Facelift!

The cool thing about being Indie (and running this whole dang show), is that I make all of the decisions. There's freedom in that. I can gauge what's working, what isn't, and experiment to my heart's content. 

That said, the Guardian Books are getting a facelift. It's not the first one, and it probably won't be the last one (forever's a long time, you know).

Even so. . . .

What do you think? Yes? No? Maybe so?

Because freedom is good, but feedback is better. :D

The Gatekeepers are Leaving Their Gates

The Rules are Changing.

I didn't say it. Neil Gaiman did. If you haven't seen it already, I hope you'll carve 20 or so minutes out of your day to watch this. Insanely brilliant advice for anyone working in a creative field—writer, artist, dancer, filmmaker—or anyone in need of a touch of inspiration.

Neil Gaiman Commencement Speech University of the Arts Class of 2012

Also, make sure you stop by the Indelibles blog to participate in the Beach Bash/blog hop! The winner receives a free Kindle/Nook!

Friday Links!

Hi Everyone!

I'm posting a few links for your Friday.

In my April Sales Post earlier this week, I mentioned that Amazon changed their algorithms. And then they changed them again. Here's a post from Phoenix Sullivan on how those changes will affect your "Free" status if you're part of KDP Select.

Also, I'm not one to shout Konrath-like of the "end of the traditional publishing age as we know it," but I love Love LOVE this post from Kristin Lamb.

I especially love the analogies: Tower Records, Kodak--both companies on top of their game that refused to adapt and then . . . well . . . Died. I'm throwing in my own analogy: As much as I love Blockbuster video, I love downloading movies on iTunes even more. It's fast, easy, and convenient, and fast, easy, and convenient prevails in our society. 

Love this quote:

"Some of the best books are coming out of this movement. Additionally, some of NY’s best talent has defected (Bob Mayer, Joe Konrath, and Barry Eisler to name a few) and more are bound to follow. Authors are getting tired of the depressing odds of success in the traditional paradigm. . . ."

No names, but I'll tell you that I know several traditional authors who aren't happy with the treatment they're getting from their publishers, and more and more are seriously considering going indie. And the Indelibles? I can't name a single member who regrets this path. I certainly don't.

And finally, this article talks more about the new Barnes and Noble/Microsoft partnership.

Happy Mother's Day to the Moms!

Happy Writing/Editing/Bookselling to the Writers!

And to everyone else: Have a great weekend! :D

~Katie~


 

April Sales Numbers

Numbers Post!

I've been number crunching all morning. I swear, the Humanities major in me freaks out when I see numbers (they do not compute), but I am just enough of a nerd to want to know how these things work. Thank God for calculators.

The Grand Total for April?

1,979

The Guardian sold 140 Amazon US copies, 6 Amazon UK copies, 5 Amazon DE copies, and 35 copies on Barnes and Noble for a total of 186 copies or 6.2 sales per day.

Cross My Heart sold 1,130 Amazon US copies, 257 Amazon UK copies, 60 Amazon DE copies, 5 Amazon FR copies, 176 copies on Barnes and Noble, and 28 on iTunes for a total of 1,656 or 55.2 sales per day.

Vendetta sold 116 Amazon US copies, 4 Amazon UK copies, 2 Amazon DE copies, and 15 copies on Barnes and Noble for a total of 137 or 4.5 sales per day.

Sales were fairly steady through April, and comparable to March. They trickled upward (slightly) on iTunes from last month. The difference? I went in mid-month and changed my category from Kids/Juvenile books to Adult (there is no "Teen" section). Rumor was that more teens check the adult books section (though I know authors who are doing equally well in both categories), so I thought it might be worth the risk to see if there was any change in sales based on categories.

Otherwise, the big news lately is The Great Amazon Algorithms Switch. (Yes. ANOTHER ONE.) I'm linking a few posts, but the gist of the matter is that mid-March through April, there were three separate "lists." One list was weighted heavily toward more recent sales, another list weighted sales within the last 30 days, and another list didn't count or weight free books "sold" at all.

Thank you, Ed Robertson for spelling this out for us!

BUT THEN. . . .

(The Plot Thickens!)

Amazon changed their algorithms again.

