Learning as I go: lizo27's self-publishing thread
- Thread starter lizo27
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2006
- Messages
- 809
- Reaction score
- 147
- Location
- Home (or close by)
- Website
- www.asakkalon.com
April update:
Ebooks sold: 33 (16 TRC; 7 TFL; 10 TPM)
Paperbacks sold: 7 (2 TRC; 1 TFL; 4 TPM)
Free downloads: 0
KENP read: 8864 (5873 TRC; 1462 TFL; 1529 TPM)
Audiobooks 10 (all TRC)
Totals:
Ebooks sold: 561
Paperbacks sold: 46
Free downloads: 804
KENP read: 124,693
Audiobooks 10
Finally got my audiobook for Book 1! Book 2 should be coming out in audiobook in July. Steady sales overall this month. Now to get cracking on Book 4!
Ebooks sold: 33 (16 TRC; 7 TFL; 10 TPM)
Paperbacks sold: 7 (2 TRC; 1 TFL; 4 TPM)
Free downloads: 0
KENP read: 8864 (5873 TRC; 1462 TFL; 1529 TPM)
Audiobooks 10 (all TRC)
Totals:
Ebooks sold: 561
Paperbacks sold: 46
Free downloads: 804
KENP read: 124,693
Audiobooks 10
Finally got my audiobook for Book 1! Book 2 should be coming out in audiobook in July. Steady sales overall this month. Now to get cracking on Book 4!
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2006
- Messages
- 809
- Reaction score
- 147
- Location
- Home (or close by)
- Website
- www.asakkalon.com
Congratulations on getting your first audiobook out and selling! That must be exciting. 
Good luck with writing book 4.
Good luck with writing book 4.
Just saw that a visually impaired reader rated my book on Goodreads! I'm so happy--that's one of the reasons I wanted an audiobook in the first place. 
I'm so glad she could experience it!
I'm so glad she could experience it!
May update:
Ebooks sold: 40 (6 TRC; 0 TFL; 34 TPM)
Paperbacks sold: 1 (TRC)
Free downloads: 417
KENP read: 7136 (2887 TRC; 2383 TFL; 1866 TPM)
Audiobooks 10 (all TRC)
Totals:
Ebooks sold: 601
Paperbacks sold: 47
Free downloads: 1221
KENP read: 131,829
Audiobooks 20
Audiobook is still selling steadily, which makes me happy. I've had a bit of a slump in sales otherwise, so tried a bit of an experiment over the Memorial Day weekend--had the first two books for free and the third at 99 cents. There were a lot of downloads--hopefully a few of them turn into reviews!
Ebooks sold: 40 (6 TRC; 0 TFL; 34 TPM)
Paperbacks sold: 1 (TRC)
Free downloads: 417
KENP read: 7136 (2887 TRC; 2383 TFL; 1866 TPM)
Audiobooks 10 (all TRC)
Totals:
Ebooks sold: 601
Paperbacks sold: 47
Free downloads: 1221
KENP read: 131,829
Audiobooks 20
Audiobook is still selling steadily, which makes me happy. I've had a bit of a slump in sales otherwise, so tried a bit of an experiment over the Memorial Day weekend--had the first two books for free and the third at 99 cents. There were a lot of downloads--hopefully a few of them turn into reviews!
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2006
- Messages
- 809
- Reaction score
- 147
- Location
- Home (or close by)
- Website
- www.asakkalon.com
Great to hear your audiobooks are selling so steadily! I'll be interested to hear how the experiment works out.
I've always been skeptical about how well free promotions really do. I'm sure I'll try at some point, but I know that I tend to download a lot of free books that I will probably never get around to reading. But maybe other readers are different.
I'd say probably 90 percent of the people who download the freebies don't read them. But it never fails that I get a few ratings/reviews from a free promotion--because even that ten percent is a higher volume of readers than usual. I consider it advertising at very low cost.
Looking back (now that you have three books out) do you wish you would have released the first two books together and marketed off of that? The common practice that is to reduce the price of the first book but keep the second one at full price. Do you think you might have had more business if you had multiple books for a reader to buy right away?
