This post includes affiliate links for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase.

Buy me a coffeeBuy me a coffee

Paul Teague authorWelcome to Paul's Podcast Diary for Saturday 22nd June, 2019.

Coming up this week:

  • I’ll be summing up my plans and strategies for the rapid release of my books in this special read-along-with-paul edition
  • How my ducks are now all in a row for my next BookBub promo
  • That’s another book edited and off to beta readers!

This diary charts my self-publishing journey – the ups the downs, the successes and the failures.

Everything goes into this diary, week-by-week, but you'll also find it a source of great tips, resources, tools, podcast recommendations and so on.

If you're new to the podcast and want to easily access the back catalogue of podcast diaries, in chronological order, please check out this page.

If I ever miss something out, or you'd like more information, just drop me an email at paul@paulteague.com.

Writing progress:

Word count

My Rapid Release Strategy

Read-a-long with Paul 🙂

Thrillers overview:

  • Change to plans after interview with Adam Nicholls
  • I am collaborating with Adam to launch co-written book during his own September rapid release … I want to draw from his audience
  • That means book 1 is released Monday 9th September, I’ll do this in collaboration with Adam
  • The aim is to release as many thrillers at the rate of one-per-week as I can from that date
  • If I can get a BookBub on Don’t Tell Meg, I’ll use that to get things going … I’ll need to get one when I re-submit on Sunday 25th August

Release schedule [Thrillers]

This is the schedule:

[Start with DTM BookBub promo?]

***Stuart Bache all covers available – I’ll get boxset 3d graphics done on Fiverr***

1: Mon 9th Sept – Now You See Her [Adam Nicholls collaboration]
2: Mon 16th Sept – Dead of Night [New title is When Daylight Comes]
3: Mon 23rd Sept – One Fatal Error [New title is One Last Chance]
4: Mon 30th Sept – Who To Trust [New title is Friends Who Lie]
5: Mon 7th Oct – Burden of Guilt [New title is No More Secrets]

***3 x Morecambe Bay Trilogy covers arrive – I’ll get boxset 3d graphics done on Fiverr***

***Will make a call on whether DTM Trilogy is being included in this rapid release plan***

6: Mon 14th Oct – So Many Lies [New book]
7: Mon 21st Oct – Box Set 1 [Dead of Night/One Fatal Error/So Many Lies – Fast Thrillers]
8: Mon 28th Oct – Mon 4th Nov – Left for Dead [Morecambe Bay 1] [New book]

9: Mon 4th Nov –  Two Years Later [Ready 23rd August]

10: Mon 11th Nov – [Morecambe Bay 2/22nd Sept]

11: Mon 18th Nov – Box Set 3 [Who To Trust/Burden of Guilt/Two Years Later – Female Leads]

12: Mon 25th Nov – [Morecambe Bay 3/ready 3rd Nov]

13: Mon 2nd December – Box Set 3 [Morecambe Bay]

To be confirmed …also depends if I get an August Bookbub:

14: Mon 9th December – Don't Tell Meg renamed

15: Mon 16th December –  The Murder Place renamed

16: Mon 23rd December – The Forgotten Children renamed

17: Mon 30th December –  Box Set 2 [DTM/TMP/TFC]

  • Basic promo budget is £650 for 6 x ads ie Robin Reads [£52] + BKKnights [£4] + ENT [£36] + Fussy Librarian [£15] = £107 per book x 6 = £650 or thereabouts
  • Additional promo budget is £450 ie £75 per book … for FB ads + BookBub + Amazon Ads
  • Bargain Booksy is £44 + Book Gorilla is £40 … both optionals, dependant on budget
  • Will throw in extra budget as I earn it between now & when rapid release starts

Sci-Fi overview:

  • I now have a BB on TSB – I won’t hold my breath on income – and I can re-submit TG again soon
  • That income will be used to get new covers on my 7 x sci-fi books
  • They’ll be branded in the same world now and numbered books 1-7
  • I’ll unpublish them, do a light edit based on feedback and then rapid re-release on them
  • Notionally I have a final 3 x books in that series, based on a time travel concept & a final trilogy
  • My aim is to re-cover, re-edit, re-title & re-release

Release schedule [Sci-Fi]

This is the schedule:

  • Mon 6th Jan – The Secret Bunker 1
  • Mon 13th Jan – The Secret Bunker 2
  • Mon 20th Jan – The Secret Bunker 3
  • Mon 27th Jan – The Secret Bunker Box Set 1
  • Mon 3rd Feb – Phase 6
  • Mon 10th Feb – The Grid 1
  • Mon 17th Feb – The Grid 2
  • Mon 24th Feb – The Grid 3
  • Mon 3rd March – The Grid Box Set 2

Military Sci-Fi:

  • I have 3 x books slated in for release with Jon/James in July – before 20Books Edinburgh we hope
  • I wound up the trilogy so if it flops, it can stay that way
  • If it succeeds, there are many more books that can come in that series

What’s my thinking?

  • I’m convinced about the benefits of rapid release combined with being in KDP Select … reads makes up 90% of Adam Nicholls’ income
  • I’m struggling to do this on my own so I want to ride on the coat tails of other audiences
  • I can write fast and furious – this is my primary offering to others … and I deliver when I say I’ll deliver … I’ve been told I’m easy to work with
  • I’ve learned about the power of series so I want my cover branding to reflect that to encourage more buy-throughs
  • The more I learn the more I’m convinced that the book has to be good – it can’t be rubbish – but the marketing and sales are most important
  • I want to really give my books a good thrash using best practice to see if there’s anything to play for
  • I’m using the power of the mastermind group – as outlined by Napoleon Hill in ‘Think and Grow Rich’ – and I’m using networking contacts made through this podcast to create collaborations.
  • If this tanks – or only brings in mediocre success – I’ve brought all of my assets up to a level going forward … they can all sit there like that forever!

Vellum

This Week On Social Media

Paul's Podcast Diary Archive

    2 replies to "Paul’s Podcast Diary 158 (Saturday 22nd June, 2019)"

    • George
      July 3, 2019

      Good afternoon. I hope all is well in your writing world.

      I have a question and a bit of a complaint. In your rapid release for this year you mention that you are changing the names of your novels. My question is, Why? (Just as frames of reference, Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice has been out for about 400 years and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been out for 200 years. Both without a name change, but both with some editing between editions – in Shelley’s case, some major changes).

      If I purchased, for example, One Fatal Error and enjoyed it. Then see that my new favorite author has a new book out called One Last Chance with a completely different cover, I would jump at the chance to buy it. Imagine my disappointment when it turned out that One Last Chance was a book I had already bought, read, and enjoyed.

      If you have One Last Chance as the new title and underneath that have (Formerly One Fatal Error) to warn readers it is basically the same book, that would be sufficient for most readers, I think. Are you going to do something like that?

      I enjoy your podcast and wish you great(er) success as an independent author.

      George

      Reply
      • Paul Teague
        July 3, 2019

        Hi George, if you re-publish an existing title you make that clear in the blurb and in the book – take a look at this example from Adam Nicholls: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B079RZYS1R/

        The three books I have re-titled barely sold any copies due to a complete lack of marketing on my part – the chances of somebody buying in error are very low and if they do, they can refund.

        I may still, at the last minute, retain the original titles and re-release the books under a new ASIN – I have until I have to commit with my Stuart Bache covers to dither about this 🙂

        Best wishes, Paul

        Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.