9 March 2011

Ebooks, Rankings and Cheques - sorry... Checks.

After digging in their heels for a couple of years, their arms crossed against anything electronic, major print publishers in the UK are beginning to change their collective tune. I heard that Robert Hale, which barely offers paperbacks of its mainly hardback canon, could be about to start offering ebooks. Avon, the Harper Collins imprint, is starting a new, multi-genre romance line 'Impulse' - as long as writers don't mind uploading their typescripts via the submission site and waiting three months to see if it's lucky enough to be drawn from the slushpile. I'm sure there are more. Once upon a time I would have known because I'd have been scouring the forums for such news, devouring the small print with bright-eyed rapacity. Now it hardly warrants a raised eyebrow. I'm an indie author - and I prefer it. It's less stress, less frustration, more money, and instant sales advisement.

Tonight Beneath The Shining Mountains is sitting at #10 US Kindle Store > Native American; #18,360 in US Kindle Store Paid Bestsellers. It's my biggest selling novel, much to my surprise, and the fact that I've cracked the #20,000 sales rank is a cause for some celebration at Acaster Towers. Glass of wine all round time.

The ranking will dive, of course, because it doesn't just rely on my sales, but on everyone else's as well. And I'm British, so my glass is perpetually half-empty, not half-full. But the trend is up, so I'm quietly confident. Especially as today my first Amazon cheque arrived, and one is now likely to arrive each and every month. Why would I possibly want to return to the old days of working in the dark? With no money.

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