cleolinda: (Default)
[personal profile] cleolinda
So. As I've told a few people, I'm not really comfortable disclosing how many copies I've sold, as much as people would like to know, in a cheer-you-on sense. The thing is, this isn't a book deal where I receive a flat-fee advance; if I tell you the number, you can do the math and figure out exactly how much I've made, and there's no way that won't get wanky. But I can tell you that I've just now made enough to cover the laptop and data retrieval on Betsy 2.0. And there's always "Vampires" next month to help out with the repair bills.

Just to explain some of the financial aspects: I priced the e-book at $5. Lulu then added 1/4 of that ($1.25) on top, for a total of $6.25, as their cut. The soonest they'll release the money is 30 days (November 18th for yesterday's purchases, November 19th for today's, and so on, I guess), through PayPal to me, and then PayPal will take 2.9%, which isn't so bad (I was remembering it as 8%). Otherwise, I can wait until 45 days after the end of the financial quarter (i.e., FEBRUARY) for a check, which--forget that. PayPal it is. But at this point, I like having it on Lulu, because other people might stumble across the book and buy it without having any foreknowledge of Movies in Fifteen Minutes, they'll keep a more accurate count of how many copies it's sold, they might notice strong sales and decide to spotlight it in some way, it adds a veneer of officiality to the enterprise, etc.

Also, I ranted a bit on Twitter yesterday about the Lulu publishing process, because that's what you do when you're frustrated, and it makes you feel better. ("HOW DO I CHANGE THE PRICE???? $0.00 IS NOT A PRICE!! IT IS A FREE!!!!") Well, now Lulu's customer service Twitter account is all chagrined, ("Also: Going to punch lulu.com in the e-face" probably did it...), so I feel like I need to assure everyone that, in the end, I'm happy with how it turned out. My pissosity was mostly what you get when you're trying to maneuver a site for the first time. ("YOU SAY I CAN CHANGE THE PRIVACY SETTING BUT I DO NOT ACTUALLY SEE WHERE I CAN DO THIS.") So, um. I feel kind of bad about this. ("WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I GO TO 'REVIEW PROJECT' IT ACTS LIKE I WANT TO CREATE A NEW ONE, BECAUSE I TOTALLY DON'T.") Although I should have expected this, given that I was able to summon UPS the same way. ("I CANNOT ART UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.") Honestly, when I put the second e-book together next month, I'll know exactly what to do and it will all be perfectly wonderful. So. Uh. Sorry about that, Lulu.

I'm also trying to figure out how much promotion is sensible (I'm not very good or comfortable with promoting myself) and how much is straight-up obnoxious. Y'all have all been so great about mentioning it, though, and feedback so far has been really positive. So there's also that.

Oh, and we're working on getting the Kindle version finished and the "buy multiple copies" using PayPal thing. Hold on a bit for that.




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Date: 2009-10-19 04:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] divadeanna.livejournal.com
Ooo glad it's covered your computer expenses! I'm sure that must be a relief! :)

Date: 2009-10-19 05:00 pm (UTC)
ext_864: me with book (HP Bush vs. Voldemort)
From: [identity profile] newroticgirl.livejournal.com
YAY! Go little Wizards, go!

Date: 2009-10-19 05:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] piccgirl.livejournal.com
Oh, I'm so glad it covered your computer costs! Having just had a hard drive die on me, I know how (freakishly) expensive recovery is. I haven't actually been able to do my recovery yet.

I bought one! :D And lol-ed. You are the main reason my roommate thinks I'm insane.

Date: 2009-10-20 12:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hopeandmemory.livejournal.com
oh my god, i totally second this. i'm down at the newspaper office and giggling maniacally and people keep walking by and asking me if i'm all right. xD

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From: [identity profile] piccgirl.livejournal.com - Date: 2009-10-20 03:12 am (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2009-10-19 05:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sun-star-n-moon.livejournal.com
I figured you wouldnt tell us how much it sold, but its nice to know its doing well. =D

YAY! Minions to the rescue!

Date: 2009-10-19 05:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] soundguy42.livejournal.com
There's gonna be a Kindle version!? Rock on!!

Date: 2009-10-19 05:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] opheliet.livejournal.com
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH PROMOTION.

