Tracking Book Sales

Back in the days before the internet, there must have been fewer ways for authors to obsess over their book sales. There were best seller lists and statements from the publisher, but what else? Today, with the internet, there are countless websites offering a variety of ways to keep track of book sales, plus reviews, readers' comments, and a zillion other factors that affect a book's popularity. What did authors do with themselves back in the day when they weren't spending their days setting up Google alerts for mentions of their book titles or their own names? Maybe they actually had time to write new books.

My latest obsession is a site called NovelRank.com. If you put your book's title into the system, it tracks the Amazon sales and ranking. Don't ask how many times per day I've popped over there since putting I SAW YOUR FUTURE AND HE'S NOT IT into the system. It's already been up and down a bit, and as the release days of January 8 gets closer, I'm hoping the ranking and sales will steadily improve.

Next on my agenda is to put my Abraxas books into the system. I think it will track print books and ebooks separately, which gives me that many more chances to obsess about book sales. Isn't technology wonderful?

Author Fairs

Over the past couple months, I've been lucky to attend a few author fairs at libraries in the Chicago area. I started attending these events back in 2006 when Stones of Abraxas was first published, and I loved them then. Now that I've got my self-pubbed version of Stones out, along with the Heroes of Abraxas sequel and My Life as an Earthworm, they're even more fun because there are more books to talk to people about. For these most recent fairs, I also brought promotional postcards for the upcoming nonfiction book I wrote with my aunt, psychic Louise Helene. The book is called I Saw Your Future and He's Not It, and it's going over big with readers.

One of the things I find most interesting about author fairs and other book signing events is that you can never tell who's going to be most interested in your books. When a 12-year-old boy walks past my signing table, I used to automatically assume he'd like my YA fantasy novels with a dragon and gargoyle on the covers. And sometimes he is interested in fantasy, but a lot of times he's not. One time there was a kid who I thought would love fantasy, but he came over and picked up my nonfiction book about Muammar Qaddafi in Libya. When I looked surprised, his mom explained, "He's really interested in dictators." Go figure.

At least half of the people I talk to and sell YA books to at signings are adult women. Sometimes they're looking for a gift for kids or grandkids, but more often they're looking for themselves. I understand where they're coming from because at least half of what I read is classified as young adult.

Maybe most surprising is that it's not just women who are picking up the promo cards for I Saw Your Future and He's Not It. Men are curious, too. Mostly they're dads who have daughters, and they're eager for help in warning the girls away from lousy guys. The book's title really strikes a chord for those dads, I guess.

So, like books, it seems that you can't tell a book reader by his/her cover.

Little Pink Book Update

 Only three months until the January 8, 2013 release of I SAW YOUR FUTURE AND HE'S NOT IT: A PSYCHIC'S GUIDE TO TRUE LOVE and lots of exciting stuff is going on. Last Saturday, my co-author and aunt, Louise Helene, did her first interview. She was featured on Miranda Tempest's blog radio program http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mirandatempest/2012/09/30/i-saw-your-future-and-hes-not-it-1

During the show, Louise talked about how the book is filled with stories taken directly from her psychic consultations and includes techniques for readers to improve their own intuition. She also took calls from listeners seeking psychic advice. It was a great interview, and it was fun to hear her field calls from people who had many of the same kinds of problems that we address in the book.

Meanwhile, I've attended some book signing events to promote my other books and have been handing out promotional materials for I SAW YOUR FUTURE. It's been getting a terrific reception. "I love that title!" and "When can I get a copy?" and "That's a great cover!" are common reactions from readers. And speaking of the cover, we've given the book a nickname. The "little pink book" is cute and quicker to say than the long regular title.

The positive reactions to the book are coming from some unexpected places, which suggests it strikes a chord for a variety of women. For instance, Louise was at a government office recently and got to talking about books with the employee behind the counter. Louise mentioned that she has a book coming out, and when the woman asked about it, Louise pulled out one of our pink promotional postcards. The woman took one look at it, slammed it down on the counter, and demanded an autograph. Then she grabbed the card and ran to the other employees at the back of the office, calling, "Girls, look at this!"

We've even been contacted by media outside the United States about featuring the book. Talk about a thrill! To think that people all around the world can read and enjoy these stories.

It's been exciting so far, and we can't wait to see what happens next. It's hard to wait for the book's release date, though. I want to tell people they can go get a copy right away, but instead I've got to say they can pre-order. But that's OK. It'll be out soon.

And when it is released, then I'll have to keep my eyes open to see if my dream comes true. What dream is that, you ask? I want to spot a copy of the little pink book "in the wild." In other words, I want to see a complete stranger reading it on an airplane or in a coffee shop or buying one at a bookstore. That would be incredible. And in a few months, it might just happen! My aunt has been sure all along that our book will be a huge success. And she is a psychic, so great things are definitely on the horizon.

New ghost story: Warning Signs

Need something to get you in the mood for Halloween? I've just posted my first ebook short story, and in honor of the season, it's scary!
Maybe the house's new owner should have asked questions about why the place was so cheap, but she loved it and thought that remodeling it would be the perfect distraction from her failed marriage. That's when the disturbances started. Are the locals right about a ghost driving away the house's previous owners? Or is there another danger lurking in the turn-of-the century home?
Check out Warning Signs at Smashwords or Amazon. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/242569
Boo!

