Sales are tanking?

[Marti Talbott]

I don't have a clue why my sales are tanking. I ran two ads, one at the end of last month and one on the 7th, which was for Beloved Ruins, book 1 in a four book series. Since then, it's almost been crickets.

Here comes that famous question again - Am I the only one?

[Eric Thomson]

Here comes that famous question again - Am I the only one?

Yes. 

I'll see myself out now.

[Marti Talbott]

Here comes that famous question again - Am I the only one?

Yes. 

I'll see myself out now.

 

[JRTomlin]

I can only speak for myself. Mine are holding steady with no particular change up or down. (Crossing my fingers for a BB promo in a  couple of days and a new release next month)

[Bill Hiatt]

I can only speak for myself. Mine are holding steady with no particular change up or down. (Crossing my fingers for a BB promo in a  couple of days and a new release next month)

We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you!

[Bill Hiatt]

Mine haven't been great this month, but mine usually aren't unless I'm running a big promo, so I'd have to say they look more or less normal to me.

[notthatamanda]

It's slower than I like, but I haven't noticed a slow down this month, sorry, conahura, knock wood.

[Maggie Ann]

Guess it's just you and me, Marti!

Oct 1-19 I had 63 sales on Amazon. This month so far, only four. I have an ad coming up on Thursday, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Marti Talbott]

Guess it's just you and me, Marti!

Oct 1-19 I had 63 sales on Amazon. This month so far, only four. I have an ad coming up on Thursday, but I'm not holding my breath.

I finally have one sale today and 57 page reads. This is so unusual. Of course, some of the movie streaming services started up last week, so maybe our readers are getting distracted. Hopefully, they will come back soon.

[Rosie Scott]

I noticed a slowdown from around 10/26 to 11/10 despite running ads out the wazoo, but my last release on this name was on 8/30 and I normally experience slowdowns in autumn. I started to panic but I think a lot of it has to do with perspective; I had some of my best sales/KU days ever in late summer, so the downs seem more severe. I compared my sales/KU reads from the last few months to those of my all-time monthly revenue, and even though things are dipping this month I'm still on an upward trend.

I don't know if this is relevant to your situation, but hopefully it'll keep someone who reads it from freaking out. Here's to hoping this is just a crappy month that'll make the next great month seem even greater. 

[Maggie Ann]

Looking at last year, I had three times the sales in October than I had in November. December wasn't much better. But then I usually do better in the summer.

[Marti Talbott]

I noticed a slowdown from around 10/26 to 11/10 despite running ads out the wazoo, but my last release on this name was on 8/30 and I normally experience slowdowns in autumn. I started to panic but I think a lot of it has to do with perspective; I had some of my best sales/KU days ever in late summer, so the downs seem more severe. I compared my sales/KU reads from the last few months to those of my all-time monthly revenue, and even though things are dipping this month I'm still on an upward trend.

I don't know if this is relevant to your situation, but hopefully it'll keep someone who reads it from freaking out. Here's to hoping this is just a crappy month that'll make the next great month seem even greater. 

I tried to delete my original post because I thought it sounded like I was feeling sorry for myself. The board wouldn't let me, so I left it alone. I appreciate your input and hope the month will get better soon for us all. Maybe stores are having Christmas sales and I'm not aware of it. At my age, I just give cash. No one returns cash. ;0)

[Marti Talbott]

Looking at last year, I had three times the sales in October than I had in November. December wasn't much better. But then I usually do better in the summer.

I agree, this time of year has been famous for lower sales (not zero sales) the last few years and I've financially prepared for it. Winter months used to be good when Amazon had new readers to sell as Christmas gifts. Readers were hungry for new books. Haven't seen that for a while. Everyone already has a reader and most read on their phones these days.

[JRTomlin]

I always have sales slip in the summer. Apparently people don't like medieval mayhem for a beach read. Then I pick back up to steady sales and peak in January, February, and March. Crossing fingers that pattern holds.

[notthatamanda]

I noticed a slowdown from around 10/26 to 11/10 despite running ads out the wazoo, but my last release on this name was on 8/30 and I normally experience slowdowns in autumn. I started to panic but I think a lot of it has to do with perspective; I had some of my best sales/KU days ever in late summer, so the downs seem more severe. I compared my sales/KU reads from the last few months to those of my all-time monthly revenue, and even though things are dipping this month I'm still on an upward trend.

I don't know if this is relevant to your situation, but hopefully it'll keep someone who reads it from freaking out. Here's to hoping this is just a crappy month that'll make the next great month seem even greater. 

I tried to delete my original post because I thought it sounded like I was feeling sorry for myself. The board wouldn't let me, so I left it alone. I appreciate your input and hope the month will get better soon for us all. Maybe stores are having Christmas sales and I'm not aware of it. At my age, I just give cash. No one returns cash. ;0)

I had no sales all day and then finally got some.  I panic pretty much hourly, every day.  I'm expecting people to become increasingly too busy to read over the next month, however, they might need something while traveling.

