Sales, sales, sales

Sales, sales, sales

Peter Rogerson 1172691169|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I've got a theory that the whole world's stopped reading. I think I've said once or twice on various forums here that I'm not all that bothered about selling loads of books and that as long as I've got copies myself I'm happy, but it would be nice to know that a few people across the globe are enjoying my words. I occasionally feel like moaning about it … but only occasionally, which is why on this occasion I've started this thread. Any other moaners out there?

Peter

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Taffybach 1172755504|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Things are really quiet at the moment but I guess we're between the Xmas buyers and the holiday purchases.
I've had a couple of off shelf/intenet sales in Feb but the others were through attending shows and signings.

taff

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Chris Bond 1172767482|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

It was on News 24 this morning that total book sales in the UK have risen from £1.6 billion to £1.7 billion and this has risen every year since 1999. I seem to remember that internet sales are about 20%, though it was very early and I was only half awake. Can't find the story on the BBC News website though.

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Peter Rogerson 1172769029|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I know that a lot of books are printed every year and generate quite a lot of revenue, but how many of those are the mindless pap ghost written on behalf of so-called celebrities who get famous for being famous, and are produced by publishing houses for no better reason than to make a quick buck? I know this country has a rich resource of talented people, in all creative fields, but it disturbs me to see some of the stuff piled high in W H Smiths. OK, everyone's got the right to write, so to speak, but it's a shame when the writer fills pages with almost nothing for the sake of it rather than for his or her art.
Controversial or what?

Peter

Re: Sales, sales, sales

SusanatLulu 1173162625|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Hello

I came back from holiday last week to find that whilst I was away I had sold two books through Lulu. And yesterday I sold a third. The sales were one each of three different titles. The only recent publicity I have done has been through this wiki……………….. This is the most I have ever sold through Lulu in two weeks

Spring is in the air!

Best wishes

Susan

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Taffybach 1173173165|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Excellent - it's a great feeling isn't it?

taffybach

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Chris Bond 1173180080|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Hi Susan.

That's really good to hear that. You have some very interesting titles and they are the sort of books which should do fine. Hopefully there's much more to come.

Regards

Chris

Re: Sales, sales, sales

SusanatLulu 1173205249|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Taff

Yes., it's great when you sell a book - or three:)

Chris

You have some very interesting titles and they are the sort of books which should do fine.

Thank you. I'll work on some separate pages to explain them and how they "grew" and hopefully find some m ore customers.

Best wishes

Susan

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Peter Rogerson 1175088879|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I've added another page to my pile today, explaining how some of my characters sprung into existance. After all, developing characters is one of the most fascinating parts of writing fiction. I'll probably do another page some time, concentrating on minor characters because sometimes they are pivotal in the telling of a story. After all, where would Scrooge be without Marley's ghost?

Peter

Re: Sales, sales, sales

keithyd 1175116349|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Peter
I work in an office occasionally which is full of young-ish people, and they do all read. Admittedly, they're mostly degree-level folk, but I think that's good news. I also spend time on the Tube in London, and there you see all sorts of folk reading. I'd like to agree with you - almost on principle! - but I think the evidence of my eyes proves otherwise.

Keith

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Peter Rogerson 1175414947|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I've left a note along these lines on the Lulu forum, but I thought I'd share it here as well because it might be a pointer to others. I got to talking to a woman via msn messenger because my oldest lad introduced me to her and she bougbt one of my books from me. Having read it she wants to buy two more, and that reaffirms my belief in my work. But more than that. As I suggested on the Lulu forum I might have sold a thousand in a bookshop and not felt anywhere near as good as I do over the sale of these two books because they're actually wanted. I also think I've said elsewhere that I'm not motivated overmuch by sales but rather by the need to have something physical, with pages, to leave behind me when I finally walk away arm in arm with the Grim Reaper. In the past I've done a rather desultory battle with publishing houses and agents, become aware of their gross indifference to the many who labour long and hard with their only environment a keyboard and their hours long and hard, but to have sold a mere two titles to someone who actually wants them reaffirms my belief in myself and, brothers and sisters, we all need that. It also, incidentally, reaffirms the value of this Wiki too, because I pointed her in this direction when she asked. I'm also handling the sales personally, posting on copies I have at hand and re-ordering for myself from Lulu.

Peter

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Peter Rogerson 1177488615|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I wonder if anyone has stumbled across this. On two occasions I've been in one of those hesitant email conversations with Americans that you get into when you're on MySpace, and on both occasions the people I was getting on quite well with claimed they could find my books on the UK Lulu site, but not on the American site. I wonder if this is commonplace? Are our books not available over there? I always understood that they were.

Peter

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Taffybach 1177493797|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I'm pretty sure that this is not true but can't confirm.
Have you checked in with Lulu support?

taff

Re: Sales, sales, sales

lasatalayas 1177499099|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Comparing the source code for the primary US and UK web pages there is only one line of code that is different.
The 'browse' books facility leads to the same areas in both cases so I can so no reason why every book should not be avilable to everyone irrespective of the entry page used.

Re: Sales, sales, sales

Peter Rogerson 1177514985|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I've concluded that my American friends are no more competent than me when it comes to the more recent technology that has supplanted the good old quill. I'll tell them to open their eyes next time I contact them!

Peter