26 November 2012

Sales Update - November 2012

Hard to believe it's been so long since my most recent sales update, so it was high time that I put out some updated numbers. To avoid confusion over the current numbers, I'm going to avoid listing out the old numbers first (as I have in past updates), and get right to the updates:


Heroes Die Young has sold a total of 417 sales (print and e-book total), which means 27 copies have sold since July (for a total of nearly 7 copies a month over the past four months). This compares to 30 copies over the previous quarter (and 29 copies during the previous three months), so sales are a bit down...which is something I've been noticing as an overall trend. One extra point of interest is that both this title and Friends in Deed have received two royalty statements (since I hadn't yet received the last one when putting up my previous update). Taking the total number over the course of just over four years, this title is still coming out around 100 copies per year.



Friends in Deed has sold a total of 94 copies (print and e-book total), which means that 13 copies have sold since July (for a total of around 3 copies a month over the past four months). This compares to around 15 copies during the previous quarter, which is matching up closely to the same slow sales trend as mentioned before. Coming up on the three-year mark, it’s still selling just over 30 copies per year. It always interests me that this novel sells less, because in my opinion, I think it's a much better novel. I do wonder whether people are hesitant to read the second book in the series (even if they're standalone titles), so try out the first novel and decide not to go for the next. These are the things that keep me up at night...



Seeker has sold 79 copies (99-cent e-book only), so only 7 copies have sold since the last update (compared to 22 copies during the last update, but fairly close to 8 copies during the quarter before that). Next month will be the 2-year birthday for this novel, which means we're still on track for an average of 3 copies a month (and actually, since it's been two years, we can start tracking annual sales...40 per year). I did do some testing with the pricing of this novella, up to $1.99, and only two copies sold at this price. I decided to permanently shift it back down to the 99-cent price point. Last time, I mentioned that this title was now available over on OmniLit. Considering my title is not a romance (in the strictest sense), it hasn't sold any more than the one copy during the last update (and other than free giveaways, neither The Cure nor Death Brings Victory have sold any), so I'm not sure I plan on putting up any future titles there.

 Dead or Alive hasn't received any sales updates from my publisher (I'm guessing that I'll probably see something in the next month or so), so we still stand at 70 copies, with 48 copies sold during the six months covered by the last update.  The book was running about 4 copies a month at last count (I won't bother updating that until the report comes in).






The Cure has now sold 67 copies (print and e-book total), so 12 copies have sold since my past update, compared to 26 copies during the previous update (and 16 copies during the update before that). This book has been out around 18 months or so, so we're running around 3 or 4 copies per month. Previously, it was running about double what Friends in Deed had achieved, but now it's running about the same level. Perhaps I need to return to the same 99-cent price point since sales seem to have dropped off since going to a price between $2.99 and $3.99?



Death Brings Victory was released back in March, so we're coming up on the 8-month mark. 37 copies have sold, so running between 4 and 5 copies a month. During the previous (and first) update, 26 copies had sold, so 11 copies have sold in the past four months (about 3 copies per month). I did some price adjustments during this time frame, but have decided to keep things at the $2.99 price point for simplicity.







I now have two Triple-Shot collections out, with the first having been released in November 2011 (so one year) and the second in July 2012 (so four months there). 33 copies have sold, versus 21 copies previously. sold, meaning 12 copies sold since my last update (versus 13 copies in the previous update, and 8 copies in the update before that). I previously went over my not-so-rosy view on my experience with the KDP Select program, so won't bother rehashing that but to state that it really didn't boost sales for me at all. In the past four months, the breakdown has been roughly equal between the two Triple-Shots, which means that each title has been selling about 1 or 2 copies a month.

Now for the analysis of this latest period:

It's fairly obvious to me that I'm not going to be quitting my day job with this writing gig. Ha.

Last time, I'd discussed my conversations with Lyn Perry from ResAliens press about price points, and the idea of pricing my books even higher, to project the idea of the books having more value. Considering the results from the past four months, I'm a little hesitant to keep the books at a higher price point. So, I've moved everything back to the $.99 point for the novella and short story collections, and $2.99 for my novels.

Since my latest update (July), I've sold 82 books compared to 202 books during the previous update for an average of just over 20 books per month over the last four (compared to 40 books per month (over 3), and 25 books per month (over 5), respectively, from previous updates). Looks like there may in fact be some cyclic activity in sales going on...in addition to the price-point issues mentioned.

