Numbers Games

It is, of course, inevitable that when I've released a new story, I haunt certain sites, looking for signs that it's been well-received. I create a couple of Google Alerts, and poke slightly obsessively at Goodreads and some of the more popular ebook sites.

Someone who reads quickly had a great review for my new story posted on All Romance Ebooks before lunch. Three people had put it on their "to-read" list on Goodreads by the end of the day (and it's up to 6, now). It was evening before Amazon had it listed, but when I checked this morning, it was actually in the top 100 listing for one category of books! (Granted, it was a pretty small category. Gay > Literature > Fiction > Romance, or something along those lines. And I'd fallen back off the top 100 before I got to work.) Barnes and Noble is listing my other two books currently in print (which surprised me; I didn't realize Torquere was selling to them now) but Assumption isn't listed yet.

It's probably a good thing that I can only access actual sales numbers when I get my quarterly royalties check, or I'd be checking it all the time instead of just occasionally.

Anyway, a brief plea: Ranked and rated and reviewed books sell better than unrated ones, so if you've read my story and liked it at all, please log into Amazon or Goodreads or wherever and give it some stars (be honest; don't rank it high just because you know me) and even dash out a short review, if you're so inclined.

And consider that a plea for whatever it is that you're reading. Your authors worked hard to put that book into your hands (or your reader, whatever). It only takes a minute to let them know how you liked it.