Are You a Successful Writer?

Subject: Re: Are You a Successful Writer? Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:34 am

Shelagh wrote:: I've achieved more than I set out to achieve. Now I'm looking forward to getting my life back and spending more time with my family. My first published book sold very few copies but was serialised on Preston Community radio in 2009, which gave some purpose to having written the book.

When I published Forever Friends, it received an excellent review from Apex reviews but did not meet the target of ten copies sold for every contributor. However, the book has now had 655 downloads on Kindle, which means it has made its target. The contributors did not want the book to make a substantial profit, but they wanted their work to be read. We seem to have achieved that.

I have given away almost twenty thousand copies of my books for Kindle alone, not counting the thousands of free copies of the Literature & Fiction books on other websites (Smashwords, Nook, Sony and iPad).

The 10,500+ downloads of Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine for Kindle motivated me to write the sequel. If there is no interest in the second in the series, there will not be a third.

I published Alice's book last February and the book is about to be offered for free download over the Christmas period. It should help to get the book out to a substantial number of readers.

If I don't do anything else, I know that I did my best and that's as much as I can do.

Shelagh,

You have done better than best with my book.

Thank you very much--if it doesn't take off it isn't your fault.

My friends have it.

Subject: Re: Are You a Successful Writer? Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:56 am

We'll see what happens 25th-29th December. I'm quite looking forward to seeing if the downloads reflect the number of new Kindles bought for children. Only one and a half days to go!

Subject: Re: Are You a Successful Writer? Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:56 am

The day before the day before Christmas. It's getting exciting.

For some strange reason, an old ditty came to me this afternoon.

Christmas is coming,
the turkey's getting fat,
pleas put a nickle in the old man's hat
If you don't have a nickle
a penny will do,
if you don't have a penny,
God bless you.

Subject: Re: Are You a Successful Writer? Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:04 am

Yes, Abe, it is getting exciting. To add to the excitement, someone took out Forever Friends from the Lending Library. It reminds me of checking my books online in the Lancashire libraries and seeing that one of the books is on loan! At one time, there were twelve copies in Lancashire libraries but only a few have survived. Still. it was fun to see the books being taken out while it lasted.

Subject: Re: Are You a Successful Writer? Mon Dec 26, 2011 7:57 am

Dear Shelagh,
Someone borrowed The Deer Hunter! Very Happy

So far, the seven stories I have for free on Kindle have been downloaded a total of 1262 times and 14 books have been purchased for .99 cents. Today is the last day the seven will be free. I wonder if I should put a couple more up free for a day or two. What do you think?

Love,
Betty

Subject: Re: Are You a Successful Writer? Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:15 am

Well done, Betty! That is excellent over so few days! There is no rush to make any more books free. Amazon are holding a "Twelve Days of Christmas" sale which will attract most customers until the sale ends. By then, you might want to consider making a couple more free.

» How To Know If You Are A Pro Writer
» The First Ever Writer
» Confessions of a semi-successful author
» Successful non-fiction author spurns traditional publishing
» The Writer in YOU