Thursday, May 16, 2013

When are you Considered a Best-Selling Author?


It's a legitimate question. I have been published since May 2011. I was lucky my first release TIMELESS HEART (Evernight Pub) did fairly well, even cracked the top 100 in a category at Amazon.com.

Have I done it since at Amazon.com? Nope.

So with one release under my belt, I didn't feel I had the gravitas to go around and brag I was a best-selling author. To me at that time, best-selling meant making those big boy lists, like the New York Times and USA Today.

Besides, I cracked the top 100 on Amazon for little more than 36 hours, if that. Didn't seem like a long enough time to brag. So I didn't.

A few releases later, I visited a fellow author's blog and I saw she had all her books listed and the achievements listed directly under it. So I did the same. Check HERE under MY BOOKS. (I made the publisher best seller graphics myself!) I no longer believe 'best-selling' means the big boy lists alone.

Once I started listing them, I realized nearly every one of my releases (but not all) reached some sort of best-selling list. Whether it was at the publisher's website or third party site, or category lists within those sites, I really did have best sellers.

Now, does this mean I sold a ton of ebooks? Nope. Some of these lists you really don't have to sell a lot to get on. Especially if your book falls under a lesser known sub-genre. Getting a silver star at ARe (All Romance) is easier to get in Romantic Suspense or Historical Other than in the huge, honking Contemporary category.  Does that lessen the thrill of getting one of these stars slapped on your forehead? Hell no! Brag! 
.One release, My Vampire Cover Model, (Decadent Pub) hit the top 30 for MF at Bookstrand. First time I ever did that. It was on the list for over three weeks and reached #12. It was #1 overall for all Deacdent Pub titles at Bookstrand for a couple of weeks.

I was recently told best-selling stars at All Romance mean nothing, at least to this particular author. Whatever floats your boat. All I know is there are a ton of authors out there that would love to have a silver-star at ARe no matter what category. Its a validation and it means something to me. I don't feel smug about this, I feel proud. These little achievements are just that...achievements.

It has taken me 18 months to get to that place in my head where I feel comfortable enough to call myself 'a best-selling author'. Some never feel comfortable, others embrace it after one book hitting any best-selling list. Everyone is different. Were you on a list? Even if it was a few hours or a few days or weeks, blow your own horn! Display it at your site!

Hey, Ma! I'm a best-selling author! ;D

2 comments:

Tammy Dennings Maggy said...

I've tried three times to leave a comment but something happens and it disappears...here we go again!

You have every right to be excited about all those rankings and don't you let anyone tell you differently. No matter if you cracked the top for just a few hours or several weeks, you my dear are a best selling author. Bravo!

When my little vampire inspired book of poetry hit the top in EPIC poetry on Amazon for a few days I took screen shots to prove it to myself. Of course those poems weren't long enough to be epic, but that's the category it ended up in. I'll take it! It got my poetry noticed and I had fun during that time.

So you go right ahead and enjoy each and every milestone. Keep rolling along and soon you will have one that blows all the rest away.

Tammy

Karyn Gerrard said...

Exactly why I wrote this post, Tammy, so people can take pride in any and all accomplishments. Even if others dismiss it. (which has been known to happen)

I am pleased with my successes. And congrats on yours! And lol~I take screenshots too! A great reminder for the accomplishments~Thanks for commenting!