The First Two Weeks

On September 21st, 2012, I completed my final compilation of my book into a Kindle .mobi file using Scrivener, filled out a simple two page form on Amazon, and submitted my first novel for publication. By the time I woke up the next morning, the book was available for sale throughout the world.

Think about that.

In the traditional paper-book based publishing sector, an aspiring author would, on that same date, be trying to find an agent. They’d likely be rejected by most, and possibly give up the chase. If they’d find an agent, the agent would submit to publishers, and in many cases the publishers would reject them as well. But eventually, perhaps, the stars would align, the book would be accepted, and after hefty editing to make it fit into some standard form, the book would be published. In most cases, the author would make a $5,000 advance on royalties, an amount they’d never earn enough against to actually begin collecting biannual paychecks.

In comparison, I uploaded a book file and a cover file over a broadband internet connection and twelve hours later, my book was available for sale on the most powerful sales engine in the world. Technology is simply amazing.

The first two weeks have been interesting. My writing time has been cut down, not because I’ve actually slept more, but because with a book actually out, I have to worry about promotion and the Amazon-published author compulsion to check my sales every fifteen minutes. (Speaking of which…excuse me for just one moment…)

Where was I? Oh yes. With marketing activities of various sorts, the breakneck pace of 4000+ word days has turned into consistent 1000-1500 word days, which means that writing book two will take longer than book one. There’s also the not-minor detail that book one had been, in large part, running through my head for months before I ever started to write it, whereas I’m crafting book 2 from scratch. I’m starting to pick up the pace, however, so those of you eager to find out what happens next to Will and the rest of the characters will have something available as soon as I can get the story just right.

I’m grateful and quite fortunate that, by some miracle, my book made it into a category/sub-genre top 100 list on Amazon twice during the past two weeks, which is amazing to think about. It’s all thanks to people giving a chance to somebody they’ve probably never heard of or met, and I certainly hope if you’re reading this now that you’ve gotten some level of enjoyment from it. I know that I have.

I don’t know what the next two weeks will bring, but if the first two weeks are any indication, it will be anything but dull.