How 'M I Doin'?

Just wanted to give my fans (and both of you know who you are) an update on the status of the e-book released on March 31 of this year. The experience thus far confirms what I've come to understand about publishing and about life in general: leave your expectations at the door, because you won't need them.

The Numbers

Okay, boring and revealing stuff first. Number of sales: 2. Number of downloads of the free sample: 4. I've placed an ad on craigslist for the Chicago area, but that didn't generate much more than free samples. I've sent out about ten freebie copies.

Before You Start Feeling Bad

Two weeks in, none of the above is bad news. It doesn't reflect on the quality of the work or the effort I put into it. I'm learning a great deal about a lot of different things.

For instance, I should have put my contact information at the bottom of the acknowledgment page instead of at the end of the book. The free sample is of the beginning of the book. No one who downloads the free sample gets my contact information unless they look at my profile page at Smashwords.com. Click (light bulb on over head).

I also don't have enough advertising out there. Few people besides friends and family know about this, so I need to get the word out better. I'm not happy with my craigslist ad, either with its scope or the ad copy. More ads, more ads. And better use of networking sites and other online presences.

So there's more I can do and want to do, time permitting. Got a job now. Takes up some time.

Not “Huh?”, but “Huh.”

I'm still enthused about all this, although I don't have enough time to devote to it. Much work to do to build a readership and I'm hoping that will happen sooner rather than later. Still, looking at the big picture, I've actually sold copies of my work. People have paid money for what I write. With money as tight as it is these days, that's a remarkable thing.

Hey, two people who bought the book? Thanks for that. Now let's turn you into a crowd.

Okay. Now.

My new book, and the first foray into the Turning Springs world, named appropriately Turning Springs, has been released. It's available at e-book distributor/publisher Smashwords.com. There is a large free sample available, but the full e-book will run you $3.00. It's about a traveling technician for a constructed servants company trying to stop one of the company's products from killing people in an old west town. I'm planning on doing many more e-books set in this same world, so step up and let me know what you think.

There's also a formal space for reviews on the download page at Smashwords if you wish, and I wish you would. I'll be advertising it every place that will let me do so for nothing, but word of mouth wouldn't hurt either. I don't insist on only good reviews being seen, although I do prefer them. I want to get better at this as time and effort goes on and the best way I can do that is to take the criticisms of experience and apply it to future work.

It's a good feeling to have it out in public where people can get to it. The hard work is just beginning. I'm looking forward to all the marketing and advertising aspects of this, but I'm making this up as I go along. Any advice any of you can give me would be welcome.

This Post's Question: how would you recommend I proceed to get my work read?