I got a lot done in May, and I got it done early. That gave me extra time at the end of the month to finish up a few side projects and loose ends.
I wrote 84,266 words in May, which is almost 20,000 fewer than last month and also the first month this year I didn’t crack 100,000.
Still, I managed to put out 5 new books, although one of them was a box-set of previously published books so perhaps that doesn’t count. And I also crossed the 500,000 word mark for the year sometime this month.
Here’s the rundown in case you’re interested, which I’m not sure you really are, but I put these reports out month nonetheless.
I wrote 84,266 words in May, which is almost 20,000 fewer than last month and also the first month this year I didn’t crack 100,000.
Still, I managed to put out 5 new books, although one of them was a box-set of previously published books so perhaps that doesn’t count. And I also crossed the 500,000 word mark for the year sometime this month.
Here’s the rundown in case you’re interested, which I’m not sure you really are, but I put these reports out month nonetheless.
The Jongurian Trilogy Box-Set
It just seemed about time that I get a box-set of my most popular novels out. I did this a few months ago with The Warring States Series, and you can get that box-set on Amazon or read the article about making Amazon box-sets.
So how has this one done? Well, it’s sold about 2 copies since I put it out, but it’s just another book on the shelf and another product that people can use to get interested in me.
What I really need to do is work on the blurb – it’s not too good and a bit rushed. I guess I’m assuming people will look at the individual volumes, which probably isn’t the best assumption to make.
I wonder how many sales I’ve lost already because of it. So what the hell am I still doing talking to you?
So how has this one done? Well, it’s sold about 2 copies since I put it out, but it’s just another book on the shelf and another product that people can use to get interested in me.
What I really need to do is work on the blurb – it’s not too good and a bit rushed. I guess I’m assuming people will look at the individual volumes, which probably isn’t the best assumption to make.
I wonder how many sales I’ve lost already because of it. So what the hell am I still doing talking to you?
New ESL Book
I’m continuing with my goal of putting out one ESL book each month, and I got May done on the 7th when I released Bilingual English: 25 More ESL PowerPoint Ideas that Get Students Talking.
Now, I wrote a first book to this, called Teaching English: 25 ESL PowerPoint Ideas that Get Students Talking. That book only sold 5 copies, so you’d think I’d do something else. Wrong.
I’d much rather continue on with something I know is useful, I know will help people, and I know will be in demand for years to come. Just because it’s only sold a couple copies since release doesn’t mean writing it was a mistake.
All of my books are mistakes if you want to look at it like that!
Now, I wrote a first book to this, called Teaching English: 25 ESL PowerPoint Ideas that Get Students Talking. That book only sold 5 copies, so you’d think I’d do something else. Wrong.
I’d much rather continue on with something I know is useful, I know will help people, and I know will be in demand for years to come. Just because it’s only sold a couple copies since release doesn’t mean writing it was a mistake.
All of my books are mistakes if you want to look at it like that!
New G.I. Joe Kindle Worlds Book
I’m continuing with my goal of putting out a new G.I. Joe book each month for ten months this year.
Yep, that’s the Rise of Coil Series, and Book 4 was released on May 14. The book’s called To Its Knees and you can read more about it here in this post on G.I. Joe Kindle Worlds Books.
So far at least one or two people have bought it, which is about what I expected. First, it’s hard seeing sales reports on these, and second, it’s just not that popular of a world.
So I guess I should give up, huh? Nope, I’m going to put out Book 5 on June 17 and then the other five books each month until November. It’s called a goal.
Yep, that’s the Rise of Coil Series, and Book 4 was released on May 14. The book’s called To Its Knees and you can read more about it here in this post on G.I. Joe Kindle Worlds Books.
So far at least one or two people have bought it, which is about what I expected. First, it’s hard seeing sales reports on these, and second, it’s just not that popular of a world.
So I guess I should give up, huh? Nope, I’m going to put out Book 5 on June 17 and then the other five books each month until November. It’s called a goal.
New Montana History Book
Probably the greatest achievement of the month was getting done with Braves and Businessmen: A History of Montana, Volume Three.
This book was real tough to get done, and I wrote about it a few times. I originally wanted to put it out way back in January, but then February came and March and April – it looked like it would never get done.
Then something happened this past month where I just spit out about 30,000 words on it in a week. Yep, I got a lot done.
And now you can buy the book. I figure none of you will, so that means you just let me waste about one minute of your time while you read this. Gotcha, sucker!
This book was real tough to get done, and I wrote about it a few times. I originally wanted to put it out way back in January, but then February came and March and April – it looked like it would never get done.
Then something happened this past month where I just spit out about 30,000 words on it in a week. Yep, I got a lot done.
And now you can buy the book. I figure none of you will, so that means you just let me waste about one minute of your time while you read this. Gotcha, sucker!
A Short Horror Novel
For several months I’ve been thinking of doing a short novel on Florida Sinkholes.
Most people wouldn’t think about doing this, or perhaps wasting their time on this. I guess I just don’t care.
It’s a funny story, and you may have read the first two parts in Free Fiction Fridays before I took them down. But I doubt you’ll be impressed enough to spend $0.99 to buy a copy.
Well, that’s a pity. It’s a fun book and would make that commute a whole lot more interesting, and put you in a better mood to boot. And if you’re driving it’ll be even more interesting!
Most people wouldn’t think about doing this, or perhaps wasting their time on this. I guess I just don’t care.
It’s a funny story, and you may have read the first two parts in Free Fiction Fridays before I took them down. But I doubt you’ll be impressed enough to spend $0.99 to buy a copy.
