About a week ago I noticed a spike in hits coming in to this website from my Amazon author page. Out of curiosity checked my KDP dashboard. There was a big spike in sales on A Dragon from the Desert on Amazon.com. I checked on the book’s Amazon page and was astounded to discover it was at 97 on the Coming of Age charts.
That does not sound like much but the book was hovering below one of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan books, and they have just had a massive HBO series. Over the next week, while ill with the flu, I had the hallucinogenic experience of watching the book claw its way up the chart as far as 67. It’s been fun taking screenshots of Dragon next to Donna Tart but it’s also been nerve-wracking because I have absolutely no idea how this happened.
I wish I did. I would share it. Unfortunately, my formula for a minor Amazon bestseller consists of the following: get sick for a couple of years and not release anything, then be so glad just to get a book out the door that you forget to even mention it on your facebook page. That’s it. No adverts. No Kindle Unlimited. No secret sauce. As a marketing plan, it does not exactly inspire confidence, does it?
The pattern of this thing does not even fit what little I do know about the way Amazon works. The book did not start to take off until after it hit the infamous 30 day cliff, which is when Amazon chops down any promotion it gives you after launch. I’ve done a search on Google to see if anybody influential mentioned the book, but I haven’t found anything. It all remains a mystery.
Since I have no idea what caused this, it seems best just to let my little dragon book go about it’s business. What I am going to do is lower the price of the Kormak books, set in the same world, down to 99 cents each for next couple of weeks, in the hope that some of the people who are buying A Dragon from the Desert will pick up the Kormak stories too. So, at this moment, you can get the entire 11 book Kormak Saga for under 10 bucks or the equivalent in local currency. You can get it on Amazon.com with one click on this page or in the UK here. This is the universal book link for other stores such as Apple or Barnes and Noble. It’s also possible pick up the first Kormal omnibus by joining my mailing list via the sidebar on the right.
Just finished the book. What a great read. Thank you. Can’t wait for the next book. Gave the book a five star review on Amazon UK.
Thanks very much, Gordon. I am glad you liked it!
I read this type of book often, but this is the first time one of your books has popped up for me. Good read!
Thanks, Cheryl, that’s very nice to hear. I have a quick question if you don’t mind– where did you find out about the book? I am still trying to figure out what happened :).
Hi Bill, loved the book. I just found it in the also bought suggestions of similar books.
Thanks, Liam, that’s very useful to know! Glad you enjoyed the book!
Hey Mr. King! I’m 75% done with the dragon in the desert and I’m loving it. I’ve been reading your stuff since the first paperback Gotrek and Felix omnibus that my friend Dean Floyd gave me. I’ve really inhaled the Kormak books so I had to cop this book in the same universe when you sent out an email about it being on sale for a limited time. I’m really glad I did, it’s been bringing me joy for not much money and I’m really glad to hear that it’s been successful for whatever reason. You’re really about to hit that grand scale of epic that you were building for the Warhammer universe, in your own universe (Kormak)…I couldn’t finish Nathan Longs continuation of Gotrek and Felix thb, no fault to him, he’s just not you. (I plan on reading it eventually, it’s been on my list for years now, I’m just not motivated to read his stuff.) Please keep plugging away i this universe you’re creating! -walker from Napa, California
Thanks for the kind words, Walker. Much appreciated.
Keep writing! In fact, write faster, please! I just gulped down the first two in your “Dragonbond” Saga and am eagerly awaiting the third. Lots of fun, and I never know where you’re going to take the tale next… Hurry up!
Thanks, Amanda. Sometimes it feels like I never know where the tales going to go next myself :).
I eagerly look forward to the day one of your book series’ manifests on HBO!