21 May 2013

Selling Books

Pardon my euphoria.

Due Diligence has gone down very well, more than two thousand have been sold already in May.

There's also a load of very positive reviews.

So that's it. I can give up writing now, I've achieved much more than I ever imagined. I've exceeded my wildest dreams by some margin.

But I won't, of course.

Writing isn't about sales, neither is it a competitive sport. I didn't write Due Diligence with the intention that it would be popular. I wrote it because...

I love to write and I need to write.

I think Due Diligence works because it took a lot of effort and emotion to create. It wasn't easy or comfortable. There are no clever tricks or devices.

That most excellent blogger, Kristen Lamb, recently suggested that writers are all crazy, that's why they write. They're also not rich otherwise, she suggests, they could afford therapy. I get what she's saying.

My own take on this is that good writers are aware of the issues they have and are working on them, not just through writing. This appreciation of the human condition and the way in which different people cope with it helps the writing to connect with readers who are having their own personal versions of the same difficulties.

You don't have to be in the same trouble as Jenny Parker to appreciate how she's feeling. I rather hope that none of you ever get into that degree of difficulty. In Due Diligence, Jenny has a tough time. In Proceeds of Crime things get even more sticky. The new book, Limited Liability, takes things to a whole new level. Things really do get very difficult indeed. Even I'm getting very worried about poor Jenny as I write. The book's about two thirds written, I guess, but it could all end very suddenly at any moment the way things are.

I'd like to express my appreciation for all the wonderful support I'm getting, not just from family and friends but also from lots of unexpected sources.

Writers need support. This takes different forms as we move through stages of development.

Open Circle Publishing are keen to help. Whether you are a reader or a writer, there's a lot to be gained by registering on the website.




For those of you without a Kindle, there's a paperback version of both books out now and the other ebook formats will be released in June.




1 May 2013

Due Diligence hits the bestseller charts!

chart
It might be a little blurry but it's all I could manage by way of recording a momentous event. As Due Diligence was tearing up the bestseller charts, I was on a retreat in the Wye valley without internet access apart from an occasional dodgy mobile signal that wasn't even half a G, never mind 3G.

So that's a picture of the free charts during the promotion of Due Diligence assisted by my friend Stephen Leather. Altogether about 2500 people downloaded my book over the weekend. That made me feel so good. What's happened since has made me feel even better.

Since the free promotion finished, sales of Due Diligence have remained outstanding. As I write this, my book is 40th in the paid crime thriller charts and number 240 overall! Sorry about all the exclamation marks, but I mean...

Here's another picture. Have a look at the company Jenny Parker is keeping.
crime chart
So, book marketing lesson number one is that I need help. I'm just so fortunate to have it.

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