Friday, January 20, 2012

Riding the Ripple...


The Reluctant just exploded onto Amazon’s “free" eBook charts.

We hit:
#2 in Free, eBook, Fiction, Action and Adventure
#2 in Free, eBook, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
#24 in Free, eBook, Fiction
#34 in Free, eBook

You will note that in that last category, we were competing with EVERY other free title out there, fiction or non-fiction.  We topped the Bible at one point.

They say that authors should never talk numbers, but you know me and my attitude about “the rules” nonsense.  I was honest with you people when no one was reading the book and when only a few, my happy few, were reading it.  I will be honest again: over the last three days, The Reluctant was downloaded more than 11,500 times.

I am truly humbled to think that so many people have my first book in their hands.  I will continue to be honest: I made it free so people could sample the series and get hooked enough to buy the second book and future books.  When I opened my author dashboard on Amazon’s KDP site, I thought the number (somewhere around 5,000 at the time) was a mistake.  I would be lying if I said I expected it to shoot to the top of the charts in a day and hang there.

It will not last forever and when I start the freefall from the top of the genre charts, I may need a hug.  But, it was tremendously fun and exciting to watch the numbers mount.  Yes, I took screen shots and especially love the ones where The Reluctant was listed right next to a James Patterson book.

Are we allowed to use the term “Best Selling” now as we promote the other book and future books?

Splitter

8 comments:

  1. I hope you stay on the top of the charts, WHERE YOU BELONG! Will you accept this virtual hug, anyway? I love Tom Crayder--thanks for introducing me to him!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am very excited for you and for the 11k people who now have the book.

    I hope that a good percentage of them get hooked and immediately download part two and then wait impatiently like the rest of us for the future!

    ReplyDelete
  3. SO excited for this! I did a little dance, even. Now, on to the next book! /cracks whip

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dude!
    I'm so proud of you!
    I told you from DAY ONE that you had a hit on your hands!
    Can't wait to ride the rest of the waves.
    YAY for book surfing!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congrats! If I could dance I'd be doing the happy snoopy dance right now but that's an image neither of us want stuck in our heads

    ReplyDelete
  6. This book was great when I paid for it. Free it is a treasure! I can't wait till thousands of people know the name and work of C.S. Splitter. Well deserved!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks peeps! It's been a fun ride.

    I feel like that young pitcher in Bull Duram when he finally throws a great fastball. Everyone cheers but as he walks back up the mound, he says, "That was great...what'd I do?"

    If I knew why the book went nuts, I could maybe try to replicate it. Exposure is everything. If I had the secret, I would share.

    Splitter

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey, Splitter...I just finished "The Reluctant!"
    Those 11,500 (AND COUNTING)readers will be pleased to find Tom Crayder provides a wild ride as he rises to the occasion to stomp out the bad guys. (And they are super bad!)

    The reason "The Reluctant" has gone nuts is...it's funny as hell, filled with great characters, and once the action starts--it does not stop. I really enjoyed it! Congrats on the downloads...

    ReplyDelete