I still can’t believe it’s been almost exactly a year since I held Another Glass of Tea  in my hands for the first time. It had already been uploaded to various bookseller platforms – Amazon, Kobo, AppleBooks and my publisher’s own bookstore – and it was there for people to buy it. But now it was in my hands. I was alternately filled with excitement and terror.

Would people actually buy it? Woud they read it? And the even harder question -would they review it? The answer, to my delight, to the first two was a resounding “yes”. The third? It’s a harder sell, but I’m still hopeful that more readers will leave a review. Apparently the Amazon algorithm kicks in at 50 reviews – that’s when it will show my book to people who buy something in the same genre – and that could make a difference in continued book sales.

They say the average indie-published book sells between 100 and 250 copies in its lifetime. So there was some glee when my novel beat the top end of that estimate after just 8 months. It continues to sell – a few here, a few there – and when I review sales each month, I’m excited to see the numbers continue to go up each and every time.

New experiences

Is it a runaway bestseller? No, but that’s not what this book was about. It was about testing the waters, figuring out if I could do this, if I had a story to tell, and whether I could learn the secrets of book marketing. Along the way, I’ve done a radio interview and a few presentations and book clubs. I had a small booth at a local neighbourhood festival, and I’ve approached libraries to carry my book. I’ve established a website, a social media presence and have started growing a small but mighty newsletter subscriber list.

All of this has meant less time to focus on writing the next book (or blogging!), but I am getting there. A first draft is almost ready to be read by a few trusted alpha readers. Their feedback will be turned into a round of editing before beta readers (many of whom are on my newsletter list) have a chance to offer their feedback.

What’s up next?

I love these new characters – currently called Linney and Colin – and their stories. I don’t have a title yet, but I am pretty sure it’s the first in a series that will see a fictional Ontario town – Silver Lake – play a big role. So whatever this first book will be called, “A Silver Lake Story” is likely to be subtext.

So thanks to everyone who’s walked this wild year with me – and those few who got a sneak peek in the couple of years before. It’s been a privilege to have you all with me and I can’t wait to share Linney and Colin’s story with you.

Want to help?

And a last plea – if you enjoyed Another Glass of Tea and haven’t yet left a review on Amazon or Goodreads, I’d be really grateful if you would.

Happy Reading!