Confessions of a Newbie Indie Author and An Awesome Givaway This Month!!!

Hey did you know Novel Rocket is celebrating it's 10th Birthday. Yep, they've been at this blog gig that long. And to celebrate we are giving away books by all the contributors to this blog. Each week of September commenters have a change to win a package of five different books! Leave a comment below and you can win the books pictured below, which includes my Thyme for Love.

Last month I wrote about my new experience at going indie with my novel,

Thyme for Love.

What has the experience been like during the past month or so the book has been out? Wonderful, disappointing, encouraging, discouraging, awesome…well you get the idea. One thing has been constant. Every day I learn something new about either marketing, or KDP (Amazon's electronic publishing arm) or myself.

The book went live on July 29, and I experienced a surge of sales that day because some had preordered the book. Then the little red line on a graph I can peek at anytime I want, plummeted, as did my spirits. I went crazy checking the sales, sometimes once an hour, every single day for four straight days. Did I mention that there is no waiting for a royalty statement, and I can peek at my current sales any time I want. 

I’d heard the success stories of some authors hitting it “big” right out of the chute with an indie published novel, and I had high hopes this would be my experience. I am facing a huge dental bill and other expenses, which is where my royalties are earmarked to go, and I had visions of paying off the bills quickly. By the fourth day checking, my sales became an obsession and it had to stop. It wasn’t like I wasn’t selling at all. I was—in dribs and drabs.

God taught me a big lesson. Here’s some of what I wrote in my journal that day.

You Lord have every day of my life in your book (see Psalm 139)—today and all that follow. You know I’m becoming discouraged at the sluggish sales. You know I’ve sent out memes with catchy wording to grab people's attention, and yet there are no nibbles. It’s like casting a line and hoping for fish to bite, yet none come even though I have good bait on the hook.

Then later I wrote:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you;never will I forsake you.”So we say with confidence,“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Hebrews 13: 5-6 NIV)

Lord, I’ve never thought that extreme focusing on book sales to get cash to pay my bills equates with the love of money, but it is when it becomes an obsession. I’ve lost my way these past several days. You haven’t forsaken me. You are still with me and lack of sales will not change that. You are still God. My God. My Lord. My Savior.

I confess that I’ve made an idol out of my book sales (or lack of). In Your own time you will help me whittle down my debt. I thank you for what I’ve already earned. There will be more eventually—in your time, not mine.

I wrote that on August 2^nd and after I closed my journal that morning, I did lighten up on checking my sales and, what do you know, sales have increased over time. Not exactly breaking the bank, but they are steady.

On August 31 – September 2, I ran a freebie promotion, making the book free. In those three days over 3000 people downloaded the book, and ever since, I’ve been selling more per day than I did before the freebie promotion. 

And I’m told that when I am able to get the sequel to Thyme for Love edited and out there to sell as a package, the sales could increase.

I’m so grateful that God intervened on my spirit early on and set my heart in the right place. It’s so easy to make an idol out of the craziest things if we aren’t careful.

What have you learned about idol making in your life? If you are an indie author have you had a similar experience with checking your sales? Please leave comments. I love to hear how others deal with the same things I’m experiencing.

A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago with her two rescue cats. Her novels include Thyme for Love, and Love Will Find a Way, contemporary romantic mysteries, and her 1933 historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. When she isn’t at her laptop writing her latest novel, she can often be found nosing around Wisconsin and other midwestern spots for new story ideas.

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Permafree as an Indie Marketing Strategy~Interview with Traci Tyne Hilton

Today I'm thrilled to introduce Traci Tyne Hilton, a Christian indie author who has been so helpful to me personally, and an inspiration to so many other authors. She is a busy gal (as you will see!), but I wanted to tap into her wisdom on the effectiveness of using permafree as a marketing strategy, which is the latest buzz in indie circles. Permafree books are books that STAY free on Amazon and/or various other outlets, thus pulling readers in to read more books by that author (usually in a series). 

