My Second Anniversary

October 10, 2012. Today marks two years since my first title, Waking Kara, hit Amazon. I remember it was Thanksgiving when I got the email that the story (set for Oct 11) had gone live a few hours early. I was so clueless at the time, I didn't even know when it was expected to be released. It was a grand moment, seeing my title on the major online bookstore. I felt like a "real writer", I admit.

Two years... It doesn't seem like that long ago at times, and other times it seems much longer, but the numbers don't lie. It makes me think about whether I've progressed, or not, and how I feel my "success level" has been. Well, I can go to StarBucks without being mobbed, so I'm no sensation (yet). But, two years and eleven titles later, I feel like I've progressed in many ways.

I've released two novels that I'm proud of, and a number of fun shorter works, and received some half decent reviews for my troubles. This little book has sold over 100 copies, which is not great but not the worst record in small publishing, I'm sure. Over the past year, I decided to discontinue some subgenres, and have moved into new territory. Since that first book, I've quit the whole business numerous times, yet still went on to "release just one more title." It's been bumpy, and not always fun, but it's been a challenge, and that's all you can ask of any endeavour.

It's been a grand two years.
Thanks for reading!

My First Anniversary as a Published Author!

Today, October 11, marks one year since my very first title, my paranormal erotic short Waking Kara, was uploaded to Amazon.

This is a convenient way to mark my career milestones - I could have chosen the day I submitted my first novel, or the day it was contracted. But, the significance of seeing my book go live on Amazon is something that will always stick with me. Slapping that cover up on Facebook, and seeing the first sale... These are things I won't ever forget.

So, looking back, how has it gone?

Well, I'm not rolling in money. No big NYC suit has come to scoop me up. I'm not rich, famous, or powerful. But, I've made royalties in the triple-digits, and I have small, but steady, sales (until the recent slump). Waking Kara, for example, has sold well over a hundred copies, internationally. I've published six titles now, with more on the way, and have received some very nice reviews, and no horrible ones. I've learned so very much, and made many good friends. My reputation isn't wide spread, but I think it's solid. Best of all, I have heard from a few readers who've enjoyed reading what I wrote - and there is no price tag that competes with that.

Would I like to be richer, more famous and/or more powerful by next year? Sure, I guess. But, one thing I know - I still want to be writing a year from now. And that's a good reflection on how I've enjoyed my experience.

Thanks to Wild Horse Press, who first took a chance on me, and to Wicked Nights, Decadent Publishing and Rebel Ink, who have added to my career in too many ways to mention.

And thanks to all of you!

It's been a good year. Here's to another!

*
ETA: How perfect is this? Waking Kara got a review on GR and a blog today. Wonderful timing.

My "Other Covers"

I thought I would wrap up my cover week with a few notes about the two covers not mentioned elsewhere.

The cover for my romantic-comedy Christmas novella, Unwrapping Scrooge, published last year by Decadent Publishing, has to be one of my favourites. Designed by Dara England, and featuring additional photography by K.M. Cook, this cover is professional and attractive. For Decadent, as with RIP, I had to fill out a cover info survey describing my characters, the major motifs and the images I most/least wanted. Kale is a bit different here from how I imagined him, since you can't tell he wears glasses and long hair, but otherwise, the image is perfect. Molly is wonderful! The embrace is sweet, yet passionate, just like in the book. I always imagine that the box Kale is holding contains the gloves she knitted him!

~*~ 

The cover for my paranormal erotic Waking Kara will always have a special place in my heart, because it was my first. Designed KitCat Designs, the cover made me blush a bit when I first saw it, but I appreciate its pretty, feminine sensuality. My one concern with it is that it doesn't really scream "paranormal," but it is likely attractive enough to encourage the reader to read the description, where they can discover the story's basic outline. But nothing really compares to it being the very first, nor erase the memory of my excitement the night WHP emailed it to me without warning. 

Covers are important - to readers and to publishers, and especially to authors, since they become part of our identities as writers. I have lived with some of these covers for months, and I am still not sick of them. I guess that means they work!

Where Am I? Where Am I Going?

