I’m floating on cloud nine right now because my novel is on Amazon’s bestsellers of erotica for Kindle ebooks! This past week, Tara & Steve: A Tale of Swingers entered the top 100 list at #100, and it has fluctuated around the list. This morning, it reached #84! (The list is updated hourly, so the position will definitely keep changing.)
How the hell did this happen?
I haven’t written a blog post showcasing the book, and I’ve tweeted about it a couple of times. This was far from the strategy I’ve read that authors should do, in carpeting all available social media sites to get the word out about your book.
Because once the book was published on Amazon, I felt elated about finishing it — and then I went to work on another story. That’s been my mindset of late: not blogging and promoting as much on Twitter, but focusing more on crafting stories.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted that something clicked with this book. It has easily out-sold my other two novels — Bavarian Beauty and An Eager Audience: A Cuckold Erotic Romance — as well as my various novellas and short stories.
Whatever the reason, I’ve been surprised to see my book among the list of bestsellers. To put it frankly, it’s a place I didn’t imagine being. I simply hoped people would buy my books and enjoy them. Enough to someday bring in an income where I could write full time.
Here’s the cover of the book:
Another surprise is that my book isn’t selling thousands of copies a day to get on the bestseller list. The number is actually fewer than 60 a day — when you add in the Kindle Unlimited downloads to the actual sales.
I’m thrilled to sell that many. I certainly haven’t expected to sell thousands of books a day. That atmosphere belongs to E.L. James, whose Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy looks to be firmly in the top three slots of Amazon’s erotica bestseller list.
I have to mention one other surprise here, because I’ve been scratching my head about it for a while. Every day, the most popular post on my blog is How to Talk Dirty (and Romantic) in German. It’s caused me to ask the same question: How the hell did this happen? The post is from the two weeks of Octoberfest 2014, when I blogged every day about some of the landscape, music, food, and history of Bavaria — all to promote Bavarian Beauty. Out of those posts (and all my other posts), the one on talking dirty in German stands at the top of the heap.
Maybe the post’s popularity is due to a link at streettalksavvy.com, where I got a few of the phrases. Maybe, maybe not. But while I can’t figure out the reason, I have to hope that people out there are using the list to do some sexy talking in German š
Until next time, meinen Lieblings!
May 22, 2015 at 9:22 am
Congratulations dear! I am so happy for you, you deserve it. š
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May 22, 2015 at 9:27 am
Thank you, Raven!
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May 22, 2015 at 9:39 am
Congratulations ā¤ļø
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May 22, 2015 at 10:00 am
Thank you Annie B!
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May 22, 2015 at 12:55 pm
Congrats š That is so awesome.
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May 22, 2015 at 2:12 pm
Thank you Galit.
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May 22, 2015 at 1:29 pm
Well done you š
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May 22, 2015 at 2:12 pm
Thank you!
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May 22, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Awesome!
Isn’t it amazing how you sometimes deviate from the “received wisdom” and it just works?
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May 22, 2015 at 2:24 pm
It’s certainly nice when something different works. But I have no clue what worked here. I chalking this one up to lucky timing.
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May 23, 2015 at 9:59 am
Happy News š Congratulations
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May 24, 2015 at 4:34 am
Thank you Cinn!
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May 27, 2015 at 12:39 am
How’d I miss this, Gus. Are you still beaming? Congratulations, my friend. This is fantastic news and I’m proud of you!! I have to read this new book….wow!
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May 27, 2015 at 11:13 am
Thanks for checking in, Auds. Yes, I’m still beaming like crazy. It’s wonderful to have so many people interested! And thank you for your kind words. As for you checking out the book, I would actually encourage you to read “Beltane” or “Eager Audience” before “Tara & Steve.” The first two books have a more complicated story. I’m proud of all of them, but more so with the first two. But you never know what clicks with people.
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May 27, 2015 at 3:34 pm
Okay. Writing them down and shall enjoy over the summer. And I’m incredibly happy for you. The time you take in perfecting your craft shows and it is about time others notice. I enjoy reading your novels, Gus. They bring me so much joy…umm..giggle, I mean I love reading your work. š Gonna stop there and, yeah….I’ll go. *shy glance*
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May 28, 2015 at 10:38 am
I’m humbled by your words. That’s a big compliment, and I thank you for saying that. To know that my writing has had that effect makes me glad to be a writer. Hearing that gives me a boost of confidence. Thank you for reading my stuff, and thank you for sharing back. I very much appreciate it.
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May 28, 2015 at 5:46 pm
Not sure what I’d do if I couldn’t build up those that inspire me, Gus. You’re a keeper! ā”
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June 17, 2015 at 6:05 pm
Congrats! It’s sooooo fantastic
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June 19, 2015 at 9:40 am
Thanks!
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