Where Did 2017 Go?
Wow! Where did the time go? We’re almost in 2018 and what a year 2017 has been. This is a great time to plan for what’s coming. To evaluate how the year went and what changes need to be made for next year.
It’s been a year of trying new things for me. I entered #SPFBO as a means to network and maybe put my book in front of a larger audience. While my book didn’t make it to the finals, I did see a slight increase in sales and blog traffic from hosting #SPFBO Author Interviews. More importantly, it’s allowed me to network with some of the bigger names in self-publishing which is invaluable to a small fry like me. Be on the lookout for more #SPFBO Author Interviews.
Since I released Happily Never After in 2013, I’ve stayed exclusive to Amazon and kept my books enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. Due to the increase of scammers playing the KU system and Amazon’s lack of response, I’ve seen a drastic drop off in the number of pages read from Kindle Unlimited. In the past, the majority of my sales came from these pages read, netting me anywhere from $20 - $150 a month, but now I’m lucky if I make $5 a month from KU.
Now when I look at my marketing budget, which is small to begin with, I might think I need to bump up my budget. Except, I’ve seen an increase in the number of copies sold. So the dollars I’m putting into marketing are having an effect, but not in KU. What that tells me is that KU is no longer an effective means to sell my books.
I’ve been weighing my option for sticking exclusively with Amazon or going wide and distributing my books through other sites. The plan for 2018 is to redo the cover for Happily Never After and try going wide with it for a few months. I’ve heard mixed reviews from other authors about going wide so I’d like to see if it nets me some sales outside of Amazon.
Getting The Riding Hood Files ready to publish has taken up most of 2017. That included a new cover for The Snow White Files which has been well received. The next step is to work on the audio versions of both books as well as finish out the series with The Beanstalk Files. The Beanstalk Files is planned out and ready for me to write it. I’m pretty happy with how the story is coming along. I’ll be a little sad to leave Brendan and Stasia’s world, but I have so many other projects brewing that there’s not enough time to write them all.
A Sea Like Glass is in its final stages, and the plan is to release it in time for #SPFBO 2018. A Sea Like Glass is a darker flintlock fantasy so it a better fit for the competition. I plan to continue interviewing authors from the competition regardless of whether or not I enter. It’s been fun to get to know them over the course of the year. Plus, I love the whole concept of showcasing self-published fantasy authors. There have been some gems revealed over the course of this year’s competition.
My goal is to be more active on social media and to make more author-ly connections in 2018. Look for me on Twitter and Facebook. I may pop up on Instagram if I can figure out a good angle.
The coming year holds lots of promise. Here’s to you, my friends. Happy Holidays and I look forward to seeing you in the new year.
Happy Writing!
