The song “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right,” keeps running through my head as I write this post. “If patience is a virtue, then what’s the corresponding vice?” I want a BIG helping of whatever that vice is. And what the heck does patience have to do with being newly published?
Everything!
Well, let me clarify. Even if you’ve been published (book on the shelf or Kindle) for a while, this post will speak to you because you will have patience issues with your both old and newly published work.
I have, of course, two short stories and a short story collection that are in the PUBLISHED category. Done. Game over. (As I said in my first post in this series, not so much, really.)
Because now that you’re published, you have to wait for that book(s) to sell. Talk about trying the patience of Job! (See picture above. LOL) If your book isn’t climbing the charts or heading down the Amazon rankings towards that magical low top ten, then every moment is excruciatingly spent waiting, wondering if somebody’s buying a copy RIGHT NOW! OR NOW! There’s even a tool that facilitates the madness: Novel Rank.
Don’t get me wrong. Novel Rank is a great tool for authors interested in tracking sales of their works on Amazon. The LL Book Review did an interview with Mario Lurig, creator of Novel Rank, that explains a lot about the site, it’s purpose and operation.
In my zeal, I started checking the Amazon rankings once a day; then it became three times a day; then every couple of hours. That’s how anxious a newly pubbed author can be.
But this way lies madness! Once I realized that my knowing what rank my book was at made absolutely no difference in how well it did (except as an incentive to promo the hell out of it), I’m back to checking once a day.
My point is, have patience. Your sales will go up if you promote your work well and creatively or if you write lots of titles so the people who like your work have many things to read from your “pen.” Knowing that your book ranked 357,000 on Monday at 3pm is not going to change one thing. Have patience and give promotions time to work. Give your writing time to work. Have faith. You got your book published, didn’t you? Hang on just a little bit longer.
And a reminder: In-Between Days Blog Hop today features Decadent Publishing’s author Dakota Trace. Click my Blog Hop Button on the right and hop over to her blog for a chance to win one of her books. You can also hop on the Save a Turkey: Gobble A Book Blog Hop. Just click the here for the list of blogs and hop to your heart’s content!
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I have no patience!
None.
I want it and I want it now!
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Now, I would have thought it took tons of patience to work with horses, D’Ann! Or is it just in writerly things that you have no patience? That I can completely understand! 🙂
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Patience is def a virtue in the publishing world:)
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I am certainly finding that out, Mart! Can you buy it in a bottle somewhere? I’d pay! LOL
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You gave some great advice in your post, Jenna. I check sales about once a week, these days. I forget to do it, I’m so busy writing! Casea makes a great point when she says that more books are the key to success. Even writing for serialization sites that require readers to pay for their subscriptions can build sales on your backlist–I’m finding this out first hand. Keep at it, Jenna!
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I think my New Year’s resolution this year is going to be to write more, Patricia! Set a goal of how many completed ms I want to have by Dec. 2012 and see if I can keep on target. I’d like to increase my backlist to at least 12 in 2012. A steep goal, but one that will make me carve out time to write each day no matter what happens. Thanks for coming by!:)
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I’m not naturally a very patient person, but it can be learned.
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Do you have any hints or tricks for that, Ella? I sure need a few every once in a while. LOL Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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I’ve never been a very patient person, but since I self pubbed a short story, I have quickly learned to be. I use to check my sales at least twice a day–some days I still do, but there are days I don’t check at all. Then when I do, I’m pleasantly surprised to find I sold a few more copies.
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I got excited to find I’d sold two copies of All Wrapped Up in one day! A milestone for my little self-pubbed collection. I tend to check it first these days, ’cause it’s the new kid on the block. I must say, writing does help focus my attention and extend my patience. Hope Zomboro Virus continues to climb the charts!
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I’t so true, Jenna. If you let it it can become compulsion. The best thing to do is start writing again because nothing sells your backlist like a new book!
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Now I like that idea of writing my next book. Can’t wait to get back to it. Especially if it will help sell the others! Great piece of advice, Casea. 🙂
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Great post! Thanks for mentioning our interview and congrats, Jenna! I’m obsessed with checking sales everyday at the Kindle DTP page. Have you tried the Author Connect site for Amazon? You can track sales there by state.
Best of luck!
-Shannon
http://www.llbookreview.com
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Oh, Shannon! Now you’ve given me two more sites to check and drive me crazy! LOL Perhaps I’ll rotate them. 🙂 Great article, BTW. Very informative on the site. 🙂
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Jenna, I had to laugh at your comment about the Amazon Novel Rank site. When I realized it was driving me crazy, I swore I’d never look at it again, destroy the bookmark, wipe it out of my history… Well, maybe I’ll keep it around just in case I need it sometime in the future.
*grin* Well, good luck with the sales. I know your diligence will pay off.
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Thanks, Andrea. I sure hope so. I’m glad I’m back to once a day trips to Novel Rank. Hopefully a pleasant little surprise awaits today! 🙂
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I think I am the most inpatient person I know. hehehe. I hate waiting, but I’ve learned to manage. *sigh* I’m also like you, Jenna. I would be checking that rating several times days saying “has anyone bought yet?”
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I’m usually a very patient person, but writing is so special to me it kind of makes me crazy at times. I’ve never been an “I want it now” type of person, but I have become that regarding my writing. But you have to be passionate about it or it’s not worth doing. Thanks for stopping by, Lia. 🙂
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The key word is PATIENCE. All good things will come to you, in time. In the meantime, keep doing what you do best-write. Then write some more.
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Writing is great therapy for me, Lindsay. When I can sit down and lose myself in a new project I don’t think about how anything else is doing. It’s one of the great joys of my life. 🙂
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