August 2026 Amazon Results
August. The month where I prayed my audio books were making sales. The Last Chance Hotel went off to my editor and where I got back into Sandys story.
But first, sales. It has been a surprisenly good month for KU and ebook sales. I believe it has something to do with the amazing Ginger and Spice girls running a few posts and stories on my behalf. I paid them a few months back to shout about my first audiobook coming out (The Secret Club) and my new book The Secret Stalker coming out. I had no expectations and no deadlines (I actually wanted to pay them to say thank you for putting me in the position of being able to afford the four audios in the first place). Therefore the girls just posted over the course of two months which actually worked out great for me. Their last couple of posts were a giveaway of my books and a podcast clip. And I genuingly think it helped. I worried so much that I’d been oversaturating their audience. I don’t want the girls or their followers to get sick of me. But maybe their posts and stories went to different people each time? All I know is, the first two weeks of August I have had around $50 more sales then I was expecting. I can’t prove that they have helped but I have done no other marketing so that is where my money is, on them. Which means….. I would very much love to work with them again, because I would at least see my money back, not lost into a black pit.
I don’t know whether I can stomach talking about the sales of my audiobooks. It’s a tricky one because I have had such a bad run on getting them actually onto Audible. I have had two months of 1.5 books out and the sales are not exactly awe inspiring. Heck, I am not even sure I’ll see that money back ever again. I don’t know the reasons for the lower then ebook sales but it could be that people don’t listen to my type of erotica in their ears. Or maybe my audience don’t know I have audios out. It could also be the aussie accents, or the fact I have no big names in my line up bar Sean Masters in Sophies story. The test will tell in the following months if Sophies story makes sales after it finally goes out to Hambright and ALCs. Then time will tell if those listeners go back and listen to Rosie’s story.
Meanwhile there is the very heavy question of do I keep making the audios? My heart says yes, yes please. My hyperthetical bank manager would say, oh hell no. So where is the line? I think I am leaning towards doing one more - Sandy’s story. I would also like to try a duet novel that is written and spoken in American or british accents. That one would be cheaper (because it’ll be duet - so only two people) with the possibility of producing it myself (not very appealing, but very appealing for my bank balance). I shouldn’t really be worrying about this right now, I need to finalise Sandy’s story and make sure it half decent. I went kinda dark with this one, so then I have to worry about who I would even manage to convince to speak my words…… hmmm.
Talking of Sandys story. It’s been a bumpy road. I started it in June but stopped because I had audios to beta listen to etc. I kept loosing my train of thought when stopping and starting. I am usually all in 100% writing until it’s finished. But for this one I couldn’t be. So I ended up writing The Last Chance Hotel in July to keep myself writing and waiting for a chunk of time to come back to Sandy. Well that time to come back was early August and it was not pretty. It felt laboured and boring to go back and read the 36k words I had written in June. It was missing something. And then I had the idea to move forward the ‘shocking bit’ that happens in the middle of the book to the front and do present day and six months ago flashbacks. Now that has been an interesting and more fun to read and write. It means that not all the words were lost, they just needed some rejuvenation. Thank goodness for that. I will never ever put up an Amazon Pre-order until the damn book is complete. The pressure is not worth it. I like to chop and change and mood write. Whats the point of being an indie author if I have the pressure of an Amazon pre-order? Not worth it. Won’t do that again. But the good news? I made it, I got it written. 80k words and I’m happy with them. God I hope everyone else will be too….
Anyhow, despite the fact I closed down my side hustle last month, I am still battling with the ‘theres still not enough time in the day’ problem to write as much as I wish. But then again, if I wasn’t busy, I know I wouldn’t write. I saw this quote recently and it is wholeheartedly me: Ask a busy person to get something done. Because despite everything, I get the words in. If I wasn’t this busy, you can bet your bottom dollar, I would get no words in. What a weird person I am.
Things I am so looking forward to writing:
Caseys story next year because I have listened to so much MM lately, I am practically salvating to write his story.
My Festive novel. I’m nervous/excited. I have a premise story idea. But can I pull it off and fill in the gaps?! In time for actual christmas?!
I have another lactating story (oh god, I know?!) I drempt it up in my sleep a few months ago. I know that one will just fall out of me, so with a bit of luck I will have that one done after my festive story.
Spin off stories from the other guests at The Last Chance Hotel. My mind is telling me to write them next because it’s the next book I am going to release. However, I really need to write my festive story, or I’ll miss christmas entirely. For another year.
I do have days where I fear I will run out of stories to write. But I feel that I do at least have enough to cover me until June next year. I wonder what new story will choose me in 2027 as well.
August Results are in:
Orders: 440
KENP: 1,459,533
Amazon Reviews: 1,404 (4.3) - Based on Book One: The Secret Club in the US
Amazon Followers: 1,391
Preorders Book #5: 40
Augusts achievement: Hitting 20 million lifetime page reads on 10th August. I wanted to shout about it. But I didn’t want to make my authoring friends feel bad. It’s an outstanding achievement. I am blessed. It was my goal to make 20 million page reads for 2026. Hopefully I am on track to do that…..
Augusts lesson: Audio books don’t make you rich. They make you poor. And we go back to my favourite saying: A fool and their money are easily parted. But in my heart of hearts I know: get the right one and it will. I will continue to try and keep adding one or two a year to my collection. Try being the operative word.
What will September bring?
Editing The Last Chance Hotel with JJ and then Beta Trina (if she’ll have me!) and then launch
Pray that Audible accepts Sophies audio
Send Sandys story to my editor!!
Start writing my festive story
A half decent month in sales?