I’ve written and published eight adult books and two short stories. Well, actually, I once published a book of short stories, but it was not well-received, so I pulled it out. It’s still listed on Amazon, but it’s unavailable. I’m not counting that one until I republish it.
Writing used to be fun. Then I published in 2017.
In general, I believe people are mean. I know my books aren’t for everyone. I write them for me. I don’t write to market. And I know that I didn’t pay an editor to go through them at first, but some people have such a high bar to what they like, and if it’s not exactly that, then they bomb the book.
After the bad reviews I got from my first book, I looked for an editor. I paid $300 per book, and she did a horrible job. The bad reviews continued. So I found another editor who charged me over a thousand dollars per book. She was much better. The reviews improved.
Getting people to find your book and then decide to spend hours reading it is hard.
I am not an influencer. I am not a marketer. So I decided to pay to play a long time ago.
I used to pay a service to deliver a free short story (the prequel); in return for this e-book, people would give me their email to be included in my newsletter. I spend hundreds of dollars this way. I don’t pay for that service anymore.
Sometimes, about twice or thrice a year, I pay another service to include my first in series in their newsletter after I set the price to zero. I pay about $100 each time, and then I get a few downloads and even fewer reviews. That’s it. I do this less frequently now.
Finally, I have some Amazon Ads that rarely work.
Let’s face it. My author career didn’t take off. Now the books are there, found rarely by my small Amazon Ads.
My income from Amazon mostly comes from my elementary workbooks. Not at all from my adult books.
And yet, now and then, someone finds my book and starts reading it on Kindle Unlimited, and I get to see the number of pages as they read the story. I imagine what could be happening on that page in the book, trying to enjoy the book as the reader could be enjoying it. Or not.
Sometimes, they go on to read the second book. And once in a blue moon, that reader makes it all the way to the sixth book.
Now, my second series, that seems to repel people. In all fairness, it’s a very, very weird book. It’s definitely not for everyone. Right now, the second book in that series has only one review. Three stars. That makes me sad.