Well, now that 2016 is here, it's time to start putting together a
list of the writing goals I'd like to accomplish this year. It's actually pretty scary, because this is the first time in a long time that I don't already have another novel planned in my Aston West series. So, my guess is that there will be a lot of planning goals here.
So, here goes:
1. Plot out a fifth Aston West series novel.
2. Finish a third Aston West novella.
3. Publish my new Aston novel All Good Things.
4. Publish another Triple-Shot.
5. Finish the next novella in the Max McCannor series.
All in all, it's going to be a busy year. Thanks to everyone who's
purchased a copy of one (or all) of my books, and I'm looking forward to
bringing you even more great stories in the near future.
Showing posts with label Triple-Shots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Triple-Shots. Show all posts
02 January 2016
01 January 2016
2015 in Review
So, 2015 is now finished, and time to look back at my goals for the year, and see what it was that I completed...
1. Publish my new Aston short story collection, The Dirty Dozen.
Dropping "The" in the title, Dirty Dozen is now published and available for your reading pleasure.
2. Publish my new Aston novella Fallen.
Fallen is finally published and available. Pick up a copy if you haven't already.
3. Finish and publish my new Aston novel Life and Death.
Now that the book has been given another new title (All Good Things) for the second year in a row, I can happily say that I just finished final edits on this one. Hoping to have the cover art complete and printed copies ready in time for my annual pilgrimage to Dallas.
4. Publish another Triple-Shot.
This is another goal I actually did finish in its entirety...and if you haven't already picked up a copy, be sure to check out Sweet Embrace and its companion stories.
5. Finish the next novella in the Max McCannor series.
Lyndon Perry and I have both been neck-deep in other projects for most of this year. Although I've been able to get a few more chapters written on the next installment, tentatively titled Runaway, started, it hasn't gone anywhere so far.
All in all, it looks like I did a lot this year, even though I've felt like a complete sloth. Should be getting another set of goals put together for 2016 shortly.
1. Publish my new Aston short story collection, The Dirty Dozen.
Dropping "The" in the title, Dirty Dozen is now published and available for your reading pleasure.
2. Publish my new Aston novella Fallen.
Fallen is finally published and available. Pick up a copy if you haven't already.
3. Finish and publish my new Aston novel Life and Death.
Now that the book has been given another new title (All Good Things) for the second year in a row, I can happily say that I just finished final edits on this one. Hoping to have the cover art complete and printed copies ready in time for my annual pilgrimage to Dallas.
4. Publish another Triple-Shot.
This is another goal I actually did finish in its entirety...and if you haven't already picked up a copy, be sure to check out Sweet Embrace and its companion stories.
5. Finish the next novella in the Max McCannor series.
Lyndon Perry and I have both been neck-deep in other projects for most of this year. Although I've been able to get a few more chapters written on the next installment, tentatively titled Runaway, started, it hasn't gone anywhere so far.
All in all, it looks like I did a lot this year, even though I've felt like a complete sloth. Should be getting another set of goals put together for 2016 shortly.
12 September 2014
SFFS: Yet Another Snippet From "Sacrifice"
It's time for another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (and don't forget to head over to the SFFS main site to check out all of the other authors this week). For those who haven't already seen my multiple mentions, my brand new Triple-Shot is out. This week, I'll be posting a continuation of my previous snippet from "Sacrifice," which is one of this new Triple-Shot's featured stores. Read and enjoy, and be sure to check out the entire Triple-Shot over at Amazon or Barnes and Noble!
And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections.
“Nonsense,” Marjorie insisted with a pleasant tone directly opposite of the death lock she had on me. “Everyone who enters has been sent here for a reason.”
It was time to alter course and go for the direct approach. “I need a stiff drink. And seeing as how you don’t have any around...” I glanced around as if to search one last time. The eyes of the other patrons trembled, but it wasn’t me they were afraid of, even if they’d figured out I was armed by the bulge in my jacket.
When I turned back to face Marjorie, her contemptuous frown and narrowed eyes told me everything I didn’t want to know. For whatever reason, they all feared her, and I really didn’t want to find out why. Anything that caused these fellows to fear such a tiny person couldn’t be good.
Her look morphed into a satisfied grin as she finally released her hold on me. “Then I’d say you’re definitely in the right place.”
And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections.
05 September 2014
SFFS - Another Snippet from "Sacrifice"
It's time for another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. For those who haven't already seen my multiple mentions, my brand new Triple-Shot is out. This week, I'll be posting a continuation of my previous snippet from "Sacrifice," which is one of this new Triple-Shot's featured stores. Read and enjoy, and be sure to check out the entire Triple-Shot over at Amazon or Barnes and Noble!
And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections.
Every head turned to look. All of them were sober, clean-shaven and dressed as if they were attending a social function. I realized right away there was no way I’d sell my cargo here. And even worse, I had little faith of getting a stiff drink here either. There didn’t appear to be a drop of alcohol out in the open.
I should have turned and walked out those same double swinging doors, but a middle-aged, pencil-thin woman stormed over. She came up to my shoulders, with a pitted, natural face and frazzled hair that made it obvious she wasn’t the local entertainment. She wore a flowery dress that covered every inch of her flat-chested body, and another quick glance around the room confirmed she was the only woman here.
Maybe she actually was the entertainment.
Her eyes were full of pity, as she smiled weakly. “Name’s Marjorie. How can we help you, stranger?”
“I think I’m in the wrong place.” I turned for the exit, but felt a small hand grip my upper arm with extraordinary strength. Circulation to my shooting hand felt like it was completely cut off.
And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections.