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2013
- Messages
- 110
- Reaction score
- 5
I tried the free option in Amazon and got a few hundred downloads, but not a single review. I don't have a strong online presence (Amazon and Goodreads only), so maybe I could have got more downloads. I think a lot of people download for free and never read the book. There is also the chance that you will get bad reviews. I won't use the free option again.
Just think--we can all say we knew you back when you were one of the little people. Uh, I mean undiscovered writers, not hobbits.
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2006
- Messages
- 809
- Reaction score
- 147
- Location
- Home (or close by)
- Website
- www.asakkalon.com
Hey! My first book is number one in gaslamp fantasy right now on Amazon!
That's fantastic! Congrats!!
All right!
It's been encouraging watching you go, Lizo. You use sound strategies, and take things one step at a time. It's very good to see that rewarded!
It's been encouraging watching you go, Lizo. You use sound strategies, and take things one step at a time. It's very good to see that rewarded!
June update:
Ebooks sold: 79 (50 TRC; 16 TFL; 13 TPM)
Paperbacks sold: 31 (20 TRC, 5 TFL, 6 TPM)
Free downloads: 0
KENP read: 17,832 (9994 TRC; 4155 TFL; 3683 TPM)
Audiobooks 14 (all TRC)
Totals:
Ebooks sold: 680
Paperbacks sold: 78
Free downloads: 1221
KENP read: 17,832
Audiobooks 34
A spectacularly good month, particularly for paperbacks. I guess the free promotion created some momentum! I've run a couple of Goodreads giveaways as well, and I'm pleased with the results. Now to produce the second audiobook and keep working on book four!
Ebooks sold: 79 (50 TRC; 16 TFL; 13 TPM)
Paperbacks sold: 31 (20 TRC, 5 TFL, 6 TPM)
Free downloads: 0
KENP read: 17,832 (9994 TRC; 4155 TFL; 3683 TPM)
Audiobooks 14 (all TRC)
Totals:
Ebooks sold: 680
Paperbacks sold: 78
Free downloads: 1221
KENP read: 17,832
Audiobooks 34
A spectacularly good month, particularly for paperbacks. I guess the free promotion created some momentum! I've run a couple of Goodreads giveaways as well, and I'm pleased with the results. Now to produce the second audiobook and keep working on book four!
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2006
- Messages
- 809
- Reaction score
- 147
- Location
- Home (or close by)
- Website
- www.asakkalon.com
Wow, that was a great month. Congratulations! It's so inspiring to see how far you've come with all this.
July update (very, very late)
Ebooks sold: 89 (47 TRC; 24 TFL; 18 TPM)
Paperbacks sold: 27 (11 TRC, 11 TFL, 5 TPM)
Free downloads: 0
KENP read: 18,920 (7550 TRC; 5439 TFL; 5931 TPM)
Audiobooks 3 (all TRC)
Totals:
Ebooks sold: 769
Paperbacks sold: 105
Free downloads: 1221
KENP read: 168,581
Audiobooks 37
Another very good month. The Goodreads giveaways turned out splendidly, adding 21 followers and adds by 900+ unique users along with some good ratings and reviews. Second audiobook should be out by the end of this month. The only sticking point is book four--I've had a lot going on in the last few months and I just can't seem to find the motivation to work on it.
Ebooks sold: 89 (47 TRC; 24 TFL; 18 TPM)
Paperbacks sold: 27 (11 TRC, 11 TFL, 5 TPM)
Free downloads: 0
KENP read: 18,920 (7550 TRC; 5439 TFL; 5931 TPM)
Audiobooks 3 (all TRC)
Totals:
Ebooks sold: 769
Paperbacks sold: 105
Free downloads: 1221
KENP read: 168,581
Audiobooks 37
Another very good month. The Goodreads giveaways turned out splendidly, adding 21 followers and adds by 900+ unique users along with some good ratings and reviews. Second audiobook should be out by the end of this month. The only sticking point is book four--I've had a lot going on in the last few months and I just can't seem to find the motivation to work on it.