After all last week(end) getting sucked into msg boards and e-marketing, I'm finally back to what I should be doing. And I'm really excited that I've got a rough draft ready for beta readers for chapters 1-5 of Dirty Blood. Woohoo! I also started a new project over the weekend, working title: Fairy Godmother.
The main reason I started it was because I needed a breather from Dirty Blood. I swear, a job qualification of a writer is multiple personalities. And don't worry. If you don't already have them, they'll develop as you write! Anyway, my "editor" personality had gotten ahold of me; snuck up on me really. Usually I see him coming (yes its a him, is that weird?) and knock him over the head with a heavy object when he starts getting obnoxious. I mean, I can't totally get rid of him because I do - grudgingly - need him sometimes. But this time, I was blindsided and before I knew it, I was buying into what he was saying. Which was: this story sucks, its not even worth revising, who would want to read this crap? etc.
Has this every happened to any of you? Usually its a cycle I go through a few times in the process of writing a story. When I'm in this part of the cycle, no new ideas flow and it depresses me to work on the project. Then I finally cycle back out into the confident (possibly a little egotistical) cycle and everything's great, including the story and where it's going, and ideas pour into me so fast I get light headed. Needless to say, that's where I am now. Whew. Thank goodness. Nobody at my house really likes me when the editor takes over. *insert evil laugh here*
And I checked my final numbers for January this morning and we are tied!
Across the Galaxy 9
DreamKiller 9
*Sidebar: These numbers are Amazon only. Still haven't sold any from B&N. Also- I uploaded DreamKiller via Smashwords to see how they worked and it's still not even live (it's been almost a week). Anyone have any words of wisdom about smashwords? Are they any good?
Woohoo! Keep in mind, the novel didnt go live until Jan 23rd so that's only about 8 days of sales. I dont know about you, but I'm pretty happy with that for my first 8 days of being published. And I know as I do more marketing, those numbers will only get better. But I also know that most importantly (according to our 'sensei' Joe Konrath) I NEED to get another book out there. ASAP. So... back to work.
Heather, actually, you are doing a great job in sales. The majority of new fiction writers seem to sell their books for .99 cents and only receive .35 cents per copy. At your price you actually have sold 104 books (if you used the .99 cent rate).
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I too have had to pull back from marketing and social media a bit. I want to focus more attention on my writing.
Continued Success.
Thanks Bakari. I read your guest blog/interview. Loved it. Very interestesting. Made me want to check out your books!
ReplyDeleteSo, are you wanting to switch our MS as we go along (every 5 chapters or so) or wait until we can give over the whole thing? Because I have the first draft done for the first 5 chapters of Descended in Blood. I am fine either way but would suggest that we do a complete read through when they are finished.
ReplyDeleteI am excited Dirty Blood is about Weres! I wanted werewolves in mine but could not mix the vamps and weres like I wanted with the story line I had. I am not sure I could do them justice anyhow. Is your book adult or YA?
You are not alone on going through phases of feeling like your writing is just crap. I hate it when I am having one of those because I feel like I suck as a writer. Then I come back later to read what I wrote and I think I was so stupid for feeling like that because what I wrote is pretty good.
Congrats on the sales! Whoo-hoo!
Are you on twitter? And you don't have anyway to contact you either ;)
Angeline Kace
I'm not sure if you have these on the list you are working on for book reviewers, but check them out to see if they would fit in:
ReplyDeleteTara Maya and David Sedore (spotlightonindies)
Shelia
www.peelingcheek.wordpress.com
Shelia- I think I have that one but if not, will add it. Thanks =)
ReplyDeleteAngeline- Mine is YA, which is what I love to read. And as for swapping, I am way too impatient on getting feedback, so if you're up for swapping now, let's do it! Besides, we'll probably both end up revising things between now and the finished product, so reading now and again when its all done is a good idea. At least for mine, it might even seem like a whole new story with the revisions I might end up doing. haha.
To answer your other question, no I'm not on Twitter (yet). Its on my to do list but it seems I always have more pressing priorities and havent gotten around to it. I didnt realize I had no contact info so here's my email so you can send the MS: heatherhildenbrand@yahoo.com
I'll try to remember to get some contact info posted somewhere on here soon.=)