31 August 2014
Monthly Goals - September 2014
For those who missed it back in January, I set up the writing goals I aim to accomplish in 2014. Right after writing that post, I then read Dean Wesley Smith's post about how to be successful at your writing goals.
Life's circumstances have been even worse this month than they were last month, but even so, I was able to get a lot of writing-related work completed this month. That included meeting my daily word count goal every day this past month (continuing the trend from July, not even counting another 9 days or so at the end of June). Here's how I did against my August goals:
1. Complete first draft of "Payback" - Completed first and final drafts, and published in my latest Triple-Shot
2. Write 4,000 words on Life and Death - Around 7,200 words completed
3. Write 1,000 words on "Inoculation" - Completed the first draft, at around 3,200 words
4. Re-published Heroes Die Young (added goal)
5. Published my latest Triple-Shot, featuring my stories "Sacrifice," "Trust and Obey," and "Payback" (added goal)
And now, the goals for September:
1. Write 6,000 words on Life and Death
2. Write 2,000 words on the next Max McCannor novel
3. Complete final draft of "Inoculation"
4. Finalize paperback version of the Heroes Die Young second edition
Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!
Life's circumstances have been even worse this month than they were last month, but even so, I was able to get a lot of writing-related work completed this month. That included meeting my daily word count goal every day this past month (continuing the trend from July, not even counting another 9 days or so at the end of June). Here's how I did against my August goals:
1. Complete first draft of "Payback" - Completed first and final drafts, and published in my latest Triple-Shot
2. Write 4,000 words on Life and Death - Around 7,200 words completed
3. Write 1,000 words on "Inoculation" - Completed the first draft, at around 3,200 words
4. Re-published Heroes Die Young (added goal)
5. Published my latest Triple-Shot, featuring my stories "Sacrifice," "Trust and Obey," and "Payback" (added goal)
And now, the goals for September:
1. Write 6,000 words on Life and Death
2. Write 2,000 words on the next Max McCannor novel
3. Complete final draft of "Inoculation"
4. Finalize paperback version of the Heroes Die Young second edition
Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!
16 April 2014
Some E-Book Sales Statistics
So, I was putting together some figures the other day for tallying up a "total e-book sales" number (because it was being asked for). And as I'm big on stats as it is, I decided I'd post a few. Since we've only been through three full months this year, I'm ignoring my 2014 sales.
Heroes Die Young was released in 2008.
Friends in Deed and Seeker were both released in 2010.
Dead or Alive, The Cure, and my first Triple-Shot (Dead Man's Forge) were all released in 2011.
Death Brings Victory and my second Triple-Shot (Temptation) were released in 2012.
My third Triple-Shot (Downtrodden) was released in 2013.
Total sales across all of my titles (again, only through 2013) is 645 since Heroes Die Young was released. A rather piddly sum, I know, but that's life. All of that in mind, I've had the following sales per title per year (for convenience, I've also included total sales per year.
So, I hesitate to start making conclusions based on these stats, since it's been proven over and over that sometimes blind luck can cause sales. And looking through the numbers, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to sales leading to more sales (of later books in the series, etc.). However, even with all of that in mind, at least one thing seems to stick out.
Generating new material for publication can generally help sales. I had three releases in 2011, and saw a marked increase. I followed that up with two more releases in 2012. With those five new titles, my sales in 2012 were five times higher than in 2010. Granted, in 2013, I had no major releases (other than the third Triple-Shot), so my sales dropped off last year. So, not only is it necessary to continue to produce new material, but it's also important to continue to do so on a regular pace. This is something I struggle with, myself, and need to work on. Hopefully this can help motivate me...
Heroes Die Young was released in 2008.
Friends in Deed and Seeker were both released in 2010.
Dead or Alive, The Cure, and my first Triple-Shot (Dead Man's Forge) were all released in 2011.
Death Brings Victory and my second Triple-Shot (Temptation) were released in 2012.
My third Triple-Shot (Downtrodden) was released in 2013.
Total sales across all of my titles (again, only through 2013) is 645 since Heroes Die Young was released. A rather piddly sum, I know, but that's life. All of that in mind, I've had the following sales per title per year (for convenience, I've also included total sales per year.
| HDY | FID | DBV | DOA | |
| 2008 | 95 | |||
| 2009 | 33 | |||
| 2010 | 9 | 28 | ||
| 2011 | 27 | 15 | 13 | |
| 2012 | 50 | 22 | 35 | 47 |
| 2013 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 2 |
| DMF | TEMPT | DT | Seeker | Cure | |
| 2008 | |||||
| 2009 | |||||
| 2010 | 10 | ||||
| 2011 | 6 | 38 | 15 | ||
| 2012 | 22 | 8 | 27 | 42 | |
| 2013 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
| Total | |
| 2008 | 95 |
| 2009 | 33 |
| 2010 | 47 |
| 2011 | 114 |
| 2012 | 253 |
| 2013 | 103 |
So, I hesitate to start making conclusions based on these stats, since it's been proven over and over that sometimes blind luck can cause sales. And looking through the numbers, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to sales leading to more sales (of later books in the series, etc.). However, even with all of that in mind, at least one thing seems to stick out.
Generating new material for publication can generally help sales. I had three releases in 2011, and saw a marked increase. I followed that up with two more releases in 2012. With those five new titles, my sales in 2012 were five times higher than in 2010. Granted, in 2013, I had no major releases (other than the third Triple-Shot), so my sales dropped off last year. So, not only is it necessary to continue to produce new material, but it's also important to continue to do so on a regular pace. This is something I struggle with, myself, and need to work on. Hopefully this can help motivate me...
