Comments on: The Business Rusch: Watching The Numbers

By: Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 19:00:39 +0000

Thank you, Carol. The free giveaway on Audible really helped the Retrieval Artist. Audible asked me before doing it, and I was one of the few authors to say yes. The giveaway was limited in time, and I had a series, so the first book would be the logical one to do it with. I’m so glad the promotion worked with you and you enjoy the books!

By: Carol Andrews

Carol Andrews — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 18:27:46 +0000

Kristine,
I discovered you as a writer when Audible.com gave away the first book in your Retrieval Artist series. I had never heard of you before, and never seen copies in the bookstores, even though I live in a big city with lots of book stores. I loved the book, and immediately started buying the rest of the series. Then, when I had bought and read them all (some on Audible, some in paperback or eBook), I started on the Diving the Wreck series, then the Fey. I just finished Blowback and hope it won’t be too long before the next one in that series comes out. The Retrieval Artist is still my favorite.
I know you didn’t probably didn’t paid for that first audio book I downloaded, but you gained a fan and a dedicated buyer in audio, print, and eBook. I really like your work.

By: Biff

Biff — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 21:52:35 +0000

But imagine using Select as Kris suggests: 90 days and then out. That would force you to keep writing product at a quicker pace so you could keep using Select for 90 days and out. And you would also be increasing your catalog and opening yourself up to other platforms quicker.

Less reliance on Select, more writing. I’ll bet you’d see the best of both worlds.

By: Biff

Biff — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 21:28:19 +0000

And I’m an advocate of just WRITING.

I’m not concerned with “quality” because if I let that little editor on my shoulder I’d never get anything done.

So I trust in my ability, in my team’s ability to help me, and write as quickly as I can.

There’s so much to say, and so little time…

By: Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 06:43:41 +0000

LOL, Nathan. Thanks!

By: Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 06:43:32 +0000

Great points, ech. And thanks for the kind words on the blog and the Fey. It’s nice to know the blog works for non-writers too.

By: ech

ech — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 04:44:51 +0000

A quick tangent. One of the reasons we get box office figures is that so many different people and organizations get a slice of the box office: the writers, director, and actors all get payments based on the gross. In addition, several unions (like IATSE, the stagehands’ union) get a small slice of the gross, paid into the union health plan. With so many people getting a piece, it would be impossible to keep it a secret. With books, it’s just the writer (and agent, if applicable) that get a piece of the gross, so they can keep it under wraps.

BTW, although I’m not a writer, I enjoy your blog – and my wife is a big fan of the “Fey” series!

By: nathan

nathan — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 04:25:24 +0000

“Even Amazon can’t get its own titles to sell long term without readers wanting the product and voting with their dollars”

and…bang!

Well part of my saying bang was because I had noticed the same thing when I looked into the Amazon publisher program–but I couldn’t quite articulate my consternation. You did, so thanks, Annie.

Amazon is in business to make money. Their investment in their own line vs. the % off an indie author’s sales is obvious.

Yet their great and powerful OZ magic doesn’t make those titles perform any better than other kindle titles.

This has massive implications for the marketing+promo crowd vs. the volume+craft crowd.

It is in fact, all you need to know if you think about it.

Just because you won a bet at roulette and won big by betting on the double 00 doesn’t mean that’s a good strategy. It’s always going to pay off in the longer run by betting either Red or Black.

Roulette is a sucker’s game which is precisely why I use the analogy with marketing & promo of ebooks–as industry knowledge stands *now*.

Amazon is the monster. Amazon is the smartest guy in the room (at the moment, as it serves the purposes of the analogy)–if they haven’t figured it out enough to beat the guys without their toolbox than you (yes, you too smart guys) aren’t going to either.

Write. Publish. Repeat.

And ignore the obnoxious drunk telling you about how his progressive outlay overlap deluxe ultra-hyper-super smart guy system is a better way to go than sticking to fundamentals.

Security’s going to throw him out when he barfs in the ferns anyway.

By: Melissa Yuan-Innes

Melissa Yuan-Innes — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:08:43 +0000

Ooh! Looking forward to it.

By: Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 23:44:56 +0000

Thank you for the information, Cora. I hadn’t heard of them or Ciando. Much appreciated.