The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

[Margo]

Thought I'd pop in for a sec and do a self-pub update. The supersecret pen name is about nine months old with approximately 35,000 copies sold. My income per month hit five figures last month and is doubling this month. For my genre, I have 3 titles currently on the Amazon bestseller list.

Write well, but write fast. Brand your covers. Don't waste time with blogging or tweeting. Get the next title out.

[Sommer Leigh]

Thought I'd pop in for a sec and do a self-pub update. The supersecret pen name is about nine months old with approximately 35,000 copies sold. My income per month hit five figures last month and is doubling this month. For my genre, I have 3 titles currently on the Amazon bestseller list.

Write well, but write fast. Brand your covers. Don't waste time with blogging or tweeting. Get the next title out.

I'm so proud of you!

Although I do miss your blogs. And your Tweets.

[cheekychook]

Congrats, Margo! Those stats, and you, are beyond awesome!

[Margo]

Hugs to Sommer and Karen!

[Claudie]

Yay, Margo! Although I agree with Sommer: I miss the occasional tweet of evil.

[Mark.W.Carson]

Congrats, Margo

Some day, you must tell us how you did it (OK, line stolen from 1776)

[MattLarkin]

Thought I'd pop in for a sec and do a self-pub update. The supersecret pen name is about nine months old with approximately 35,000 copies sold. My income per month hit five figures last month and is doubling this month. For my genre, I have 3 titles currently on the Amazon bestseller list.

Write well, but write fast. Brand your covers. Don't waste time with blogging or tweeting. Get the next title out.

But when can we see more Urban Midgard?

[dios4vida]

Thought I'd pop in for a sec and do a self-pub update. The supersecret pen name is about nine months old with approximately 35,000 copies sold. My income per month hit five figures last month and is doubling this month. For my genre, I have 3 titles currently on the Amazon bestseller list.

Write well, but write fast. Brand your covers. Don't waste time with blogging or tweeting. Get the next title out.

But when can we see more Urban Midgard?

AGREED!!

[cheekychook]

Remember when I was squeeing a month ago because my first novella, ALWAYS YOU, became a finalist in the RWA Passionate Plume contest?? Well I just found out tonight that it took FIRST PLACE. WOOHOO! :thud

[Margo]

Congrats, Margo

Some day, you must tell us how you did it (OK, line stolen from 1776)

I put in my million-word apprenticeship. I write commercial, escapist reader-based fiction instead of writer-based projects (meaning that it's more important to write what they want to read than pander to my own ego by writing something obscure, inaccessible, and muse-driven). I write a LOT. I release OFTEN. I brand my covers to make them stand out and make them easily recognizable, but I also remember to use appropriate visual cues for the genre (a concept which appears to be a total mystery to a lot of writers). I minimize the time I spend on blogging, tweeting, updating my website, etc, and spend that time writing instead. Ummm, yep, that's pretty much it.

Some genres are better than others for self-publishing and making a midlister's living. Romance, yep. Literary, not so much. Large audience = more opportunity to make a living from it, but you also have to know enough about the state of the genre to know what prices convey quality without straying outside what is acceptible to the audience. For instance, in my experience, writers who routinely price their work at 99 cents are slapping a "crap" label on their work whether it's good or not, and readers go in with a pre-set expectation. I've seen good books that went free or 99-cents that have a slew of bad reviews from people who never would have bought the book at a reasonable price, and crap books priced higher that have good rankings and no reviews or a handful of good reviews. Packaging and presentation not only matter but affect the preceived value of the book. Some of my bestselling novellas sell for more than a full-length paperback. So, yeah, one more tip for self-publishers. Don't sell books for 99 cents unless it's the occasional promotional title, something like the first book in a series. I get a lot of flack for saying that and telling writers that social media is a waste of time compared to the return of writing more, but they can grumble all they want. I'm busy writing and having to hire an accountant to deal with the cashflow. They're...writing blog rants.

But when can we see more Urban Midgard?

Look, a squirrel!

Remember when I was squeeing a month ago because my first novella, ALWAYS YOU, became a finalist in the RWA Passionate Plume contest?? Well I just found out tonight that it took FIRST PLACE. WOOHOO! :thud

WOOHOO! YAY! I think I'm going to celebrate by reading it again.

[Claudie]

Remember when I was squeeing a month ago because my first novella, ALWAYS YOU, became a finalist in the RWA Passionate Plume contest?? Well I just found out tonight that it took FIRST PLACE. WOOHOO! :thud

That is soo cool! Congratulatioons, cheeky!

[MattLarkin]

But when can we see more Urban Midgard?

Look, a squirrel!

I'm not interested unless it's Ratatosk.

[dios4vida]

But when can we see more Urban Midgard?

Look, a squirrel!

I'm not interested unless it's Ratatosk.

Oooh, well played, Matt!!

Seriously, though, my brain is easily distracted at a chronic level, but to choose between Urban Midgard and a squirrel...I'd take the squirrel Midgard any day.

[trixie]

KAREN!! Holy crap--that's amazing news! Congrats!

And MARGO--honestly. May you always be able to count more zeros on those pay statements. Yes, I miss your Tweets and blogs as well, but it sounds like you've hit one helluva stride right now. Congrats on all your successes!

[writersink]

Remember when I was squeeing a month ago because my first novella, ALWAYS YOU, became a finalist in the RWA Passionate Plume contest?? Well I just found out tonight that it took FIRST PLACE. WOOHOO! :thud

YAY! Congratulations! That's amazing!

And awesome Margo! wooooo! Livin' the dream!