14 December 2013
Sales Update - December 2013
It's been around six months since my most recent sales update in June, and I have a few updated numbers. So, here goes:
Friends in Deed has sold a total of 100 copies (print and e-book total), which means that 4 copies have sold since June (for a total of around 1 copy every four months). This compares to around 2 copies during the previous reporting period. This January marks the four-year anniversary of this one, so the average is around 25 copies per year. As such, I've decided to go ahead and let my contract with Champagne expire on this one come January. Still working out what to do with it after that, sp we'll see what happens.
I've decided to keep Seeker on the free giveaway list, so have stopped recording paid sales. On average, I seem to give away about 150-200 copies each month. Hopefully that leads to a few paid sales on the other titles.
Dead or Alive is still sitting at 83 copies, as I haven't received a reporting of sales since the last update. So, as such, the book is still running about 2-4 copies a month at last count.
The Cure has now sold 93 total copies (print and e-book total), so 10 copies have sold since my past update, compared to 16 copies during the previous update. This book has been out over 2 years (the anniversary was in July), so again I'm seeing a little over 40 copies per year.
Death Brings Victory was released two years ago this coming March, and 60 total copies have sold, meaning 12 copies have sold since the last update, compared to 11 copies during the previous update. This puts it on track with most of my other novels, at just over 40 copies per year. It will be interesting to see, depending on what I choose to do with the previous book in the series, how sales will be impacted.
I now have three Triple-Shot collections out, with the first having been released in November 2011, the second in July 2012, and the third in September 2013. 77 copies have sold, so 37 copies sold since my last update (versus 12 copies from the previous update). Breaking this down, 44 total copies of the first have sold, 23 of the second, and 10 of the third.
Now for the analysis of this latest period:
Things seems to have stabilized, and not in a good place. Since my latest update (June), I've sold 79 books compared to 63 books during the previous update for an average of just over 10 books per month.
And so I have a statistic when people ask (and quite often they do), the latest "total sales" number now stands at 855 copies (note: this does not count past sales of Seeker...).
And if we put together the last twelve months of sales, I see the following (not counting Seeker, nor DOA, which hasn't had enough records provided):
HDY: 25
FID: 6
DBV: 23
Cure: 26
Triple-Shots: 49
Not to bad, I suppose, to have 129 paid sales in a year...not good, but could be worse...
Alas, I still have a novella and a novel to complete. As you may have already seen, I do have a collaboration effort novella that should have a few sales as well. And although I won't be counting sales of the collection my short story "Ever Dark" is in, I'm hopeful that this will lead to sales of my other titles as well.
Thanks for stopping by!
Heroes Die Young has sold a total of 442 sales (print and e-book total), which means 16 copies have sold since June (for a total of just over 2 copies a month over the past six months). This compares to 9 copies sold in the November 2012 - June 2013 range, so sales are a bit up. The five-year anniversary for this one was in September, so we're now dropping below the average of 100 copies per year.
The Cure has now sold 93 total copies (print and e-book total), so 10 copies have sold since my past update, compared to 16 copies during the previous update. This book has been out over 2 years (the anniversary was in July), so again I'm seeing a little over 40 copies per year.
I now have three Triple-Shot collections out, with the first having been released in November 2011, the second in July 2012, and the third in September 2013. 77 copies have sold, so 37 copies sold since my last update (versus 12 copies from the previous update). Breaking this down, 44 total copies of the first have sold, 23 of the second, and 10 of the third.
Now for the analysis of this latest period:
Things seems to have stabilized, and not in a good place. Since my latest update (June), I've sold 79 books compared to 63 books during the previous update for an average of just over 10 books per month.
And so I have a statistic when people ask (and quite often they do), the latest "total sales" number now stands at 855 copies (note: this does not count past sales of Seeker...).
And if we put together the last twelve months of sales, I see the following (not counting Seeker, nor DOA, which hasn't had enough records provided):
HDY: 25
FID: 6
DBV: 23
Cure: 26
Triple-Shots: 49
Not to bad, I suppose, to have 129 paid sales in a year...not good, but could be worse...
Alas, I still have a novella and a novel to complete. As you may have already seen, I do have a collaboration effort novella that should have a few sales as well. And although I won't be counting sales of the collection my short story "Ever Dark" is in, I'm hopeful that this will lead to sales of my other titles as well.
Thanks for stopping by!
11 October 2013
SFFS: Another Snippet From "Bait and Switch"
Welcome back, everyone! If you haven't already heard, my latest Aston West Triple-Shot is now out and available for purchase (for only 99 cents). Again, you've already seen snippets from "Downtrodden" in the past, so I'll continue on from my previous snippet of "Bait and Switch". And of course, if you like this snippet, head on over to my Collections page to check out this latest Triple-Shot. And be sure to check out all of the wonderful authors on the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday blogroll.
Aston and those damsels in distress...a wicked combination that doesn't usually end well. So, that's all for this week, and I'll try to bring out the continued installment next week. But why wait, when you can pick upt the entire Triple-Shot #3 (and the other two installments of three stories if you haven't already) over on my Collections page?
“Audio only,” she alerted me.
Nothing but silence filled the compartment. I’d had enough of whatever this was. “I don’t know you, but I’m leaving.”
Finally, a high-pitched female voice responded. “No, please. I need help.”
“What seems to be the problem?”
“I don’t know. I think it’s something mechanical. It just quit all of the sudden, and won’t get going again.”
Aston and those damsels in distress...a wicked combination that doesn't usually end well. So, that's all for this week, and I'll try to bring out the continued installment next week. But why wait, when you can pick upt the entire Triple-Shot #3 (and the other two installments of three stories if you haven't already) over on my Collections page?
