Down the Rabbit Hole

Debbi Mack
3 min readJan 28, 2022

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Image by Messan Edoh from Pixabay

Here’s what I wrote in a column I published back in April 2011. BTW, that’s not a photo of me. But, man, did I think I’d done something! 🙂

If February 20 was notable for being the day that LEAST WANTED hit the Top 100 in Amazon’s Kindle Store, March 20, 2011, was a red letter day indeed. Before I get to that, however, let me explain.

Along with LEAST WANTED, my first novel IDENTITY CRISIS rose into the Top 100 in the Kindle Store at the very end of February. (The column was submitted, so … I didn’t bother to revise it, at that point. Besides, rank can change.) Since then, the book’s sales have risen considerably and it’s established its place quite squarely in the Amazon Kindle bestseller category. At least, for now.

Plus, there’s more. IDENTITY CRISIS has been selling like gangbusters through Barnes & Noble’s PubIt! ebook publishing platform. Why? No clue.

But that’s not all. The book is also selling like you wouldn’t believe through Amazon UK’s Kindle Store. In March, IDENTITY CRISIS and LEAST WANTED have been jockeying for third and fourth place (sometimes as high as second) in the hardboiled mystery category behind some guy named Stephen Leather.

So … remember how in January I wrote here about selling 10,000 downloads of my first novel in August 2010 and feeling uber-happy about the whole thing?

Well, would you believe I’ve kind of sold that many downloads in March alone — times three? At a minimum?

This count includes sales of both books plus my short story anthology FIVE UNEASY PIECES, which sold sporadically at best, until my second novel was released. Now, the anthology is selling quite well. It often ranks #1 in the category of mystery anthologies — pretty cool! However, this is beside the point.

I’m telling you all this stuff about sales, because I think it may explain how IDENTITY CRISIS managed to end up on the New York Times ebook bestseller lists for March 20 and April 3, 2011.

My mind has been officially blown.

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PS: I’d include the link to the New York Times list (like I did in the original column), but it’s mysteriously vanished.

And, yeah, Nook Press used to be called PubIt! Remember when? 🙂

And here’s an article from 2010: B&N’s Self-Publishing Service PubIt! Could Upend the Industry-but Only If the Price Is Right-UPDATE

However, a benchmark event had occurred.

BTW, your book marketing plan won’t work.

Or to quote the man, “Amazon giveth and Amazon taketh away.”

And then there’s the Kindle Swindle?! 🙂

PPS: These columns are turning into the indie author version of the History Channel. 🙂

PPPS: You realize where this is headed, right? 🙂

This entry was posted in Amazon, Ebooks, History, Indie Authors, Internet, My Old Columns and tagged Essays, Indie Authors, My Old Columns, Old Columns, Random Crap, Self-Publishing. Bookmark the permalink.

Originally published at http://randomandsundrythings.wordpress.com on January 28, 2022.

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Debbi Mack
Debbi Mack

Written by Debbi Mack

New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including the Sam McRae Mystery series. Screenwriter, podcaster, and blogger. My website: www.debbimack.com.

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