It’s two weeks since The Blue Man was published, so it’s time for a wrap-up of how my third novel has fared in the massive ocean of books. Not too badly, considering how many books are released on Amazon each day (anyone have any figures on that, btw? Feel free to comment below) although I probably have modest expectations compared to some writers. Perspective is key to success, and for me, having readers buy my books is enough to consider a book a success. Selling more than one book to a stranger who wants to read my story because it appeals to them – not because they know me – is my definition of a successful book. How’s that for modest expectations?
So, what else should I consider? Well, my book made it onto the Top 100 Hot New Releases chart on Amazon, coming in at #18. That news merited a lovely big glass of wine as a celebration. It also reached as high as #283 in the best sellers rank for ghost horror, so I was also chuffed about that too. It wouldn’t mean squat to the Stephen Kings and Dean Koontz’s of the horror book world, but it means a lot to me.
I’ve also had a few lovely reviews posted on Amazon UK, with one insightful review comparing the true horror in my story to adolescence, another describing how the dialogue made it feel like an immersive novel, and the most recent from Laura at The Bookish Hermit, who enjoyed the flawed characters and frenemies vibe and felt it was creepy and satisfying.
What’s the takeaway from all this? I only ever compare myself to my previous books, not other authors. So in that respect, The Blue Man is my biggest success yet. The Buddha’s Bone was well received in the first few weeks and The Blue Man has outstripped it by a small margin. Is that because of the genre? It’s a ghost horror whereas The Buddha’s Bone is psychological fiction – although both are literary fiction for their second categories. I don’t know if the genre has an impact. All I know is that I’m delighted that horror lovers are buying The Blue Man, because it’s standalone book 1 of 3 in my Belfast Ghosts series and so I hope readers will stick around for Book 2 coming soon.
Leilanie Stewart 