My 3 Reasons for Self-Pubbing & Sales Updates on Print & Ebooks

Thanks Merri, PJanes & Rebecca. Sometimes life dictates we adjust our rudder and make another tack; a lesson I'm pretty sure we've all learned. I'm going to go see my dear friend today and take her a copy of my new novel and some of her favorite Lindt truffles -- after I mail 5 orders of the new novel (got 2 more this morning), plus the ones I send to my beta readers.

Thanks Judy Koot, for the very kind words.

Book signing update:

Well friends, I had a very successful (for me) book signing open house yesterday. I sold and signed 28 books, - 27 copies of Sand Dollar and 1 of Heart Song. I also got orders for 2 more SD just a little while ago. Final totals for my two titles to this point are as follows:

Heart Song: 152 (mostly print - one new e-book sale. I'll break it down after I get the data off my old hard drive).
Sand Dollar: 27 copies at the open house, 6 sales ahead of that, plus 2 today. I feel like I'm off to a decent start on this second novel. I plan to get the e-book on Amazon before the end of the month.

Total Sales: 187 books sold in the 13 months since I've been published.

Thanks, Merri & Sio.

One week later: Yesterday the lady that taped my first piece of fan mail to my front door one year ago stopped by to pick up 5 signed books of my new title. Also, I just packaged 10 to send to Maui tomorrow. With all Sand Dollar sales and the 13 gift books I've given or sent, plus the 3 I keep for myself, 66 books of my initial order of 200 are gone.

Heart Song: 137 print sales / 15 e-book sales
Sand Dollar: 50 print sales (hand-to-hand - after 1 week)
202 total sales - 2 titles

I know my sales are peanuts to many of you, but to me it feels like a pocketful of cashews.

merrihiatt said:

A pocketful of cashews -- love that saying!!! I don't believe even one sale is peanuts. You never know where that one sale might lead.

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Haha Thanks, Merri. That comes out of my Dad buying us kids peanuts while he ate cashews. I buy cashews whenever I have a hankering for them now.


End of November update:

Heart Song print sales in Nov.: 4 E-books: 2 Total sales for this title - 141 print + 17 e-books over 13 months.

Sand Dollar print last week: 5 new sales for a total of 55 over 2 weeks.

212 total sales - 2 titles

For any still interested: I will probably update every two weeks or monthly if there is anything to report.

cwbrowning said:

Wow! Great job, Ann! Those sales seem wonderful to me! Keep it up! What kind of advertising do you do, if you don't mind my asking?

And....I'm with you 100% on the cashews! ;-)

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Thanks, CW. It feels like a very slow process to me, but I'm basically a patient person and understand I'm building my brand right now. Plus, I never jump in with both feet without a great deal of research, so I'm slower going than most because of that too. People tell me I'm doing great on print sales, but as you can see, e-books - not so much! Of course, print sales are much more lucrative for me than digital, so that's a bit of a plus.

I haven't advertised at all, except for talking a bit about what I'm doing on my author FB page. I just finished a free giveaway of 2 signed copies of Heart Song and got a bunch of new likes from that and a few e-book sales as well, so that helps. Since I don't use POD channels, every print book I sell is by my hand or word of mouth (which is growing). I printed 300 copies of my first book when I started out and decided to only do 200 copies of my second title. I have sold more than 1/4 of the second one after 2 1/2 weeks, so I'm quite happy with that. I'm expecting a few print sales this week as well.

Honestly, apart from family and friend sales, etc., I keep a box of books in my trunk and talk to people almost everywhere I go when I'm out and about. Off the top of my head, I've sold books to clerks, food samplers and customers, at Walmart; Costco; Hallmark; the Dollar Store; Michael's craft store; the floral shop in Festival foods; my dentist's office (2 receptionists and my dentist) the race track, etc.

My latest: I was shipping a box of 10 to Maui plus 3 single book orders, and in conversation with the clerk that processed the shipping, sold her one of each title and also sold one of the first book to a customer standing there. I went out to my trunk, grabbed the 3 books and a couple of bags, went back in, signed them, got their money and everyone was happy! It probably helps that I have no trouble talking to people. In fact, I enjoy it!

I didn't mind you asking at all, CW. Your eyes are probably glazing over after reading all of this. LOL See, that's why I don't do twitter. I'd never be content to tweet. Too limiting. Hah!

Keep on eating those cashews, you two.

Spell-it-out said:

Thanks for the update, Ann, great news.

