Good for you!!! Congrats to the max. You should be proud of your accomplishments. 
First year publishing results
So, as it happens, I published my first book on 1/1/12. I now have 1 year worth of experience and statistics I can share. For what it's worth, here goes:
1/1/12- Three books published (Ielle, Ovia and Driven) All books except Driven are exclusive to Amazon. Driven was put on Amazon, Smashwords and about a half dozen sites that take erotica books. It took 6 months and another book in the Driven "world" (exclusive to Amazon) for Driven to equal the sales of Ielle. I'm a fan of Select to launch a book. As a side note, Driven is a Nano Novel, written during November of 2011. I'm also a big fan of Nanowrimo.
3/12- Added a fun little short (Inside the Realm of Janos) my own fan-fic really. I figure I might be my only fan, so I should be the one to write one! Plus a bundle of Ielle/Ovia and a third book in the Janos world (Eanna).
4/12- Added the fourth book in the Janos world (Mayia).
6/12- Added Pursuit, a second book in the same world as Driven. Used free promo days to push Pursuit and got a lot of carry over to Driven. Set Inside the Realm of Janos to a perma-free through a Smashwords price match.
8/12- Added two more bundles (Eanna/Mayia and Driven/Pursuit). Produced Creatspace version of Ielle.
9/12- Added another short (Legends of the Realm of Janos: Tales of the Crown). Started a newsletter and mailing list.
All told, I've sold 542 units. All my novels are $5.99, the two book bundles are $9.99, one short is currently perma-free, the other is at $2.99 (with hopes for perma free as well in early 2013). I'm pleased. If nothing else, I've surpassed that "self-pub authors don't sell more than 500 copies" mark, so it's all good from here.
Hopefully this will be encouraging to others starting out. Although there are up months and down months, short of landing in some high visibility place (which isn't too likely for erotica), there's nothing that has moved my books like the release of a new book and the ability to use Select promo days strategically.
1/1/12- Three books published (Ielle, Ovia and Driven) All books except Driven are exclusive to Amazon. Driven was put on Amazon, Smashwords and about a half dozen sites that take erotica books. It took 6 months and another book in the Driven "world" (exclusive to Amazon) for Driven to equal the sales of Ielle. I'm a fan of Select to launch a book. As a side note, Driven is a Nano Novel, written during November of 2011. I'm also a big fan of Nanowrimo.
3/12- Added a fun little short (Inside the Realm of Janos) my own fan-fic really. I figure I might be my only fan, so I should be the one to write one! Plus a bundle of Ielle/Ovia and a third book in the Janos world (Eanna).
4/12- Added the fourth book in the Janos world (Mayia).
6/12- Added Pursuit, a second book in the same world as Driven. Used free promo days to push Pursuit and got a lot of carry over to Driven. Set Inside the Realm of Janos to a perma-free through a Smashwords price match.
8/12- Added two more bundles (Eanna/Mayia and Driven/Pursuit). Produced Creatspace version of Ielle.
9/12- Added another short (Legends of the Realm of Janos: Tales of the Crown). Started a newsletter and mailing list.
All told, I've sold 542 units. All my novels are $5.99, the two book bundles are $9.99, one short is currently perma-free, the other is at $2.99 (with hopes for perma free as well in early 2013). I'm pleased. If nothing else, I've surpassed that "self-pub authors don't sell more than 500 copies" mark, so it's all good from here.
Hopefully this will be encouraging to others starting out. Although there are up months and down months, short of landing in some high visibility place (which isn't too likely for erotica), there's nothing that has moved my books like the release of a new book and the ability to use Select promo days strategically.
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Congratulations for publishing all that in one year!
Well done on breaking that 500 copies mark. Congrats!
Thanks for sharing, and good luck for this year.
Thanks for sharing, and good luck for this year.
Awesome, Andre! Thanks for sharing your numbers, and congratulations on your first-year anniversary of publishing. May 2013 be even more productive for you!
Wow, that's great! Especially at those prices. I bet 2013 will be even better.
I bet 2013 will be even better.
Congratulations for passing that 500 books sold milestone! Here's to many more sales in 2013!
Excellent work and thank you for sharing numbers!
Congrats. Hope sales increase exponentially next year.
Thanks everyone! Here's to a good 2013 for all!
Congrats for passing the 500 mark!
KBers: I've read Andre's Realm of Janos series and I thought it was fantastic. Easily one of my favorite reads of 2012.
I wish I knew your non-erotica name because I just love your writing style so much. I bet you write in the fantasy or scifi genre. Am I right?
KBers: I've read Andre's Realm of Janos series and I thought it was fantastic. Easily one of my favorite reads of 2012.
I wish I knew your non-erotica name because I just love your writing style so much. I bet you write in the fantasy or scifi genre. Am I right?
lol, nope!
Actually, I wrote Ielle because in my erotica critique group, I was starting every critique with "this isn't my thing but here's what I think..." because everything was that kind of stuff. Finally, I decided I should see if I could so something in the sci-fi/fantasy/whatever zone and Ielle spit itself out. I had no intention of going on to a series, but my beta reader fell in love with Bylar and insisted that I tell his story next. The rest is history and there will be more Janos books in 2013, I'm sure. I've actually found that setting my stuff on another world is helpful because I don't have to get tied up (so to speak) in today's culture and conventions.
And so far, I have no non-erotica stuff, except for 30 years of technical non-fiction type stuff for my day job. When I can leave my day job, however, that might change. Right now I have restrictions because of that.
Actually, I wrote Ielle because in my erotica critique group, I was starting every critique with "this isn't my thing but here's what I think..." because everything was that kind of stuff. Finally, I decided I should see if I could so something in the sci-fi/fantasy/whatever zone and Ielle spit itself out. I had no intention of going on to a series, but my beta reader fell in love with Bylar and insisted that I tell his story next. The rest is history and there will be more Janos books in 2013, I'm sure. I've actually found that setting my stuff on another world is helpful because I don't have to get tied up (so to speak) in today's culture and conventions.
And so far, I have no non-erotica stuff, except for 30 years of technical non-fiction type stuff for my day job. When I can leave my day job, however, that might change. Right now I have restrictions because of that.
Well, I look forward to your future books, and I hope if you decide to write non-erotica, that you will let me know your pen name if you use a new one. You're a great writer and you have an innate skill with world-building. I wish you the best for 2013.AndreSanThomas said:lol, nope!
Actually, I wrote Ielle because in my erotica critique group, I was starting every critique with "this isn't my thing but here's what I think..." because everything was that kind of stuff. Finally, I decided I should see if I could so something in the sci-fi/fantasy/whatever zone and Ielle spit itself out. I had no intention of going on to a series, but my beta reader fell in love with Bylar and insisted that I tell his story next. The rest is history and there will be more Janos books in 2013, I'm sure. I've actually found that setting my stuff on another world is helpful because I don't have to get tied up (so to speak) in today's culture and conventions.
And so far, I have no non-erotica stuff, except for 30 years of technical non-fiction type stuff for my day job. When I can leave my day job, however, that might change. Right now I have restrictions because of that.
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
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