IMPORTANT: I am moving my self-publishing and writing posts over to Substack... Of course, you can still listen to the episodes on my podcast, too.
On this blog, I’ll still talk about writing sometimes and will share a few insights I’ve learned along the way about my process and my characters and my books, but I’ll go deeper into self-publishing over on my A Self-Published Author’s Diary Substack.
Today, for example, I share an edited transcript (with visuals and more info) of my latest podcast episode.
So, what does that mean?
- You can become a free subscriber over on Substack and get the emails directly in your inbox. Some posts will be for paid subscribers.
- Make sure to follow my podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
As always, thank you for listening and reading!
❤
Elodie
Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book. – A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)
This is a numbers episode. I'm going back to the archives a little bit (back to the future, kind of) to talk about a book I released in 2015 that had 23 preorders and became one of my most read books.A Summer Like No Other launched at 99 cents. I had a whole plan — cover reveal with Xpresso Book Tours, NetGalley, YouTube videos, a blog series called The Making Of, emails to readers who had reviewed my first book. I got 23 preorders. In the first three months I made about $200.That same book has now been downloaded 66,550 times in English: 40,279 audiobooks, 24,414 ebooks, and 1,360 paperbacks. Best month was May 2024, with 7,930 downloads.The French version, Un Été Pas Comme Les Autres, had 20 preorders. It's now perma free, has been downloaded 48,368 times, has 1,843 ratings on Amazon France, and the translation got picked up by a publisher that was part of Hachette — which is how I became a hybrid author.So preorders really don't make or break a book.I also talk about:Dictation finally working for me — two days this week with more than 6,000 words, which hasn't happened in foreverA very funny dictation fail from my walkLast week's newsletter (Elodie Now): 205 subscribers, 48.19% open rate, 0.49% click rate, one unsubscribeFun fact: more than 50 subscribers across Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and I didn't know that until this week. Thank youThe two YouTube videos that helped me with dictation:Real Time Dictation Session: Dictate and Edit a Scene With Me — Alyssa in the Books https://youtu.be/I7rpvAGPgv4?si=4Oju1Ob5MjjukVNcBook Dictation for Beginners — The Courtney Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVQ2vd_w1MThe Margie Lawson Deep Edits packets: Deep Editing, Rhetorical Devices, and More: https://www.margielawson.com/product/deep-editing-rhetorical-devices-and-more/Make Endings POP! Deep Editing Style: https://www.margielawson.com/product/make-endings-pop-deep-editing-style/PublisherChamp: https://www.publisherchamp.com/If you'd like to tell me you're listening and where from, I would love to hear from you: authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com
- Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.
- This isn't a grand gesture …
- My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)
- My F***-It Book: She Had Cancer and Still Gets a Holiday Steamy Rom-Com
- New Release Hiccups, Metadata, Pen Names, and Mild Panic
Elodie Nowodazkij 