In a previous blog (which you can find here), I mentioned some of the reasons I was thinking of leaving the KDP Select program. Now, with both Sensation and Warden coming off the Select this week, I have been putting in a little time preparing to launch them on other publishing platforms. Between that, having jury duty, and some other issues this week, I've fallen a little behind schedule on finishing the Warden sequel, which I had originally anticipated completing a few days ago. Thankfully, my editor is being extremely patient with me, and I hope to dot that final "i" and cross the last "t" soon. The Sensation sequel is - from all appearances - just days away from being released as I deal with a few final concerns, and I will, of course, announce it here first.
(FYI: For those interested, I am now compiling a mail list of those who'd like to be informed whenever I release a new novel. The link for the subscription is in the upper right of this blog.)
Needless to say, I'm both excited and nervous about publishing elsewhere. I've been blessed to find tremendous support on Amazon, but I've also been stiff-arming a good portion of the market because of my participation in Select. I'm hoping that readers elsewhere will give me the same warm fuzzy I've been experiencing on Kindle, but there are no guarantees.
It's unfortunate that Select isn't the same juggernaut that it used to be, but that's just my experience. There are many others who still swear by it, and I can't say that they're absolutely wrong. I just feel that the current cons of Select outweigh the pros - not to mention the fact that I'm trying to extend my reach as an author as far as possible. This has become particularly important to me as - throughout July - I've noticed sales dropping significantly. For instance, Sensation sold over 1200 copies in June, but will come in at less than 700 for July (unless there's a massive surge today). I've heard that sales generally drop in summer (especially in July), but I can't help thinking that having my books in places like Barnes & Noble and Smashwords (assuming I can get through the SW meatgrinder) would help ease the pain.
Basically, I embarking into a new journey here, but hopefully my efforts will eventually pay big dividends. With any luck, I'll get a few sales early on to give me encouragement - and convince me that leaving Select was the right decision. And if it doesn't work out, I could always come crawling back to Select on my hands and knees, begging like Take That:
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