Author Topic: I launched my first book today... (Read 11173 times)

Elven Steele · « **on:** October 03, 2018, 02:50:46 AM »

[font=]Hi all.[/font]

[font=]Glad to see the new forum is up and running, I was having trouble getting logged in recently.[/font]

[font=]It's been a long time coming, but I've finally published my first book - INFINITE LIVES [/font]

[font=]There have been highs (the fact that my book got tot 6,484 on amazon.com and managed to reach 7,383 in the UK, mind blown) and lows too (like the look inside feature distorting my images on the preview, despite the ebook itself being totally fine, grrrr. I've reported it to the contact us, but I didn't so much as get a 'we've received your request' email.)[/font][font=&amp][/font]

[font=&amp][font=]A concern has popped up, though, one I'm hoping someone with experience of launching a book can advise me on. Despite those nice looking figures, the sales dashboard has only suggested 2 new sales for the few hours[/font][font=]I had 19 pre-orders before I launched, and when the book went live my sales rank was in the 100,000 region. Now it says I have 21 sales overall (2 more than pre-launch), despite the fact my book has been climbing bit by bit throughout the day, in a way that suggests multible sales.[/font][font=]As someone who is new to all this, i guess what I am asking is, is this normal? I'd hate to think royalties are dropping off.[/font][/font][/color]

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Elven Steele · « **Reply #1 on:** October 03, 2018, 02:51:44 AM »

Wow, I have no idea what happened to that message. I better try again

Elven Steele · « **Reply #2 on:** October 03, 2018, 02:53:36 AM »

Hi all

Glad to see the new forum is up and running, I was having trouble getting logged in recently

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally published my first book - INFINITE LIVES

There have been highs (the fact that my book got tot 6,484 on amazon.com and managed to reach 7,383 in the UK, mind blown) and lows too (like the look inside feature distorting my images on the preview, despite the ebook itself being totally fine, grrrr. I've reported it to the contact us, but I didn't so much as get a 'we've received your request' email.)

A concern has popped up, though, one I'm hoping someone with experience of launching a book can advise me on. Despite those nice looking figures, the sales dashboard has only suggested 2 new sales for the few hours

I had 19 pre-orders before I launched, and when the book went live my sales rank was in the 100,000 region. Now it says I have 21 sales overall (2 more than pre-launch), despite the fact my book has been climbing bit by bit throughout the day, in a way that suggests multible sales

As someone who is new to all this, i guess what I am asking is, is this normal? I'd hate to think royalties are dropping off.

Becca Mills · « **Reply #3 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:00:35 AM »

Congrats on the great launch, Elven Steele!

Your book is in the Kindle Unlimited program, so the rank boost is coming from people borrowing it. You'll see income from those borrows when they actually get around to reading pages.

ETA: That warning about the Look Inside you added to the top of the blurb -- good idea!

Cathleen · « **Reply #4 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:01:52 AM »

I'm afraid I can't answer your question, but I just popped in to congratulate you on your release. I don't know exactly how many people say they're going to write a book and fall off along the way, but it's most of them. But that doesn't include you. Way to go!

idontknowyet · « **Reply #5 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:04:15 AM »

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Becca Mills · « **Reply #6 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:07:11 AM »

I borrowed your book to check the images, and they do in fact look fine in both the cloud reader and the Android phone app. How totally annoying that they're messed up in the Look Inside.

Post-Doctorate D · « **Reply #7 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:09:03 AM »

Congrats!

RCoots · « **Reply #8 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:42:45 AM »

Congratulations!

LD · « **Reply #9 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:45:01 AM »

Quote from: Elven Steele on October 03, 2018, 02:51:44 AM

Wow, I have no idea what happened to that message. I better try again

haha!

same thing happened to me

DrewMcGunn · « **Reply #10 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:49:32 AM »

Congrats. I'll be borrowing it soon, too. :hands

Simon Haynes · « **Reply #11 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:51:56 AM »

Congrats on the release!

