Comments on: Manic Monday: Guest Author Bob Mayer Talks Dollars And Good Sense

By: Industry News-May 20 » RWA-WF

Industry News-May 20 » RWA-WF — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:52:18 +0000

[…] matters to you, bestseller status or sufficient income to write the next book? Author/publisher Bob Mayer talks money versus lists at Stacy Green’s […]

By: The End is Near (and we deserve it). . . . Meth Lab Explodes in Man’s Pants « Author Piper Bayard

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:12:16 +0000

[…] New York Times Best Selling Author Bob Mayer gives authors some great advice over at Stacy Green’s blog. Guest Author Bob Mayer Talks Dollars and Good Sense […]

By: Top Picks Thursday 05-17-2012 « The Author Chronicles

Top Picks Thursday 05-17-2012 « The Author Chronicles — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:07:04 +0000

[…] Mayer discusses the bottom line for authors—the dollars and good sense. What publishing path is right for you? Kristy K. James tackles the question of price from another […]

By: Stacy Green

Stacy Green — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:05:26 +0000

In reply to Stacy Green. Awesome, Marie. I'm thinking of subbing my next novel to Carina but I'm not sure my suspense has enough romance in it for them:)

By: Stacy Green

Stacy Green — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:04:34 +0000

In reply to Marcy Kennedy. Glad you liked it. I've been thinking seriously about mine as well. It's hard to let go of the idea that success = bestseller only, but it's a false ideal. Bob really made me think with this post, as always.

By: Diane Bellora

Diane Bellora — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:29:35 +0000

I know that this is somewhat off point, but I would like to see Best Sellers lists show the units sold per week. The movie industry reports gross box office. The music industry is providing units sold more frequently. So why not the book industry. I want to know want a best seller is for a week in a more quantitative way than is currently reported.

By: Marcy Kennedy

Marcy Kennedy — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:11:00 +0000

I really appreciate this post. I’ve been seriously thinking over my publishing path lately, and this helps me realize that I’ve put too much emphasis on the bestseller lists and that’s not what’s really important to me. If my writing provided solid income and never put me on the bestseller lists, I’d be happy.

By: marieforce

marieforce — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:19:24 +0000

In reply to Stacy Green. I've got two popular series going (the other is the Fatal Series with Harlequin's Carina Press and coming in mass market from HQN next year), and they are a great way to grow a readership. Highly recommend. :-)

By: Stacy Green

Stacy Green — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:12:05 +0000

In reply to Stacy Green.

That’s awesome, Marie. I know the big sales really come with multiple books, so I’ve got a long ways to go yet. Your marketing strategy sounds dead on. 99 cent deals CAN work out really well, especially if you’re dealing with a series.

Congrats on being able to quit your day job and still send the kid to college. Amazing!

By: marieforce

marieforce — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:07:01 +0000

In reply to Stacy Green.

Stacy,
I have 20 books out, 8 traditional published and 12 self-published. The 60,000 sales in March were primarily focused on my five-book McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, which has been extremely popular with readers. When book 4 was released in January, I dropped the price of book 1 to 99 cents, which started an amazing three-month run of stellar sales for the first four books and then the fifth one when it was released in March. I’m getting book 6 ready to go now.

I want to add that self-publishing allowed me to quit my 16-year, director-level position in December of 2011, 10 years earlier than anticipated with my oldest child heading for college next year. I’m making a very good living as a writer and truly living the dream of writing full time. I love every minute of it, but many days, I still want to pinch myself. 🙂
Marie