Progress Update

Huge apologies. I know I change the dates on my posts so that they run in the same order as my journey, but it has actually been several weeks since I last updated the blog. Firstly sales are going well. I am currently on 194 actual sales and if I translate the number of pages read on Kindle Unlimited into  books, I have over 200 sales in total. 

I have sent the book to a few contacts I have made through Twitter. They are going to review the book, which will hopefully be a positive experience. Not so positive on this front is companies contacting me offering to guarantee sales, for a price of course. I have tried to ascertain how they can 'Guarantee' these sales but I just get sent back figures relating to the promotions of other author's work. 

On a plus side, is other avenues this journey has opened up. The first one being a very close, old school friend, 'Darren Robinson'. We were great mates back in secondary school, the school in the book, and it has to be forty years since we last spoke. So meeting him again on social media  has been a great experience and I will hopefully at some point meet up with Darren for a drink, when I am next in the Midlands. 

I have also made new acquaintances on this journey that have been equally rewarding and interesting, Namely a chap in the States called Peter and his cousin in Lincolnshire called Nigel. They are both originally from Coventry. Peter read the book and contacted me through Twitter. He recommended the book to his cousin. Both have given me great feedback and I am in contact with Nigel through e-mails and we have exchanged some very interesting thoughts. 

Feedback is another area which is currently a mixed bag. I am getting great comments on the Facebook pages I have joined such as 'Fantastic read, fully recommend' but I could do with a few more of these on the actual Amazon page. I have 19 reviews / ratings in total and 72% are 5 star, which is wonderful but I feel I need more, if I am going to have a better chance of getting an agent and in turn an actual publisher. Getting a publisher is still the ultimate goal.

I have lost track of the free course I was on and currently am just engaging with people through Facebook and Twitter. I have used Instagram a little but it does seem less effective, perhaps I just haven't really worked out how to use it properly. I do occasionally get a young and attractive lady wanting to follow me on Instagram but I somehow doubt it is because they have read my novel. 

Well that is pretty much where we are at right now. I plan to contact some agencies over half-term, the week after next. I can at least put some data and sales figures in the e-mail and see if that creates any interest. One thing that I have gleamed from the past few months is that my book is okay, good even, without wanting to sound obnoxious. I believe in the work and feedback seems to endorse this, so I will keep on going and keep my fingers crossed and keep hoping.