Update: We had an unexpected crash that wiped out this post. We recreated it, but you might get it twice in your email.
It’s Monday! The release week is over.
Okay, I understand that enthusiasm about Mondays might seem strange, but to me this Monday means that I finally get to write. I feel like the last 12 months were just filled with editing. Over and over and over. First, This Kingdom required edits, and copyedits, and proofreading.
My BFF Jeanine Frost loves editing. To her the majority of work is done. Now you just have to fix it. She says it’s less pressure.
I dislike editing. I prefer writing. Just sitting down and telling the story. Editing is necessary, but too much of it makes me feel like an utter failure at everything. It’s also very tiring. It’s a series of quick decisions which requires a lot of brainpower.
Which is why this Monday I’m so glad it will be Gordon, me, and Solentine’s deeply disturbed, sardonic self. As Maggie says, so damaged, so deadly, so handsome, yet so screwed up.
Mod R sent over some questions that didn’t make it into the Zoom yesterday. Let’s get to it.
I would love to know how House Andrews feels about stepping back into the trad publishing space. They have previously commented on how great things have been, but that was when they were working on book 1. Now that they are under the time crunch for book 2 how have those feelings changed/evolved? Has it been hard to go back to juggling Trad books on contract with self-published projects?
Still liking it. There is something about working with the team of professional people committed to making the book better. We have nothing at all to complain about it at this point. There were occasional bumps along the way, as always happens when the manuscript making its way through the production chain to become a book, but Tor has been excellent to work with.
We have a lot of support from the publisher. We also have an amazing editor. Stephanie Stein is excellent at what she does and very patient. We have a long list of acknowledgments in the beginning of the book, and you can see how many people worked on the book.
The deadline time crunch is a fact of life whether you are traditional or self-published. As much as I would love to say we are at the point where we can take things easy, we can’t. We have financial pressures, fandom pressures, and creative push. Yes, there is less flexibility in deadlines, but there is also a lot of support. The trade-off is worth it.
And, I know I’ve been harping about it but we have to get back into stores. There is an entire generation of readers that we are missing. We’d like to introduce them to Innkeeper, HL, and KD.
Is it scary to start on book 2 of Maggie before book 1 was released?
No, I’m so glad that we are starting now. There are no reviews, no sales numbers, and no expectations. Just the story itself.
“No publicity. No marketing. No nothing.” – quote from previous post. Question: Isn’t the social media marketing? I follow you on at least two networks, Threads and Instagram, and there were constant posts about Inheritance. I’m just curious what the difference is?
I braved Amazon for you. These are the stats for The Inheritance.
There are 2,161 global ratings. None of them are lower than 4 stars. At first glance, this looks like amazing success. In marketing and publicity terms, it’s not.
Here is a recent bestseller with marketing.
Here is the first book in a very successful series also with marketing and publicity.
Do you see how the ratings are spread out? This happens because the book is reaching outside of the author’s fandom. People who are not author’s fans become aware that the book exists, decide to try it based on marketing and publicity, find out that it might not be their cup of tea, and leave a review reflecting that.
This is not happening with The Inheritance. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good book, and we are proud of it, but the reason the reception is so positive is because the majority of the people who read it already like our writing.
We are not really marketing to BDH, our Book Devouring Horde. BDH already opted in. The social posts, the newsletter, all of those are just means of notifying the existing readers that a new book is out. We are preaching to the converted in a way.
Marketing would be running ads. Spending money to alert people who don’t follow us that the book is out and entice them to try it. Publicity would be sending ARCs, arranging interviews, making personal appearances in places outside of the author’s immediate space. We’ve done none of that. We didn’t even send the book to other authors to get blurbs for the cover. So when I said that The Inheritance hit #1 on Amazon on the strength of the BDH alone, it was true. This is all core fandom.
Meanwhile, This Kingdom had two rounds of the ARCs and will likely have another publicity push closer to the release day.
Would I love to see The Inheritance in stores and to see it be promoted? Absolutely. And if it happens one day, I will do a happy dance. And I will even film it for your amusement. But even then, I will remain forever impressed by the might of the BDH.
Thank you! Now I have to work.
PS Mod R: The paperback format of The Inheritance has now populated across most retailers, so please head to Amazon, B&N, Booktopia etc. for your copy! Reminder that the Ilona Andrews direct store will only sell digital copies at this time.
If you want to purchase from your local bookstore or ask your library for it, you can use the ISBN 9781641973403.
it’s back. yay! thank you
Yay, it’s back!
Second ?
Is there a link to the Zoom chat from this Saturday? I would love to watch it but I was not available during the original broadcast.
It is uploading into YouTube now and will be posted and linked tomorrow
Thank you!!
Was the link to the zoom ever posted? I check youtube for Ilona Andrews and found Ilona Andrews Moderator with the lastest video posted one year ago and I am not sure how I am messing it up enough to not find it. Thank you for any help you could provide. 🙂
The link to the zoom was posted and available for a week, after which it was archived 🙂
I didn’t realize it would be archived so quickly, I was able to read the book until this past week and didn’t want to watch the release part until I finished the book as I didn’t want spoilers. Any other way to watch the release party for us late arrivals?
There will be future ones 🙂
ok so how can we market for you? posting on our feeds? Word of mouth?
let the bdh help you!! I was trying to figure out how to spread the word to a specific anime Fandom.
