Moonlit Mayhem Sales Update
I promised when I started this journey that I would keep this audience updated as to my progress and how things were going with this crazy idea of publishing a book. Those of you just here for the history may want to tune out as this post is about the process of writing and selling the book.
Sales have been okay, but not great, I expected a few more sales through the Facebook channel which would have included readers of this page, as well as family, friends, and work colleagues that I have known over the years. If I sold a book to everyone who told me that they were going to buy one, my sales would be considerably higher. That is a lesson learned for the next book. I have supplemented sales from my personal network with sales attributed to joining and posting information on related Facebook groups.
The book officially went on sale the first week of April. To date, I have personally distributed about 75 paperbacks, 6 kindle versions, and 12 copies that have been purchased by booksellers. About 10 of the paperbacks have been “comp” copies that were distributed to my advanced readers/editors or someone who was promised a copy in exchange for allowing me to use certain images. Up to now, my marketing has focused entirely on Facebook, so the sales of Kindle versions and to booksellers is not due to any marketing that I have done.
The book is “Print on Demand” which means that if someone orders from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Wal-Mart, the printer just prints a copy to fulfill that order and sends it out. For orders such as this, with a sale price of $23.99, I receive a whopping $1.62. Kindle orders are a little better, for a Kindle order at $7.99, I receive $5.17. You can probably see why I’m pushing the purchase through www.jonathanjonesauthor.com, where I receive roughly 50% of the purchase price. That said, I definitely want to get more copies on local bookstore shelves.
This a hobby for me and I never intended it to replace my day job. It should be evident after the price discussion that a writer needs to sell a very large number of books, to make a living as a full-time writer. I understand that my book is targeted at a fairly small demographic. My real goal is to break even. I’m not there yet, but I’m still working on it.
Beginning in May, I plan to shift my marketing efforts to local bookstores, media outlets, and podcasts, etc.
Beginning in May, I plan to shift my marketing efforts to local bookstores, media outlets, and podcasts, etc.I have enjoyed this process so far and I am already working on my next book. Feel free to provide any comments/suggestions or critiques on the book itself, my website, or potential marketing opportunities. I need all the help I can get!
Thanks for your support and look for a new Border War Tour stop next week.
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