It's been awhile folks and I've been busy formulating a marketing plan that I put into action June 16, 2013. Prior to that I published the follow up to Armed and Outrageous a year in the making, Grannies, Guns and Ghosts, March 2013, and in June, I did the unthinkable — I published book three of my Agnes Barton mysteries, Senior Snoops. Releasing a book in the summer is short of career suicide and believe me boy did I struggle. Whoever said people are buying books in the summer for beach reads, was dropped on their head. It's one of the all time worst times to publish a book or promote one. Or is it? Yes, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel, a light I could see because of some stellar advice from fellow writers.
June 16, 2013 I lowered the price of Grannies, Guns and Ghosts to $.99 and it was featured as a bargain book on Enews Reader Today. What happened next baffled my mind. It sold so well that the book managed to make it to #225 on Amazon. But that's just part of it. Within days the same book was featured on Kindle Nation Daily as a bargain book. Thanks to both of those promos I was able to ride out the summer with great sales. I know many writers don't fare well with Kindle Nation Daily, but I'm telling you they helped me rise to the top and stay there. Enew Reader Today is the top dog, but they don't always feature your book, which is what happened when I tried to have my book Senior Snoops featured in September. Who knows perhaps they were sold out. Instead I went ahead and featured Senior Snoops on Kindle Nation Daily as ebook of the day September 15, 2013 and also on http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/. I believe having more than one promo at about the same time helps tremendously. On fkbooksandtips.com I didn't do the featured post, otherwise my sale might have been higher. Since both ads ran the same day I can't say how it helped me so I'll be trying them out at a different time.
Overall my sales are great. I could go into why that happened, but what I know is that having a back list helps. Whenever I have a book at $.99 all of my other books flourish as well. September 7, 2013 I published my Agnes Barton box set which features books 1 -3, another stellar decision. So far I have sold 86 ebooks at the price of $5.99. I know many authors who charge much more for their box set, but I always want to offer my readers a deal.
So in closing, beyond writing good books and a kick ass series. Readers love a good series', write more books, have them edited, find a great cover artist, and for God's sake publish them. September sales are the best of my writing career and I know they will only get better. At last the lightbulb went off and I know I have secured a future for myself as an independant author.
Next on the horizon for me is my upcoming book, Redneck Romance, which is being published by Tirgearr Publishing in October, but after that I plan to continue to self publish my Agnes Barton series with a paranormal romance in the works.
