Very Slow Start to Sales
Sales of my debut novel have been much slower than I expected. I won’t bore you with specifics but suffice it to say that my most pessimistic expectations weren’t even close to reality. My previous post outlined the hardships of marketing and I won’t elaborate more on that and bore you. I will say that at the moment I don’t know whether to laugh, or bang my head against the wall.
Some people have read the novel and reached out to me to say well done – and I thank you. It is the resounding silence that is getting to me though. I had hoped to receive some feedback both positive and negative for nothing truly improves your writing than having someone informing you what you may have down fundamentally wrong in your plot, storyline, characters, etc.
I’ll admit that Duilleog is likely a bit different than most books you’ve read. For one, it is in two distinct parts. The first part is all about Will Arbor and the second part is all about the stuff that occurs behind the scenes. Duilleog is in the “first person” point of view of Will. Meaning he can’t possibly know what is happening elsewhere. So, I didn’t want to shuffle between first person and third person and intentionally split it up. This, I suspect, is the ‘out of the box’ part that one of my kind reviewers on Amazon mentioned (“Out of the Box But Original and Entertaining“). Typically a book should alternate between the protagonist and the antagonists. Or, like in A Song of Ice and Fire (aka Game of Thrones), switch from character to character. These methods give you a little bit of each story thread and pushes the story along. I didn’t do that. Amplification: I consciously didn’t do that. And I may be paying the price for it now.
No matter. I am happy with my story – I truly am. And I am happy that it sets up the next two books. So bear with me readers and know that I won’t disappoint. For those that read the book: please email me at donalddallan@gmail.com and let me know what you liked and didn’t like. I spent over 18 months writing that book – please spend 5 minutes writing me a note! I won’t bite and I certainly won’t be negative or react poorly. You have my word.
Also, please provide reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Goodreads. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter. Reviews are what pushes books into the limelight.
As always,
Ciao!
Diane Tibert
Don’t get downhearted. It’s easy to do in the writing world. It appears you are focussing on your next book, and that’s a good thing. Usually sales don’t really pick up until you have two or three books in a series out.
I’ve heard the silence too, for my own books, but I understand not everyone writes reviews. The majority of people simply read a book. That said, it is summer, not the most popular time for reading–at least in my world. After our mammoth winter, we’re enjoying the snowless land.
I did buy the eBook version, but…well, I’m not fond of reading for pleasure on the computer, and I don’t have an eReader, so I haven’t cracked it open yet. My time for reading is when I’m away from the house. House and work seem to go too well together for me, so I seldom do anything for pleasure there.
I might print the book and read it on the go. I’ve done that before. I promise, when I do read it, I will leave a review and I will give you feed back.
Regardless of what reviews and feedback you receive and how many books sell, the ultimate satisfaction for a writer–as far as I’m concerned–is that they are truly happy with the story. I can’t imagine being satisfied with loads of sales, but disliking the story because of the publishing house’s changes.
I always write the story I want to read. If others like it too, that’s a bonus. I’ve read my books a few times after they were published simply for the joy of reading them. And I still like them. And sometimes I’m surprised because I’ve forgotten parts.
The only advice I can give is to keep doing what you’re doing. Keep writing, keep focussed on the next book and enjoy the journey. Because it is the journey, not the destination that brings the most joy.
donald
I agree completely but only now that I am starting to grasp exactly what this self-published world really is. The bottom line is, as you say, that I am happy with the novel that I wrote, and the answer is a resounding YES! I love my story. It is my male equivalent of having given birth. I know, eww. But it is MY baby. I am trying to focus back on the next novel and the excitement is returning in leaps and bounds. I want to sweep the desk clear in a burst of emotion, plunk my MacBook Air down with purpose, and drown out the world and WRITE!
I’ve been emailing back and forth with another author who is two years in advance of where I am now. It is a difficult world to be self-published. In the end you have it absolutely correct: you must do it for your own love of the written word and any adulations that come your way from readers is a welcomed bonus.
Thanks Diane for your post! Enjoy the rest of the Nova Scotia summer! You have, what, two to three weeks left? lol /jk
Cheers,
donald