27 September 2013
SFFS: A Snippet From "Bait and Switch"
It's been quite a while since I've put up a snippet...but at least I've not come back empty-handed. And as always, never say never. I proclaimed a long time ago that a story I wrote would never see the light of day. But as with all things, opinions change, and my short story "Adrift" has been released as part of my latest Triple-Shot collection. But don't get too excited, for I'm going to be bringing out a snippet from another of the stories. You've already seen snippets from "Downtrodden" in the past, so I'll bring out a few sentences from the third of the stories in this installment, "Bait and Switch." Enjoy, and of course, if you like this snippet, head on over to my Collections page to check out the latest Triple-Shot. And of course, be sure to check out all of the wonderful authors on the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturdayblogroll.
As a setup for this snippet, Aston has come across a derelict freighter, or at least he thought so...
I don't know...I've known Aston a long time, and that gut of his usually has this knack for keeping him out of trouble. What do you expect, with all that Vladirian liquor he feeds it? So, in the meantime, be sure to check out the entire Triple-Shot #3 (and the other two installments of three stories if you haven't already) over on my Collections page.
As a setup for this snippet, Aston has come across a derelict freighter, or at least he thought so...
She obeyed immediately, and I felt thrusters firing as the ship moved toward the left edge of the screen.
Jeanie caught me off-guard. “Incoming transmission.”
“From where?”
“The derelict appears to have an occupant after all.”
This didn’t set right with me in the least. “Set a course, anywhere outside of this system.”
“Are you going to respond to their communication?”
My gut was telling me not to, but I’d experienced cold shoulders out here in the depths of space before, when I truly needed help. “Put it through.”
I don't know...I've known Aston a long time, and that gut of his usually has this knack for keeping him out of trouble. What do you expect, with all that Vladirian liquor he feeds it? So, in the meantime, be sure to check out the entire Triple-Shot #3 (and the other two installments of three stories if you haven't already) over on my Collections page.
23 September 2013
Cover Reveal - Downtrodden and Other Adventures
Those on my Facebook fan page have already seen this, but for those of who aren't over there already, check out the cover art for my latest installment of the Triple-Shot series, featuring the following three stories:
Continue reading this third installment of three short stories from the exciting universe of space pirate Aston West. Travel across vast worlds filled with adventure and intrigue, and enjoy the following stories:
"Bait and Switch": No good deed goes unpunished, as Aston discovers when he tries to lend assistance to someone in need. But never count Aston out...
"Adrift": The vastness of space travel can weigh heavy on any soul. When one has depended on liquid encouragement for so long, what happens when there's not a drop to drink?
"Downtrodden": Sometimes Aston learns more than he really wants to about the cargo he carries, and ends up facing a moral dilemma bigger than an entire galaxy.
Be on the lookout for this latest Triple-Shot, coming soon for all your e-book devices!
Continue reading this third installment of three short stories from the exciting universe of space pirate Aston West. Travel across vast worlds filled with adventure and intrigue, and enjoy the following stories:
"Bait and Switch": No good deed goes unpunished, as Aston discovers when he tries to lend assistance to someone in need. But never count Aston out...
"Adrift": The vastness of space travel can weigh heavy on any soul. When one has depended on liquid encouragement for so long, what happens when there's not a drop to drink?
"Downtrodden": Sometimes Aston learns more than he really wants to about the cargo he carries, and ends up facing a moral dilemma bigger than an entire galaxy.
Be on the lookout for this latest Triple-Shot, coming soon for all your e-book devices!
09 August 2013
SFFS: More From "Downtrodden"
Well, back in the saddle again this week. Last time we saw Aston in "Downtrodden" he was getting interrupted while stopping a pickpocket. Poor Aston never can catch a break, as anyone who's followed my snippets on Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday can confirm. We continue on this week with "Downtrodden" and as always, if you like this snippet (hopefully you've read the previous snippets), be sure to check out my current released Triple-Shots, shown below. Three short stories in each edition, all featuring space pirate Aston West in his various adventures.
And now, for the snippet (and the repeated disclaimer that this is mostly first-draft material):
Aston taking the initiative? Well, now I've seen everything! While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets and don't forget to buy some books. You'll be glad you did.
And now, for the snippet (and the repeated disclaimer that this is mostly first-draft material):
I looked up, fury filling my heart at the woman interrupting my lesson in negative reinforcement. Then, I did a double-take at the pale-faced redhead just before she smacked me across the face. I released my grip on the boy, whom she snatched up from the ground. I couldn’t tell whether he’d successfully pilfered my funds, but wasn’t about to let this pair get away with it if he had.
Yanking my blaster out, I flipped the switch next to the trigger. “That’s fully automatic, in case you were curious.”
“Put that thing away!”
“I plan on searching that kid for my money.” I aimed the barrel at her face more for emphasis than anything. “So, if you’d care to hand him over...”
Aston taking the initiative? Well, now I've seen everything! While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets and don't forget to buy some books. You'll be glad you did.
03 August 2013
Amazon Rankings: A Statistical Analysis?
Apologies for missing out on this week's SFFS posting...the week's been a mess with many things going on, and by the time I gathered myself together, I'd already missed the deadline for signing up. Hopefully, next week, we'll get back into my short story "Downtrodden" but for now, I wanted to post some information on a favorite topic of mine.
Those pesky Amazon sales rankings...everyone wonders how they come up with the numbers they do, and how they correspond to sales (especially for books where you haven't self-published through the KDP program, and you don't have instant access to your sales numbers, although things are a little bit better now that you can review historical data on sales rankings of all your books through Author Central).
