It’s the one year bookiversary for The Fairy Lights. Hurray! Book 2 in my Belfast Ghosts series is actually my fourth published novel, and is currently my second most popular book after The Blue Man, in terms of sales. With the first year milestone gone, here are my publishing observations – essentially what I’ve learned:

1. The Fairy Lights sells better in the UK

78% of sales have been in the UK

12% of sales have been in the US

6% of sales have been in Canada

2% of sales have been in Netherlands

I’m guessing that because it’s a Northern Irish based story, this appeals to UK readers more? Since I’ve never actually studied marketing, I can’t say for sure.

2. Only 4% of friends and family bought my book!

Depressing, huh? Oh well. In a way, I’m glad that the majority of my readers are anonymous folks who buy my books through KDP sponsored ads, simply because they liked the look of the cover/blurb/my keywords, etc (again, I’m no marketing expert, so can’t say for sure…)

3. Sales increase seasonally

The Fairy Lights is a yuletide ghost story, so it makes sense that sales will pick up in November and December, in the run-up to Christmas. I’m having double the number of sales I had during July and August, just in the last few weeks since October. Happy dance!

4. Paperbacks and eBook copies sell equally well

Although lately I’ve had more paperback sales than eBooks through sponsored ads, over the course of the year, the numbers are roughly equal for both.

5. What I’ve learned/advice for other Indie authors of a similar genre

Publishing a Christmas horror is best around the start of November as people seem to be shopping for Xmas pressies around this time – so don’t wait until December to get your ghost novel out there. Just after Halloween is best to satisfy horror fans needing their fix in the run-up to the sentimental season. Try to make it a timeless piece (not set in any particular year) so that hopefully it’ll keep selling well year after year.

Posted by on November 10, 2023 in Novels, Writing and tagged , , .

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About Leilanie Stewart

Leilanie Stewart is an award-winning author and poet from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She writes ghost and psychological horror, as well as experimental poetry. Her writing confronts the nature of self; her novels feature main characters on a dark psychological journey who have a crisis and create a new sense of identity. She began writing for publication while working as an English teacher in Japan, a career pathway that has influenced themes in her writing. Her former career as an Archaeologist has also inspired her writing and she has incorporated elements of archaeology and mythology into both her fiction and poetry. In addition to promoting her own work, Leilanie runs Bindweed Anthologies, a creative writing publication with her writer husband, Joseph Robert. Aside from publishing pursuits, Leilanie enjoys spending time with her husband and their lively literary lad, a voracious reader of sea monster books.

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