[trublue]

Okay,

So I have always wanted to know what it's like to sell 100 books a day. I was at 3-4 book sales for what felt like forever. I am in no way complaining. I'm just feeling anxiety about keeping sales up and finishing book 5. Or should I say starting it. So, I know a ton of people here sell the same if not more than me. So, any tips on dealing with anxiety? And not looking at sales every hour?

 

[Writerly Writer]

Okay,

So I have always wanted to know what it's like to sell 100 books a day. I was at 3-4 book sales for what felt like forever. I am in no way complaining. I'm just feeling anxiety about keeping sales up and finishing book 5. Or should I say starting it. So, I know a ton of people here sell the same if not more than me. So, any tips on dealing with anxiety? And not looking at sales every hour?

Firstly, congrats! How exciting! And it sounds like that excitement is turning into anticipation... sounds normal to me

Disconnect your internet. Make a note of any research you need to do and do it later maybe? That's what I do. I used to use an internet blocker. As for dealing with the anxiety of it...perhaps tell yourself that checking doesn't equal sales and writing does. But you'd already know that. Anxiety manifests physically and mentally. Take a deep breath (or several) and come up with a statement that redirects your energy and then act on it. So something like 'checking sales isn't writing. And writing makes sales.' and then force yourself to close down the 'sales' internet tab. Rinse and repeat until it sticks. It's a matter of forcing yourself.

That's my two cents

 

[trublue]

Firstly, congrats! How exciting! And it sounds like that excitement is turning into anticipation... sounds normal to me

" checking doesn't equal sales and writing does..."

Yes! Thats it! I know it sounds simple but it's still so true. Thank you KJ

 

[Joe_Nobody]

I recommend a 10 step program for those with a sales-reporting-refresh problem.

The first step is to admit you have a problem...

No, seriously, refreshing sales reports can be a productivity issue. Esp if you have four or five places to check, such as KOBO, B&N, CS, KDP, Google, etc...etc..
By the time you "make the loop," its time to start all over again. Throw in an Author Central check of rankings/reviews, and you've burned a lot of time.

What I do is make the refresh a reward. I set some goal, like finishing a chapter, editing a section, or working out as a target. I don't allow myself to check sales until I've accomplished whatever the carrot was. Since I'm at the computer, its more often than not something to do with a WIP book or blog post.

This board can be a similar discipline issue.

 

[trublue]

Lol, Joe. You are right. I'm doing better. I have not looked today. I will start writing in the morning
Thx

 

[balaspa]

God, I wish...  100 books a day would be great.  This month - zippo.

 

[quiet chick writes]

I just downloaded an extension for Chrome called StayFocused. I have KDP blacklisted from 8am to 5pm five days a week, lol!

And I don't even sell that much at all, but unless I blacklist it, my day just ends up looking like: Did I sell something today?... No. ...Did I sell something today?... No ...Did I sell something today?... No. ...Did I sell something today?... Yes!  Then repeat tomorrow.

 

[Emma Daniels]

I've gone the other way, from selling 100 books a day to 4 or 5, so enjoy it while it lasts. It is a great feeling.

 

[trublue]

I've gone the other way, from selling 100 books a day to 4 or 5, so enjoy it while it lasts. It is a great feeling.

I'm sorry to hear that. What do you think the reason is?

 

[Al Dente]

I just downloaded an extension for Chrome called StayFocused. I have KDP blacklisted from 8am to 5pm five days a week, lol!

Thank you for posting that. I just downloaded it, and it's set to block everything from this forum to Netflix and KDP Monday - Saturday, 10am to 6pm. Now I'll HAVE to work!

 

[Dustin Metzger]

Until you shut it off because you have to check something

I don't know what it's like to check your sales sheet, but if it's anything like when I used to check blog stats (I used to write politics under a pen name in a couple 5k+ visitors/day places) I wasted more time checking stats than actually writing. It was a major time sink. Start seeing it that way, and remind yourself you only have so many minutes in the day, and you'll be amazed at all the extraneous things you can cut out of your day.

 

[41413]

Congrats, Lola. I've been dealing with something somewhat similar, and it seems the best (easiest?) response is to crawl into an internetless hole with a really big latte. The latte part is important.

 

[valeriec80]

I've gone the other way, from selling 100 books a day to 4 or 5, so enjoy it while it lasts. It is a great feeling.

Me too. Well from 50 a day to 10 a day.

The reason (she says with authority) is algorithms.

(Okay, I really have no idea. The bookbub fallout means I'm up to about 30 a day now, which is better, but still ultimately unsustainable. Whatever. Once I finished this NA action romance, I will be Jamie McGuire, and everything will be awesome.)

To the OP: I had a lot of anxiety about sustaining my 50 book a day thing last spring, and I didn't enjoy it all. I just freaked out the whole time, going, "When will it end?" Then it ended. I don't know the answer, but I do wish I would have enjoyed the present more and worried less about the future. After all, I'm still okay, regardless of my book sales. The sky has not fallen.

 

[vrabinec]

I was just thinking how depressed I'll be the day after I hit #1 on the NYT bestseller list, fly off to the French Riviera with Mick and the boyus in my private jet with the pole dancers like Tony Stark has, boozing it up and getting stoned, counting money and watching the dancers. What a bummer. I don't know if I can live with such a drop off, so I think I'll lower my sights and go for something more modest like selling a few books to mt relatives. I mean, who needs the hassle?

p.s. Congrats, and don't sweat it. If you hooked 100, you can hook 100,000.

 

[Diane Patterson]

Time to make new, bigger goals!

Also, enjoy the feeling now!

 

[trublue]

You guys make good points. I'm trying to enjoy, no checking more than once a day, and coffee

 

[Michael R. Hicks]

An observation from someone who's gone from rags to riches to rags to not-quite-riches-but-more-than-happy: do yourself a tremendous favor and don't let the sales figures get wrapped around your brain. Why? Because you have absolutely no control over them at all. None. Sales will go up and down, sometimes for obvious reasons, but usually not. I still look at sales figures to give me a look two months ahead (for Amazon) at my finances, since I'm writing full-time and that's become an important business function so I know if we need to tighten our belts or if we can breathe easy for a bit. Past that, I try to treat them as nothing more than the abstract numbers they are, and I focus on what I can control: how much I write, how much time I spend promoting, etc.  

 

[trublue]

An observation from someone who's gone from rags to riches to rags to not-quite-riches-but-more-than-happy: do yourself a tremendous favor and don't let the sales figures get wrapped around your brain. Why? Because you have absolutely no control over them at all. None. Sales will go up and down, sometimes for obvious reasons, but usually not. I still look at sales figures to give me a look two months ahead (for Amazon) at my finances, since I'm writing full-time and that's become an important business function so I know if we need to tighten our belts or if we can breathe easy for a bit. Past that, I try to treat them as nothing more than the abstract numbers they are, and I focus on what I can control: how much I write, how much time I spend promoting, etc.

Sound advice. This should be easy to do as I'm starting book 5 today
Thx

 

[JRTomlin]

There is a good chance that sales will slip at least someone after January. They did last year for a lot of us. You just have to keep doing what got you to that place and remember that there ARE ups and downs. That said, I'm still not quite selling a hundred books a day, only about 80 a day. I may hit 100 a day this month from the current sales, but I honestly don't expect them to stay there--unless I get that next novel out. 

 

[MPTPGV]

Personally, I check once in the morning and once at night.  In the morning it gives me the surge to go and produce the work so I can sell more and give people more information.  At night it lets me go to sleep happy knowing I'm one step closer to my dream of doing this for a living.