And I have a lot of work to do.
I got my royalty statement for the second half of 2013.
As far as Locked Within goes, ebook sales are up on the first half of the year, which is good. Hard copy sales through Amazon/bookshops are the same (literally, exactly the same - weird). I still made the vast bulk of my sales though, both directly and through Amazon/bookshops, in late 2012, just after the book was released. That said, earnings are down, suggesting that these sales took place during price promotions.
Silent Oath, taking into account both direct sales, Amazon/bookshop sales, and ebook sales, has performed worse in the same post-launch time period than Locked Within. Sales on Kindle are higher than they were for Locked Within at the time, but at a lower average price (due to price promotions), judging by the money earned.. And hard copy sales were about two-thirds that of Locked Within's sales.
I did a lot more work to promote Silent Oath than I did for Locked Within. I had an existing platform and knew who to go to for reviews, not to mention arranging a much larger blog tour. So between lower prices, and the extra promotion, for my sales to still be down, even taking into account that Silent Oath came out a month later in the year than Locked Within, is concerning.
In terms of overall sales between both books and the short story, I've sold more in the latter half of 2013 than I did in the latter half of 2012. But not by very much. And in terms of the money the books are earning, I'm looking at just over half what Locked Within earned on its own after it was released.
While tracking sales figures continually is an easy way to drive yourself crazy, it's important for an author to take a look at figures over regular periods like this. I won't be able to judge completely how I've done until my next royalty statement in a few months, but for now, I think I need to work out what I'm doing wrong, and fix it.
Feb 13, 2014
The Figures Are In
Paul Anthony Shortt believes in magic and monsters. In ghosts and fairies. The creatures that lurk under the bed and inside the closet. The things that live in the dark, and the heroes who stand against them. Above all, he believes that stories have the power to change the world, and the most important stories are the ones which show that monsters can be beaten.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In some cases - though this is likely hard to hear - it may simply be that Locked Within didn't float their boat, and so they didn't buy the sequel. Obviously I have no data, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's relatively often the case that the first book of a trilogy does the best. I know I certainly have several Book 1s sitting on my bookshelves (real and digital) that are never going to be joined by their companions. Price promotions may exacerbate this as people will take a chance on an author, or a style/genre they may not usually buy, when they're only risking a couple of quid as opposed to €10+.
ReplyDeleteTLDR: it's not necessarily anything you've done wrong promotion-wise. People try things and if they don't like it they don't go back :-/
Locked Within is certainly the weakest book in the series. I grew an awful lot as a writer between it and Silent Oath.
DeleteSometimes people don't connect well enough with a book to continue on with more, which is a shame since sequels are probably better.
ReplyDelete2013 wasn't as strong for me as the previous year, although the release of my third book made a big difference near the end. However, 2014 has started off with a HUGE bang that has just blown my mind...
I've noticed that, as a reader. I find that series' tend to improve as the author becomes more comfortable with the setting and characters.
DeleteGlad you've had good news. Hope you can share it soon?
I did this week!
DeleteI just read. Congratulations!
DeleteI don't think you are doing anything wrong, Paul. It has to do with the industry, with competition getting extremely stiff for ebook sales due to hundreds of thousands of new ebooks coming out on the market weekly. And to make it, many have drastically reduced prices. Then regarding bookstore sales, books in the physical stores have to not only compete with top name bestsellers but the stores themselves have to compete with Amazon.
ReplyDeleteIt is an extremely tough business and it's getting more difficult each year. Just keep up with what you are doing and realize it is not you, it's the industry. Many will drop out in frustration. Those writers who stay in and keep at it will eventually find their place.
Thanks, Karen. Don't worry, I have no intentions of giving up. I just hope I can find more ways to make people aware of the series.
DeletePaul, I would just keep writing and doing what you're doing. Sales usually escalate the more books you've got available. I think you're doing the right thing....focusing on your writing, promoting when you can, and continuing to move forward.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I guess the hardest part is that when I see something like this happen, my instinct is to look for a solution.
Delete