Growing up Author Style!

With the publication of my first book in December of 2012, I learned to endure the process of my on again off again publishing relationship with the one that was publishing my Naomi books. As the years passed what was a small irritation here and there became much more when I discovered that they were not in it to win it as far as my books were concerned.

Since I had asked God to gift me a work I could do for him, I knew I was responsible for every phase of each book as well as the outcome! While trying to figure out what to do, blessings from other authors I'd meet and developed wonderful friendships with online and spoken with on the phone were offering to help me go Indie, which I did a few months ago thanks to Karen Arnpriester, Katie Mettner, and the others that they suggested I contact! 

The release of my Naomi Chronicles Books: 'No Other Choice', 'Choosing to Be' and 'Beginning Anew' on October 7, 2014 was an amazing watermark in my author experience! For with their release I now had three fictions and three nonfictions. With glowing reviews and pricing set at what was thought to be a good price, I looked forward to sales....More sales than my publisher published books accrued since these e-books were half of what they charged. 

Sales were a windy road of up and down. Returns, one or two - so that was great! Days without sales and I had no way of gagging what the market was telling me. So I began to do what I think most Indie Authors do, I tweeted, and on my author, book and readers groups, on Facebook I posted posts about my book(s). Days were eaten up this way... If I saw a sale, or two I didn't get excited because I'd been there and seen that!

What was I doing wrong? 

Maybe nothing since every time I asked myself that question, someone offered to host me, or suggested I do...and it work, then it didn't. 

Quitting wasn't an option, but oh there were times that I loathed looking to see what was what’s because figures (reviews to the contrary) tell it all. And the figures for my books after a ten day free give-a-away when using the secret Smashwords code for my three romances proved that they were being read, so....Okay, book being downloaded and read. Great reviews! Not a lot of sales? What's an author to do?

Welcome to Growing up Author Style! Where the rubber meets the road and if you don't imploded, you like me, will....ask for HELP! And that's just what I did!

Now if you're as blessed as I am, you have become friends with authors who are willing to do what you aren't until...So calling one of my fave’s whose fearless, I discovered that a tweet link I'd followed and read yesterday was right! Instead of typing in any tag word that I thought was good, I needed to use the ones Amazon and the BISG (Book Industry Study Group) used since those tags were the ones readers were responding to! Here I am at long last admitting that being a creatively (as some have called me) gifted writer, did not equip me with the ability to know what word would tell shoppers that my book was one they were looking for. So change my books tags I did!

Then there's the pricing issues which I had been told was a non-issue since mine fell into the rage of the established norm, but ... a funny thing happened as it usually does, and when Amazon opened their KindleUnlimited Lending Library for a few dollars a month and stocked it with 700,000 plus titles, my price was suddenly to high when compared with their monthly fee! Now an author with fewer books or books that fall into vastly different categories may be sunk since I'm told that using this system works best for authors who have published lots of books within the same genre and that might be true. But what seems to be more to the point is that Amazon is playing for keeps. 

So this author has set her course for the long haul, or until things change again and as of today all of my e-books search engine tags are updated to reflect what shoppers are looking for and the price of those books are $2.99 except for my 'From 'Why Johnny Can't read' to "See Paula Write", which is still priced at 99 Cents.

These books are available at: 

Amazon: amzn.to/1xDeXuh

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/17539

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Paula-Rose-Michelson-nook?store=allproducts&keyword=Paula+Rose+Michelson+nook

About Paula Rose Michelson, Author