Modern Good Reads discussion

At age 60, I've been retired for seven years. I'd always wanted to write a book, and then this year, I realized how easy self-publishing would be, and that I already had material in some blogs that would make good non-fiction books.

My first book, Become a Great Sight-Reader -- Or Not! describes my struggle to become a good sight-reader on piano.

The second, Drive, Ride, Repeat is a humorous account of a car/bike/camping trip.

I even wrote a third, which is a gallery of formatting samplers for authors.

Now I'm working on a real book, a sci-fi thriller.

I've been surprised and happy to see how well the first two books have done. The third isn't selling a lot, but that's OK, it didn't take long to write.

But here's the thing: I can't stop checking to see how many books I've sold. I bring up the KDP sales graph a few times a day. Even worse, if the sales drop, I feel compelled to do some marketing--Twitter posts, etc. Hey, I'm supposed to be retired!

so, this was an unexpected consequence of writing a book. Have you guys experienced this? Does it get better over time?

I think even the ones who don't self-publish check the Amazon best sellers rankings of their books. Even most bestselling authors can tell you where they are on the best seller list. It goes with being a writer.

Al wrote: "At age 60, I've been retired for seven years. I'd always wanted to write a book, and then this year, I realized how easy self-publishing would be, and that I already had material in some blogs that..."

Al,

I am 66 and have been retired for 13 years. In 2011, my one and only novel was published.

A quarterly sales report, accompanied by a royalty check, arrives in the mail every three months. This is the only time I pay any attention to book sales.

I have no intention of writing another book; there are just too many other interesting things to do and so little time to do them.

Your writing endeavors seem to have been profitable so far. If you enjoy writing, by all means, continue. However, when anything becomes an obsession or aggravation, it may be time to seek out other ways to enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

I wish you well and am sure that whatever you decide will be the right decision for you.

Al wrote: "At age 60, I've been retired for seven years. I'd always wanted to write a book, and then this year, I realized how easy self-publishing would be, and that I already had material in some blogs that..."

It is addictive.

But so is heroin. Heroin it's dearer stick to checking the book sales.

that's pretty good, I mean the retirement. I am 63 and still not retired ... I just published my first book through the more traditional route - an outside publisher. I wanted to go through the 'ring of fire' for the first one and notch many rejections. Hopefully, the road is smoother now.

Yes, writing is addictive, but guiding it into a certain direction requires some effort as well.

Mine came out a few weeks ago and I've been addicted to checking novelrank to see if I had any sales. It's currently listed as inactive because my publisher made it free for 5 days. It's like going cold turkey.

I can't stop looking at how mine are going either. It can be great some days but bad on others.

I have 3 novels out and I still check on all of them daily! I need a support group...

The Merriam-Webster dictionary's definition of the word addict is: To devote or surrender (oneself) to something habtiually or excessively.

As mentioned in a previous post on this thread, the only time I pay any attention to book sales is when the quarterly sales report and royalty check, from the pubisher, arrive in the mail. I glance at the report, deposit the check, then forget about book sales for three months.

Age and experience have influenced my attitude toward any addiction. I believe that too much of anything is too much - period!

The world is filled with wonders to behold, experiences to be had, good people to meet, and good books to read. Unfortunately, we are given only a brief time to enjoy them.

No one can afford to squander what little time we have to enjoy life by allowing an addiction to anything monopolize it; even for a brief time.

An author's work will either sell or not sell. Checking the sales reports several times a day or daily will not influence the outcome one way or the other.

Habits are difficult to break, but any habit can be broken.

I think that most of us go through this. It has to be tied in with a craving for validation of our efforts. It doesn't matter how good/great/awesome it is, it's the units that move that tell us how well it is being received.

Sales for an indie author are based on reviews and word-of-mouth (be it our mouth or someone else's). I have limited myself to checking only 3 or 4 times a week. The days with no sales/movement are just too crushing.

I have it in perspective. I know that a new novel will take weeks or months to build momentum, if you don't have an existing fan base. I consider this all part of the learning curve. I hope that with the sequel, I won't be so "watchy" of the sales reports.

I don't check the sales report, but I do look at the Amazon rating. My first book is self-published and my second is with Booktrope, and I find I cannot help myself. In part, I do it to see if I need to be marketing more. I'm still not great at that piece, and it's hard to see a book you've put so much time and effort in not sell. I've heard about Lucky #5 (the 5th book being the turn around book). Have any of you experienced that?