SOUL OF SERPENTS – 5,000 copies sold!
Since the completion of SOUL OF SORCERY is imminent, it seems only appropriate to mention this.
On August 21st, 2011, SOUL OF SERPENTS went for sale, and I’m pleased to report that as of August 15th, 2012, the book has sold its 5,000th copy.
This is exciting because SOUL OF SERPENTS was the first book I wrote intending to sell as an ebook, without first attempting to find a traditional publisher. I started writing the book on May 1st, 2011, and prior to that date I had always tried to write for traditional publication. With SOUL OF SERPENTS, I decided, I would have a fantasy trilogy of ebooks, completing the series begun by DEMONSOULED and SOUL OF TYRANTS. I figured SOUL OF SERPENTS would sell, say, two or three copies a month, and that I would turn my attention to writing short ebooks on computer topics, since those really seemed to sell briskly.
I am pleased to report that I was wrong. 🙂
(Though short computer books do sell briskly, and I have another three in the pipeline.)
Writing the book was a marvelous experience. Prior to SOUL OF SERPENTS, I hadn’t written anything new since December of 2010, since I had concluded that a.) breaking into a publisher was well-nigh impossible, b.) I was wasting my time writing fiction, and c.) I should find something else to do with my spare time. (I wound up teaching a section of Modern World History and Western Civilization 1.)
But writing SOUL OF SERPENTS was vastly enjoyable because I didn’t need to write it with editors and agents in mind. No need to cap the length due to submission guidelines, no need to consider the potential tastes of an agent, only the freedom to write the most entertaining story I could manage.
It seems to have worked out.
-JM
Once again, congrats!
1.As of today, what is the total number of all Demonsouled books sold? I mean all of them, including the original?
2.When you originally wrote Soul of Serpents, were you planning on that being the last DS book? You make it sound like that…
3. “I wound up teaching…” You were/are a teacher?
1.) I think about 50,000 copies of DEMONSOULED given away, and 13,000 copies of the rest of the series.
2.) I was. I left it open for a sequel, just in case.
3.) No. But I used to be a graduate student in medieval history, before I decided I was wasting my life and my money and switched to IT, so I wound up emergency-teaching a section of Modern World History when the original prof bowed out at the last second.
“I think about 50,000”
Whaaa? Whoa!! Last time you mentioned it (or the last time I saw it mentioned at least) it was at 20k. Now 50k? Dang that’s good! And compared to how much it sold when it was in print…I’m guessing “blowing it out of the water” is too little a comparison? 😀
“before I decided I was wasting my life and my money”
*sniff* Are you saying the study of medieval history is a waste of one’s life? *sob* But that is my major… *Manwe pulls out box of tissues* 😉
“Are you saying the study of medieval history is a waste of one’s life?”
I wouldn’t say that. I do know that in my case it turned out to be a bad idea. I started out by paying my own way, but it would have taken me six and a half years to finish at that rate. And if I had taken loans to finish, I would have graduated with 30k in debt and no job prospects – just in time for the economy to crash! So I can’t speak to anyone else, but I’m glad I didn’t finish.
hehe, I was only joking anway, but I’m glad to see you don’t think it’s a waste! 🙂
There are few jobs out there for medievalist, so, in terms of economics, it was not a bad decision of yours to get out while you did.
It does seem to have panned out for you (your studies) though, it’s helped with your world building! 🙂