Run Down:

It's been a month of ups and downs in the Kindle business in the eight months since my first release last October, and recently my books have had some movement both up and down. I admit, I don't really understand the sales stats and such on Amazon, but these are the things that seem clear when I look at all of the sales and buzz info I have at hand:

• Unwrapping Scrooge had a strange off-season resurgence this month, including a boost in sales and some increased interest from reviewers. I plan on trying to make the most of that, to get a momentum going, and see if it can translate into a new marketing campaign for the book starting in October/November leading into the Christmas season.
• Waking Kara remains a consistent seller, especially through Amazon.com, even without any marketing or promotions behind it. This solid little number sells about 10 copies a month, on average, and has reached the 100 copies sold mark, according to my calculations. Now, I know that doesn't sound like much, but given the lack of promotion, that is not bad. Plan: Let's see if that can do a bit better.
• V-Day has recently made its first showing on the Kindle ranks stats, which is nice to see - I like this book, so I need to work on promoting it better. Due to other obligations at the time, I ignored it way too much when it was released - now the plan is to bring some attention to it, and get a review or two.
• Good for the Goose has seen some very moderate ups and downs, but remains fairly low. I have improved the sales profile of it by highlighting the reviews it got last December, in the hopes of reviving it for the Christmas season. Perhaps the idea for a "Christmas in July" blogging blitz might help a bit.
• Sadly, Strings Attached has failed to sell or to attract reviews. I continue to plod ahead, focusing on posting about it at ebook blogs and submitting it to reviewers. It has been out less than a month, so I have not yet given up on it.

Up till now, I have not spent a single dime on marketing or promo. Unfortunately, I am not really in a position to do so now. However, if some of my plans come through, it might be time to resort to paid promotional activities in the fall. I refuse to become a gambling junkie about it, dumping good money after bad into useless ads in the hopes of striking the jackpot. Nevertheless, a few well-placed ads and spotlights might be helpful, if placed strategically and designed well. We shall see.

~*~

Looking Ahead:

What is bugging me the most at the moment, however, is not my low sales, but the fact that I have no new releases planned in the foreseeable future. This is not good.

My next task is to complete the renovations of my 2010 NaNo project and find it a solid home, so it can see daylight. Then, of course, the marketing and promo will start all over again, and I hope it will have a solid landing strip already laid by my first five available works.

Along side that, I must keep chugging along on my new fiction project, which is proving to be a challenge but an exciting one - I will share details soonish, I promise. Today, I spent four hours writing on it, and I feel like a million bucks!

Constantly pushing finished product is not healthy. If I am not producing, I am merely a former writer, and not a writer in the present. Stats and sales are great - but nothing beats looking forward to a new release!

So, that is the state of the union at the moment.

More details as they come...

2010 in Review: The Trailers

August 2010

My advance trailer for Strings Attached, which comes out with Wild Horse Press in 2011. The music was composed by James McCall, and you can find info about his new album at his website www.jamesmccall.bandcamp.com. The photo is courtesy of Dave Dyet, www.dyet.com.

(My very first trailer attempt.)

~*~


October 2010

The trailer for my paranormal erotic release, Waking Kara, available from Wild Horse Press Liquid Heat.

~*~


November 2010

Trailer for my upcoming erotic Christmas romance, Good for the Goose, available from Wicked Nights: After Dark.

~*~


December 2010

The trailer for my romantic comedy ebook for Christmas, Unwrapping Scrooge, released from Decadent Publishing.


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Subscribe to my YouTube channel to keep updated on the trailers coming in 2011!

Excerpt Sunday: Waking Kara

Here's another little snippet from the paranormal erotic short I released through Wild Horse Press: Liquid Heat series last October. Enjoy!

Kara went straight from their en-suite bathroom down to her basement office, to avoid running into Adam. Her cheeks flamed red with the memory of how she behaved. Perhaps it was the thunderstorm, she thought. Even now, as the distant rumbles made her shake, she could feel the silk of her robe and nightie slide against her skin in ways she wasn't accustomed to noticing.

A part of her wanted to just sleep and forget all about today, but she knew she was too wound up for that.

Instead, running a thick towel over her long chestnut hair, she sat at her desk, where her bag from the day waited to be unpacked and repacked for tomorrow. Flipping on her computer and her desk lamp, Kara carefully unearthed the chamois-enrobed statue. Perhaps some time spent cleaning and Googling the object would put her mind back where it should be.

