It had to happen eventually — a promo I had scheduled collapsed. And, yeah, it was my fault! How’d I screw that one up? I have an excuse. It’s just not a great one. Also, while writing one of Owen Payne’s chapters, I realized that I had no idea what I was talking about — and I realized it before I wrote anything! What was even better was where I found answers! Let’s talk about those topics and more after we look at the infographic.
Progress Report 2024 Week 18 By the Numbers
I was able to sneak in two extra writing sessions this week — which was a good thing because of what happened on Tuesday and Saturday!
On Tuesday, I started writing the chapter where Ira Malhotra confronts the commanders of the twentieth fleet over the events at the end of The Sword of Sirius Book 2: Collapse Zone. That’s when I realized I had not cast two thirds of those commanders! D’oh! So, I spent most of Tuesday’s writing session coming up with, then fine-tuning, the cast. I was even able to inject some tension because of some of the backstories.
Then on Sturday, I started writing a a couple of Owen Payne’s chapters. He and the free AI Amaterasu arrived at the mine that’s going to play a big role in their arc. I started describing the scene and realized I knew precise zero about mining. So I went searching on the web. I am not too proud to say the source I got the most out of was Encyclopedia Britannica — the kid’s version. That article had the perfect diagram to get me started.
I built from there, but I tell you what: I appreciate a clear, factual summary. That article was exactly what I was looking for.
Paying Attention is Important
I’ve settled on a promotional approach that David Gaughran calls promo-stacking. This approach has contributed more to my sales than even Facebook (which is no slouch). Toward the end of the month, I schedule the promotions to run in the next month. I try to have one per week, and I try to run the ad on a Thursday. That seems to give me the best results, on average. I mark the day on my calendar to I can see what effect the promo had on sales.
eReaderIQ has done a fantastic job for me. I see a significant bump in traffic every time I run a promotion with them. In April, though, I saw nothing. Sales were flat. When you submit a promo to them, they review it first. Only if they approve it do you pay. So, I found the initial e-mail they sent to confirm submission, and I discovered something disheartening.
Their web page said they had sent me 3 e-mails. Receiving no response from me, they cancelled the ad. I looked through my spam folder and didn’t see anything. Since I received their confirmation and have corresponded with them in the past, I knew they had my e-mail address. I must have gotten in a hurry and thought their e-mail was an ad for something else.
I’m a little surprised Firebreak is flowing so smoothly. I hope my readers like it!
I submitted a new request, and you can believe I paid close attention to my inbox for the next twenty-four hours! In fact, I’ve already received the invoice and paid it. So, May’s eReaderIQ promotion is on solid ground.
This sort of thing doesn’t happen often. In fact, I think this might be the first time I screwed up so completely. It cost me some sales, but I have to remember that I’m a one man operation. I need to slow down and pay attention.
Progress against Last Week’s Goals
Here’s how I did against last week’s goals:
- Finish the second half of Owen Payne’s Plot Turn 1: Done!
- Finish Ira Malhotra’s Pinch 1: Done!
- Finish Luisa Brunner’s Pinch 1: Done!
- Finish Owen Payne’s Pinch 1: Done!
In terms of progress, it was straight forward without any shocking or dismaying developments. I could do with a few more weeks like last one!
Goals for the Week in Progress Report 2024 Week 18
Here’s what I hope to accomplish this week:
- Finish Owen Payne’s Pinch 1 Part 2
- Finish Ira Malhotra’s Midpoint
- Finish Luisa Brunner’s Midpoint
- Start Owen Payne’s Midpoint (I have a feeling it’s going to need more than one chapter)
What Do You Think?
Have you ever fumbled a promotion? Has a provider or published fumbled a promotion on your behalf? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!