And so I have a statistic when people ask (and quite often they do), the latest "total sales" number now stands at 797 copies.

Now it's just a matter of motivating myself to finish the next novel...which gets tougher and tougher as the days go on.

Hopefully after the holiday season (where hopefully a whole new set of e-readers are sold, with many new folks looking for great reads), we'll see another spur of sales. Hopefully I'll even be able to pass the 1000-copy mark. Time will tell.

23 November 2012

SFFS: A Snippet From DEATH BRINGS VICTORY

Welcome to another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.


I've decided to put an end to my snippets from "Genesis" but I sadly have nothing new in the pipeline to post. This means, I get to put up material from my published works instead. Hopefully everyone already knew about and bought my latest Aston West novel, Death Brings Victory, and has read it from cover to cover. If so, read this snippet and act shocked. If you haven't done any of these things, then read this snippet and go get yourself a copy. And of course, Aston's fans will be glad to know his luck hasn't changed one bit:
“If there’s something I’ve said or done to upset you, I’d appreciate you letting me know.”

We stepped out through the large doorway into the central hub, heading for the opposite side of the room.

“It’s nothing,” she told me.

I heard an explosion before the shockwave knocked me to the ground. While confusion reigned, I looked back at the bar, engulfed in flames. They hadn’t extinguished, so at least the outer hull hadn’t been breached.

My thoughts were immediately on Rione. My vision grew narrow and darkened as I looked over at her limp body, unable to tell whether she was alive or dead. My instinct was to check her, but I couldn’t move my limbs. Fear screamed through my body as darkness enveloped my mind.
Ahhhhhh...feels good to put him through the ringer like this. Again, I always enjoy your comments, so be sure to leave some. Hope all of my American friends had a Happy Thanksgiving, and we'll catch you next week with another snippet.

09 November 2012

The End? ("Genesis" Continues)

Welcome to another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, but be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

I'm slowly bringing out snippets from "Genesis," a story that I'd written long ago. So, if you didn't catch the previous snippets,catch the story so far

Gabriel sure does have a way of being emotionless when it comes to fending off a Gohr attack. Let's find out how Colin reacts in today's excerpt:
I looked at him in disbelief, then down at the immobile beast.

“It would be best to begin the journey now.” He handed the satchel over to me, and smiled. “If you would lead the way to your ship…”

I stepped past the fallen Azrael, who cursed at us with fleeting breath and a harsh, raised whisper. “You shall all taste the cold steel of my blade, and die by my hand! I vow it on my brother’s grave!” He cringed, but I hurried my pace nonetheless, back out into the cold winter blast. Rief would soon be a memory, though I feared we had not seen the last of Azrael, nor of the death threat on our heads.
Well, that could be the end of the story...but here's the thing. When I'd first written this story, I ended it right here. However, when I sent it through beta readers, some wanted a little more closure (even though I'd intended this to be the first of a series). I do have a second scene ready in the wings...but wanted to hear your thoughts (and to see if folks actually read anything more than the except). So, let me know your thoughts. Do you think the story is finished? Should I bring out the final scene?

Again, I always enjoy your comments!

02 November 2012

Colin's Confusion ("Genesis" Continues)

Welcome to another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, but be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

I'm slowly bringing out snippets from "Genesis," a story that I'd written long ago. So, if you didn't catch the previous snippets,catch the story so far

Well, doesn't that take everything? Here I thought Gabriel was going to be hanging on Azrael's walls like a stuffed bear, but Azrael just took a dive. If there had been money on the match, I'd think he'd taken a dive...but what does Colin think of what happened? Let's find out:
I stared with wide eyes at the fallen beast. What just happened? By all logic, Gabriel should have been a bloody corpse on the floor. Instead, Azrael’s body jerked around like a puppet on strings. Was it some sort of mind-control? Had he injected the beast with a drug? The last thing I wanted to believe was the most obvious answer, it had been the doings of the One Gabriel spoke of.

Azrael’s convulsions ceased and Gabriel gathered loose coins into his satchel. He lifted his face and looked over at me. “I believe we had a deal, Captain?”
Be sure to come back next week for yet another installment. Again, I always enjoy your comments!