One of the things I love about being an indie author is that we share sales figures and marketing strategies. Please take time to thank Traci for sharing her experience with us. I'm pinning this post for easy reference! ~Heather Day Gilbert

Permafree as an Indie Marketing Strategy

Interview with Traci Tyne Hilton

Author Traci Tyne Hilton

HG: First off, how long have you been self-published, Traci? I know you were one of the earlier writers to take this route (and I know it has paid off for you!).

TH: It’s funny to think of myself as an early adopter, because it feels like just yesterday, but my first indie title came out in paperback around February of 2010, and then as an ebook that fall.

HG: On the issue of permafree e-books (I believe the definition of that is "permanently free" e-books), how did you decide you were ready to make one of yours permafree? And was it the first in series?

TH: I decided to go permafree with the first book in my series because I was basically desperate. I was terrified to do it, but I knew I had to make a change.

So, I had been doing pretty well, considering I didn’t know what I was doing, didn’t have a background in publishing, didn’t have a budget, didn’t have much of a plan, and wanted something I could do from home while raising my kids. I was making about a thousand dollars a month, and felt great. Then, November 2012 rolled around and I made…almost nothing. Or it felt that way. I was down to about $200 a month with no idea of how to make more.

I had already tried becoming a twitter-master (fifty tweets a day, links to helpful posts, fun quotes—a link to my books here and there.) I had tried writing fast and publishing fast (as fast as I could, anyway) and I had tried being a part of Kindle Select and running short promos. I had run Ereader News Today ads, Pixel of Ink ads, I had posted all over facebook. I don’t know, if someone had suggested it, I had tried it, and not just one little try, I had gone all out. And…I had short term success. Moments of good sales, but absolutely nothing lasting.

I had to find the secret magic trick that would make my books sell (Click to Tweet!), or give up and go back to paying attention to my kids!

I said to a friend of mine who was known for never compromising on his advice, “You are bossy and successful. Tell me what to do and I will do it. Whatever you say.” He said make my first book free and write more books. So I did, and it worked.

HG: Did you notice an immediate sales bump for other books in the series when you made the first permafree?

TH: Yes, definitely. You remember I was desperate because after two years of publishing and growing an audience my royalties had dropped to about $200 a month, right? Well, the first month the first Mitzy book was free—and I only had three books in the series at the time—I made $2800. I was immediately sold. I mean, think about that…three books made me $200. I made first book free, and two books made me $2800. I’d say that was an immediate result!

HG: What long-term effects have you seen from your permafree decision?

TH: The biggest change, besides making heckuva lot more money, is that I now have an active fan base! It’s a blast to get fan mail, and to hang out with people on facebook who are there because they like my books!

HG: When would you NOT recommend an author go permafree with his/her book?

TH: I would not recommend permafree if:

-The author only has one book

-The author’s titles are not in the same genre

-or, if in the same genre the books are too different to be grouped into some kind of series

-The author is philosophically against free. (There are plenty of authors who consider free promotions damaging to literature. I would never try and talk them out of their convictions.)

-If they are my direct competition. JUST KIDDING! I have happily talked lots of other Christian Cozy authors into trying it out, and I think they are all pretty happy with their results. (Check out the authors of Cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com to see what I mean!

     HG: I know that of all my marketing strategies to date, going free a few days with my books has brought the most results in terms of temporary sales boost. Would you say going permafree has been the best marketing strategy you have tried? If not, what is?

TH: Writing a series that follows one lead character and making the first book of that series free is the only marketing technique I have tried that has produced an increase in sales that lasted longer than about three days. (Click to Tweet!) Every other technique—and I have tried them all—was less effective in producing both short and long term sales (for me.)

HG: Finally, on a non-permafree note, how many books do you think an author needs to have out before making a full-time income on self-publishing, if you could give us an estimate? I've heard five books.

TH: I think an author needs to publish a minimum of three books a year to make a living. The point at which they start making a living is different for everyone. But it is the steady stream of quality new releases that makes a person able to live off their writing rather than a set number of books already published. Three is really the minimum for most people, and since it’s August, and I’ve only published one so far this year, I had better say goodbye, and get back to work! Thanks so much for the chat!