New Fall Shows

New fall TV shows! It's great timing that the networks put on a bunch of new shows every year just when the weather's turning cold and we're looking for an excuse to stay inside for the next six months.

Every year there are some new shows that I love and add to my must-see list. And if I'm lucky, at least a couple of them survive and aren't immediately cancelled. There's nothing more frustrating than a great show that doesn't even survive an entire season. Firefly and Moonlight come to mind and still hurt every time I think of them.

The 2011/12 season offered a bunch of fun new shows, and some of them are still around. Some of last year's favorites are Grimm, Person of Interest, Once Upon a Time, Alphas, Veep, and Girls. I had high hopes for Grimm from the beginning, but Person of Interest and Alphas were awesome surprises. And I resisted Once Upon a Time for months until my mom talked me into giving it a chance. Other good shows didn't the year, and I'm left without closure. Those include The Finder, Ringer, Off the Map, and The River.

This year, I'm looking forward to checking out a whole new batch of new shows. Premier episodes for these are on my DVR so I can check them out and see if they're worth continuing: Arrow, Elementary, Go On, 666 Park Avenue, Beauty and the Beast, and Revolution. I've already seen Revolution and Go On, and they were pretty good. I'm not sure what to expect with Beauty and the Beast because I loved the old show by that name that starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. 666 Park Avenue looks cool, but if it's too scary, then I'll have to turn it off because otherwise I won't be able to sleep ever again.

So I'm hoping for a good TV season and that my favorite new shows don't get cancelled. Of course, some have to be cancelled, otherwise I won't have time to do anything but watch television. And, frankly, what would be so bad about that?

OK, I've got to go and set up my DVR. Happy TV viewing!

Goodbye, Summer! Hello, New Book!

This summer, we had multiple 100+ degree days in northern Illinois, but I enjoyed soaking up the heat and loved every minute of it. Just as long as my air conditioning continued to work, that is. But now there's only one more week of summer until autumn officially starts, and it's pretty depressing. Autumn is beautiful, but it inevitably leads to winter, and winter in northern Illinois isn't a thing I'd wish on anyone.

Have you ever put on an extra pair of pants and an ankle-length parka just to walk down to the mailbox? Have you ever climbed into your car through the hatchback because the other doors were frozen shut?  Have you ever found a mole in your basement, but you felt sorry for him because it was so cold outside, so you dug a cozy nest for him in a pile of leaves in the yard? No? Then you've never lived here. I know, right now all you hardcore residents of Minnesota and North Dakota are laughing at the wimpy Illinoisan (or Flatlander, as Wisconsin residents call us), but all this flat land really allows the wind to work up a head of steam, and it gets miserable.

Anyway, needless to say, I don't want winter to come, but this year it's not as simple as all that. This year, a part of me actually wants winter to come because I'm eager for the January 8, 2013 release of my book I SAW YOUR FUTURE AND HE'S NOT IT: A PSYCHIC'S GUIDE TO TRUE LOVE. Would I be less conflicted if it came out in June or July, so I could just wish for summer? Sure, but in this case, this book is scheduled for January because it's right before Valentine's Day.

The thinking is that I SAW YOUR FUTURE would make a great Valentine's gift to give your friend who's overdue to get rid of her creepy boyfriend. (Subtle hints often don't work because they're too subtle.) It's also a book a woman can pick up for herself in an effort to find a new guy to spend Valentine's Day with. This is also just a funny, interesting read for somebody who would like entertaining stories about other women's successes and failures in the romance department. So, yes, a wintertime release is the best timing, but it still leaves me clinging desperately to summer – together with my shorts, sandals, and tomato vines – while looking forward to an exciting event in January.

In fact, a January release might be the best timing of all. January and February are usually miserable in this part of the world, with dark, cold days and nothing fun to look forward to, but in 2013 that won't be the case. Book promotion activities and the excitement of the new release should brighten up those two months.

That's it, I'm convinced. This year, bring on winter! But let's make it a mild one, OK? Oh, and those Mayans better be wrong about the world ending on December 22, because if that happens only two weeks before my release date, someone's getting an angry letter from yours truly.

Aurora Library Author Fair

What are you doing Saturday, September 8? You say you're standing up in your sister's wedding? Skip it and do something fun instead! Admit it, you never liked that clown she's marrying, anyway. Instead, come on down to the Aurora Public Library for their Third Annual Catch a Bunch of Authors Fair. Meet authors, see the latest books, and get your copies signed. What a great way to spend a Saturday! It's way better than having to make small talk with distant cousins while doing the Chicken Dance.

The event is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. in the Prisco Community Center (attached to the library) at 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora, IL. Lots of Chicago-area authors will be there with a wide range of books. Fiction and nonfiction for adults and kids of all ages will be available. And I guarantee no one will corner you and ask the uncomfortable questions you'd get at a family wedding. You won't have to think up good responses to, "Why aren't you married yet?" or "When are you going to start a family?" or "Do you think I ought to have this mole checked out?"

So, I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Aurora Author Fair. Make sure to stop by my table where I'll be signing copies of my Abraxas YA fantasy novels and my brand-new-hot-off-the-presses-the ink's-still-wet YA novel My Life as an Earthworm. We'll have a few laughs, chat about books, and, what the heck, maybe do the hokey pokey in honor of your sister's special day.