Peeling back the layers of the thick yellow cloth, she shuddered as she revealed once more the intensely male form of the fallen angel... or demon, she corrected, mentally. The beautiful face of the creature was too darkly forceful to retain any angel.

Re-crossing her legs restlessly, she took in the detailed features of the creature, turning him over to run the corner of the cloth down the muscular back and down to the cleft of his buttocks.

Spritzing him with gentle cleanser, she carefully, lovingly, wiped away decades of grime, bringing a glowing sheen to the pale, perfect skin.

Skin? She laughed at her folly. Stone. Nothing more.

Somewhere in her head, she heard a derisive chuckle, but she wasn't sure from whom it came - herself, at her recent odd behavior, or from somewhere deep inside.

Waking Kara is available for purchase through Amazon Kindle and on All Romance Ebooks, and elsewhere, with a suggested retail price of 99 cents! (Not intended for audiences under 18 years old.)

Wild Horse Press, Wicked Nights and Decadent Publishing

A word about my e-pubbing and my publishers.

Much has been said about e-book companies, some good and some derisive, but I am one of those who made e-books my first choice. This was partly because I respond better to smaller businesses, and like being a part of an independent venture - I find independent companies are more willing to work with everybody attached to a project, as a general rule. Primarily, however, I chose e-books because you don't need an agent, and my first attempt at publishing was an experiment; I had a manuscript, and I just wanted to see if someone found it worth publishing. I wasn't in it to write full time right away - I just wanted to see if someone would accept that first novel. When someone did, it was fast. I got word back within a month of submission, a turnover that would be impossible in traditional brick-n-mortar publishing, where the two years in the slush pile is the norm.

Two years of waiting, while life moves on, is simply not conducive to an experiment.

So, e-publishing was for me, straight away. Would I love to move into paperbacks? Sure. I will be thrilled when my current companies move into paper (like WHP has started to do, and Wicked Nights will be doing this year), and I wouldn't say no to a chance to publish something with a big print company someday, now that I know I'd like to stick with my writing for a while. But the general practice of e-publishing, of taking quality works fairly efficiently, and letting new authors get considered for publication without the work of an agent, was best for me at first, and will remain so for a while yet.

I won't be seeking an agent until I decide to write full time, if I ever do. So, e-pubbing is for me.

I now have works out with three e-pubs. I have two other companies in mind for current works in progress, but I am sure I will work with these companies again. Right now, I have my short paranormal erotic Waking Kara and my upcoming full length, Strings Attached, with Wild Horse Press; I have Good for the Goose with Wicked Nights' erotica line, After Dark, and I plan on a further series of holiday erotica with them (in the hopes of benefiting from their move to print). I have only one short Christmas romance, Unwrapping Scrooge, with Decadent Publishing, but I would love to work with them more.

Wild Horse took the very first chance on me, and has been instrumental on me staying in writing, and doing more. I have also met some of the most important writing friends I have through my association with this company, and the more experienced writers have been wonderful at helping me figure out where I am going. WHP is open to all of my creative suggestions, and, despite how busy life is for a publisher, they have remained enthusiastic and happy to hear from me. I owe WHP a lot.

My second company, Wicked Nights, was a heaven sent chance. I had a book that needed to go out by Christmas, and was in a panic because it was growing too long for the anthology for which it had originally been planned. I turned to Stacey Thompson-Geer, one of the authors at WHP, for advice, and she welcomed me to Wicked Nights with open arms. For a small, new company, Wicked Nights is getting it together - slick, determined and fresh, Wicked Nights has a strong future, and I am pleased to get in at the ground level.

My third company, Decadent, was a long shot for me. I knew they were quite powerful and "major league" for a startup, and, unlike Wicked, I didn't know anyone working there. But, I had Christmas romance that needed a home, and WHP simply couldn't accept any more submissions for 2010, as they were packed. Sitting with this romance, I was thinking to send it to Wicked, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to have two releases at one company within weeks of each other. I found Decadent, and was considering it when a happy Decadent author on Facebook gave me a nudge of encouragement, so I sent it off. I knew this book was strong, but I admit I wasn't sure it would be accepted. Then came word - Yes! Unwrapping Scrooge would have a home at Decadent!