Well, that’s a pity. It’s a fun book and would make that commute a whole lot more interesting, and put you in a better mood to boot. And if you’re driving it’ll be even more interesting!
Createspace Publishing
I did three books on Createspace this month.
What does that mean? It means I uploaded my eBooks into a 6x9 template and then got some PDF covers for them. After that I did a lot of pain in the ass (big time) formatting to get them just right, and then got proof copies sent to me.
When those checked out I approved the books and set the price. Now you can buy three of my books on Amazon or Createspace and have them in your mailbox in a couple days.
Pretty cool huh? So what three books did I do? These:
The toughest one was that non-fiction book, which has pictures, and captions for those pictures. I uploaded about 30 to 40 different versions, mainly trying to get those pictures sized right and the captions on the same page.
That of course made getting the page numbers right pretty difficult, and I had to do them many times.
Overall I was in a very pissy mood for a couple days, but I learned a lot fast. One of my main goals for 2014 was to get print copies of my books made, and for certain genres (like that history or thriller book), people just gravitate toward that format.
So I’m started, it just took me five months to do so. And like most things, I wish I would have started earlier. You should think about doing so as well, and if you want tips send me an email. If enough people are interested I’ll write a post about it.
(I love saying things like that because no one will ever email me or comment so it pretty much means I don’t have to do anything. Let’s keep it that way, huh?)
What does that mean? It means I uploaded my eBooks into a 6x9 template and then got some PDF covers for them. After that I did a lot of pain in the ass (big time) formatting to get them just right, and then got proof copies sent to me.
When those checked out I approved the books and set the price. Now you can buy three of my books on Amazon or Createspace and have them in your mailbox in a couple days.
Pretty cool huh? So what three books did I do? These:
The toughest one was that non-fiction book, which has pictures, and captions for those pictures. I uploaded about 30 to 40 different versions, mainly trying to get those pictures sized right and the captions on the same page.
That of course made getting the page numbers right pretty difficult, and I had to do them many times.
Overall I was in a very pissy mood for a couple days, but I learned a lot fast. One of my main goals for 2014 was to get print copies of my books made, and for certain genres (like that history or thriller book), people just gravitate toward that format.
So I’m started, it just took me five months to do so. And like most things, I wish I would have started earlier. You should think about doing so as well, and if you want tips send me an email. If enough people are interested I’ll write a post about it.
(I love saying things like that because no one will ever email me or comment so it pretty much means I don’t have to do anything. Let’s keep it that way, huh?)
My Poor eBook Sales Continue
My string of poor eBook sales continues. May was my worst month since last July, and I sold just 30 books (not counting international sales). So maybe I’ll get 40 books if I’m lucky. Not the best of times.
The nice thing about no one reading your books is that you can do whatever the hell you want. The nice thing about not making money off your website is that you can do just about anything you damn well please.
I do all of those things, and that’s probably why you visit here. Or is it? Why are you here?
I’m sure it’s not for Florida Sinkholes. Nope, a short and funny horror novel wouldn’t interest you in the slightest, even when priced at $0.99. How do I know this? Well, because you haven’t bought any of the other books I’ve put out.
On good days I’ll get about 1,500 to 1,800 people on this site. But this month I only sold about 40 books. So obviously the number of visitors to your site doesn’t translate into sales for your eBooks. Or does it?
Some authors probably have a much higher conversion rate than I do. And if you were to ask just about any author that’s been self-publishing awhile, most would say my lack of a clear genre is what’s killing me.
I’ve seen a couple authors that’ve had a lot of books, then had one take off. I’ve seen them un-publish some of their backlist – even all – if it didn’t correspond to that hot new genre that was now making them bank.
I guess that’s one strategy, but not one I’ll employ. Nope, instead I’ll just keep putting interesting and “useful” content up on this site. I figure in a couple years or so people will catch on. And in that regard I guess you’re one that can say they got on the bandwagon early.
Honestly, only about 100 people a month read these monthly reports, and I’m sure most of them haven’t made it this far yet.
So if you have that’s pretty good, bragging rights-wise. Use those rights well, and profit from them handsomely. Until then, how ‘bout buyin’ a book so we both don’t look stupid? Thanks!
The nice thing about no one reading your books is that you can do whatever the hell you want. The nice thing about not making money off your website is that you can do just about anything you damn well please.
I do all of those things, and that’s probably why you visit here. Or is it? Why are you here?
I’m sure it’s not for Florida Sinkholes. Nope, a short and funny horror novel wouldn’t interest you in the slightest, even when priced at $0.99. How do I know this? Well, because you haven’t bought any of the other books I’ve put out.
On good days I’ll get about 1,500 to 1,800 people on this site. But this month I only sold about 40 books. So obviously the number of visitors to your site doesn’t translate into sales for your eBooks. Or does it?
Some authors probably have a much higher conversion rate than I do. And if you were to ask just about any author that’s been self-publishing awhile, most would say my lack of a clear genre is what’s killing me.
I’ve seen a couple authors that’ve had a lot of books, then had one take off. I’ve seen them un-publish some of their backlist – even all – if it didn’t correspond to that hot new genre that was now making them bank.
I guess that’s one strategy, but not one I’ll employ. Nope, instead I’ll just keep putting interesting and “useful” content up on this site. I figure in a couple years or so people will catch on. And in that regard I guess you’re one that can say they got on the bandwagon early.
Honestly, only about 100 people a month read these monthly reports, and I’m sure most of them haven’t made it this far yet.
So if you have that’s pretty good, bragging rights-wise. Use those rights well, and profit from them handsomely. Until then, how ‘bout buyin’ a book so we both don’t look stupid? Thanks!
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