Okay, so there probably is. But word of mouth is probably one of the best promotional tools, so that's awesome.

YAY for being able to get the new laptop.

Also, "IT IS A FREE" makes me laugh so hard every time I read it. It never stops being funny.

Date: 2009-10-19 05:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] savvy-implet.livejournal.com
Also, "IT IS A FREE" makes me laugh so hard every time I read it. It never stops being funny.

Seconded!

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Date: 2009-10-19 05:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wombatgirl.livejournal.com
Please, promote quite a bit. You need the money, and we want everyone to get to experience teh funny. Also, I don't think it would be out of place for you to ask people who have enjoyed the file to tell their friends. Word-of-mouth advertising always works best, and can be less obtrusive.

So happy you got enough for the computer!

Date: 2009-10-19 08:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] anolinde.livejournal.com
Haha, what's the story behind your icon?

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Date: 2009-10-19 05:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] savvy-implet.livejournal.com
It kind of cracks me up that LuLu's Twitter got its chagrin on. Looks like we all need to be careful what we chant into the Twitter ether! You may summon up things on accident..

I fully plan to get myself a copy of the ebook (even though I don't normally go for ebooks, as I spend enough time straining my eyes on the computer as it is, I can totally see why this project needs to be one) as soon as I make sure my recent purchases shake up to enough leftover cash. I mean, it should, as it's a very modest price you've set, but I tend to scrape every penny out of my bank account, and dance right on the edge of overdrawing.

Date: 2009-10-19 06:18 pm (UTC)
tephra: (kitty squid)
From: [personal profile] tephra
I guess tweeting "Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fhtagn!" would be a bad idea....

Date: 2009-10-19 05:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mamapduck.livejournal.com
I figure if you make a bunch more money than you needed a)you deserve to earn money on your art, b) SOMEshit in your world is gonna break eventually and c) you can buy more stuff for SLOD! I hope you earn a million billion dollars. None of them will be mine because I have no dollars right now, but I still hope you do.

If you don't like self-promoting, how are you with other people promoting? I mean, will it bug you if I post to my journal that this is available and you're awesome?

Date: 2009-10-19 05:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cleolinda.livejournal.com
Aw, of course not.

Date: 2009-10-19 05:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] icepearls.livejournal.com
a) glad to hear that it sold so well, you deserve it :)
b) I personally want you to promote your books - if you don't tell me it's there, I'm too daft to notice and I'll miss out and OMG I WANT THE VAMPIRES!! xD
So yeah, please promote :3

Date: 2009-10-20 09:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fineprnt.livejournal.com
Mmm the vampires! I might have danced a small dance of joy when I read that bit.

Date: 2009-10-19 05:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] viorica8957.livejournal.com
"I CANNOT ART UNDER THESE CONDITIONS."

Heh. You sound like me trying to navigate Sony Vegas.

Glad to hear you can fix the computer! I'm buying my copy as I type.

Date: 2009-10-21 07:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wings-on-water.livejournal.com
Your AVPM icon makes me ♥♥♥.

Date: 2009-10-19 05:16 pm (UTC)
ext_33795: (Default)
From: [identity profile] katharhino.livejournal.com
I respect your privacy but am SO glad you told us the computer is covered because I feel immensely relieved on your behalf. Having read along with the entire saga as it was happening, I couldn't help feeling anxious. Also the footnotes are TOTALLY living up to my expectations in every way: they are funny, interesting, random, and very educational. You justify my faith in your writing ability and general awesomeness! Although I got lost in TVTropes for two hours this morning when I was supposed to be freelance designing, so I think I am going to have to make a rule to hover over all your links and NOT click on the TVTropes ones.

Date: 2009-10-19 05:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] luna-k.livejournal.com
I'm so glad you're making enough to get a new laptop. In fact I'm glad you're making money at all... you've given us so much free LULZ that you deserve it. I still think you should do AdSense on this blog or Cleoland.

I'll be buying your ebook tomorrow when I get paid. :)

Date: 2009-10-21 04:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jasminelily.livejournal.com
I still think you should do AdSense on this blog or Cleoland.