[JRTomlin]

One of the things that I found a relief was when I stopped constantly checking my sales on an hourly (minutely?) basis.

[notthatamanda]

I finally got to that point with reviews but I'm still pretty obsessive about sales.  Any advice welcome.

[Marti Talbott]

One of the things that I found a relief was when I stopped constantly checking my sales on an hourly (minutely?) basis.

I tried that once and I keep trying it daily, but it's such a habit at this point I do it without even thinking. Sometimes I don't even remember what I saw.

[JRTomlin]

It took a couple of years for me to break the habit.

[Marti Talbott]

It took a couple of years for me to break the habit.

Can I look yet? I'm dying here!   

[dgcasey]

Seems like the normal holiday slow down to me. My sales are way off with a big gap of zippo starting around the 7th. Hoping to see a pick up just after the new year.

[JRTomlin]

It took a couple of years for me to break the habit.

Can I look yet? I'm dying here!   

Awww... Look if you must. 

[Maggie Ann]

It took a couple of years for me to break the habit.

Can I look yet? I'm dying here!   

Awww... Look if you must. 

Darn, now you made me look.

[Simon Haynes]

Disney+ launched just a few days ago, didn't it?

I noticed sales numbers and page reads drop on or about the 4th/5th of november, but I cut back a bit on ad spend so it could be related.

[Marti Talbott]

Disney+ launched just a few days ago, didn't it?

I noticed sales numbers and page reads drop on or about the 4th/5th of november, but I cut back a bit on ad spend so it could be related.

I heard over a million signed up for the Disney thing in less than two hours. And then...someone discovered the platform wasn't safe and didn't protect the customer's information. And...some of the old Disney movies come with "trigger" warnings.

[Simon Haynes]

Well, when there are 47 streaming services to choose from there's always they hope they'll start throwing cash around for movie/tv rights.

I predict most movie theatres will vanish. (Remember drive-ins? I do.)

I predict CGI actors will appear more and more. (I was playing a new-release PC game the other day, and the cutscenes were about 99.5% real.)

I predict AI that will read a script and generate backgrounds and camera shots and so on automatically, creating the movie and rendering everything. (I'm talking blockbuster action movies, not quirky character-driven films.) As this improves you can throw in the auto-generated actors, too.  Then, talent will only be hired for the voices.  Plus they could release a different version of the movie for different regions, using the faces of local big-name actors.

Fortunately, AI writing novels is still a way off. Reacting to input is what computers do, not free-thinking and creativity.

[LilyBLily]

Disney+ launched just a few days ago, didn't it?

I noticed sales numbers and page reads drop on or about the 4th/5th of november, but I cut back a bit on ad spend so it could be related.

I heard over a million signed up for the Disney thing in less than two hours. And then...someone discovered the platform wasn't safe and didn't protect the customer's information. And...some of the old Disney movies come with "trigger" warnings.

I wonder if they've still suppressed "Song of the South"? We saw it during the movie-house revival in the 1970s and my, oh, my, it was embarrassingly offensive.

[cecilia_writer]

I don't think my sales are any worse than they usually are between mystery series releases, but then I haven't heard of Disney+ so maybe it hasn't reached the UK yet, not that I would have noticed anyway! (Have only just got used to Amazon Prime movies)

[notthatamanda]

Well, when there are 47 streaming services to choose from there's always they hope they'll start throwing cash around for movie/tv rights.

I predict most movie theatres will vanish. (Remember drive-ins? I do.)

I predict CGI actors will appear more and more. (I was playing a new-release PC game the other day, and the cutscenes were about 99.5% real.)

I predict AI that will read a script and generate backgrounds and camera shots and so on automatically, creating the movie and rendering everything. (I'm talking blockbuster action movies, not quirky character-driven films.) As this improves you can throw in the auto-generated actors, too.  Then, talent will only be hired for the voices.  Plus they could release a different version of the movie for different regions, using the faces of local big-name actors.

Fortunately, AI writing novels is still a way off. Reacting to input is what computers do, not free-thinking and creativity.

Wow, 47 streaming services, I did not know that.

I'm unsure of the fate of the movie theater.  Here (Northeast US) in populated areas movie theaters are pretty much all renovated into a luxury version. You get a big "leather" power reclining seat and reserved seating. And they all have a bar (ca-ching!)  I'm looking forward to two for one Tuesdays once the kids are out on their own.  Regular tickets for matinees are just under $10, max of 12 at night.  Concessions are ridiculous, $10 for a small popcorn, but my kids are used to making a microwave bag and eating it in the car on the way there.  We don't spend another dime once we get there.  But we are in the very small minority not getting concessions.

