It's always been very obvious to me that most of my sales are greater in the US than in the UK (the exception is my vampire poetry which does better in the UK and Europe), and it got me wondering, do UK readers read paranormal romances?
UK sales (at least from a quick look at Amazon) certainly seem to be okay for J R Ward and other mainstream (better known?) authors of the genre, in both Kindle sales and book sales (I only state this to point out that UK readers certainly do read paranormal romances), so maybe it's the fact that UK readers don't like to read anything outside of mainstream? Or don't like to read anything they can't find in a bookshop? Are US readers more adventurous in what they will try?
Or maybe it's that UK readers need to be reached in a different way. This is me asking a serious question to my potential readers in my homeland: what would it take for you to try a new author? Does the book have to be on Richard and Judy? Do I have to advertise on the side of a London bus?
I want to know. I'd love more sales in the UK, especially from those aged 18-35 (that's my target audience - that "new adult" market). I'm thinking, if you grew up watching Buffy and liked it, you might like my Witching Pen books.
I don't buy that British people don't read paranormal romances. I know we watch enough paranormal shows on TV, and Twilight (as far as the paranormal romance goes) is certainly popular here too. So is Fifty Shades Of Grey, if we want to talk kinky material in books. No kidding though, that such phenomena is usually big in the States before here.
So how big do I have to make it in the States before I reach you guys here?
I have no idea how to market on my own turf. Do I stand at Leicester Square Tube Station and hand out books? Signed bookmarks? Business cards? I can't seem to reach you on the internet the same way I can reach my US readers, so to my wonderful UK counterparts, please, please, tell me how to reach you :)
UK sales (at least from a quick look at Amazon) certainly seem to be okay for J R Ward and other mainstream (better known?) authors of the genre, in both Kindle sales and book sales (I only state this to point out that UK readers certainly do read paranormal romances), so maybe it's the fact that UK readers don't like to read anything outside of mainstream? Or don't like to read anything they can't find in a bookshop? Are US readers more adventurous in what they will try?
Or maybe it's that UK readers need to be reached in a different way. This is me asking a serious question to my potential readers in my homeland: what would it take for you to try a new author? Does the book have to be on Richard and Judy? Do I have to advertise on the side of a London bus?
I want to know. I'd love more sales in the UK, especially from those aged 18-35 (that's my target audience - that "new adult" market). I'm thinking, if you grew up watching Buffy and liked it, you might like my Witching Pen books.I don't buy that British people don't read paranormal romances. I know we watch enough paranormal shows on TV, and Twilight (as far as the paranormal romance goes) is certainly popular here too. So is Fifty Shades Of Grey, if we want to talk kinky material in books. No kidding though, that such phenomena is usually big in the States before here.
So how big do I have to make it in the States before I reach you guys here?
I have no idea how to market on my own turf. Do I stand at Leicester Square Tube Station and hand out books? Signed bookmarks? Business cards? I can't seem to reach you on the internet the same way I can reach my US readers, so to my wonderful UK counterparts, please, please, tell me how to reach you :)
That's a tough one. For me, I get my paranormal recommendations from friends, fellow authors, reviews and seeing that particular author popping up in all manner of places. Not going over the top with 'buy me, buy me, buy me' messages - just commenting and recommending other books etc.
ReplyDeleteI think the bigger your backlist is, as well, the more readers have a chance of seeing something they like.
UK readers aren't any different, we just take a bit of convincing ;)
Thanks, Xandra :) I think that impatience is my vice. About once every two months I think WHY?! WHY is this taking so LONG?! Unfortunately the internet makes it so easy to voice our thoughts :D Maybe I should set up a private author blog - a safe haven where authors can go just to rant and get support from other authors. I'm liking that idea...
ReplyDeleteYou know, I was on a thread the other day, and someone was looking for a book to read that had all the elements that I felt mine had in it, and in my head I was screaming, "recommend me! Someone recommend my books!" Because it feels so wrong to go in there and recommend your own, and I don't really ever think that works so well. But I'm not well enough known to have other people go in there and suggest my books, and you also can't just rope other people in to do it for you (well, maybe some people can, I that approach has never worked for me for some reason). So I was left staring at this thread thinking, what the hell do I do? In the end, I went in there with a one sentence suggestion that she may want to look at my website for some books (nothing too salesy), but I tell you, I CANNOT WAIT for the day when I no longer have to sell myself in this particular way. I feel like I should be wearing a striped suit and slicked back hair with a selection of watches on the underside of my jacket. It's really not something that comes naturally to me.
I guess I'll just shut up and keep on writing now, so I can get that backlist built up, lol.
Thanks Xandra :) x
Also, I just thought I'll add, that I do sometimes also recommend other authors on similar lists. On that particular one I didn't because the only two authors I could think of had already been recommended by someone else, but I am often thinking, who can I suggest, who's books I've read?
ReplyDelete