If I keep running campaigns on Amazon, I'll go broke. The idea is to pay for a better position in searches and then be charged per click. If you make a sale, then fine, BUT, a sale pays only the royalty amount to the author, not the full sale price.
I ran a mothers day campaign from May 6th to 10th.
Spent on the campaign: $32.69 (not many clicks)
Sales $29.97: That's 3 books sold (paperbacks for $9.99 each)
My royalties on those sales: $3.42 per book (total $10.26)
Net loss: -$22.43
Okay, I'm well and truly done. This follows a professional critique of one page on another of my books The analysis essentially said I had the wrong target audience, the writing needed to be tightened (that's hilarious considering I have to consciously add what I consider to be unnecessary words), the story didn't start with a bang with a character who wasn't even involved in the book (a storyteller), and who knows what else. I won't fault the critiquer--she knows what's she's doing. I'm certain if I changed how I write to match the requirements of modern audiences then I might have better sales. Thing is, that's like telling Hemingway exactly the same thing was wrong with his writing. It's probably a good thing he stuck with his style.
So, of things I could do which I enjoyed which I no longer can do:
- Writing
- Singing
- Horseback riding
- Sex
Things I kind of enjoy I can continue to do to fill my time:
- Playing Wordle
- Watching TV
That's not living. It's just counting down. Which is why I'm setting this post to publish on my birthday. I wonder if I'll be around to see it.
Here are the tombstones.
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