In more rural areas, you might have to drive an hour or more to get to an actual movie theater, I know one town in Central Vermont that shows movies in a church with folding chairs.  You can still find the occasional drive in.

[cecilia_writer]

Yes, our cinemas are mostly luxury versions too, apart from the Filmhouse which is more arty and also relies on a bar with food to make its money instead of popcorn. I was amazed one weekday afternoon to find older people could see a movie and get a free coffee for about 2 pounds (=a bit less than 2 dollars).

[Marti Talbott]

Well, when there are 47 streaming services to choose from there's always they hope they'll start throwing cash around for movie/tv rights.

I predict most movie theatres will vanish. (Remember drive-ins? I do.)

I predict CGI actors will appear more and more. (I was playing a new-release PC game the other day, and the cutscenes were about 99.5% real.)

I predict AI that will read a script and generate backgrounds and camera shots and so on automatically, creating the movie and rendering everything. (I'm talking blockbuster action movies, not quirky character-driven films.) As this improves you can throw in the auto-generated actors, too.  Then, talent will only be hired for the voices.  Plus they could release a different version of the movie for different regions, using the faces of local big-name actors.

Fortunately, AI writing novels is still a way off. Reacting to input is what computers do, not free-thinking and creativity.

I think you're right. The question then is, how do we cash in? What can we do to make our work tempting to producers? Out of a million plus titles, what would make ours movie production ready?

[Bill Hiatt]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say movie theaters won't go away.

Drive-ins are a little different for two reasons. First, they take up a large chunk of real estate--there's no such thing as a small drive-in. Movie theaters are a little more scalable. Second, depending on the car, sitting in it for extended periods isn't always as comfortable as a good theater would be.

Theaters are convenient in some scenarios, particularly if you're working on a modest budget. I'm thinking especially of people seeing a movie together, particularly in a large group. If you've got a house with a large enough room, a wide-screen TV, and a great sound system, the experience might actually be better than in a theater. But if you're living in a small apartment with a not-exactly-state-of-the-art TV, the experience might be better in the theater, certainly for a large group. And even as expensive as tickets are these days, the occasional in-theater experience may still be cheaper than upgrading the home entertainment system.

Sometimes, it's also nice to just get out of the house. Movies are a good excuse to do that and can often be combined with dinner. (And for adolescents, it can be a good opportunity for some physical contact without either set of parents leaning over your shoulder.)

It's clear some theaters are a adapting themselves into a luxury viewing experience. There's probably also room for theaters at the other end of the spectrum. We forget that movie theaters initially catered to a broad audience, including low-income people. That's still a large group that probably doesn't have state-of-the-art equipment at home, and, with the demise of TV antennas and free broadcast programming, not everyone has a great cable package or decent streaming internet. If a theater chain could find a way to offer movie viewing more economically, there'd probably be an audience for it. During the Depression, when my parents were growing up, movie theaters changed programs three or four times a week, and a very cheap ticket included two movies and one or more shorts.

OK, so maybe I'm dreaming on that last part, but I believe the other arguments are sound.

[Marti Talbott]

My sales are picking back up to normal this morning, so it must have just been some sort of delay.

[selyons]

Looking back on my 2018 revenues, November was half of October. Luckily, it picked back up in December and equaled October.

So far in 2019, my November revenues are 89% of October. So my revenues are down, but not as bad as last year.

Just another data point.

[Edward M. Grant]

Drive-ins are a little different for two reasons. First, they take up a large chunk of real estate--there's no such thing as a small drive-in. Movie theaters are a little more scalable. Second, depending on the car, sitting in it for extended periods isn't always as comfortable as a good theater would be.

We go to the drive-in more than we do the traditional cinemas in town. Though the Canada Day fireworks in the background were a bit distracting last time we were there. I think there are three in the province; we just happen to live near one.

There was another one five minutes from our house, but it closed because it couldn't afford the cost of switching to digital projection.

Back on the original topic, sales and reads are bumbling along near the bottom as usual. I really need to get another book out.

[Edward M. Grant]

Then, talent will only be hired for the voices.

Nah. The AI will do that before long, too. Movie acting is a career with a very short lifespan ahead of it.

And there's already software allowing you to act in VR and generate a movie from it. Before long, movie directors will be able to just put on a headset and act each of the parts the way they wanted to see it acted, without having to convey that to the actor.

I'm not sure writing will ever go away, but much of it will probably be replaced with VR worlds full of AIs who generate stories through their interactions. Take a world like Skyrim, just throw a few AIs into it, and let the audience watch or interact.

[Maggie Ann]

As far as I know, the Thunderbird Drive In Movie Theater and Swap Shop (Ft Lauderdale) is still going strong. The swap shop has thousands of vendors and even an indoor section.

