Books and Tracking Sales

Sunset Last Evening

I read a post yesterday where an author referred to the, 70,000,000 books available on Amazon. Is that correct? If it is, that is a lot of books. Makes me feel better about my sales rankings for my slower selling titles.

I took a quick look at Amazon this morning and found these numbers,  Soft cover – 34,438,903 -  eBooks, 5,557,018 and hard back, 14,631,957.  Quite a bit short of the 70 million, but this does not include, audio or large print, and various other book categories so it might end up close to 60 or 70 million, and as I said above, “That’s a lot of books.

Breaking down the two most common types, soft cover and eBook it looks like if a writer has a softcover book in the top three and a half million, they are in the top ten percent on Amazon. As for eBooks, a book in the top 555,000 places the author in the top ten percent once again. Interesting.

What is a Best Seller - I occasionally see a book or an author listing their book as a best seller, when I check it out the book often does not make my top ten percent numbers. Not really saying anything here, the numbers are fascinating though.

If I look only at the numbers above I have two books, my two Blade Holmes western mysteries in the top five percent of all books – not bad. So how much do I make from these two each month – drum roll please, around a hundred bucks. Not exactly Steven King or J. K. Rowling money. I do have other books that boost this to enough to make some good pocket money every month.

Good Numbers – Bad Numbers - So how about my worst seller? It’s my attempt at a humorous look at gardening. I like this book with useful gardening tips, humor and four short murder mysteries with a garden setting.  Well, it ranks in the top half in both soft cover and eBooks, actually top 20% in soft cover. Total earning or this book, $42.00.  Not so good, and I like this book. I am thinking about giving this one away for a few days next spring, just before gardening season, see if it can get any traction.

Selling Books Myself - One last thought, my CCC book does not rank high in eBooks or softcover because it is a local history book. I do quite a few speaking engagements, around the area, about this book and the CCC.  I have peddled several hundred copies myself and because it is sold in area museums and book stores it does quite good. This was my first to sell 100 copies and my first to pass 500.

Canyon four miles north of town - nice setting for a western story

Checking Sales - I don’t know of any writers that sell on Amazon who is not, at least, partially addicted to checking sales numbers and author rankings on Amazon. I try to limit myself but it is hard to not check each time I set down to the computer.

Sandy Cove at Guernsey State Park

Have a great rest of the week and keep on reading and keep on writing.

A Western Bestseller

I still read many traditional westerns each year. Seems like not too many of us still do, although there seems to be enough of a niche market for old time shoot-um-up westerns.     

Today’s westerns, at least after perusing the Amazon bestselling lists, seem to lean more to modern time stories set in the west, usually more mystery than conflict of characters.  Historical, Romance and Young Adult westerns all seem to still be popular and in some demand today. None are bad areas and all seem to sell.

Oddly it seems when westerns are listed in categories of mystery or romance they are more acceptable to the mainstream – just my thoughts.

Now I am going to set down and start writing my, all new, young adult, mysterious historical western – hope it will become a best seller. Tentative title, with tongue firmly planted in cheek. 

She Disappeared in the Mountains, Just Like Her Grandma –Aliens?

Early Snow in Wyoming - Anywhere from an Inch to a Few Feet.

 

With Tongue Firmly Planted In Cheek

My All New – Tongue In Cheek – western trendy novel.

Looking at new trends in what is selling in the world of fiction, I believe a western could be a top seller again. A few things may need to be added to entice readers, a couple of zombies, a sexy female vampire, and someone famous from the era, like Billy the Kid or Buffalo Bill, maybe Wild Bill Hickok.

The story line needs to concentrate on romance as western romance sells well in today’s market. To be a top seller it might be best to make it an Amish romance.

Yep, I have it, a sure fire best seller, a steampunk, Amish, romantic western, complete with zombies, vampires and Billy the Kid. This has BEST SELLER, written all over it!

My working title – “The Kid, The Lady and the Bite Marks”

----Opening paragraph----

When Billy woke up he felt something he had never felt before, he was in love, and his neck hurt real bad. Then he saw her, dressed in a long, flour sack, dress and a bonnet, the undead, he had never before believed in zombies, but now he did - and it was love at first site.

Now I have work to do, write the book, open a new bank account, hire a financial consultant, and see who wants the movie rights. Believe I will shoot for around 75,000 words and, as you can see from above, I already have 57. Not that much left.

 My mind may be wandering a bit today, think I will head out to the garden and see if I can find something to water.

Gratuitous Photo from last evening, for no real reason, but it is a pretty cool sunset.