I say sleeper, because to date there have been a total of 11,019 of Book 01 sold, and 4,880,000 pages read (Kindle Unlimited). That would (based on 384 pages KENP V 2.0) be about another 12,708 full books read. Now, I know the total is higher (because books can be read, but author notes aren’t etc.) but it does mean that at a minimum, the first book as been sold (read) a total of 23,727 times.
So, all of my success comes from approximately 25,000 readers. Readers who are then going on to read the REST of the books. Enough that as of last night (According to Amazon) I am the #172 top selling author on their store.
172.
There are over 200,000 authors minimum on Amazon. My original goal was just (sometime around end of November / Beginning of December 2015) to be in the top 2,000 authors on Amazon. Thanks to YOU and your sharing of the stories with friends, family, strangers in stores (this is literal, not figurative) I have been amazed to be counted in the top 500 authors on all of Amazon since July of this year!
That’s freaking UNBELIEVABLE.
Just rocking our little story about Bethany Anne and her people and those around her has been life changing for me, and over a thousand other indie authors who joined the 20BooksTo50k group that came out of my success.
Trying to give back to other authors.
I could share stories how that group of authors, helping each other, support them getting their own stories out and how YOU, my readers, help them make it happen!
Just this week, readers of the snippets took a book that was listed as the 92,000th ranked book (based on sales) on Amazon and within 24 hours, moved it up to under 10,000 for two days. I didn’t know it at the time, but the author I was supporting (Boyd Craven III) was coming back from a sudden trip to check on his father who had fallen very sick and concerns were heavy about his health…
The other author of the book the fans pushed up? His father, Boyd Craven Jr.
His father recovered, thankfully. But it was a sobering feeling that we helped make a good thing happen in the life of someone who could use another good thing to occur at that time.
What’s going on with Audio?
For those who love Audiobooks, I have some great news. I am this close (see two fingers pinched close together) to finding a narrator.
I hope. Lord in Heaven PLEASE I hope. I’ve had 19 auditions so far, and 17 have been (some after MUCH review) put in the ‘no’ group.
Two are left and I have one request out to a huge name to see if she has any interest. The problem? Well, it’s hard to handle the size of these stories without massive talent.
She (and it will be a lady I pick) needs to be able to read the story in an engrossing way, do Bethany Anne well and men in a way that works. It’s a freaking HUGE challenge and I was pretty upfront about the issues.
Think about it. One actress will be handling Bethany Anne, TOM and ADAM all in one head. Then, add in the Bitches, Gabrielle, Tabitha, Frank, Lance, Nathan etc. etc. ;-)
But, however long it takes, it will be worth it because I’m setting aside the money to make the first seven books happen. I refuse to “Do one book to see if it sells” model and leave fans hanging.
So, I’m looking for one of the best, and I’ll pay her for her talent and skills because I really, really want Bethany Anne and the Bitches to come alive.
What’s a Yollin look like?
So, a fan on Facebook asked about what Yollins looked like (sorry, I looked but couldn’t find the fan’s name that asked). Now, that was an awesome question, the only problem was the artist I used for my Bethany Anne stuff (Andrew Dobell) doesn’t draw creatures/aliens. My artist that is working on the covers and spaceships (Jeff Brown) doesn’t do a lot of creature/alien work either.
Where the hell was I going to find an artist that would work with me (that was dependable)? I asked Jeff Brown if he knew anyone and he suggested Eric Quigley.
I looked over his artwork thinking… I want him! Now, if I can just afford him.
So far (audio will easily beat this in the near future, but right now) nothing costs me near as much as all the artwork and covers I am doing.
I’m spending enough to buy a small car on this stuff, so I needed a creature artist that I could afford, as well as would do an amazing job.
So, check out the two Yollin art pieces in the back of this book (I hope you can all see them! Some are in color, to I will be placing the pieces up on my website in the coming week for everyone to enjoy, even the black-and-white kindle fans). He’ll be doing Captain Kael-Ven next.
Remember, my website is http://www.kurtherianbooks.com.
I think Eric is going to do smashing on the aliens for the last arc in The Kurtherian Gambit and allow us to better visualize these beings.
In the future, fans willing, I’m going to put out a Kurtherian Gambit e-Book on the artwork and show the different stuff we have all worked on, and give you a history of how one indie author has spent thousands and thousands on art for his series.
