Up Your Impact Factor - Latest Comments

Re: How I Forgave My Childhood Rapist

Nomilynne — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:48:54 -0000

How powerful and uplifting, THANKYOU AMMA.....

Re: How I Forgave My Childhood Rapist

JennyBBones — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:19:59 -0000

Thank you, Monica. She really is amazing and if you ever get the chance...go get a hug! Bonus: She gives you a Hershey's kiss, too :)

Re: How I Forgave My Childhood Rapist

Monica A — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:18:05 -0000

Jenny, thank you so, so much for sharing this. I had heard of Amma but I didn't know the extent of her ability to heal and cleanse.

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

JennyBBones — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:10:29 -0000

Yowza...every writer should read this article.

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

JennyBBones — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:10:01 -0000

Thank you for sharing your thoughts here, Nick! And congratulations on your book. I, too, am beginning to warm up to the idea of publishing a series rather than trying to write the next LotR lol. We'll see how it goes, eh? :)

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

JennyBBones — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:08:11 -0000

Thanks, Laura!! It does seem to be the sweet spot for one-off novels: 4.99-7.99

Your insights into marketing genre fiction are so valuable. Thank you so much for taking the time to share them here! LUV

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

JennyBBones — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:06:34 -0000

Thank you, dear sister! It's such a wicked web right now and all this discussion can only help to bring some much-needed clarity to the situation.

And yeah, that enthusiastic marketing can make all the difference :)

xoxo

Re: When Life Gets In the Way

JennyBBones — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:04:09 -0000

It's SO nice to see you here, my long lost and dearly loved cousin :)

Re: When Life Gets In the Way

JennyBBones — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:03:42 -0000

Jen, if no one's told you yet today...there is NOTHING wrong with you! You are perfect, whole and complete in this moment right now. Other people lay their issues on us because it's easier than dealing with those issues themselves. We're all guilty of that sometimes.

Sounds like you have a very, very tough situation there with regards to your abuser. If there's anything I can do, or if you ever just want to talk...hit me up in emails any time: jennyb (at) upyourimpactfactor.com

Love and Light to you.

Re: When Life Gets In the Way

Jen — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:56:53 -0000

Just saw a link to your blog from Crunchy Betty and I can't say how glad I am for finding it! Some days I wonder why I can't be like the other people in my life...you know the ones who work 9-5 and think I don't work at all being home with my kids. Even if I wasn't home with my kids I am just not cut out for a 9-5 job and according to them and my husband there is something wrong with me. The fact that I sometimes need to just go to bed for a while to feel better is looked at as something is wrong with me. I did the 9-5 thing and hated it! I like to be home and I have times where I like to get out. Why can't I be "normal"? Anyway, just needed to get that out hoping someone here would get it. I also was drawn to your post about forgiving your childhood rapist. Still working on that one and for me its so damn hard when the person lives close and everyone thinks they are such a great person...if they only knew!! Plus my mother, who was the one who should have protected me, thinks he walks on water! Guess I have some self-work to do on this one. Thanks for letting me vent :)

Re: Life Coaching and Lizard Brains: An Interview With Deva Coach, Sandi Amorim

Sandi Amorim — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:31:50 -0000

Wow, not sure how I missed this comment but stumbling upon it today is such a nice surprise! Thanks my friend, your words are greatly appreciated.

Re: Life Coaching and Lizard Brains: An Interview With Deva Coach, Sandi Amorim

Sandi Amorim — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:30:47 -0000

Hehe, I'm a woman of mystery ;-)

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

Nick Armstrong — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:52:42 -0000

This is absolutely right, although - like lots in life that costs less than $1, cheap ebooks can provide a LOT of entertainment and value. But it takes getting over that hump of "is this valuable" in the customer's mind.

With a glut of free resources - blogs, for instance - which can give you enough to read for several lifetimes, and several really, really good blogs on very niche topics, you hardly "need" books for the sole purpose of information.

What an author becomes then, is a curator of the best information on the topic - not like those cheezy list posts, but rather in the way that a business librarian can accumulate the best of the best over years, and then rattle off a statistic with no hesitation.

My book is currently priced at $4.99 - but it's not exactly flying off the shelves and - being a marketer - isn't poorly marketed (it is, however, neglected largely due to lack of time).

I love the idea of publishing multiple $.99 works out there and that may be my course of action for the rest of the year - once a month, a new 150+ page book on a specific topic.

