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Saturday 1 January 2011

REMIX in today's Times newspaper!

Paul J told me Remix was on page 31 of today's Times; I rushed out and bought a copy, and here it is. The article is about sales of romance titles booming, because if you read on a Kindle, no one can tell whether your taste runs to Tolstoy or Katie Price.

Mark you, their definition of a romantic novel is pretty loose, as is Amazon's. I wouldn't call Remix a romance as such, and it's been near the top of the Romance chart for months. Jane Austen's collected novels are there, and she said,

"I could no more write a romance than an epic poem. I could not sit seriously down to write a serious romance under any other motive than to save my life; and if it were indispensable for me to keep it up and never relax into laughing at myself or other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first chapter."

I'm dubious about the romance status of one or two others; Erotic Tales? Surely not. But it still gives me a buzz to see the cover of my novel in the Times.
Posted by Lexi at Saturday, January 01, 2011

42 comments:

  1. fairyhedgehog1 January 2011 at 12:58

    Congratulations! You really are famous now!

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  2. Old Kitty1 January 2011 at 13:06

    I am now opening my Times newspaper as I type this!! I had to walk to a petrol station to get my papers today as EVERYTHING IS CLOSED!!

    OH BUT YAY!! There you are!!! I think Remix is an action adventure mystery romance - kind of like Romancing the Stone! :-) Well done you!! Fantastic!!

    Take care
    x

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  3. Sandra Patterson1 January 2011 at 13:30

    Oh, wow, Lexi! How exciting. You've done so well with Remix, you're an inspiration.
    Happy New Year!

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  4. Lexi1 January 2011 at 13:41

    FH, I'll think I've made it once I have the spread in Hallo Magazine...

    Kitty, that's it! I've never been certain which genre Remix occupies.

    Sandra - an inspiration? I like it :o)

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  5. Drifter1 January 2011 at 13:43

    Lexi, that's amazing. Wow.

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  6. fairyhedgehog1 January 2011 at 14:05

    I don't get Hallo, so you'll have to let me know when it appears ;)

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  7. Lexi1 January 2011 at 14:08

    Justine, it is rather amazing and wowing...

    Will do, FH. It'll be right after I get the apartment of my dreams (which is so real to me I can practically take photos of it).

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  8. Cheryl Lynn1 January 2011 at 16:54

    Congratulations to you! They may not have the right genre exactly, but the exposure will get people to buy your book and then they can figure it out for themselves!

    HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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  9. Lexi1 January 2011 at 17:17

    Happy new year, Cheryl!

    I agree with the view that all publicity is good, even if it just makes one's name a bit more familiar.

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  10. Paula RC1 January 2011 at 20:48

    Well Done you! What a great start to the New Year things can only keep going up from now on. Next Stop the best sellers list.

    Happy New Year!

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  11. Lexi1 January 2011 at 20:57

    Happy new year to you, Jarmara!

    Publishing is going through an interesting phase right now...which could be good :o)

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  12. Timberati1 January 2011 at 23:49

    Worth getting chuffed for, I should think. Congratulations.

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  13. GraceKrispy2 January 2011 at 03:39

    Oh my gosh, that's amazing! You're in the TIMES! Just think of all the interest you'll garnish from this-- congrats!

    I realize a lot of things get labeled "romance" that aren't romance in my "book" (haha). But my definition of romance doesn't include things like chick lit either, so... *shrug*

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  14. Lexi2 January 2011 at 08:52

    Norm, I bet you are the only American in your neck of the woods who uses the expression 'chuffed'.

    Grace, I suppose my only cavil is that a romance label might put some readers off, particularly men, who would otherwise enjoy the book. But I'm not grumbling!

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  15. TARguy2 January 2011 at 15:38

    How exciting, Lexi! Great news. I hope it helps sales.

    Talking of which, equally great news about REMIX's success (ie your previous posting).

    5000 copies is extremely impressive. To put it in context, the other day I was talking to my agent about debut novel sales and he said that for a debut literary book (admittedly a different genre to you and Caz) sales of 500 (yes, five hundred) copies is decent at the moment. So to have exceeded that by 10 times...

    Long may it continue.

    Happy New Year

    Guy

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  16. Lexi2 January 2011 at 15:54

    Thanks Guy - Remix ebook sales are up to 6,952 right now, after the Christmas rush.

    Happy new year - and you forgot to mention your novel, The Afrika Reich, hitting bookshops next month if I remember rightly :o)

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  17. Lexi2 January 2011 at 19:06

    7,009 now...

    Chuffed is indeed the word.

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  18. Alan Hutcheson2 January 2011 at 22:11

    This American will use good ol' "elated" to describe what you must be feeling. Even though you are trying to temper it all with your objections about being lumped into the romance category. Ha! Who cares?

    Has Minty been informed? I'm sure she was the first person you called. Because after all, she's the famous one now!

    Ten thousand by the end of the month. No problem.

