tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post7952570554356495308..comments2023-09-22T18:24:22.356+01:00Comments on Lexi Revellian: A list of successful self publishers with over 50,000 salesLexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-90365290598123554942012-04-20T12:06:53.389+01:002012-04-20T12:06:53.389+01:00Hi Melissa! I'm still updating this list. I am...Hi Melissa! I'm still updating this list. I am sure there are lots of writers who qualify but don't frequent Kindleboards, the main source of information.Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-91840150538523508292012-04-20T11:50:58.967+01:002012-04-20T11:50:58.967+01:00Congrats, and thank you for the mention:-) Keep go...Congrats, and thank you for the mention:-) Keep going!Thinkhappyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13358563329616033338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-46910053041299285652012-03-06T19:27:44.691+00:002012-03-06T19:27:44.691+00:00Thanks for dropping by, Jake. I like lists AND cou...Thanks for dropping by, Jake. I like lists AND counting my sales - and I love the thought of thousands of strangers reading my books :o)<br /><br />I did enjoy your account of being wined and dined at the Savoy by a publisher. (For the curious, it's here: http://bit.ly/xAdapk)Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-57741070830667752962012-03-06T19:15:08.795+00:002012-03-06T19:15:08.795+00:00I think I'm more pleased about making a 'l...I think I'm more pleased about making a 'list' than I am about selling 50,000 + books! Some familiar names are on this list and two of them, Lexi Revellian and Mel Comley, were directly responsible for me thinking, 'I should do this.' Both were fellow members of Authonomy, that site for misguided writers who still believe the traditional publishing industry wants to take a punt on an unknown author. <br />Most of the writers on this list have lived their dream: having many thousands of complete strangers read their books and, even better, pay money for the privilege. I no longer even bother to count my book sales, but I still love lists!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-36299945063730511242012-03-02T08:07:09.779+00:002012-03-02T08:07:09.779+00:00Thanks, Lindsay - I'm not sure your offer from...Thanks, Lindsay - I'm not sure your offer from Amazon doesn't trump 50,000 sales :o)Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-32307454843796365272012-03-02T05:58:41.263+00:002012-03-02T05:58:41.263+00:00Congratulations on all of the sales, Lexi! There a...Congratulations on all of the sales, Lexi! There are lots of traditionally published authors who would like to be able to claim so many sales!Lindsay Burokerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07955277387824031696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-88058488348616269152012-02-29T14:21:45.789+00:002012-02-29T14:21:45.789+00:00I would argue there is a useful distinction. Once ...I would argue there is a useful distinction. Once 'alternative' drifts to meaning the same as 'option', then instead of elegantly saying, 'the alternative is,' one will have to say, 'the only alternative is,' - guaranteed to annoy anyone with an informed love of English.<br /><br />Did you know Amazon banned me briefly for reasons which never became clear? It's not as if I corrected their grammar or anything...Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-22359155939003979552012-02-29T13:27:50.753+00:002012-02-29T13:27:50.753+00:00I thought I banned you two days ago. Why does nobo...I thought I banned you two days ago. Why does nobody ever listen to me?<br /><br />And anyway, selling gazillions of books isn't enough for you, is it? Oh no, you have to pile Pelion on Ossa by lecturing the innocent Robert on the meaning of 'alternative'.<br /><br />If I were pedantically anti-pedantic, I'd say something like this:<br /><br />"The notion that there can only be one alternative is based on the fact that the Latin word 'alter' means 'the one' or 'the other'. But English isn't Latin, and since no valuable distinction in meaning is involved, it makes no sense to restrict the use of the English word.<br /><br />"By contrast, it's a pity that the words 'disinterested' and 'anti-social' have become synonymous with 'uninterested' and 'unsociable', because we now have to use some circumlocution to express what 'disinterested' and 'anti-social' used to mean."<br /><br />But I'm not pedantically anti-pedantic, so I'll say nothing.<br /><br />You're still banned.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-1705944834990221252012-02-28T13:55:28.042+00:002012-02-28T13:55:28.042+00:00Interesting that quite a high proportion of succes...Interesting that quite a high proportion of successful indies have been traditionally published in the past. Maybe this says something about the quality of their writing, or that it helps to have a readership established before you self-publish.Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-81557341518787060702012-02-28T12:51:24.050+00:002012-02-28T12:51:24.050+00:00Congrats, Lexi, for hitting the 50,000+ Club. And...Congrats, Lexi, for hitting the 50,000+ Club. And you won't stop there.<br /><br />Wanted to add more traditionally published authors:<br /><br />Blake Crouch<br />Carol Davis Luce<br />C.J. Lyons <br />Ellen Fischer<br />K.C. May<br /><br />Also, please add to your list the members of Readers Rule - all who have sold more than 100,000 books:<br /><br />Laura Taylor (trad pubbed as well)<br />Ruth Harris (trad pubbed as well)<br />L.J. Sellers<br />Laura Landon (trad pubbed as well)J. Carson Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04723843271685720311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-69555802861214987522012-02-27T20:33:52.318+00:002012-02-27T20:33:52.318+00:00Duly noted :o)Duly noted :o)Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-54564732353381586702012-02-27T19:50:03.086+00:002012-02-27T19:50:03.086+00:00Also, indie author Carol Davis Luce has sold over ...Also, indie author Carol Davis Luce has sold over 100,000 copies.Robert Bidinottohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11777797272563802442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-80566730874959601902012-02-27T19:47:18.413+00:002012-02-27T19:47:18.413+00:00Lexi, Imogene Rose has weighed in on that Kindle B...Lexi, Imogene Rose has weighed in on that Kindle Boards thread, saying that she has eligibility on the list. Among her several titles, <i>Portal</i> alone has sold over 50,000 copies.Robert Bidinottohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11777797272563802442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-53580267057971969472012-02-27T19:12:25.950+00:002012-02-27T19:12:25.950+00:00Thanks, J. - have updated.Thanks, J. - have updated.Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-52220946655628212112012-02-27T18:42:11.996+00:002012-02-27T18:42:11.996+00:00Lexi - here are more authors who have sold traditi...Lexi - here are more authors who have sold traditionally:<br /><br />Scott Nicholson<br />Michael Prescott (20 books in 20 years)<br />Michele Scott (pretty sure about that)<br />J. Carson Black (me)J. Carson Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04723843271685720311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-17439015691300864442012-02-27T17:18:13.595+00:002012-02-27T17:18:13.595+00:00Yes indeed - I think Stephen Leather is very fortu...Yes indeed - I think Stephen Leather is very fortunate in having a foot in three camps, trad, indie and Amazon.<br /><br />But most of us don't get the choice. It's KDP or KDP.Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-40913399756460010442012-02-27T16:57:07.071+00:002012-02-27T16:57:07.071+00:00Lexi,
Ouch. I'll keep in mind the distinctio...Lexi, <br /><br />Ouch. I'll keep in mind the distinction between "alternative" and "options" in the future! (If I even have <i>that</i> right.)<br /><br />I won't dispute that KDP ebooks constitutes the <i>best</i> option for most authors. It absolutely was the best option for me. It is fast, simple, inexpensive, and offers the best chance of a good income.<br /><br />But I know indie authors who, for various reasons and personal preferences, seek hybrid forms -- for example, offering select titles to Big 6 publishers, in order to establish a presence in bookstores and thus expand their readership. Amanda Hocking and Michael J. Sullivan have done that, and it is a valid goal. Small presses often will give a book much better attention than a Big 6 publisher does, and will also take many of the burdens of publication off the author's shoulders. <br /><br />In presentations to writers, I make my own preferences clear: I think the best option is to remain "indie," via KDP and Createspace. But even I would seriously consider a deal with an Amazon imprint, if I'm ever approached, because of the unparalleled marketing power they offer. Each of the options has its own benefits and drawbacks, and an writer should carefully weigh which is best for him or her.Robert Bidinottohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11777797272563802442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-1876972175844428792012-02-27T16:36:36.494+00:002012-02-27T16:36:36.494+00:00I don't altogether agree, Robert, and not just...I don't altogether agree, Robert, and not just because grammatically there is only ever one alternative :o)<br /><br />I discovered in a year of trying that neither Big Six nor small press publishing was an option for me, since I couldn't get an agent, and almost no publisher will read unagented submissions. Vanity publishing is not worth considering. POD, while an economic means of producing a print book, still won't get you into the bricks and mortar bookshops. I believe Amazon imprints call you, rather than vice versa.