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

RayAlanHarvey — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:45:37 -0000

My publisher originally priced the Kindle version of my novel at $9.99 but after a year dropped that price to $2.99 -- due, he said, to the glut of self-published E-books. He was getting complaints about his price tags. He's now retired, but he had a small literary press, and I think those type of publishers felt the pressure of all the self-published writers out there with these rock-bottom prices.

Not that I disagree with what you're saying, however, Jenny Bones. On the contrary, I'm on your side: I deplore the .99 cent E-book. It cheapens it, in every way.

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

Jackie Trippier Holt — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:47:22 -0000

Thanks for this post, Jenny - what a meaty debate and some really interesting posts.

I'm an indie author, one novel published five months ago. I originally priced the Kindle version at £4.43 ($6.91) which included VAT.

At the beginning of this month I reduced the price to under a pound/dollar, as an experiment to see if it would encourage more sales through pricing. It was a tough decision.

Aside from - or despite, even - territory rights and download fees, I cannot YET see any benefits to Kindle taking a 65% cut. I have a sense that I'm seeking a holy grail that doesn't exist. I'll let you know how it goes. Though I'll say now, I do feel like I am under-valuing my creativity, it doesn't sit well, but I'm sure I'll change my mind if sales rocket!

I think it's important to note that one self-published author - with some several years' experience under his belt - has assured me that sales do get better, gradually, slowly; that he markets enthusiastically should also be noted.

Pricing is just one element of the marketing mix, after all. There's so much more to it, as you've so brilliantly pointed out.

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

JennyBBones — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:19:45 -0000

Thanks so much, Roy! Great to meet you :)

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:18:55 -0000

Great share. Thanks to Melanie Kissell for the introduction.

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

JennyBBones — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:11:48 -0000

I'm hoping we want to do better, Birdy. And if we stick together...I think we certainly can <3

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

BirdyD - Roving Robin Reporter — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:09:45 -0000

From what I gather from my hubby, who heard a lot during his time at Borders, even the peeps at 99cents are still making more per book than most do going the trad. pub. route.

And I know from my own researches back in the day, and it's worse now, you have to do a grand chunk of your own marketing anyway, unless you are one of the very top-most peeps.

At a reading last year, I heard from one of the authors, small, respected, a bunch of titles out there what they paid her per book.

It's appalling. I'm pretty sure it's not even minimum wage, for something that's nowhere near minimum-wage work.

Do we want to emulate or do we want to do better than? :>

THAT'S a good Q, and one I'm currently pondering as I get my own books together, both fiction & non-fiction.

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

JennyBBones — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:08:29 -0000

Thanks so much, Melanie! It is a bug-a-boo issue indeed :)

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

JennyBBones — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:07:04 -0000

As an avid reader, I'm a big fan of Amazon's Prime deal. Hoping some published authors will kick in here and add their 2-cents if they've used it! Thanks TK!

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

Melanie Kissell — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:48:03 -0000

Wow-Wee, Jenny -- there's certainly a lively and juicy conversation going on here in the comment (or should I say "peanut") gallery! :-)

To a great extent, I believe "pricing" will always remain a bug-a-boo issue. I wish I had something pithy to add but, instead, I'll just say that I think pricing is a selective and purely personal decision-making process. I'm not convinced there's even a remote possibility of meeting somewhere in the middle and compromising on a "balance".

Off to share this post!

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

Heather Wardell — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:19:14 -0000

I think the biggest "secret" to my success at the moment is Amazon's "people who bought this also bought" section on each book's page. Now, for many books like mine, at least a few of my books are listed there, and I'm positive it's bringing me additional readers. That's when my sales jumped.

I am deeply blessed to be at this full-time thanks to a hugely supportive husband, and so last year I released four novels. This year it's "only" going to be three. :) I really can "make it up in volume", as they say.

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

Heather Wardell — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:17:12 -0000

My question is, what "kind of audience" do you attract at 99 cents? I've heard that before and I assume it means only interested in price, but it also feels sort of derogatory in a way.

My goal is to change people's minds about self-published books, especially 99 cent ones, not to lump myself in with anything. So far, so good! :)

Re: Selling Your Novel for a Song

TK Thorne — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:16:27 -0000

Hi everyone. Great post and conversation. I've had the same discussion (with myself) about my novel NOAH'S WIFE, which took 4 years of research. When my publisher closed doors, I put it out there myself, but I just couldn't hit that .99 cent button. I priced it at 2.99.
I'm experimenting with Amazon's Prime deal. Perhaps that is a whole other post discussion, but it involves pricing. Has anyone had experience with it or thoughts about it?
www.tkthorne.com