***Thank you, Traci! Readers, what about you--has a free book ever hooked you into buying a series or reading more from an author? Indie authors, if you have tried this strategy, how has it worked for you?***

Click to Find on Amazon

Traci Tyne Hilton is the author of the new Tillgiven Mystery Series, The Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery Series, and The Plain Jane Mystery Series. She was the Mystery/Suspense Category winner for the 2012 Christian Writers of the West Phoenix Rattler Contest, and has a Drammy from the Portland Civic Theatre Guild. Traci serves as the Vice President of the Portland chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association.

Traci earned a degree in History from Portland State University and still lives in the rainiest part of the Pacific Northwest with her husband the mandolin playing funeral director, their two daughters, and their dogs, Dr. Watson and Archie.

More of Traci's work can be found at http://www.tracihilton.com

Click to Find on Amazon

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Crossing Oceans' Mother's Day Contest! And the winner is...

AND THE WINNER IS.... Melinda Evaul! Melinda, please email Gina with your address at rnglh1 at yahoo dot com.

CONGRATULATIONS

(I literally gave everyone a separate entry for each thing they listed they did and picked one of the names at random. I appreciate everything all of you did to help get the word out about Crossing Oceans...THANK YOU!!)





Next week is the official virtual launch for my debut CROSSING OCEANS, and we've got a lot planned--including a contest.

At the end of the week we will have one grand prize winner of our Crossing Oceans' Mother's Day Contest--a strand of luxurious 48" hand knotted cultured fresh water pearls (they're BEAUTIFUL!) and two autographed copies of Crossing Oceans, one for you and one for mom. (I'll write a special note for your mom with your editorial guidance.)

Although the kick off starts Monday, you can start entering now. Here's how it works:

MOTHER'S DAY CONTEST RULES

Each day from May 3rd (Monday) to May 7th (Friday) in the comments section, let us know how you're helping to get the word out about Crossing Oceans. Each thing you do is not only very much appreciated, but will earn you one entry in the drawing. Do two things, you're entered twice, etc. There is no limit to the number of entries you can receive and you can enter daily.

WAYS TO ENTER:

1. Ask your library to order a copy of Crossing Oceans.

2. Buy a copy of Crossing Oceans.

3. If you've read it, review it on Amazon, B&N, CBD, BooksAMillion, Facebook, twitter, shoutlife, myspace or anywhere else appropriate. Again, each time you post it, it counts as a separate entry.

3. Post the book trailer on your blog, website, facebook, myspace, shoutlife page. (Each one you do will count for a separate entry.)(Just copy and paste:

<object width="340" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pll1GojOEMU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pll1GojOEMU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>


4. Change your profile pic for the day to the jpg cover (simply right click it off Amazon, here or where ever. Save it to your computer and post it to your pics. Very simple if you've never done it.

5. Post one of the endorsements below along with the book cover and/or title to any of your blogs, websites or networking sites AND/OR the following blurb:



“Beautiful and heartfelt.”
Charles Martin, NYT bestselling author of Where the River Ends

“Poignant and unforgettable, CROSSING OCEANS will break your heart — and then put the pieces back together again. This is an uplifting and inspiring tale that reminds us to live every day as if it’s our last.”
Tess Gerritsen, NYT Best-selling author .

“Moving, heart-rending and poignant, a stunning debut. Holmes returns us to what matters in a too-short life—what it really is to come home.”
Tosca Lee, Author of Havah & Demon: A Memoir

“Gina Holmes explores the beauty, tenderness and tenacity of mother-love in Crossing Oceans with marvelous skill and insight. An outstanding debut from a gifted storyteller. Bravo!
Susan Meissner, Author of The Shape of Mercy


This story will wring you out and hang you up to dry. It’s beautifully written and deep as a river.”
Lauraine Snelling, author of A Measure of Mercy

“A stunning debut novel about love, loss, and the circle of life. Gina Holmes knows how to find laughter in tragedy. . . . Her characters will grab you by the heart and have you laughing, crying, and holding your breath.”
Marshall Karp, author of The Rabbit Factory

“I finished Crossing Oceans just moments ago and the tears are still wet on my cheeks. What a touching, delightful story! Poignant and beautifully written, Crossing Oceans is a lyrical testament to the hope we have when we believe.” Deborah Raney,author of
Almost Forever and the Clayburn Novels



6. Simply say on any networking site that Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes has released and anything else that might perk interest.

