My latest work, the Van Helsing Paradox is making its way through various sites for release. I pushed it out a week or so ago through Draft2Digital, Smashwords, Google Play and of course Amazon. After all, it takes time to get the book visible, confirm links, and make sure there is a consistent pricing.
So imagine my surprise, when I learned that Scribd, a subscription based library connected with Draft2Digital, was showing my latest work as a popular download.
That’s great news and I am hoping this trend will continue!
The Grand has been officially out for about a week now. I posted the announcement was on my social networking accounts along with a few groups. This release also enabled me to dabble with some advertising campaigns on Amazon, Facebook and Fiverr, to gain some insight with the tools.
Since The Grand has been officially out, almost 400 copies of the book have been downloaded on both Smashwords and Amazon! The book is seeing much more traffic than The Portrait, which I expected since this is a new release.
Of note, 100 copies of the book were downloaded before the official release. The Grand has been available for almost a month of certain sites, enabling me to widen availability and make it free on every site before release. Despite there being no involvement on my part, the book was being downloaded regularly on sites where the book was free.
Another interesting anomaly The Grand was ranked at 7,861 (266 for Horror) on Amazon the day after it was released. Currently it is ranked at 16,518 (435 for Horror) even with a noticeable spike generated by an ad campaign setup through Fiverr. There seems to be no real correlation between ranking and downloads.
I’m also a bit curious as to why it is ranked under Gothic and Fantasy Romance on Amazon. Although I have a feeling the answer would blow my mind!
Even things that go bump in the night need a place to unwind
The Grand is officially out and available on multiple platforms, formats and even in print! From Amazon to Smashwords the eBook is freely available for your delight. So time to celebrate? At least get to enjoy the doughnut!
The Grand shown in multiple formats, including print
Now for a little something about the Grand.
Nestled atop a cliff overlooking a cursed valley and surrounded by foreboding mountains you will find The Grand. At this ritzy French palatial-style hotel where things tend to go terribly wrong for some. This hotel is not only for the rich and famous but a favoured destination for things that go bump in the night.
The Grand is a collection of Gothic horror stories that revolve around a town prosecutor who accidentally discovers a series of grizzly case files. Individual stories incorporate supernatural themes based in the Roaring Twenties to create a rich historical, linguistic and cultural backdrop.
Centred on victims of the Grand, each story brings a different point of view related to the hotel, their staff and esteemed guests.
The Portrait of a Woman was released over a year ago through Kindle Direct Publishing. The novel never did gain much traction, so I decided it was time to breathe some life into it.
Enter The Portrait, featuring a shorter title, a fresh cover and minor changes to the storyline. I had someone review the novel to touch-up the formatting and grammar here and there. Overall this release is superior to the original release.
This time I used Smashwords, which also distributes through popular sites like Barnes and Noble, iBooks, iBooks, Kobo and Scribd. Additionally, this book is available at no cost, since I feel that it’s more important to get this story out there!
The Portrait is a Gothic horror about Victoria Frost, an author who develops an unhealthy obsession for her character. As events unfold, her obsession begins to turn on her and leads the author to question her sanity. Is this simply her slipping deeper into madness or are there other factors in play?
The Portrait is a mixture of contemporary and historical scenes with the latter revolving around her muse. In this novel, the author will revisit an iconic scene using both prose and art yielding new pieces to the puzzle with every pass.
