Guest Post by John Locke. If you're paying any attention to the Amazon Top 100, you'll know that my ebook, The List, is currently ranked #35.
You'll also know that out of the Top 100, twenty-six of those spots belong to indie authors. Seven of those are occupied by wunderkind Amanda Hocking. But six of them, including the coveted #1 spot, are from a writer named John Locke. So who is John Locke? I caught up with John while we were both in the Swiss Alps, at a secret bestselling author chalet where we heat our jacuzzis by burning stacks of hundred dollar bills. Naturally, I had questions. Joe: Yo u seem to have come out of nowhere. John: My background is niche marketing, where I built a successful business selling specialty insurance, and then another one, investing in specialty real estate. Specifically, I saw that a self-published book could be offered on Kindle for 99 cents, and still turn a 35 cent profit.
An epic tale of how it all happened. Today I'm going to do something I've debated on doing before: I'm going to talk about what's going on with my books from a writer standpoint.
I know that I talk about them a lot, but I always talk about it to inform readers. The reason I debated is because I know people like J. A. Konrath talk about their work in a frank, transparent way, which is wonderful for other writers to read, but I think that he sometimes turns readers off with his business talk. So I'm just going to say up front: I truly appreciate every reader who has bought me book, even the ones who hated it and gave it one star. But two things have happened lately that makes me want to talk about the busissnes aspect of all this: 1. 2. People ask me, "When did you start writing? " The Very Rich Indie Writer. Meet Amanda Hocking.
She’s been in the news for quite a bit now, and I’ve been meaning to write about her since January (or really, to write about the phenomenon she represents – and what it means for web fiction). But if you don’t already know of her, allow me: Amanda Hocking is 26* years old. She has 9 self-published books to her name, and sells 100,000+ copies of those ebooks per month. She has never been traditionally published. And that is stunning news. Kindle Store Economics Why this is happening, and how it can happen, is a question that’s been explored by other indie writers experimenting with sales on the Kindle store. If you’re an indie writer, you get to sell books at a price way, way lower than what a Traditional Publisher can sell at. You’re making a killing, and are able to compete with traditional publishers at their own game. Well, in the context of an ebook store, that is. Those numbers you see? And What Does This Mean for Web Fiction?
About. You clicked the “about” page? I wasn’t sure anyone would actually do that. Hm. I better write something so you don’t feel you wasted your time. I’ve been a lifeguard, a fast-food-flinger, a network administrator, and a soldier in the U.S. Army. I finished Emperor’s Edge…and then let it sit on my hard drive for a year. About that time (fall of 2010), I got my first Kindle and stumbled across JA Konrath’s blog on self-publishing. In late 2011, I e-published my fourth novel, and, thanks to your support, I’ve been able to leave the old day job and make this author thing a full-time gig. Oh, yeah, like I’d answer that here and spoil things.
Maybe someday. I’ll definitely finish the Emperor’s Edge series on my own. Sorry, no, I don’t have the time. I’m not looking for guest posts at this time. Thanks for reading! ~Lindsay Related Posts: No Related Posts.