Everyone (hopefully) knows the basics of sales rankings. The lower the number, the more copies you've sold. If a copy of your book sells, the number gets lower. As time passes without sales, your number gets higher. But how exactly do they determine the number? I've taken some sales numbers for my two Triple-Shot collections for about a month's period, and am going to run some analysis on those. The reason is simple. My books don't sell hundreds of copies a day (in fact, each of these changes takes place after a single copy of each sold), so it will hopefully give some insight into how sales impact the ranking.
Just for having all the facts, I'll mention at the time of this posting (and at the time of these sales listed below), DMF had two 5-star reviews, and Temptation had one 4-star review. Also, DMF has more total sales, but Temptation has sold 50% more copies this year than DMF.
So, let's first look at my first Triple-Shot, featuring "Dead Man's Forge." Each date range corresponds to the three-day period surrounding the date of purchase, and the rankings on each day.
And now the numbers for the second Triple-Shot, featuring "Temptation" (note: the first has four dates, as two copies sold, once on the 15th and another on the 16th)
And now for the analysis...
First off, notice that Temptation sold two copies on sequential days (the first line of the data), but yet the ranking on that second purchase didn't boost it much higher than the other times that a copy was purchased.
Notice also on those date ranges where copies of both books were sold, that the increase in sales rankings were not a matched amount, and that on the following days, the drop in sales rankings were not linear between the two (i.e., one book dropped faster than the other).
Also notice that on two separate sets of days, the starting ranking for Temptation was almost identical (6/18 and 6/21), but a single copy caused it to boost to different rankings after the sale.
Now I will mention at this point that Author Central gives you a daily ranking, but doesn't tell you when the book sold during the day. I've sat and studied it by anecdotal means, but there's no way to record such data that I know of. A copy sells and boosts the ranking, and immediately begins dropping, but the AC value usually matches up to a value somewhere along the path down.
So, what are we to make of all this? I have a theory I'd like to share:
I believe until you start selling multiple copies per day, that you're included in a vast range of numbers starting at some value determined by repeat daily sales-books (likely in the 70K range). When your book sells a copy, you're bumped up to the top of that list. The next single-sale book that sells out of the Kindle store moves you down the list (unless a book starts selling more than one copy per day, in which case it gets bumped to the next tier up), and each subsequent book moves you farther down the list. Author Central would then take a snapshot at the end of each day, which is the number that gets published to your ranking chart. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether reviews get added into the equation somehow...I have an additional theory that if books are sold at around the same time (perhaps in a 5-minute window), that the number and level of star-ratings boost a book higher than the other with fewer and/or lower ratings. I'm also not sure how a book that was selling multiples per day affects the rankings when it stops selling that many on a particular day, but my belief would be that it drops back down into that lower tier and pushes copies that had just sold a copy that day down.
This would explain how a book that was sitting at nearly one million in the rankings (as mine was) would immediately reach a value of about 100K, but then sell a copy the next day and only bump up to about 73K.
This would also explain how books that sell on the same day ended up moving up to different rankings, because if they sold later in the day, their ranking would by default be higher than another book that sold earlier in the day.
This would also explain how a book drops faster than another, if a book drops down to the lower tier before another book sells a copy.
Obviously this is just conjecture on my part, so maybe one of you out there has a theory they'd like to share, or another comment to make of some sort. Suffice to say, that Amazon truly does have the market cornered on keeping around the most complex algorithm for sales rankings known to man.
Please, feel free to comment and discuss...
Those pesky Amazon sales rankings...everyone wonders how they come up with the numbers they do, and how they correspond to sales (especially for books where you haven't self-published through the KDP program, and you don't have instant access to your sales numbers, although things are a little bit better now that you can review historical data on sales rankings of all your books through Author Central).
Everyone (hopefully) knows the basics of sales rankings. The lower the number, the more copies you've sold. If a copy of your book sells, the number gets lower. As time passes without sales, your number gets higher. But how exactly do they determine the number? I've taken some sales numbers for my two Triple-Shot collections for about a month's period, and am going to run some analysis on those. The reason is simple. My books don't sell hundreds of copies a day (in fact, each of these changes takes place after a single copy of each sold), so it will hopefully give some insight into how sales impact the ranking.
Just for having all the facts, I'll mention at the time of this posting (and at the time of these sales listed below), DMF had two 5-star reviews, and Temptation had one 4-star review. Also, DMF has more total sales, but Temptation has sold 50% more copies this year than DMF.
So, let's first look at my first Triple-Shot, featuring "Dead Man's Forge." Each date range corresponds to the three-day period surrounding the date of purchase, and the rankings on each day.
| 18-Jun | 19-Jun | 20-Jun |
| 621463 | 83959 | 158286 |
| 21-Jun | 22-Jun | 23-Jun |
| 242962 | 116176 | 204661 |
| 24-Jun | 25-Jun | 26-Jun |
| 270981 | 79911 | 185757 |
| 30-Jun | 1-Jul | 2-Jul |
| 383636 | 91069 | 155854 |
| 5-Jul | 6-Jul | 7-Jul |
| 346592 | 87791 | 166719 |
| 14-Jul | 15-Jul | 16-Jul |
| 464262 | 82844 | 127117 |
And now the numbers for the second Triple-Shot, featuring "Temptation" (note: the first has four dates, as two copies sold, once on the 15th and another on the 16th)
| 14-Jun | 15-Jun | 16-Jun | 17-Jun |
| 1101143 | 100249 | 72888 | 159123 |
| 18-Jun | 19-Jun | 20-Jun |
| 225398 | 79764 | 150470 |
| 21-Jun | 22-Jun | 23-Jun |
| 227376 | 114281 | 200625 |
| 30-Jun | 1-Jul | 2-Jul |
| 454136 | 91333 | 156508 |
| 6-Jul | 7-Jul | 8-Jul |
| 389278 | 90126 | 205350 |
| 14-Jul | 15-Jul | 16-Jul |
| 464331 | 82883 | 127182 |
And now for the analysis...