I have really enjoyed my time with Decadent. They have lovely covers (which is important, despite the old adage), extremely rigorous editorial quality control, and they also do a bit more promotion than a lot of e-book companies do, which is great for a new author on a budget. They also have an incredibly supportive and active author community who have embraced me as one of their own, even though I am, at the moment, a one-short author with the company.

I would gladly work with all three of these companies again, and very likely will if I can come up with more works they like. Sure, my sales have been moderate at best, which is the price one does tend to pay for e-pubbing, and, in time, I might have been more successful (if you measure that in dollars or stats) had I been miraculously discovered in the slush pile two or three years from now... But I wouldn't have been happier.

And I wouldn't have been more keyed up, that's for sure. Right now, I have a great deal of enthusiasm for my avocation, which might not have been the case if I felt my publishing lacked momentum. Right now, I can feel the rise - when I Google myself, I get more and more hits, and I feel like putting out all of these works are starting to pay off. I may never be Nora Roberts, but that's okay - she has the big times all sewn up. I'm happy producing good work with small, intimate companies.

So, wherever I head now, and whether things work out with the other companies I have in mind, or if I never hit the big times, I am putting things out there, and proud of them all. I will always remain grateful to all of the companies who see in my work something worth taking a chance on.

2010 has been good to me. I wish us all the very best in 2011!

In Honour of Hallowe'en...

Treat yourself to something a little bit paranormal...

Visit my paranormal and erotica website to learn more and take a small taste!

Waking Kara is available to buy through Amazon Kindle.

I'm on Amazon!

You can now find Waking Kara on Amazon!

(Still waiting on Barnes and Noble.)

Trailer for Waking Kara! NEW!

My First Release!

Announcing my first release!

My paranormal erotic, Waking Kara, is now available for purchase at ARE, and will be up on Amazon and B&N later in the week, I hear. It was published through WHP Liquid Heat, and is for adults only!

It's only a short, but I'm excited. Kind of takes the edge off waiting until May 2011 for my full length release!

~*~

ETA:

CONTEST!

If you purchase Waking Kara or any of the other releases I have coming up over the next couple of months, send me a copy of your receipt or some proof of purchase (anneholly2010@gmail.com) to be entered to win my full length novel coming out in May 2011! (Deadline: May 15, 2011.)

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Anne Holly's Dark Side!

I'm pleased to announce the grand opening of my new erotica/paranormal site, Anne Holly's Dark Side, a place where I can show off some of my more adult content in genres other than sensual contemporary.

Go check it out, and see a short excerpt from my newest paranormal erotic short story, "Waking Kara", soon to be released through Wild Horse Press's Liquid Heat series!

(Must be over 18!)

This will not be replacing my main website, which will continue to carry news and information on my contemporary romance works, which are more sensual than full-blown-erotic.

Enjoy!

Paranormal Erotic!

Hi folks! I can now add a new category to my CV - paranormal erotic!

This week, I signed a contract with WHP for my short paranormal erotic, "Waking Kara," a sizzling story about a dissatisfied woman, her depressed husband and a demon. ;)

Not a story for the faint of heart!

Keep an eye out for details about the release, through the WHP Liquid Heat series.

- Anne

Excerpt Sundays: A Small Taste of "Waking"

Just for fun, I thought I would switch gears and post a small snippet from the paranormal erotic I wrote this week - largely unedited, but I like it.

The story involves a rigidly structured estate assessor who finds a bit more than she bargained for in the back of an old cupboard... Enjoy!

His hair was a crowning glory, long and wild, with pitch black curls tangled together, as if he had just come from a fight or a session of wild sex. Or as if he had just fallen from the sky.

He seemed very real. And she wanted him.

"Are you a demon?" Suddenly, the realization that she should probably be scared for her life occurred to her.

His sudden smile was nearly a sneer as he drew his lovely, plump lips up over even, white teeth. "Some might call me that, yes," he answered. "But I am older than that mythology, I believe."

"What do you call yourself?"

"Myself," he shrugged with disinterest, smoothing a palm over her blanket-clad hip. "Mortals are so obsessed with labels and designations," he sighed. "It would be amusing if it didn't make for such dull thinking."

She sighed as his hand slid to cup her buttocks.

"Some have called me Eros. Others, Lucifer," again he shrugged. "I am both of those things, and neither. I am what you want me to be. I am whatever is needed by the woman I serve."