<br /><br />That leaves ebooks with Amazon's KDP - the only means to date by which indies have achieved success.Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-44181056340622422202012-02-27T16:16:45.834+00:002012-02-27T16:16:45.834+00:00Thanks, Lexi. And congratulations again on your sw...Thanks, Lexi. And congratulations again on your swift and stellar success.<br /><br />When you say writers now have an "alternative" to traditional publishing, they actually have multiple alternatives. Authors now have the options of two traditional forms of publishing -- "Big 6" or small press -- plus the following non-traditional options: self-published ebooks, self-published "print on demand" books, Amazon imprints (which constitute a non-traditional alternative), "subsidy" or "vanity" presses, and hybrid combinations of any of the preceding. (The only one of these I would avoid is "vanity" publishing, because print-on-demand technology makes it unnecessary to invest a lot of money up-front in printing, storing, and shipping a book inventory.)<br /><br />It truly has never been a better time to be a writer. No longer are there any gatekeepers or significant financial barriers to publication. And there is no downside risk, except possibly a few hundred dollars to produce a good cover and to have your manuscript properly formatted. I've been sharing these exciting possibilities with every writer I know, encouraging them to take advantage of the evolving opportunities. I applaud you for doing the same.Robert Bidinottohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11777797272563802442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-13226367330647978162012-02-27T11:56:50.020+00:002012-02-27T11:56:50.020+00:00Unfair! (Banned from what, btw?)
Plih. I'm lo...Unfair! (Banned from what, btw?)<br /><br />Plih. I'm lodging a formal complaint.Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-64324462913638280662012-02-27T11:50:32.958+00:002012-02-27T11:50:32.958+00:00Sickening. You're banned.Sickening. You're banned.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-26280416183161884732012-02-27T07:25:28.987+00:002012-02-27T07:25:28.987+00:00Robert, this list just gets better.
I like Hunter...Robert, this list just gets better.<br /><br />I like <i>Hunter</i>'s cover - I also note it has 247 reviews, average 4.4 out of 5 stars. Those print sales numbers sound pretty good to me, too. Congratulations!<br /><br />The publishing industry has been letting writers and readers down for years. It's fantastic that an alternative is now available.Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-11682454183204105542012-02-27T05:57:00.158+00:002012-02-27T05:57:00.158+00:00Lexi, congratulations on your success. I just spot...Lexi, congratulations on your success. I just spotted the Kindle Boards thread and this one.<br /><br />As of midnight U.S. Eastern time on February 27, my debut thriller, <a href="http://amzn.to/oz0nhw" rel="nofollow"><i>HUNTER</i></a>, has sold 58,260 ebooks since its publication on June 21, 2011. <br /><br />In addition, 4,760 copies of the ebook have been borrowed by Amazon Prime members, and I was compensated for each of those. If counted together, that would be 63,020 paid ebooks.<br /><br />The vast majority of those sales (almost 54,000) and all of the borrows have occurred since November 27 -- exactly three months ago. <br /><br />There also have been modest print sales, about 860.<br /><br />That this has happened for a 62-year-old author's debut novel, and within half a year of his completing the book's manuscript, ought to give pause to anyone who thinks indie publishing is not a viable alternative to traditional publishing. By contrast, if I had waited around to find an agent, then a publisher, I would still be waiting -- for years, and possibly forever -- and considerably poorer.Robert Bidinottohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11777797272563802442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-87245417482538278572012-02-25T17:09:25.901+00:002012-02-25T17:09:25.901+00:00Yes, it is right at the top! I have spent my entir...Yes, it is right at the top! I have spent my entire life making myself believe it was good to go first - to 'get it over and done with' - whatever it was. But now I'm genuinely pleased to be first. Yeah! There will be someone who comes along, though, who will be even closer to the beginning of the alphabet... But I've had my days in the sun so that's okay...Susan Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06271934648007475296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6250078125607062288.post-31220785803842172132012-02-25T16:51:41.030+00:002012-02-25T16:51:41.030+00:00And your name is right at the top!
(Thinks: when...And your name is right at the top! <br /><br />(Thinks: when I made up my pen name, why didn't I choose one beginning with A? Meh.)Lexihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14404818053292364819noreply@blogger.com