Huzzah!
I have sold 850 books on Amazon since I have started this entire self-published fiction thing! That number includes books and e-books, but doesn’t include thing like “Pickman’s Model” and the Kindle Vella short stories*. 243 books per year (I started about halfway through 2020) sold through Amazon… isn’t too bad, honestly. I want to thank who has ever taken a chance on my stuff. It’s greatly appreciated.
Continue reading I hit a nice, divisible-by-ten milestone in Amazon sales today!This is sort of my first out-of-state convention (technically, DoxaCon was in Virginia, but it didn’t really feel like out of state. Stellar Con runs a good show; I’ve done well at the last two I’ve done down here. I look forward to seeing how it goes in Pennsylvania.
But why wait? Buy my books now! The perfect Christmas gift.
I don’t actually want that to happen, obviously. But, thanks to inflation, costs are up, and prices have to go up to compensate. FROZEN DREAMS is going to stay the same price in paperback, but prices on some of the others are going to get raised to be more in line with GHOSTS ON AN ALIEN WIND‘s.
Yeah, I’m not happy about it, either. Honestly, I should raise the prices of all my novels to $14.99, but my head’s not there yet. But it may be, soon, so now is the time to buy my books at the cheaper rates…
#commissionearned
I know people aren’t supposed to discuss money or sales, but I think that’s because they’re embarrassed to admit it when they need more of either. But why lie? Ten more bucks in sales this month lets me break three figures in online income. Seventy more bucks and I’m at over two grand income for lifetime sales on Amazon. Two hundred, and I do better than I did last year (it was a rough first and second quarter).
So… tell all your friends about my books! Shoot, tell your rivals and frenemies if you think it’ll help. I write good stuff, and I’m not too proud to say it.
#commissionearned
There is a very weird-a*s Lovecraft vibe to THE HYPERBOREAN. It’s like if HPL had eaten some shrooms one night, or something, and wanted to write something messed up about bootleggers. Then again; I am obviously partial to the idea of mixing cosmic horror, and booze*.
*Check out “Impurities” in my chapbook REVISIONARY for more along those lines.
#commissionearned
And can be found here. Of most interest to me:
Well, there’s also the 3:20 panel, but I am doing vending at the convention. I need to be actually sitting at the table if I want to sell any books. Especially since it looks like vending only takes place the one day (Saturday, November 4). I think I will be taking a minimalist approach for this one: I shouldn’t bring too many books, and probably should just stick to a display that can be easily put together and taken apart. Something to think about.
Hrm. That dinner. Is that something I need to dress for? I’m not entirely sure of all the social, heh, conventions…
It’s not entirely a great time, honestly. To start off with, I’m going to have to change the focus from doing another volume of TALES FROM THE FERMI RESOLUTION to funding BANSHEE BEACH (the next Tom Vargas novel). The RPG project is going to get shelved entirely for another year, and I’m probably going to end up squeezing as much as I can to pay for an audiobook for TINSEL RAIN*. This has not been a great time to sell books, economically speaking. Which also means that I’ll have more expenses, including things like covers and map updates. I’m going to be reaching out to people and finding out what their new rates are. Yay inflation! …Can’t be helped, though. People need to eat.
All of which means that my Kickstarter goal this time is going to be higher. A good bit higher, likely. I’m not really thrilled about that, but what can you do? …Except sell more books, I guess. Go ahead and click the links!
Moe Lane
*I think that there’s a market there, but the way we did the FROZEN DREAMS audiobook was ultimately self-defeating from a marketing standpoint. Ach, well, live and learn.
#commissionearned
I mean, I knew it was coming but ouch. I’m not even begrudging the taxes, much. Fair’s fair. Still… buy my books, hey? They’re good!
The print version of GHOSTS ON AN ALIEN WIND is off for review, and hopefully it’ll be approved in the next couple of days. Equally hopefully, I’ll have copies for Doxacon. In the meantime: once you’re done with the book, don’t forget to review it on Amazon and Goodreads! Reviews (and ratings) are the lifeblood of modern authors. The more there are, the more interest is taken in the book. The more interest is taken, the better the sale numbers — which is how you get authors to get more books published. ‘Tis the Circle of Print, although hopefully with fewer dead zebra.
Moe Lane
