Status Update - August & September, 2024

August and September are typically “dead” months in regard to sales, and this year has been no exception.  Normally, it starts to pick up in September. Normally. Not this year, however.

I attended a local author showcase midway through August.  It was an absolute bust.  Roughly 8 authors attended, and only 2 customers actually showed up – I sold to one of them.  I also sold a book to another author, which was the extent of that.  The people who hosted the event felt bad and offered free table space for another event later in the year.  Unfortunately, none of those special events match my books.  So, I don’t think I’ll be doing this again.

I started another book, this time featuring Odo from THE WIZARD’S STONE as a main character.  I’ve got about 6 chapters somewhat completed.  I think this is the book I’m moving forward with for a 2026 release.  The story is good, it adds to the lore of the world I've been writing in, and it shows Odo all grown up.

The first round of edits for THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK TWO came back in August. I applied the edits and in September I sent the manuscript off for a second round of edits. As I move into October, I'm waiting for the second round of edits to return. My goal is to start audiobook production in November.

The one major thing that happened over the last couple of months was the opening of The Lore Forge store!  You can now buy my books directly from me.  Right now, I'm only selling the first 3 paperbacks, however, as I near the release of THE REVENANT AND THE CULT, BOOK TWO, I’ll be adding book bundles and possibly DRM-free eBooks.  You can access the store from the “Store” link on my website, or by using this link.

Unfortunately, I can’t sell these books below the normal list price for a bunch of reasons.  And I can’t match Amazon when it comes to free shipping.  However, each paperback comes signed, with a bookmark, and possibly something else.  So, if you buy direct, you'll be receiving value that Amazon can't provide.

Because I’m unable to calculate instant shipping prices, I’m limiting the store to US customers only.

September's major highlight was my attendance at BasedCon, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The venue was a little bit bigger this year with more authors selling their books. I managed to be on two panels this time around. I spent some time with Blaine Pardoe, Dan Gainor, Kurt Gallagher, Declan Finn, and a few other authors who sell far more books - and have more street cred - than I do. Without going into specifics, I was given a bit of a morale boost as to the quality of my writing. Suffice to say, getting positive feedback on my writing and my storytelling really helps me keep moving forward.

The other morale boost was knowing that I had fans waiting for me to show up so they could buy my latest book. In fact, I was selling books as I was setting up and arranging my table on the Friday night I arrived. So, if there was ever any doubt that I have fans, it got dispelled this trip.

All in all, I sold a few more books at BasedCon this year and in the prior years. It wasn't by a huge margin but hey: growth is growth.

October has me attending A Novel Event in Fenton, Michigan. I'm hearing the attendance is shaping up to be good, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the crowd showing up at the event is the kind that likes my special brand of Fantasy.

As it stands right now, I've sold over 800 books since I released THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB in March 2022. Between sales, subscriptions, and book loans (like library check-outs), I've exceeded 1000 "reads." This number doesn't include services like Spotify, where my audiobooks work like page reads in KDP. Hopefully, by the time I release THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB, BOOK TWO I will have hit the 1000 mark in book sales. Hopefully.

Anyhow, that's August and September in a nutshell.