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  19. Shayne Parkinson3 January 2011 at 06:25

    Absolutely awesome! Congratulations, Lexi.

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  20. Lexi3 January 2011 at 11:45

    Thanks, Shayne.

    I hear you are doing very well - indeed are one of Mark Coker's stars - on Smashwords with the three volumes of Promises to Keep :o)

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  21. Lexi3 January 2011 at 11:48

    Alan, Minty has no chance of not being informed on a daily basis about how Remix is faring, poor soul. I always think the good thing about family is you don't have to worry too much about boring on - they will tell you if you do.

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  22. richard pierce3 January 2011 at 15:22

    Lexi,

    Cool, cool, cool. Well done.

    R

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  23. Lexi3 January 2011 at 15:43

    Thanks, Richard, agreed; it's cooler than the weather or a literary agent's heart :o)

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  24. Alan Hutcheson3 January 2011 at 16:08

    I'm sure Minty is your biggest fan and loves to hear the progress/success reports. My wife has come to expect my nightly "how many sold on Amazon" reports and if I forget I get a poke in the ribs and the one word question, "Well?"

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  25. Lexi3 January 2011 at 16:26

    Alan, your wife is a treasure and you deserve no less.

    Minty's boyfriend has a Kindle and they read my Amazon reviews on it, which I think shows daughterly feeling. But I don't think she's ever reminded me to tell her the sales figures. Maybe she hasn't yet needed to...

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  26. Katharine D'Souza3 January 2011 at 16:48

    Wow about The Times and double wow about the latest sales figures!
    Great news to start the new year on.
    K

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  27. Lexi3 January 2011 at 16:55

    Yo, K, happy new year!

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  28. Unknown3 January 2011 at 22:34

    Really interesting what you said about nobody knowing what a person is reading on your Kindle....
    I just bought your book on Amazon - stocking up for when my new Kindle arrives (tomorrow!). Checking out your blog here as someone mentioned it on their Amazon review of your book.....

    Am delighted to have come across you - being a hardened science fiction fan I seldom cross genre paths - but, the seductivie cross reading potential of the Kindle draws me astray! Hehehehe

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  29. Unknown3 January 2011 at 22:48

    p.s - Really enjoyed reading your blog, and really pleased you live in London (I do too). Fascinating reading about the ins and outs of being a writer, how much you make (or don't) etc etc..... you make me smile... : )

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  30. Lexi3 January 2011 at 23:20

    Yo WendyElf - I'm sure you will love your new Kindle; they have a high satisfaction rating among users.

    And thank you for buying my book. It's set in London, so see what you think.

    As a new writer, I'm revelling in making money from my efforts. It'll take a long time for the novelty to wear off :o)

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  31. Alan Hutcheson4 January 2011 at 03:36

    Are we at ten thousand yet?

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  32. Lindsay Buroker4 January 2011 at 03:56

    Congratulations! I wouldn't care what kind of erotic titles were mentioned next to mine as long as I got written up. ;) Fame is fame, hey!

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  33. Tricia4 January 2011 at 09:08

    Did you know you're mentioned here too, Lexi - a very well done from me!

    http://ereads.com/2011/01/do-authors-make-good-publishers-j-a-konrath-weighs-in.html

    (PJ on autho/YWO.)

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  34. Lexi4 January 2011 at 10:56

    Tricia, thanks for that - I commented on the original post, Do Authors Make Good Publishers (guess what his answer was) but hadn't seen that he'd written a follow-up.

    Lindsay, I do rather agree. Alan, come back next month!

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  35. Unknown4 January 2011 at 20:14

    It's wonderful to make money from your work - and I see no reason why the novelty should wear off! I think perhaps the word 'novelty' just changes into something else, however I do believe its a total asset to experience the joy of recieving an exchange of energy (money) for your work.... forever!!! Yeah.... how good is that!

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  36. Lexi4 January 2011 at 22:58

    Very good indeed, WendyElf - it's one thing to have your writing praised on a writers' website, quite another to have readers pay hard-earned money to read it.

    This has to be the most genuine form of validation available.

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  37. Alan Hutcheson5 January 2011 at 01:19

    Nope. It's going to happen this month. And not late in the month either.

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  38. Jamie Sedgwick - Jeramy Gates6 January 2011 at 06:25

    Way to go! This is going to be a good year for you.

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  39. Lexi6 January 2011 at 21:43

    Alan, like stocks and shares, ebooks can go down as well as up. Unfortunately...

    Jamie, thanks - I do hope you are right :o)

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  40. Alan Hutcheson7 January 2011 at 00:50

    I'm still saying 10,000.

    Ya gotta think positive!

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  41. Lexi13 January 2011 at 19:15

    Hmm, maybe; I'm up to 9,000 now :o)

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  42. Alan Hutcheson14 January 2011 at 14:47

    Ha! Told you!

    ReplyDelete

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