How many people could you fit in the trunk of your car so they wouldn't have to pay to get in? SUVs have taken all the fun out of that.

[Marti Talbott]

As far as I know, the Thunderbird Drive In Movie Theater and Swap Shop (Ft Lauderdale) is still going strong. The swap shop has thousands of vendors and even an indoor section.

How many people could you fit in the trunk of your car so they wouldn't have to pay to get in? SUVs have taken all the fun out of that.

How fun those used to be. I fell in love as a teen at least four times in a drive in.

[Maggie Ann]

As far as I know, the Thunderbird Drive In Movie Theater and Swap Shop (Ft Lauderdale) is still going strong. The swap shop has thousands of vendors and even an indoor section.

How many people could you fit in the trunk of your car so they wouldn't have to pay to get in? SUVs have taken all the fun out of that.

How fun those used to be. I fell in love as a teen at least four times in a drive in.

 

[Eric Thomson]

Movie acting is a career with a very short lifespan ahead of it.

On the upside, we'll no longer have room temperature IQ Hollyweird celebrities lecturing us on matters they can't even begin to understand.  I hear Starbucks is hiring... 

[Joe Vasicek]

Fortunately, AI writing novels is still a way off. Reacting to input is what computers do, not free-thinking and creativity.

Dangit! I can hardly wait for AI-assisted novel writing to hit the market. Then I'll be able to publish a new novel every week! 

[Simon Haynes]

Fortunately, AI writing novels is still a way off. Reacting to input is what computers do, not free-thinking and creativity.

Dangit! I can hardly wait for AI-assisted novel writing to hit the market. Then I'll be able to publish a new novel every week! 

If we wrote a screenplay instead of a plot outline and then fed that into an AI and asked it to fill in the gaps, I'm sure that would work (soon). I don't know how cohesive the finished novel would be, but imagine a non-stop flood of AI-written novelisations of TV shows and movies. Stick a still from the show on the cover, and streaming services have a new income stream.

Sorry, I seem to have derailed the topic!

[Simon Haynes]

I predict most movie theatres will vanish.

Well that prediction looks like coming to pass even sooner than I expected ...


Justice Department To Abolish Movie Distribution Rules Dating To 1949

The National Association of Theater Owners said that abolishing the consent decrees could result in a return to block booking, which many smaller theater owners could not survive.

[dgcasey]

We go to the drive-in more than we do the traditional cinemas in town. Though the Canada Day fireworks in the background were a bit distracting last time we were there. I think there are three in the province; we just happen to live near one.

we have one drive-in here in Vegas, but last time I was there would probably be measured in decades. It's been at least 25 to 30 years since I went there. I think we're talking Howard The Duck being the last movie I remember seeing there.

[notthatamanda]

I predict most movie theatres will vanish.

Well that prediction looks like coming to pass even sooner than I expected ...


Justice Department To Abolish Movie Distribution Rules Dating To 1949

The National Association of Theater Owners said that abolishing the consent decrees could result in a return to block booking, which many smaller theater owners could not survive.

We don't have a lot of smaller movie theaters around here anymore, but I'm sure in some places there are some.  There is a new family owned chain with I think three facilities, but the facilities themselves are huge, and they have all sorts of events.  Mondays they bring in local chefs for a sampler dinner and you get dinner and the show. Maybe owners could book together as a group?  My mom lives in an independent senior housing complex with 700 units.  They get first run movies, a couple a week, one show only.  I wonder if it would affect them.  The company that owns them owns multiple facilities though. I can't imagine what would happen if they can't get movies anymore.  These people riot if the color of the jello for dessert changes.

[Maggie Ann]

We go to the drive-in more than we do the traditional cinemas in town. Though the Canada Day fireworks in the background were a bit distracting last time we were there. I think there are three in the province; we just happen to live near one.

we have one drive-in here in Vegas, but last time I was there would probably be measured in decades. It's been at least 25 to 30 years since I went there. I think we're talking Howard The Duck being the last movie I remember seeing there.

My last drive-in was the original Star Wars movie.

[Shoe]

Back to the thread topic... On or about the 20th of each month when the KDP payment notifications go out, sales and KENP seem to nosedive for two or three days. Both are abnormally low for me this time of day, so I'd say it's begun.

[notthatamanda]

I appreciate these reminders of the things that might be impacting sales reporting.  Helps keep me, well, not exactly sane, but slightly less insane maybe.

[Maggie Ann]

Two sales today. The interesting thing is that I haven't sold a copy of either book in over a year.

I'm running an AMS for one of them but I was experimenting with auto targeting and no text. I had one click on November 3 and nothing since then. Maybe I had a click today or yesterday and it hasn't shown up yet. The sale certainly hasn't shown up.

Dare I hope for sell-thru on the next three books?

[notthatamanda]

Dare away.