I totally agree with this! I also think that you should definitely do it before the new Twilight movie comes out, since if this one is anything like the last one, you'll get a huge jump in readership/page views at that point, and many of those people may be coming from off LJ, so won't be viewing you on their friends page. I don't know why you haven't done AdSense, as soon as I saw that LJ was doing it, I thought "Oh, perfect timing for Cleo!"

Date: 2009-10-19 05:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] schmoo999.livejournal.com
I am so there for the Kindle version:)

Date: 2009-10-19 05:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wumbawoman.livejournal.com
I have a quite obvious question but you know what they say.....

The e-book will be available for quite some time yes? I'd love to buy it but right now I really can't spend the $5 and change.

Also, I just noticed you background. Cute! Do you change it for the season?

Date: 2009-10-19 06:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] acaciakitty.livejournal.com
I asked that question the other day and she replied that it would be available until the end of time. So you're good. (I'm in the same boat.)

Date: 2009-10-19 06:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] doctoraicha.livejournal.com
THOU SHALT GO FORTH AND PROMOTE THYSELF.

Date: 2009-10-19 06:06 pm (UTC)
shiraz_wine: (happy doctor)
From: [personal profile] shiraz_wine
I'm very glad it's been doing well! I've also been experiencing money issues - poor planning, unexpected expenses, living on my own for the first time, paying back student loans - but I've been wanting to throw a couple of bucks your way. I think I'll finally be back in the black in a couple of weeks, so I'm planning on buying your book finally (do you still get money from sales of the M15M book?) and this e-book. I would happily pay for your work because your words never fail to put a smile on my face.

Thank you for making many, many, many of my days brighter.

Date: 2009-10-19 06:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] emmaorgana.livejournal.com
NGL, I CANNOT ART UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. is one of my favorite things you've ever said. I think I laughed for days just thinking about it.

Date: 2009-10-19 06:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] acaciakitty.livejournal.com
Wow, you've made enough to cover the new laptop already? You should have done this ages ago! I'm looking forward to getting paid so I can get my copy AND I'm also looking forward to the next one, too.

Yay for Cleo!

Date: 2009-10-19 06:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rina2o6.livejournal.com
That's great you're going to be able to get a new computer! I go crazy without mine - I'm probably way too dependent on it - so I'm sure it must be driving you mad.

Date: 2009-10-19 06:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lisa-zj.livejournal.com
That's wonderful Cleo, I'm glad to hear it and not a bit surprised. I am telling everybody about it and look forward to the next ones.

Date: 2009-10-19 06:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] barrelgoddess.livejournal.com
Just glad to know it's doing well! =D

Date: 2009-10-19 07:06 pm (UTC)
ext_6373: A swan and a ballerina from an old children's book about ballet, captioned SWAN! (Boosh It Does Look Good by Zeeexitos)
From: [identity profile] annlarimer.livejournal.com
You have sold hrair copies. *nods wisely*

Date: 2009-10-19 10:59 pm (UTC)

hrair-rah love!

From: [identity profile] chibimitch.livejournal.com - Date: 2009-10-20 02:54 pm (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2009-10-19 07:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kauricat.livejournal.com
That is a deal and a half, even if it is not a free. I have pimped you on my journal and will try to do Facebook later tonight when I order my own copy.

Congratulations on making enough already for your new computer and data retrieval! That's great.

Please do continue to promote yourself. One thing I noticed is that later promotions on this journal do not spell out what is included in the book. Probably most of the folks who read you regularly already know, but it might be good to give the contents again like you did on [livejournal.com profile] m15m.

Date: 2009-10-19 07:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jwdmeow.livejournal.com
Oh Cleo,

I'm enjoying the book very much, but no Doctor Who?? It makes me sad.

Seriously - season 2 (David Tennant's season with Rose) is one of the best seasons of tv ever made. It's so well done. I hear you about hours in a day, but if you ever do get a chance to rent it, it is so well worth the time.

Date: 2009-10-19 07:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jwdmeow.livejournal.com
"Harry Potter was molested here"

Oh my god - I died laughing. Which is a problem, since I'm at work.

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From: [identity profile] jwdmeow.livejournal.com - Date: 2009-10-19 08:39 pm (UTC) - Expand
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