Right now, it appears free ebooks aren't going to factor in as heavily as they have in the past. So . . . people who opt for KDP Select, set their book to free, and then ride the "boost" in sales the three days following. . . . Um, yeah. It's not looking so great right now. (Only time will tell, of course.)

At any rate, people are already reporting a decrease in sales/ranking, and I had a pretty volatile sales weekend, so we'll see how this plays out. In the meantime, there's discussion/lamenting on this thread at the Kindleboards. Obviously, no one knows for sure how the algorithms work, a lot of people speculate, and they fluctuate so much it's almost impossible to keep up with them. . . .

Even so, the landscape for Indies is MUCH different this year than it was last year. I have nothing against progress or improvements; I just hope Amazon keeps indie writers in mind when considering their bottom line, because when we're successful, they're successful.   

It's also a solid reminder not to cram every egg into a single basket. Make sure you're diversifying and promoting your work across all platforms.

Finally (And Always)--THANK YOU for the tweets, reviews, comments, purchases, etc. I'll stick around as long as you guys are interested, and even when I'm "quiet" (i.e. hiding out in the writing/editing cave) please know that I Do NOT take your support for granted. Ever.  :D

That Is All.

Enjoy your week!

~K~

Dropping In. . . .

I owe you a numbers post. I actually owe you lots of posts. Thanks *so* much for checking in with me. Posts are so sporadic lately--every free second is spent on The Book That Will Not Be Edited. Also known as The Guardians #3. Not that it won't be edited--it will. That's what I'm working on. It's just taking For. Ev. Er.

If you've read The Guardian and Vendetta and enjoyed them, I would love Love LOVE to see some new Amazon/Barnes and Noble reviews. I know I'm getting a lot of blog hits about that third book, and I *promise* it's coming soon. In the meantime, any way you can help spread the word is always appreciated. :)

Finally, I watched this Ted Talk a few weeks ago. It centers around movies (and telling stories), but there are some good lessons for writers of books, too. (Am PG-13ing this talk for some language.)

Enjoy!

~K~

Hot New Release!

Hi Everyone!

Today I'm posting a Hot New Release to ease you into the week!

First in the series:

Change.

She longs for it.

A murder.

She'll never be the same.

ABOUT WATCHED

 

It takes more than a school trip to Washington, DC to change Christy’s life. It takes murder. A witness to the brutal slaying of a senator’s aide, Christy finds herself watched not only by the killers and the FBI, but also by two hot guys. She discovers that if she can’t help the FBI, who want to protect her, it will cost her and her new friends their lives.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 
Cindy M. Hogan graduated with a secondary education teaching degree and enjoys spending time with unpredictable teenagers. More than anything she loves the time she has with her own teenage daughters and wishes she could freeze them at this fun age. If she's not reading or writing, you'll find her snuggled up with the love of her life watching a great movie or planning their next party. She loves to bake, garden and be outdoors doing a myriad of activities.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

"A fantastic read, full of suspense and excitement!"

"A great book that keeps you on your toes, dying to find out what happens next."

"Intense."

 

"Fast paced suspense."

          ~C.K.Bryant, author of BOUND

Watched is available in both print and eformats. The ebook is listed at $.99, and you can find it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. 

Now Available (Our HOT NEW RELEASE!)

ABOUT PROTECTED

She has the guy. The terrorists have been taken care of and she has a shot at becoming popular. Life is great! Until they find her. Now she must run and leave behind everything she knows, including herself.

Protected is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for $2.99.

Cindy can be reached at cindymhogan@yahoo.com, or visit her on her blog at cindymhogan.blogspot.com, and follow her on Twitter: @watched1.

If you're hopping blogs for this tour, your next stop is Rashelle Workman's space on the web. :)

Enjoy!

~KK~

Update

Hey Guys,

GUESS WHAT?! The job doesn't suck today! YAY! I'll have an entire afternoon devoted solely to editing (and, you know, washing the dishes that piled up over the week). Am SO excited--you have no idea. . . .

Also, I have a post up over at the Indelibles' blog: Writing Outside the Box.

Check it out if you feel inclined.

Otherwise, have a fabulous weekend!

~K~