With launch week settling into the rearview mirror, my ad revenue running out, and the feeling of being a nuisance by telling people to buy the book every day for a week firmly grabbing me, I decided that it was time to move ahead. Focus on the next chapter of the journey, so to speak. Forgive the pun, sometimes they just come out.
It's been a good week, that much I can say with confidence. After the ads not doing much for the first few days on Amazon, I started getting some traction late into the week. Thursday I woke up to find that I'd already sold 8 Kindle copies, and by the end of the day I was at around 14. That might not sound like much, and it's not, but for me that's an accomplishment. That means people that I don't personally know saw the ad and decided to give it a try and for that I'll always be eternally grateful. The downside is that I used basically all of my ad money that day alone, and now the hope of continuing ads into next week has been crushed. Oh well, we'll take the small victories.
Speaking of small victories, this website has already shown to be a good idea. Since creating it, along with the Instagram account, I've been reached out to for a book review on a readers account on Instagram. The intriguing opportunity however, is that I will be sending two signed copies of the book to a fundraiser in New York that supports SIDS research. It's a pleasure to feel like I'm helping a cause! On top of that, having someone reach out about something like that, especially to a small, unknown author like me, is really validating. I may not be making a ton of money, or have a massive audience, but I'm doing something right because people are enjoying the new book and I'm starting to get found. It's a long road ahead, and I may never make it to the end, but I'm rolling along and that's what matters.
Speaking of moving on down the highway (all these road metaphors today, I really don't know where they're coming from) I've started work on the next novel! I'm super excited for this one, which is normally how I start every project, so we'll see if that energy is still there when I'm 40k in and massively lost on how to go forward. I think it'll be good though. I've always loved a gritty, southern murder mystery, so I figured it would be worth it to give it a go. Think season 1 of True Detectives, and that's why I'm shooting for. (Side note: if you haven't seen season 1 of True Detective, go watch it right now.) With my own spin and twist, of course. I also feel like my "roots" are firmly planted in crime and murder and investigation. The last two books have branched into somewhat of a sci-fi area - which I have nothing against at all, I LOVE a good sci-fi story - but it's time to go back to something even darker. I wonder what it says about me when murderers and the evils of humanity feel comfortable and safe? Maybe I'll uncover that while I'm exploring this story.
-Dave
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