Sunday, December 4, 2011

Down to Business

I've debated on writing this post for awhile now. I know there are a lot of writers that post their monthly sales figures and while I find those reports very informative, I have to question, "is this something I want to do?"

After much thought, I decided to go ahead and post my sales stats for Parallel. I don't know if this will become a regular occurance on my blog, but maybe I'll try it just this once. In the last few weeks, I've had emails from writers interested in my sales, not to be nosy, but wanting to gauge how they are progressing by comparison and since most of my followers at this point are writers, why not share my own progress?

To be honest, I actually appreciate it when writers share their sales figures. I know not everyone feels the same way, but it really does give me an idea of how other authors in my genre are doing in terms of sales/trends/etc.

So for those that are curious, here are my recent stats for the last three months:

August (I hit the "publish" button until August 26th, so this is only a few days of sales for the month):
Amazon Kindle: 12
Barnes & Noble Nook: 52

September:
Amazon Kindle: 26
Barnes & Noble Nook: 25

October:
Amazon Kindle: 64
Barnes & Noble Nook: 23
Apple iBook: 1

November:
Amazon Kindle: 224
Barnes & Noble Nook: 25
Createspace (paperback): 1

Total
eBook Sales: 452
Print: 1

All in all, not bad for three months! Since November, I am averaging about 6-10 books a day and even though we are only in the first few days of *December, I am still seeing a rise in sales. Aside from actual book sales, I've also been asked what I'm doing to get these numbers and to be honest, I have no idea...maybe the spike in November sales was due to the blog tour I did in October, perhaps I'm just in the right genre, or it could very well be the luck of the draw. This is not to say I'm killin' it, but personally, I'm pretty damn proud to have sold this many books in such a short period of time.


Book Signing!

As some of you know, I did a very small book signing in Old Town Alexandria (where Parallel takes place) on Friday. My friend Jody was kind enough to let me sell books during her Islay Trunk Show. I only brought 10 books to sign, figuring I'd sell only a couple, then I could just give the rest away for Christmas gifts, but surprisingly, I ended up selling/signing 9!! There were several folks there that were desperate to find stocking stuffers for their nieces/daughters. So now, I actually have to get a couple more to add to my gift list! 


It was a nice affair, complete with champagne, cheese, and other goodies. Not to mention getting to see a few friends that I haven't seen since moving away from Alexandria. I don't know if I'll do more book signings, since it's not really cost effective (gas, chipping in for snacks, etc.), but it did get my name and website out and it was a total blast. Perhaps I'll do another small one in the future...we'll see.

ROW80 Update

A few weeks ago, I decided to revamp my goals from writing everyday, to writing at least 5,000 words a week. Well, that's not really working for me. I am writing everyday, but as we all know, life gets in the way. That being said, I guess I'll just stick to my original goal of just keeping it real and write what I can a day. 

Paradox (book dos) is coming along nicely and I'm totally digging what my characters have come up with in terms their adventures. So far, I've traveled to Mexico City, Boston, and Las Vegas, and in different dimensions no less!! 

I'm also working daily on my other WIP, an adult paranormal, that I sometimes forget to share my progress on. I'm about a third of the way done and I'm pretty excited about it. 

On the promotion front, I'm scheduled to do three guest posts this month. Yay! I'll keep you posted on those as they are posted. 

*I'm already over 500 in ebook sales as of today (all months combined). 

13 comments:

  1. Looks like you're finding new readers every month, which is the name of the game. Congrats!

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  2. Not a bad few months at all! So what WC is working for you? 5k is about 1k, 5 days a week. Is 5k still your unofficial goal or just what ever hits the page is what you're aiming for?

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  3. looks good congrats. life does have the habit of blocking goals but writing every day is good whatever the count

    all the best for coming week - keep smiling

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  4. i had to revamp my ROW80 goals, too. no shame in that! it's a matter of being flexible and finding what works.

    congrats on all your sales, and building your audience.

    cheers,
    gina

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  5. Now NaNo is over my daily writing is non-existent partly because I don't know what I want to write!!!!

    It is interesting to see your sales figures as I have no knowledge of the ebook world so thank you for sharing and well done on new readers each month.

    Life does get in the way but I hope you meet your goals this week.

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  6. I've often wondered about posting my sales figures, too. But I've been at this for a couple of years, so my figures wouldn't really be relevant to those who are newer authors. Your sales are growing every month, and that's a good sign! :)

    The good thing about ROW80 is that you CAN revamp your goals. Life happens, and sometimes we have to change what we're shooting for. Good luck with your projects!

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  7. I think your growing word count is due to your work, which is FAB and word of mouth, which is essential. Congrats and hopefully that count keeps rising!

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  8. @Gabrielle: It appears that way! I hope they're readers to stay!

    @Ryan: I usually end up anywhere between 2-5k. But as long as I stick to writing everyday, I realize word counts are just numbers...

    @Alberta: Thanks! :)

    @Gina: Thanks for the encouragement. Have a great ROW80 week!

    @lauralynn: Actually, it's nice to hear you say you've been doing this several years. Gives me hope for my future!

    @Em: Glad I could put things in perspective. I know I liked reading about other author's on their journey of publication.

    @Kate: Thanks, dear writing friend. I can always count on your support :)

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  9. Claudia,

    The woman on your cover is just beautiful - it's a powerful cover. Go, you!!

    Congrats on your sales. I've heard there's a snowball effect and they will only go up. I personally like seeing people's numbers. It IS encouraging.

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  10. Congrats on your books sold, Claudia!! I never understood why people shouldn't post their sales numbers as long as they're not violating any types of contracts they have. I find it helpful in understanding how all of this works and am glad you've shared!! All the best on your goals this week :D

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  11. @Jenny - Thanks. I've gotten mixed reviews on the cover (not exciting enough, blah), but I like it and I'm glad you do too!

    @Lauren - I'm glad you enjoyed reading my post :)

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  12. Congrats on your fantastic sales! You should be thrilled with that number in such a short space of time!

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  13. Thanks Marissa. I am no doubt dancing in my living room at my numbers! I think my hubby is getting a bit tired of me at this point :)

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