7. Spread the word about the contest on other blogs, sites, etc.

8. Any other idea that would help spread the word that I haven't thought of.

**Don't forget to write in the comments section what you did and include your name. The winner will be announced Saturday, May 8th here on Novel Journey.

Thanks everyone for your help and support. It means everything.

Blessings, Gina

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Book Giveaway

Linda is giving away a copy of her latest book in the pet-sitter series, Never Say Sty. For a chance to win this title, please leave a comment for our guest along with your email addie.

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Book Giveaway from E.J. Rand

Choose one of E.J. Rand's three mysteries, SAY GOODBYE, PERFECT COVER, and coming in June 2009, HIGHER CALLING, all published by Deadly Ink Press. Leave your email address in the comments section for a chance to win one of these mysteries from this award-winning author.

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Portal to another dimension?

Brandt Dodson was born and raised in Indianapolis and comes from a line of police officers spanning several generations. A writer and a board–certified podiatrist specializing in peripheral nerve surgery, Dr. Dodson, his wife, and their two sons live in Newburgh, Indiana, where he serves as an elder at the First Christian Church. Daniel's Den is his latest novel.

This past weekend I had my first signing for my newly released novel, Daniel’s Den. It was a local signing so I expected turnout to be good. It was. I signed for two and a half hours and had very little downtime. Dozens of books were moved and I got a chance to meet old friends and many new readers.

This, I thought, is what it’s all about.

Wrong.

During one of the few lulls of the afternoon, a very pleasant lady approached my table. I had noticed her earlier, buzzing about, eyes locked on me as she pretended to peruse the many overstocked shelves, so is was no surprise when she finally approached the table behind which I stood. This is not all that uncommon at a book signing as many people are either too shy or too reticent to approach an author.

She asked me how I got published. This is also a rather common question to hear during a book signing, or other author venue, and so I told her my own story and then proceeded to give her advice on how to break in. (Write the best book you can.)
She listened intently then asked me the mother of all questions; a question that no reader has ever asked.

“Do you believe that Evansville (Indiana – the location of the book signing) is a portal to another dimension?”

Unsure if I had heard her correctly, I asked her to repeat the question.

She did, confirming that my hearing was intact.

“No,” I said. “I don’t think so.”

She lowered her voice, leaned across the table and said, “Oh, I do. I think the muse is up there and just beams ideas into our minds.”

After a few more minutes of conversation – in which she told one reader to leave because I was talking to her – she smiled and moved on. When I told my wife about this later that evening, she asked if I wanted to watch “Misery”, the movie starring James Caan and based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. (If you’re a writer, you need to watch it. But read the book, too.)

But as bizarre as the lady’s question may seem, I had to ask myself, “Is Evansville the portal to another dimension?”

Absolutely! In a literary sense, that is.

Our writing – and I’m talking novels, now – should transport our readers to places and times they could not obtain on their own. We should take them to the rain-soaked, wind-swept cliffs of a Gothic romance, to the bowels of the jungle in a military thriller, or to an old man’s cabin by the sea, as Hemingway did in his award-winning classic.

The best novels I’ve read – and I dare say, that you’ve read – are those that take us out of our world and into another. That gives us the chance to live vicariously through characters that are as palpably real as those who share our lives; novels that show us a side of life – or of ourselves - we’ve never seen.

As a writer, that’s the challenge; the brass ring for any novelist.

It’s not about meeting old friends or new readers at a book signing. It’s about the craft. It’s about the writing.

Is Evansville the portal to another dimension?

You bet. And so is the town in which you live, if you’ll settle down, put words to paper, and make it so.

Win a copy of Daniel's Den by leaving a comment on this post. Winner will be chosen and announced on Tuesday.

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