Total as of 9/8/11 at 10 PM and does NOT include 25,000 FREE downloads
Amazon and Barnes & Noble combined sales
Return of the Rose - Released March 2, 2011 $2.99
Medieval Time Travel Romance
March: 298
April: 894
May: 1,600
June: 1,475
July: 1,291
August: 2,352
September: 558*
Total: 8,468
Medieval Time Travel Romance
March: 247
April: 6,071
May: 4,306
June: 2,414
July: 1,330
August: 9,812
September: 696*
Total: 24,876
Romantic Comedy
April: 30
May: 182
June: 265
July: 310
August: 934
September: 371*
Total: 2,092
Finding Kate Huntley - Released May 5, 2011 $2.99
Romantic Suspense
May: 187
June: 261
July: 325
August: 1,159
September: 641*
Total: 2,573
Romantic Suspense/Thriller
May: 25
June: 694
July: 1,708
August: 12,917
September: 10,716*
Total: 26,060
*sales as of 9/8/11 10 PM
Clearly, becoming an indie author was the best decision I ever made. But new writers should know that none of this came easily for me. For the past 19 years I wrote nearly every day. In that time, I completed ten 400 page manuscripts and countless partials. I have received my fair share of rejections. I worked hard to learn my craft and I will never stop learning. I joined RWA in 1997. I signed with two agents. I went to dozens of conferences and attended many workshops. I worked with other writers, driving hours to exchange pages every week. I entered contests and judged contests.
I have never felt any competition with other writers. Whenever a writing friend would sell his/her novel, I was happy for them and glad to know that new authors were still being bought. Writers are the most helpful, encouraging people I've ever met. I love being around like-minded people whose minds are filled with plot scenes and characters. So many fiction writers have inspired me. I am certain I never would have become a writer if it weren't for Jude Deveraux's A Knight in Shining Armor. That is the ONLY book I have read more than once. If I had sold fifteen years ago, I would still be writing time travels. Instead, I was inspired to try my hand at romantic comedy (Taming Mad Max) after reading Susan E. Phillip's Nobody's Baby but Mine. In 2008, frustrated with not selling, I read about Lisa Gardner's journey to success and how it took her a couple of years to transition to writing single title romantic suspense. That's when I decided to write ABDUCTED and I named my main character after Lisa Gardner (Lizzy Gardner).
I don't know what the future holds for the book industry, but I do know that every writer has their own personal and unique journey. My hope is that I can inspire others out there who are working hard at their craft to NEVER GIVE UP.