Exposure and Sales

It's nearly a month since The Cornish House has been on the shelves or not and I thought I'd update you on what I've learnt so far about sales....assuming you've written the best book you can...

- exposure or position is the most important thing to selling books...

It's obvious really and it was something I knew, but I have now seen it in action. Where The Cornish House is in the shop window - in Cornwall (Falmouth Booksellers, St Ives Booksellers and Waterstones Truro) the book is selling well. In my local Watestones - High Street Kensington where it's displayed on a table - sales have been regular and steady. In the WH Smith Travel I think it's doing well (test case is Paddington Station where my family seems to spend half their lives - and last visit only two copies left). When I was signing at Waterstones Arndale Centre in Manchester I could see how shoppers were attracted to the cover. It is a wonderful cover and for it to do it's work it needs to seen. Spine out on a shelf and a début has no chance of finding a new home in the hands of a reader....a sad fact but true.

- family and friends....

From word of mouth, to visiting stores and requesting copies, to repositioning your book face out...these are just a few of things that can help sales

- local press coverage...

Débuts getting into the big press is rare - it happens but...not often. However I think local or smaller press is as important if not more so...don't dismiss the parish newsletter or the school one let alone the local paper or radio.

- the dreaded Amazon reviews...

It's funny but I never look at book reviews on Amazon unless it's for a non-fiction book. But I am somewhat alone in this...I only began reviewing books on Amazon and Goodreads about a year ago. I had done reviews on my blog but generally I'd thought - who would care about how I felt about a book...but it seems I'm wrong...

Now I have no real idea how the book is selling which is a very frustrating feeling - believe me. I do know that it had to be reprinted...good news but how good depends on the size of the first print run. I know my Amazon ranking...what me checking it obsessively - yup.

Yesterday I took out the egg timer and set it to 20 minutes.. the best block breaker I know (thank you Anna Louise Lucia). I'm not exactly blocked but more crippled by fear. I did manage to edit for 20 minutes and was cross when it went ping but that was all I had time for yesterday...today may be different.

I have been all over the web again...

First a beautiful review by Helen Redfern here.

Talking about the writer's journey with Caroline Smailes...here.

Busy...and Overwhelmed in a Good Way

Life is a little crazy at the moment and I can't settle to any one thing...including writing book two. But many of things taking up my time are wonderful...like needing to go to Falmouth Booksellers to sign more books because they had sold out of all the other signed ones...and I just heard that the paperback version of The Cornish House has sold out in Waterstones Truro so I'm off into sign the hardback copies they have left....

I have also been overwhelmed by reader response to The Cornish House...readers have been finding me on Facebook and Twitter and my web page and telling me they love the book. It is a strange and wonderful feeling. My baby is out there and it is being read and loved. My characters are making new friends...without me!

Yesterday saw me or the book all over the web...the lovely Helen Redfern reviewed the book here.

I talk wine, work and writing with Nikki Goodman here.

And over at High Heels and Book Deal I'm sharing my shoe favourites with the wonderful Mel Sherratt here.

And, *gulp*, The Cornish House is being reviewed at Vulpes Libris on Friday. This is a book review site I read regularly....

Finally I have begun posting pictures of some of the places mentioned in The Cornish House... Locations From The Cornish House.

Sunshine, Wind, Cornwall, St Ives and a Wedding

Yesterday the wind continued to blow, but the sun appeared and I went to St Ives to visit the St St Ives Bookseller and sign books...

...which made it a lovely excuse to take DH to lunch at The Porthmister Beach Cafe...

Now this fleeting image of the bridal couple had me fleeing the table to try and capture the image...I was cursing that DH hadn't brought his big zoom lens but at least I had his camera...

and then we had to leave...but DH wins the snap of the day with his pic of the almost tropical feel of the day...

Firsts

This has certainly been a time of firsts...and last night was my first library talk. St Ives was the setting and after a day of pelting rain it cleared to a lovely evening. I didn't expect a soul except for the wonderful librarian... as holding an event the evening of the last day of an extra long weekend I was sure that people would be too exhausted by the festivities to leave the comfort of their home...But they did come out. The bonus was that fellow writer and friend Sarah Duncan (who has the best blog for writing tips here) came too...

As it was my first, I didn't have a set script, maybe I should have, but I wanted to find out what my audience was interested in...the development of Cornish architecture, how an American came to call Cornwall home, my expat travels....of course I wouldn't know what it was to be until we reached the questions. So I plunged into a potted history of me, my writing and my love of Cornwall........then came the questions and thank God there were questions and they covered everything.

The evening was great fun for me and I hope for my audience...who in chatting afterwards asked what The Cornish House would be in Cornish (hint not the actual name of the house - Trevenen)...we found the answer but I thought it would be a good question for a give away on my Facebook Page here.

I also wanted to mention a wonderful post by Twitter friend Nicola Ford who wrote about attending the launch in London but more importantly speaks beautifully about the importance of travel or journeys for writers. You can read the post here.

Cornish Sunshine and Jubilee Celebrations

As I write this the wind is blowing and the rain is lashing at the windows. I am contemplating putting the heat on...But yesterday afternoon for the village's Jubilee celebration the sun came out and it was perfect. Here are a few photos to give you a feel...

Everything in readiness...

Up to the playing fields to see the Kings and Queens in action

The Kings and Queens parade through the viallage

To the feast...

It was a glorious afternoon and one that will be remembered...

What have you done for the Jubilee?

A Local Celebration - The Cornish House

On Saturday night in the South Cafe (featured in The Cornish House) I had a small celebration with a few people from the village...because of the weather we were inside and kept the number small but that didn't keep the conversation down or the fun a bay...

And now time to enjoy the Jubilee celebrations in the village and to get ready for the library talk in St Ives tomorrow evening...

What are you doing for the Jubilee weekend?