...so I'm not really complaining. :)
Yesterday around 2AM my time - which is 2PM EST Sunday - Greek #4 was released. I stayed up long enough to get my newsletter together and send out the notification that the book's live. Woke up the next day around noon and I'm stunned that 500 people bought my book in just 10 hours! With Books 2 and 3, my average ranking was around Top 800-900 but with this book my first ranking was #298! That is the best initial ranking I've ever gotten and without ads at that so to say that I'm blown away is definitely an understatement.
But that's not all! I checked the Movers and Shakers list, which Amazon defines as ----
Yesterday around 2AM my time - which is 2PM EST Sunday - Greek #4 was released. I stayed up long enough to get my newsletter together and send out the notification that the book's live. Woke up the next day around noon and I'm stunned that 500 people bought my book in just 10 hours! With Books 2 and 3, my average ranking was around Top 800-900 but with this book my first ranking was #298! That is the best initial ranking I've ever gotten and without ads at that so to say that I'm blown away is definitely an understatement.
But that's not all! I checked the Movers and Shakers list, which Amazon defines as ----
Movers & Shakers identifies the biggest gainers in sales rank compared to twenty-four hours ago. For example, if a music item has a current sales rank of 10, but was ranked 30 twenty-four hours ago, its Movers & Shakers increase would be 200%. For non-U.S. customers, Kindle content availability and pricing will vary.
In the past, the only way I could get to this list was through a boxed set. But thanks to Greek #4, I was able to debut in this list at #3 and NOW it's----
The Art of Forgiving a Greek Billionaire TOPS Amazon's Movers & Shakers List!!!
I know. I know. I KNOW! I can't believe it either. Like I said, I've never been on this list before due to a book of my own - not even when I had books released by my publisher and which got tons of advertising! So, yeah, pretty much stunned speechless and grinning like crazy right now. :D
And to borrow a line from sales reps --- But wait. There's more!
Went over to check B&N. My book there went live about half a day after it was released on Amazon. Usually, my Greek billionaire books there would debut in the 4k-5k ranks. But this time I was in the Top 400, and that's my initial ranking. And just now, I'm at----
And to borrow a line from sales reps --- But wait. There's more!
Went over to check B&N. My book there went live about half a day after it was released on Amazon. Usually, my Greek billionaire books there would debut in the 4k-5k ranks. But this time I was in the Top 400, and that's my initial ranking. And just now, I'm at----
The Art of Forgiving a Greek Billionaire currently #163 on Barnes & Noble
I don't think even my solo boxed sets did this well on B&N so again - yes definitely I'm blown away by this.
And for my last screenshot - the highest that Greek #4 ranked on Amazon US is---
And for my last screenshot - the highest that Greek #4 ranked on Amazon US is---
And that's it. I promise it's the end of my screencaps for this post. I'm addicted to screencapping mainly because there's no way to know if I can ever achieve a certain feat more than once. So I really treasure moments like these. Also, every time I get a book out, I always feel like I'm the underdog since I always think of myself as a non-native-English-speaking nobody from a Third World country. WTH am I doing, writing for readers outside the Philippines?
Honestly, all I know right now is that I OWE my readers so much. I will always be eternally grateful that they took a chance on me. :)
Now, on to the not-so-nice part.
Greek 4 is the greatest risk I took with the series, but I had to write it as I picture it in my mind. This has disappointed readers, and while I'm doing my best to woo them back and make sure they give the last book a try I also know I can't please everyone. This book is about Damen's redemption. He has to be redeemed after all the stuff he did in Books 1-3.
Now, another major complaint about this fourth book is the length, which really surprised me since Book 4 is almost exactly as long - or in this case as short - as Book 2. However, I think because of the way I wrote this book it was extremely easy to read and thus readers have finished it quite quickly. No one really complained that much about Book 2's length so I'm thinking length isn't really the issue here. I guess it has to do with my writing, which is too...simple? But then...that's also why most readers were able to connect with the story. Why so many readers wrote to me telling me that they cried so many times while reading Book 4. Because I wrote straight from the heart. I really honestly did. And if that means it made my book simple, well...I guess it is. :) I hate to disappoint readers. I told my street team about this earlier - as an author, I'm like a possessive mom who doesn't like losing her kids (aka readers) but I also know it's not my right to force my "kids" to think of my book the way I think of it. So, I'm really sad that I disappointed some readers and though I hope and pray they'll come back and give Book 5 a chance, it is what it is. I just hope I can win them back with another book. :)
But for now, it's been a really glorious ride so far and I owe it all to my readers. Thank you for sticking with the series - just one more book to go, guys! :)
Honestly, all I know right now is that I OWE my readers so much. I will always be eternally grateful that they took a chance on me. :)
Now, on to the not-so-nice part.
Greek 4 is the greatest risk I took with the series, but I had to write it as I picture it in my mind. This has disappointed readers, and while I'm doing my best to woo them back and make sure they give the last book a try I also know I can't please everyone. This book is about Damen's redemption. He has to be redeemed after all the stuff he did in Books 1-3.
Now, another major complaint about this fourth book is the length, which really surprised me since Book 4 is almost exactly as long - or in this case as short - as Book 2. However, I think because of the way I wrote this book it was extremely easy to read and thus readers have finished it quite quickly. No one really complained that much about Book 2's length so I'm thinking length isn't really the issue here. I guess it has to do with my writing, which is too...simple? But then...that's also why most readers were able to connect with the story. Why so many readers wrote to me telling me that they cried so many times while reading Book 4. Because I wrote straight from the heart. I really honestly did. And if that means it made my book simple, well...I guess it is. :) I hate to disappoint readers. I told my street team about this earlier - as an author, I'm like a possessive mom who doesn't like losing her kids (aka readers) but I also know it's not my right to force my "kids" to think of my book the way I think of it. So, I'm really sad that I disappointed some readers and though I hope and pray they'll come back and give Book 5 a chance, it is what it is. I just hope I can win them back with another book. :)
But for now, it's been a really glorious ride so far and I owe it all to my readers. Thank you for sticking with the series - just one more book to go, guys! :)