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Thanks, Sio. You must be getting close to the publication of your second novel. I'm hoping to get this one on Amazon in the next few days. We're moving in the right direction.

K.B. Parker said:

I've a very social person (probably one of the reasons it takes me so long to write a novel). But selling products face to face is a steep hill for me to climb, I could never do it. It's why I'm so terrible with retail jobs (about all I can get right now). It's like I freeze up and get real awkward as opposed to when I'm just out and about I talk to everyone.

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I was an extremely shy child, and have never been able to speak in front of a crowd. One on one's I can do; and as I've gotten older, the shyness has mostly vanished. See, your out and about talking is where you can watch for an opportunity to mention the fact that you're an author, which usually gets the ball rolling. You'd be surprised how easily that door swings open.

Anyway, congratulations on your journey and your sales. You obviously have a great, warm personality and I'll check back in frequently.

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Thank you, K.B. I appreciate your comments.

Spell-it-out said:

I am actually! I'm aiming for the 14th of this month for the official release. I will update my SP diary closer to that date to fill everyone in on what I've done differently this time.

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Yay! Glad to hear you're so close. I will be looking forward to it.

Me and you can keep each other on track; both released first novels this time last year, and second one now. (Okay, you're a few weeks ahead )
This time next year...

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I like this idea, Eamonn. Except can we aim closer to late summer for the third novel, please? I'm rather fond of the idea of having my next signing in the backyard among the gardens. I'm a good six chapters into the next book in the 'All Hearts' series (for next year), but won't get back to it until after the holidays. I'm also half done with a novelette-length Christmas story, but not sure I can get it done in time to push the publish button this year. Write on, my friend!

cwbrowning said:

Thanks, Ann, for those wonderful tips! I don't talk much about my book, but I think I'll start now! I come from a customer service and retail background, so talking to people randomly is no great stretch for me. I'll talk to anyone about most things quite happily. However, talking to them about my book is a whole different ballgame! You have inspired me, though, and I shall try it! Good luck with the second book!!!

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You are so welcome, cw. If I have anything of value to say that will help one person on these threads, it makes me happy. I've been in sales of one kind or another since I was sixteen (a long, long time ago), so that background probably helps. I think we would all agree the key thing for every one of us is being personable without being pushy.

Thanks for your kind words, and I wish you much success with your sales!

Spell-it-out said:

Ha-ha is this your way of gently saying we're finished? I'm afraid I'll have to let you go on without me, as I'm in the first year of a Creative Writing for Media course here, and I don't have as much free time as I had before. Still, I hope to have book #3 ready for this time next year.

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Never! Well, perhaps in pace (if I can meet my hopeful expectations), but never in encouragement and support. I shall continue to be your cheerleader and I know you'll be mine. I'm very proud of you for working so hard and continuing your education and still managing time to write. You seem to have a heavy load and I wish you every success along the way. I'll be watching as you keep us updated.

I hope you can have your novelette ready for Christmas--it'd be another piece of work published. Best of luck with it.

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Thanks, Eamonn! I'm trying. Have had 3 deaths and memorials to attend in the last 3 weeks--one was a best friend, so that has really slowed me down. But I'm keeping on. Blessings!

Judy Koot said:

Sorry to hear about your losses, Ann. Wishing you the best.

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Thanks, Judy. I appreciate your kindness.

FionnJameson said:

Thanks for your updates. I love how you always remain so upbeat and positive and it makes reading your thread such a pleasure. I'm sorry for your recent losses and hope you're doing okay.

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Thank you, Fionn. I'm so glad you enjoy reading my thread. The awesome support on here means a lot to all of us. I make it a point every day to find at least one thing to be grateful for, and today, I'm grateful for the condolences offered by you and Judy. Thanks so much!

I finally sold my fourth Sand Dollar (pubbed Dec. 8th) e-book this morning. My first inspirational Christmas short story, God's Ornaments (e-book only), went live today too. It will be interesting to see if I have an increase in e sales from these 2 offerings.

I'm pretty sure part of the problem for me is lack of visibility. My books show up nowhere unless I type the full title plus my author name into the search box. They don't even show up under new releases in the last 30 days. That is somewhat discouraging. I did enroll Sand Dollar in KDP select so I can try the Kindle Countdown when I've got the required 30 days under my belt. I'll report on the results of that when I have them. I sell so few e-books that it's definitely worth trying.

Thankfully, I did have more print sales this month, but I'll share those in my end of the month December sales update.

Merry Christmas to all of you. I hope the rest of your December and your January sales rock!