As of this past Tuesday, I am officially a published author. It has been a year since I decided my work was at a place I wanted to consider pursuing publication, and I started my website and blog back in February. There has been researching, revisions, and frustration along the way, but I achieved my goal of publishing before this year was out, and I did it in a way that did not compromise quality.
At midnight Tuesday morning, my book went out to all 21 people who had preordered it, and I officially had my first sales. On Tuesday, I posted all of the social media images I created last weekend for the launch, and I am up to 33 orders total. I am excited about this, as only about 15 are from close friends and family. That means between the additional orders and ARC readers, more than 20 others will find a source of entertainment in my work.
New author, new series, great support!
Out of all the social media platforms, Nextdoor.com came in as the surprise winner for introducing random people to my book. The neighbors on the site jumped in with congratulations, the ones who enjoy fantasy checked out the link, and many bought it. That level of local support is incredible, and I was overwhelmed by all the people reaching out. There are still many people in my various circles, including this one, asking about the paperback version. I will reach out again when that is finally available.
Still Work to be Done
I am actively working on the paperback formatting, and on Thursday, I had some professional photos taken so I could use something other than a Facebook picture on the back cover. The photoshoot also marked the end of my publication buzz. For a good 36 hours, I was riding a wave of giddiness, grinning, and dancing around the house. Then it crashed.
You know it will probably not happen, but a part of you still dreams about magic, instant success. When it does not work out that way, the part of you that dreamed is disappointed, and you have to rely on your logical side to continue celebrating the small wins—did I mention 33 orders?—and remind yourself that you planned for this and know what to do.
I have an Amazon-sponsored product ad running. It is generic, so I’m trying to use it to see what keywords I might target or avoid targeting. So far, I have had a 0% conversion of clicks to sales, which does not help with any decision-making as far a keyword goes. However, that 0% is on a total of only six clicks, so I will not worry just yet. I also know that I will likely have a greater chance of conversions once the second book is out. Many people are reluctant to start a series this early into its release schedule.
So, I will keep writing and putting in the work. I will adjust advertising as insights emerge. I will continue to post about my books and my cats on social media.
You can find the book at this link, and it does have the “look inside” feature now that it is no longer in preorder. I’m targeting having the paperback available within a couple of months, so I plan to include a signed paperback giveaway raffle in my January newsletter. If you are interested in entering and have not already signed up, you can do so below or from my home page.
Thank you for all of your support, and here’s to many more posts and looking forward to the release of book number two!
Tiffany Shearn 