72, Seventy Two

72, that’s the number of books I’ve sold in 7 weeks.

For an INDIE AUTHOR, that’s satisfactory. 72 is average, right? I can’t have my husband retire from the Navy next year (and he technically can, reaching 20 years), but it’s a start. Mathematically, speaking in averages, that’s 10 books a week, every week for the last seven weeks. 72 books makes an Indie Author about $3.00 per print book and 60 cents or so per eBook, so I’ve made a little over a hundred bucks.

As a perfectionist, control freak over-achiever that I am, it’s not quite enough. Profit wise, it pays for a week of groceries, wait, my teenage nephew is visiting, it pays for three days of groceries.

A few things I want to clear up.
1. I’m defined as an INDIE Author because I am SELF-PUBLISHED. In the literary world, indie authors being self-published and all was looked down upon. We do things our way in regards to our books and promotion of it. This is a plus. The negative side, we don’t have a large powerhouse publishing machine to help promote our books. I’m an introvert with social tendencies, so I have to shine and do the sales-lady bit. I’m happy to do it, but it can be intimidating and exhausting. I secretly hope celebrities with clout, like Zooey Deschanel will read my novel, laugh her ass off and give it to her agent to make into a series or movie. Anyone out there know Zooey? I’d like to send her my book. Anyone?

2. My novel Secret Shopper doesn’t compare to other books in the same genre as far as the BOOK COVER. I’ve recently joined numerous Facebook Romance Writers/Readers groups, friended and LIKED fellow Indie Authors. Many have a distinct book cover choice, NAKEDNESS, sultry, sexy Nakedness…hot people in embrace, locked lips, panty lines, ab muscles, lots of male ab muscles, you get the picture. I do not have that. I have a pair of cheap sunglasses, an orchid and a shell lei on a woven basket. Do I want the sleek covers? Yes and No. There are several sex scenes in Secret Shopper, but like my cover, they are let’s say, understated, subdued, suggestive rather than expletive. My book is Sexy, but she doesn’t know it…yet.

3. I have an author page, and hope to reach 500 LIKES by the end of the year. I’ve slowed down in promoting it ad nauseam on Facebook and hope that via word of mouth or one’s search for all things Tanya and Secret Shopper, people will find me and LIKE me by their own free will. But, I do envy the other indie authors who somehow by a wave of support have reached their 1,000 likes, 2,000, 3,000. Kick me now…I did UNLIKE a successful Indie author who had over 1,500 likes after she posted that she doesn’t give a sh*t how many likes she gets because she wants someone to like her because they want to and that when another person asks her to LIKE ‘em back, she gets pissed. LIKE away y’all and I will LIKE you back if you kindly request it.

4. I will write forever, whether it pays the bills or not. WHY? Because it pays the bill in my creative soul.

So, maybe I’ll see my name in lights (at a library). Maybe a book I write will be bastardized into a movie that I can have a cameo in, where I will sniff (secretly) the hot, but legal, male lead. One thing I do know, I will promote my book the way I want to and write books I enjoy.

Thank you for your support always. Hope you find the time to read SECRET SHOPPER. Amazon.com paperback or Kindle eBook.

Whispers, “Zooey? Call me. I have a free book for you.”

Look for my upcoming article feature in Marianas Variety and my upcoming interview with author, Jackson Baer on July 18th. Big THANK YOU to Denise Mendiola Hertslet and Pacific Island Coffee Co. for taking a chance on this Indie Author and selling copies of my book on Guam. Click, LIKE and tell 'em Tanya sent ya'.

7, Seven 5 Star Book Reviews on Amazon.

81, Eighty One views on Youtube for my book trailer.


Book trailer #2

Esta Later!