Russell Kirkpatrick's Journal
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On the best-seller list
20-Mar-2007I see Path of Revenge is #6 on Dymock's Australian SFF bestseller list this week.
That's good news. My first novel made it to #1 on its first week of release and stayed there for four weeks; subsequent novels in the Fire of Heaven trilogy did nearly as well.
This series has started slower. It's not receiving the huge publisher push the first series did, nor should it. I want the book to stand on its own merits. And now, three months after release, it appears on the bestseller list. I interpret that to mean word-of-mouth is working in its favour.
What do sales mean, anyway? It's not the money. (Well, it's not all the money.) A lot of it is about knowing that people are reading your story. That's what I want most of all. Though if you want to buy it just to look cool, that's fine by me...
I've got a sore froat. I hate sore froats. Sore froats are no good for lecturers. I need sympathy.
Comments
Thats good news Russell, I cannot ever remember a sci/fi novel being on the top 10 best sellers in NZ, and I cannot understand that, as we sell 2 science fiction books to every 1 of another genre in the store. Your books have become steady backlist sellers and your new book too is selling well although I get the feeling most people who have bought it know you either thru Uni or Maps or in person. And thats not to say thats the only reason they bought it......most comment they liked your previous series.
Take care of that frog in the froat......dont got spreading any germs to nice booksellers who would become ill and then couldn't sell you books :-)
Take care of that frog in the froat......dont got spreading any germs to nice booksellers who would become ill and then couldn't sell you books :-)
Good news indeed. Any word on local sales? I hope that we are picking up our act here, although I should say a certain very large, very new, bookstore here isn't helping because they don't appear to have Path of Revenge on sale. Strange because they do have your backlist titles.
Don't strain your voice on those students - make their ears come to you instead.
Don't strain your voice on those students - make their ears come to you instead.
Poor Russell *bucketloads of sympathy* sore froats no good for anybody, they prevent you eating lots of yummy food too! Although there is always ice-cream (suddenly seeing positive side of sore froat...sit in room, talk to no-one and eat ice-cream - see that everything has a silver lining!).
Did that help??
Did that help??
Aww, you have my sympathy and congratulations.
I have a sore throat too and my sinuses feel as though they're about to explode. Ow.
I have a sore throat too and my sinuses feel as though they're about to explode. Ow.
You've got the cool sales news, so I'm not going to give you sympathy over the sore throat. This is mainly because I have one too, and actually lost my voice last week and couldn't teach. Besides, I'm a firm believer that too many things going smoothly is a sure sign of trouble ahead, so the sore throat is fending off doom.
Thanks for your sympathy, Linda, Ross, Jo and Tsana; and for your lack of sympathy, Gillian. I hate being sick (I suppose everyone hates it). I'm off work today.
Ross, that might be a supply problem. Other stores have had similar problems - there are a few glitches in the publisher's system. We don't know about local sales yet; apparently we need to wait a couple more months, for some reason.
Ross, that might be a supply problem. Other stores have had similar problems - there are a few glitches in the publisher's system. We don't know about local sales yet; apparently we need to wait a couple more months, for some reason.
Huh! He's on the best seller list and wants sympathy??? No way!
Congrats on everything but the sore throat :) I send you lemon flavoured cough drops for the sore throat...
And I also send you this link which just MIGHT be bizarre enough to be true:
http://www.myfinancialjourney.com/archive/frugal-cure-for-a-sore-throat
And I also send you this link which just MIGHT be bizarre enough to be true:
http://www.myfinancialjourney.com/archive/frugal-cure-for-a-sore-throat
I take it you live in Wellington Ross. I don't think Borders will be that much of a threat will it? If its like the one in Auckland the books are no cheaper than anywhere else. Thing that gets up my nose is they have the new releases a good month to 6 weeks before rest of NZ does.....buy direct from Oz I was told.
Diddums diddums!
And wootie toot toot on the bestseller status! That's fantastic.
And wootie toot toot on the bestseller status! That's fantastic.
I like Karen's heartfelt sympathy :).
For Karen, that's heartfelt indeed. Normally she'd cackle her cackely cackle at me.
Froat is an infection. I have barely been able to speak since Monday. Students throughout campus rejoiced at the news. I am now on antibiotics and should hopefully be able to get some sleep tonight.
Froat is an infection. I have barely been able to speak since Monday. Students throughout campus rejoiced at the news. I am now on antibiotics and should hopefully be able to get some sleep tonight.
Don't assume the sleep. I've had a similar infection for a week and a half and breathing is such a pain that sleep is hard to come by. Last night I finally got to sleep by putting a hot water bottle at the back of my neck. This seemed a tad stupid, given it was over 30 degrees yesterday and it led to me coughing mightily for an hour but I finally got some restlss sleep. As a result of all this, I wax exceedingly grumpy. So, grumpily, I now extend my commisserations for your froat. Whatever this illness is, it's not a nice one and you don't need it.
Oooh arrgghhh, cackle cackle cackle!!!
Is that better? *g*
Glad to hear you'll soon be on the mend, Russ. Crappy froats are indeed a misery.
Is that better? *g*
Glad to hear you'll soon be on the mend, Russ. Crappy froats are indeed a misery.
Now I have sore froat - is this the power of suggestion, or is this what they mean when they talk about spreading virusssss (OK, what IS the plural of virus?) over the internet??? *grin*
Belated cyberhugs of sympathy - hope the froat gets better quickly.