First off, notice that Temptation sold two copies on sequential days (the first line of the data), but yet the ranking on that second purchase didn't boost it much higher than the other times that a copy was purchased.
Notice also on those date ranges where copies of both books were sold, that the increase in sales rankings were not a matched amount, and that on the following days, the drop in sales rankings were not linear between the two (i.e., one book dropped faster than the other).
Also notice that on two separate sets of days, the starting ranking for Temptation was almost identical (6/18 and 6/21), but a single copy caused it to boost to different rankings after the sale.
Now I will mention at this point that Author Central gives you a daily ranking, but doesn't tell you when the book sold during the day. I've sat and studied it by anecdotal means, but there's no way to record such data that I know of. A copy sells and boosts the ranking, and immediately begins dropping, but the AC value usually matches up to a value somewhere along the path down.
So, what are we to make of all this? I have a theory I'd like to share:
I believe until you start selling multiple copies per day, that you're included in a vast range of numbers starting at some value determined by repeat daily sales-books (likely in the 70K range). When your book sells a copy, you're bumped up to the top of that list. The next single-sale book that sells out of the Kindle store moves you down the list (unless a book starts selling more than one copy per day, in which case it gets bumped to the next tier up), and each subsequent book moves you farther down the list. Author Central would then take a snapshot at the end of each day, which is the number that gets published to your ranking chart. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether reviews get added into the equation somehow...I have an additional theory that if books are sold at around the same time (perhaps in a 5-minute window), that the number and level of star-ratings boost a book higher than the other with fewer and/or lower ratings. I'm also not sure how a book that was selling multiples per day affects the rankings when it stops selling that many on a particular day, but my belief would be that it drops back down into that lower tier and pushes copies that had just sold a copy that day down.
This would explain how a book that was sitting at nearly one million in the rankings (as mine was) would immediately reach a value of about 100K, but then sell a copy the next day and only bump up to about 73K.
This would also explain how books that sell on the same day ended up moving up to different rankings, because if they sold later in the day, their ranking would by default be higher than another book that sold earlier in the day.
This would also explain how a book drops faster than another, if a book drops down to the lower tier before another book sells a copy.
Obviously this is just conjecture on my part, so maybe one of you out there has a theory they'd like to share, or another comment to make of some sort. Suffice to say, that Amazon truly does have the market cornered on keeping around the most complex algorithm for sales rankings known to man.
Please, feel free to comment and discuss...
26 July 2013
SFFS: "Downtrodden" Continues
Well, Aston was still stuck in the middle of a crowded market during last week's snippet for Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. We continue on this week with "Downtrodden" which I'm fairly certain will go into my next three-story Triple-Shot. If you like this snippet (hopefully you've read the previous two weeks' snippets), be sure to check out my current released Triple-Shots, shown below. Three short stories in each edition, all featuring space pirate Aston West in his various adventures.
And now, for the snippet (and a disclaimer that this is mostly first-draft material):
While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets and don't forget to buy some books. You'll be glad you did.
And now, for the snippet (and a disclaimer that this is mostly first-draft material):
The sooner I was done with this assignment, the better. Tabor had been tight-lipped on what the cargo was, and normally that was enough for me. He was smarmy and disgusting, especially when it came to his personal tastes, but the lines he wouldn’t cross usually matched up well with my own.
I moved into a more residential area, and getting my bearings from the directions Tabor had given me, I stared up at numbered markings on the wooden shacks, when I was caught off-guard by a young child bumping into me. His hands pushed clumsily into my jacket pocket, and I snatched his wrists before he got himself into serious trouble.
“You don’t want to try that, little man.”
He looked up at me with the same empty eyes I’d seen on the sick family before and I wasn’t completely sure whether he understood the words coming out of my mouth, but he struggled against my hold. I pulled my jacket flap aside to reveal my blaster holster, to hopefully give him a little pause before he continued his attempt at picking my pockets clean of cash. His eyes went wide at the sight, but another voice made a smile stretch across his face.
“Get your hands off him!”
While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets and don't forget to buy some books. You'll be glad you did.
19 July 2013
SFFS: Another Snippet from "Downtrodden"
Glad to see all of the feedback on last week's snippet for the weekly Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday posts. It sounds like everyone enjoyed it, so I'll bring another snippet from "Downtrodden" out for your perusal and enjoyment. And of course, I'm still determining whether this one will go into my next three-story Triple-Shot (perhaps this fall?). And if you haven't already picked up both of my current Triple-Shots, here they are below. Three short stories, all featuring space pirate Aston West in his various adventures. Check them out!
And now, for the snippet:
Note that the bolding above was just so I complied with this week's "cue word" (a new feature of the SFFS snippets?). While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets and don't forget to buy some books. You'll be glad you did.
And now, for the snippet:
Fortunately for all of us, a family of travelers passed by in the other direction, dressed in far nicer clothes than my dingy leather jacket and pants. The crowd of salesmen rushed off to separate them from what little money they had left. I took the freedom to accelerate my pace and escape their barrage.