By the time I’m done with 21 books (and others) I’ll have easily spent over $20,000 on artwork alone. I want this stuff as much as fans seem to want to see it, so together I think we can make some COOL art and I look forward to more of you asking questions like… “What’s a Yollin look like?”
;-)
So, where are we going?
The Kurtherian Gambit’s scope is huge. I’ve explained before (Here? Don’t remember.) that I wanted to have a world I could play in, and do a lot. I wanted to play with vampires, and aliens, and Military Sci-Fi and worlds and spaceships (oh my!) and A.I.s and so on and on.
And due to the huge social support of fans, especially on the FB ads and their own links and interactions. I get to. It’s a huge blessing.
And it is getting bigger.
With the next release for Bethany Anne, NEVER SUBMIT, we will be in another solar system having left Earth behind and to their own devices. What happens to them? What happened, some will ask, between books 13 and 14 (the three years)?
Well, I’m happy you asked!
In order to produce additional insights into these events, some of the authors I’ve befriended on 20BooksTo50k have agreed to work in collaborative efforts to enhance the Kurtherian Universe. In awesome ways.
These aren’t Frank Kurns 15-20k words books. These are true books and series with additional characters. One with a character you have seen before (Terry “TH to his Friend” Walton) and completely new vampires who have little understanding of what happened when TQB was part of the world, but exist when Michael comes back in The Dark Messiah (12.25.2016).
I’ll give you more info after the author notes, but we have TS (Scott) Paul doing a YA series w/ the children of the Etheric Empire set during the 3 years between books 13 and 14. Justin Sloan and his vampire Valerie who leaves behind Europe in the future to protect New York City State from her brother, Donovan (see snippet at end of book). Finally, we have Craig Martelle who is taking TH and showing us what happened to Earth after Bethany Anne left and how this man was affected, and then learns to forgive himself and become the protector that was always inside of him.
With a vengeance.
All leading up to The Dark Messiah Series and Michael’s return. Michael has a promise to fulfill, and Death wasn’t going to keep him from fulfilling his promise.
Because his Honor requires it.
By the end of 2017, I will have released eleven (11) more books. Seven (7) in The Kurtherian Gambit (Bethany Anne) series and four (4) in the Second Dark Ages (Michael) series.
I will be collaborating on another eleven (11) (minimum) books from these authors and perhaps a couple more (J.L. Hendricks for Romance stories between books 13 and 14). I am finishing one with Paul C. Middleton for The Boris Chronicles and he will release a fourth second quarter 2017.
So, stay with us if you would, as we bring Justice, Friendship and all around BadAssery to stories, to each other as the Indie Publishing Outlaw pulls out his Jean Dukes Specials and tips his hat up with the
barrel.
Telling those who believe they know best about what readers want, “You sure about that? Because if you aren’t, why don’t you take a sit right where you are at, and let us tell you a new story in The Kurtherian Universe.”
As we move from 25,000 fans to 100,000 and beyond. Kicking Ass and Taking Names all along the way!
THANK YOU ALL!
Michael Anderle
Next: Snippet Preludes for Don’t Cross This Line (read this for a good laugh)
About the New Collaborations
Justice is Calling Intro (Reclaiming Honor Book 01)
KIEL - TKG Art
ROYLEEN - TKG Art
So, here is the background on the latest Pre-Snippet…Snippets!
During the production of each book, I will post snippets - small pieces of the book (in order, starting at the front) up on my website. I usually start this about 2-3 weeks before the book release and stopping a couple of days before the release.
Each time I do this, I usually make up a two or three sentence little fun blurb to go with it that have previously been non-sensical.
Except this time.
This time, for whatever reason, I did this introducing Snippet #02 for Don’t Cross This Line.
The intrepid author stands on his tippie toes, looking over the fence. His eyeballs just showing their whites as he looks left, then right down the street...
He tosses the snippet over the top of the fence and runs like ...
Now, when it came time for Snippet #03 to go out, I didn’t have anything non-sensical to say again, so I decided to continue the story of “The Author.”
Here is the intro to Snippet #03:
The author sneaks out of his dark writing basement, a couple of pages of writing secreted on his body as he stealthily moves in the shadows.
He checked the video input, no one was waiting around his house as he made it to his digital mail box and shoved the regular paper into it and then bolted back to his door, slamming it as he breathed hard.
"I've got to start working out..." He wheezed.