Max · « **Reply #12 on:** October 03, 2018, 03:52:19 AM »

Smashing! Congrats!
Stop checking the dashboard. It'll make you crazy. Seriously.
Paid books don't show until peoples' methods of payment clear. That's assuming their CCs did not expire. That their card is not maxed out, etc. etc. Then (one day) there will be returns which will mess things up. Don't fret those. Only fret the stuff directly in your control. What's that? Word count. That's all you can control until you start promoting.

I know, it's like asking someone to stop looking at a wreck when you drive by, but you've got to not look too often. As mentioned above, KU borrows raise rank. Otherwise, get on book #2. That's where the money is. Or should be, all things considered.

Finishing book one is such a hurdle. You've done a great job and something many never accomplish!

Best of luck.

Ace Fletcher · « **Reply #13 on:** October 03, 2018, 04:07:58 AM »

Congratulations on publishing your first book.
:thumb

guest120 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 03, 2018, 04:18:58 AM »

Congrats, ES!

Lex · « **Reply #15 on:** October 03, 2018, 05:37:59 AM »

Congratulations!

The Look Inside images being distorted has been going on for at least a few weeks now, so it's not you. Hopefully Amazon fixes it soon.

munboy · « **Reply #16 on:** October 03, 2018, 06:12:09 AM »

Congrats and much success!

Elven Steele · « **Reply #17 on:** October 03, 2018, 06:15:25 AM »

Hi, thank-you to everyone for all the support. It's been a long time coming, and it seemed like I'd never get there (chiefly because I try to write too many books at once) but it's good to finally have my work out in the wild.

I hadn't realised KU factors into the rank like that, but that makes sense. I think the distorted 'look inside' made me a bit paranoid that I'd turned into a glitch-magnet

Elven Steele · « **Reply #18 on:** October 03, 2018, 06:20:25 AM »

Quote from: Lex on October 03, 2018, 05:37:59 AM

Congratulations!

The Look Inside images being distorted has been going on for at least a few weeks now, so it's not you. Hopefully Amazon fixes it soon.

I ended up having to take an image out of the book altogether, because the distorted mess was the first thing a potential customer saw the moment they clicked 'look inside'. Not ideal, but it's in the hands of the KDP gods, I guess

(I just wish they would give me a sign that they exist... has anyone else ever had to contact them? Is it normal to not get an email confirming 'request received'?)

Jeff Tanyard · « **Reply #19 on:** October 03, 2018, 06:59:04 AM »

Congratulations, man.

Ghost5 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 03, 2018, 10:25:54 AM »

Congratulations!

Rhett Gervais · « **Reply #21 on:** October 03, 2018, 11:40:02 AM »

Congrats!

katc · « **Reply #22 on:** October 03, 2018, 07:57:45 PM »

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Michelle Louring · « **Reply #23 on:** October 03, 2018, 08:26:37 PM »

Congratz!

Lex · « **Reply #24 on:** October 04, 2018, 12:26:48 AM »

Quote from: Elven Steele on October 03, 2018, 06:20:25 AM

(I just wish they would give me a sign that they exist... has anyone else ever had to contact them? Is it normal to not get an email confirming 'request received'?)

Their customer service is very hit and miss, both in terms of the speed of reply and the helpfulness of the answer.

You won't usually get a "request received" email. I say usually because there are different departments, and they aren't all the same. I contacted them through Vendor Support a few months ago, and that time I did get an automated "We'll reply shortly." email before I received a real response.

T. M. Bilderback · « **Reply #25 on:** October 04, 2018, 12:33:11 AM »

Congratulations!

Lorri Moulton · « **Reply #26 on:** October 04, 2018, 02:46:58 AM »

Congrats! This is a big day...enjoy the magic!!!

Angela Haddon · « **Reply #27 on:** October 04, 2018, 02:39:49 PM »

Congratulations!!!

May it be the first of many successes :D

Erron · « **Reply #28 on:** October 04, 2018, 04:39:55 PM »

Well done!

lyndabelle · « **Reply #29 on:** October 13, 2018, 06:31:36 AM »

Congratulations! Good work, and enjoy this triumph.
And the first thing that came to mind reading your thread: "Patience Grasshopper."
Sometimes launches are a slow build, especially for a new author.

So celebrate the book release. Then, go and write another book.

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Author Topic: I launched my first book today... (Read 11173 times)

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