Spreadsheets, Clicks, and Impressions

This whole one man band effort has its pitfalls. Covering every aspect of getting Uncharted “out there” has been full time work and work I’m not very good at. Well, parts I don’t mind, its analyzing the data that makes my head hurt.

I’ve ventured into the wonderful world of advertising on Facebook but I’ve also placed an ad on Google. Deciphering which ads did best is harder than I thought it would be. Weighing the impressions vs. the click-through rates has its limitations, especially when the correlation with sales can be indirect.

All the positive feedback I have received helps to propel me forward in my efforts. The comments on Amazon have been wonderful and I am so grateful to everyone who made them. The email and texts I have received have likewise been very uplifting.

So, now I’m stuck between marketing Uncharted and working on my next book. A great deal of research is required to get my settings straight, as well as all things transportation, education, attire, and even building methods. I enjoy doing the research and in the same way that memoir requires complete honesty, historical fiction demands accuracy. Thankfully though, not as gut-wrenching.

Besides research, I’ve been reading a book with parallel timelines, The Weight of Ink, a method I think I’m going to use (thanks for the book suggestion Jim). I’ve also got a reading list suggested by Ken Follett in a video I’ve been watching. I fell in love with his Kingsbridge series and now I’m attentively following his suggestions on writing fiction. He takes a year to do research before he writes his outline. We’ll have to see what my timeline looks like. After taking five years to complete Uncharted I’ve come to appreciate what a lengthy process it is.

So, for those of you who said you’re looking forward to my next book, you’ve been forewarned. As Carole King sang “Its gonna take some time this time…”