Outside, his wife pulled the paper's out of the digital mailbox and stuck them in the regular mail box.
"Authors," she said as she walked up to the front door of the house and went to their room.
Now, in this continuation of the snippet stories, it is almost twice as long, but it introduces a very important character, The Author’s Wife.
Now, I’ve created some beloved characters in the books and I’m kinda liked by my fans as well. But, for some reason, The Author’s Wife became a freaking fan favorite for those reading the snippets.
Here, she shows up again for the intro to Snippet #04:
The author, his heart pounding in his chest, inched up through the grass on his belly.
The grass was cut to a height of ... 3 inches.
It tickled his nose and he was trying desperately to stifle a sneeze. The air was humid for this time of year and too hot. He eyed the height of the massive wall, something King Kong would scale and pushed forward his catapult holding the snippet ready. He hit the small lever and turned, running back to the safety of his writing lair.
Never seeing that the snippet flopped to the ground two feet in front of the small, hand-built catapult and safely on this side of the fence.
His wife, noticing the antics from the kitchen window, shook her head and walked out to the yard.
Reaching down, she picked up the round piece of paper and tossed it over the fence. Grabbing the popsicle stick contraction she walked back into the house muttering to herself.
What the hell was he thinking?
Damn! In the last snippet, I created the beginning of a monster I didn’t realize was coming up to bite me on the ass. Until the Facebook fans started chatting about her.
So, I’m kind of a people pleaser sort of guy. So, since the readers were enjoying The Author’s Wife, I decided to give them MORE of the author’s wife. Because, more of what they like is a good thing, right?
Right?
Fuck My Life!
Here is the intro to Snippet #05 (Written Oct 28th, right before Halloween).
The doorbell went off. The intrepid author looks out from the door leading down to his writing lair.
No one was answering the door.
DING DONG!
The writer's head stuck out further and looked around. No one was coming to the door. Resigned, he grabs the latest snippet from his back pocket and tip-toes up to the door. Breathing in and out heavily, stealing himself, he grabs the door handle and yanks it open, tossing the papers outside he yells, eyes closed from fear, "HERE YOU GO!" and slams the door, fumbling for the lock before he finally opens one eye to see and turns the door lock before scrambling back to the stairs.
The author's wife hears the front door slam, pulls off her EarPods and looks up to the front of the house from her position sitting on the couch, "Now what the ..." Next, she hears thumps of her husband's feet bounding down the stairs before she hears an 'oh SHIT!' and then a slam and another couple of thumps.
She puts her head on her hands and shakes them. She hears him get up again and close the bottom door to the stairs.
DING DONG.
The author's wife gets up from the couch and walks to the front door, pushing the stairs door closed on her way past.
Silly man.
Opening the door, she looks down to see young children dressed in Halloween costumes. A tiny little cute Spongebob Squarepants and an Angel.
"TRICK OR TREAT!" they call out, eyes excited with the promise of more loot.
His wife snags some candy from the bowl beside the door and notices the papers laying on the ground.
"Here you go, you two are so adorable!" she tells the two children as she fills up their Halloween bags.
The two children thank her and leave. Shaking her head, she steps out on the porch and grabs the papers. Going back into the house, she walks through to the backyard, continuing to the fence and chucking the snippet papers over the top before turning back towards the house.
"Sometimes, I wonder why I married that man," she mumbles on her way back to the house.
"Oh yeah," she replies out loud, cleaning her feet before going back inside. She answers herself as she sits down to finish the work she brought home.
"He has a cute butt."
That was it…That was the fateful snippet intro that caused The Author’s Wife to rise above and become a solid fan favorite…Maybe. Or, it could be that any woman who has to put up with an author automatically gets the vote.
The Author was relegated to second place…not even a close second..more of a ‘go sit on the stairs going into the basement’ sort of second place.
Now, we get to the intro to Snippet #06:
The Author's wife closed the door to the garage, "Honey, I'm home," she called out. She went into the bedroom and took off her shoes, "Ooooh," she practically moans, "that feels so good!"
Taking off her earrings, she sets them on her jewelry dresser when she hears this low...groaning?
She starts to pull off her watch when she hears it again. "Honey?" She calls out again.
But, no answer.
The Kurtherian Gambit Omnibus 05 - The Fans Version: My Ride is a Bitch - Don't Cross This Line - Never Submit Page 55