More shopkeepers hounded me from their stores, but didn’t want to leave their merchandise unattended, leaving me able to pass by quickly without risk. I heard loud coughs and turned my head toward a young mother and three small children, all huddled in a pile against the store’s fabric wall. Their faces were tight, leathery skin pulled against the bones. Their eyes were empty as all four clutched at each other in between coughing fits. A small can rested in front of the mother, a few gold-rimmed credits inside reflecting in the sun. I almost thought about tossing one or two more in, but feared another mob of salesmen would congregate if I started flashing money around.
Besides, I was here on a job.
Note that the bolding above was just so I complied with this week's "cue word" (a new feature of the SFFS snippets?). While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets and don't forget to buy some books. You'll be glad you did.
12 July 2013
SFFS: A Snippet from "Downtrodden"
Apologies for the long hiatus between snippets for the weekly Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday posts. I will mention that I've been hard at work, trying to build even more tales for you to enjoy from the Aston West Universe. Today's snippet is from a short story that I'm hoping to put into the next three-story Triple-Shot sometime in the near future. Oh, you've never heard of a Triple-Shot before? Well, why didn't you say so? Three short stories, all featuring space pirate Aston West in his various adventures. In fact, there are two such Triple-Shots out there already. Check them out!
And now, for the snippet:
I probably don't have to mention, at least to those who've followed the blog for a couple of years, where inspiration for this scene came from. But if you've followed Aston for long, you know that there's going to be something afoot before long, and it's not going to be persistent salesmen.
While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets and don't forget to buy some books. You'll be glad you did.
And now, for the snippet:
Stepping out through the sliding double doors, my first thought was a fog had rolled in. Then the rancid stench of bodily fluids hit me, and I realized I should be wearing a sealed pressure suit for this job.
Leave it to Tabor Yurick to send me on this sort of assignment.
I attempted to keep my breathing to a minimum as I stepped outside of my ship and off toward the commotion of shopkeepers pushing their wares on new arrivals.
“Close us up,” I told my ship’s computer, Jeanie. She immediately obeyed, gears grinding as the airstair hatch lifted off the ground and closed.
Not even two steps more, and I was mobbed by several sellers trying to ply me with worthless crap I didn’t want or need. Repeated shakes of my head didn’t seem to be doing the trick, and I almost thought I would have to pull my Mark II out of its holster.
I probably don't have to mention, at least to those who've followed the blog for a couple of years, where inspiration for this scene came from. But if you've followed Aston for long, you know that there's going to be something afoot before long, and it's not going to be persistent salesmen.
While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets and don't forget to buy some books. You'll be glad you did.
02 June 2013
Sales Update - June 2013
Hard to believe it's been nearly seven months since my most recent sales update (which is actually longer than the update prior to that. Things have been a bit hectic over the first half of this year, but I do have updated numbers (except for my Champagne titles, which I have not yet received royalty statements on this year. So, here goes:
Friends in Deed has sold a total of 96 copies (print and e-book total), which means that 2 copies have sold since Novermber (for a total of around 1 copy every four months). This compares to around 13 copies during the previous reporting period which is another reason I've said that sales across the board have been down (again, I haven't yet seen a royalty statement this year, but based on all indicators, things are not looking up for this one. January marked the three-year anniversary of this one, so the average is still less than 30 copies per year. One thing that was pointed out to me is that bluish cover art (such as these first two books) tends to sell less than red, yellow and orange. That may be something to look into on any future books I publish.
Seeker has sold 84 copies (99-cent e-book only), so only 5 copies have sold since the last update (compared to 7 copies during the last update). December was the 2-year anniversary for this novel, which means we're still on track for an average of 40 copies per year). However, I decided to go forward with this title (at least for the remainder of this year) as a free giveaway, so my sales stats on this one will be skewed (since I'm not tracking the free sales other than spot checks). I will mention that in the course of about two weeks on Amazon, I've given away over 250 copies, proving another point that people are more willing to try out free stuff when it comes to new authors.
Dead or Alive has sold 83 copies, with 13 copies sold during this reporting period. This compares to 48 copies sold during the previous update period (although many of those were earlier sales reported by the publisher). The book was running about 4 copies a month at last count, and so now we've dropped to about 2 copies a month. I believe that the two-year anniversary is coming up on this one in July, so we're on track for another 40 copies per month title.
The Cure has now sold 83 copies (print and e-book total), so 16 copies have sold since my past update, compared to 12 copies during the previous update (making it the only title in the field that has increased sales since last time). This book has been out almost 2 years (the anniversary is in July), so again I'm seeing a little over 40 copies per year. It does match to the earlier comment I made about cover art, in that this one stands out for its color (as does Dead or Alive) more so than Friends in Deed.
Death Brings Victory was released just over a year ago (in March), and 48 copies have sold, meaning 11 copies have sold since the last update (which was the same quantity as the last time, but over a greater amount of time). This puts it on track with most of my other novels, at just over 40 copies per year. It's hard to say whether this cover tends more toward the blue or more toward the orange/red, as both are included. However, the fact that this is third in a series (and is much more tied into the first and second books, making it less standalone) may mean that future sales will come after people read the first two.
I now have two Triple-Shot collections out, with the first having been released in November 2011, and the second in July 2012. 40 copies have sold, so 7 copies sold since my last update (versus 12 copies from the previous update). Breaking this down, 29 copies of the first have sold and 11 of the second. The first triple-shot has been placed as free everywhere except Amazon (hopefully they'll price match soon), so sales numbers are probably going to be skewed from here on out (since I won't be recording free sales in the total.
Now for the analysis of this latest period:
Since my latest update (November), I've sold 63 books compared to 82 books during the previous update for an average of just over 10 books per month over the last four (compared to 20 books per month from my previous update). On the plus side, I was anticipating this latest period to be far slower than the last, but now I have evidence to back that up.
And so I have a statistic when people ask (and quite often they do), the latest "total sales" number now stands at 860 copies.
I never saw any bump from sales of e-readers over the holidays. My choice to offer Seeker and the first Triple-Shot for free is my attempt at getting discovered by readers. The first week it was free on Amazon, I did see sales of my other Aston West titles, so it's quite possible that this will help things along in the next update.
In the meantime, I really need to finish more projects. I currently have a short story, a novella and a novel to complete.
Thanks for stopping by!
Heroes Die Young has sold a total of 426 sales (print and e-book total), which means 9 copies have sold since November (for a total of just over a copy a month over the past seven months). This compares to 27 copies sold in the July-November 2012 range, so sales are way down (of course, this may not be the case after I see a royalty statement, but the trend has seemed to hold steady for all of my titles. The five-year anniversary for this one is coming up in September, so it's going to take a bit of action to maintain my previous average of around 100 copies per year.
The Cure has now sold 83 copies (print and e-book total), so 16 copies have sold since my past update, compared to 12 copies during the previous update (making it the only title in the field that has increased sales since last time). This book has been out almost 2 years (the anniversary is in July), so again I'm seeing a little over 40 copies per year. It does match to the earlier comment I made about cover art, in that this one stands out for its color (as does Dead or Alive) more so than Friends in Deed.
I now have two Triple-Shot collections out, with the first having been released in November 2011, and the second in July 2012. 40 copies have sold, so 7 copies sold since my last update (versus 12 copies from the previous update). Breaking this down, 29 copies of the first have sold and 11 of the second. The first triple-shot has been placed as free everywhere except Amazon (hopefully they'll price match soon), so sales numbers are probably going to be skewed from here on out (since I won't be recording free sales in the total.
Now for the analysis of this latest period:
Since my latest update (November), I've sold 63 books compared to 82 books during the previous update for an average of just over 10 books per month over the last four (compared to 20 books per month from my previous update). On the plus side, I was anticipating this latest period to be far slower than the last, but now I have evidence to back that up.
And so I have a statistic when people ask (and quite often they do), the latest "total sales" number now stands at 860 copies.
I never saw any bump from sales of e-readers over the holidays. My choice to offer Seeker and the first Triple-Shot for free is my attempt at getting discovered by readers. The first week it was free on Amazon, I did see sales of my other Aston West titles, so it's quite possible that this will help things along in the next update.
In the meantime, I really need to finish more projects. I currently have a short story, a novella and a novel to complete.
Thanks for stopping by!
26 April 2013
SFFS: A Snippet from "Ever Dark"
So, for those who haven't been following along the past few weeks on Facebook or Twitter, I've had my first Aston West Triple-Shot available for free, at least over at Barnes and Noble and Smashwords (and possibly other spots linked via the cover above...though I haven't checked personally). So, this week's Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippet is taken from one of the three stories in this freebie. To set up this excerpt, Aston has just been surprised by a freighter coming out of hyperspace.
“Freighter’s status?”
A few moments passed as Jeanie gathered information from the freighter’s computer. “Original destination was the Triton system. The ship is out of fuel.”
“Triton? I’d say the crew is having navigation problems. We’re not on any shipping route to Triton.”
“The crew does not have a navigation problem.”
“How’s that?”
“I find no life signs to indicate a crew.”
Enjoy the excerpt? Head over and get the full Triple-Shot for free. And if you have a Kindle, tell Amazon about the lower price...because I would have figured they'd price-match by now, but no such luck.
02 July 2012
Smashwords Summer Sale
If you've been wanting to try out my novels, head on over to Smashwords where you can get the following titles at a significant discount (just utilize the coupon code listed on the book's page):
So, enjoy these titles at a discount...but make sure to pick yours up soon, because the sale is only for the month of July!
 |
| Death Brings Victory, 50% discount |
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| Seeker, FREE! |
 |
| The Cure, 50% discount |
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| Dead Man's Forge (Triple-Shot #1), FREE! |
So, enjoy these titles at a discount...but make sure to pick yours up soon, because the sale is only for the month of July!
07 November 2011
Triple-Shots of Aston West
So, if you've checked out the last two SFFS excerpts here on the blog, you have a leg up on everyone else. And if you haven't, get on over and read excerpts from "Dead Man's Forge" and "Ever Dark".
So, now that everyone's up to speed, I'd like to introduce a brand new series we're kicking off with the Aston West universe: Triple-Shots of Aston West, a trio of short stories, all in one e-book for under a buck. The first Triple-Shot is now out, including "Ever Dark", "Samaritan" and the feature story "Dead Man's Forge".
And big thanks to the wonderful cover artist TK Toppin for the great work on the Triple-Shots cover art:
So, get out there and buy a copy (currently up at Smashwords, with the Amazon edition and others coming shortly). Check out three great stories for under a buck, and be sure to check back often for new stories.
So, now that everyone's up to speed, I'd like to introduce a brand new series we're kicking off with the Aston West universe: Triple-Shots of Aston West, a trio of short stories, all in one e-book for under a buck. The first Triple-Shot is now out, including "Ever Dark", "Samaritan" and the feature story "Dead Man's Forge".
And big thanks to the wonderful cover artist TK Toppin for the great work on the Triple-Shots cover art:
So, get out there and buy a copy (currently up at Smashwords, with the Amazon edition and others coming shortly). Check out three great stories for under a buck, and be sure to check back often for new stories.
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