Reviews and recommendations to other readers are the best ways readers can help a book! 🙂
will do
Thank you for that ISBN, they can be hard to find sometimes! I tried to have my library get the ebook, but they did not approve the request on the grounds that it was not available through their usual vendors.
I will be ordering The Inheritance in book-form the second my local booksellers have it.
Thanks for the ISBN – just ordered my physical copy from my bookstore in Germany!😁
Yay! Writing! Glad you’re back to something you enjoy.
Love these insights. I had never thought about the rating spread being a good thing from the publisher’s POV.
The word of mouth grapevine is a wonderous thing. All of us in the Horde spread the news about new books to people we know and who are interested in new reading material. Some may have already known the works of KD, Innkeeper, and HL. However, a lot may not know. So… the Horde’s might be vast and possibly deep without anyone knowing it.
Thank you for the insider’s peek into the realm of writing and publishing. Onward to more good reads! 😁
A little random, but sort of related to publishers.
So today I decided it’s been awhile I haven’t reread Burn for Me.
I’m on spot where Nivada is watching a video of young Rogan destroying a building
“Bern gave me a small smile. Primes, like any celebrities, had their admirers, especially the young, handsome, male, unmarried Primes. They spawned a whole subculture on Instagram, Tumblr, and TikTok.”
It made me pause… TikTok? I googled it : “TikTok, known as Douyin in China, was first released in September 2016.”
“Burn for me was published in 2014.”
Is this something the publisher do? Continuous edits to stay relevant? Or do you do it for all books including self-published?
House Andrews did minor retouches for sensitivity and actualisation when the new cover editions of Hidden Legacy were released 🙂, with the support of the publisher.
It was vine originally, but now people don’t know what that is. I liked vine a lot.
BDH’s might rivals that of the Illuminati in power and reach 😂
thank you for an update 😺
And in pure evil. . . mwahaha, I curse my enemies with waiting!
Oh, now that’s just mean. 😏
At my job, every few months I get a spam email inviting me to join the Illuminati. It always cracks me up. I’m a BDH member for life though! We’re absolutely better.
Where are the usual links for dead tree book sellers?
Too tired. 😛
They’re the same ones as on the release which is on the featured page, you can just toggle between formats 🙂 https://ilona-andrews.com/featured-release/
I’m here to help if you’re having issues with any specific retailer catalogue search 🙂
I rarely read a book more than once. I read The Inheritance twice, then went back and re-read the last 3 chapters. I enjoyed it as much as some of the early Kate Daniels books. I particularly liked the ending where the alien cat got rescued. So enjoyable. Thank you two for working so hard to produce such delightful books.
I’m glad you are back to your happy place of writing instead of editing!
Yes the BDH are mighty but we can grow and that means new readers so let’s spread the word!😄
Mod R, I love your new picture-thingy (long day, brain no longer working, so I can’t remember what they’re called! 😂)
Anyway, I have two pure white kitties with light blue eyes, and they look like the one you’re holding! 🥰💕💕
Many times pure white cats with blue eyes are deaf. I don’t know if that is the case for yours, but you might want to get that checked. It doesn’t slow them down any. We had one while I was growing up. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and a very unsuccessful hunter because all of his prey heard him. He was, however, enormous (almost 30 pounds!) and he would wait for any of the other neighborhood cats to catch something, then go beat them up and bring us the prize. He would also sing the songs of his people at the top of his voice even though he couldn’t hear it.
Love how real this is! It’s refreshing to hear your take on traditional vs. self-publishing—the perks of having a great team, the power of BDH (Book Devouring Horde!), and how fandom can lift a book without a single ad. So thoughtful and grounded.
I recommend your books to people all the time. Can’t get more traditional than word of mouth advertising, and the BDH can help with that!
Physical book in time for my birthday! Made my Monday!! 🙂
i think we should hold you to the promise of a video.
Did you know that some libraries have a ‘Submit a request for a item’ page. Just imagine what would happen if the BDH asked their local libraries to purchase and stock The Inheritance?
Many of the readers already do 🙂
How will the zoom be titled? So that I may do a search for it? Or what is the channel name that it will be on? Also that I may search for it.
The channel is Ilona Andrews
Mod R, Thankyou for the information about paperback availability. I checked Amazon Australia and there it was. Today is Tuesday in Oz and my copy should be delivered on Thursday!
I hope House Andrews is able to sign a good deal with the company who want to put print copies of their self published work into bookstores. I would love to be able to walk into bookstores and see Innkeeper, Kinsmen alongside Hidden Legacy, KateDaniels and The Edge. Not only would it make their work available to a wider audience but, if bookstores start stocking back titles, it will mean there is demand from new readers who are still catching up to the BDH in appreciation of the House Andrews’ oeuvre.
I set the alarm for 12.50 am Sunday to join the Zoom call but am looking forward to sitting back with a cup of tea and watching it again on u tube in the next day or so! ( I don’t think I was very alert for the original broadcast.)
Thank you for this very thoughtful and enlightening explanation. As always what you say makes very good sense. And also you reminded me that I haven’t posted a review of The Inheritance yet!
I suspect that when Maggie hits with of it’s marketing, the Inheritance will have another boost in sales, as it’s less romance or more Sci Fi/Fantasy. Same with Innkeeper. Will be interesting to see what happens. Also have to note here, when Blood Heir and KD Wilmington Book 1 & 2 released, they didn’t hit #1 on the digital list, though i recall them making it to the top 50 at one point. This is a good indicator that the BDH has grown immensely since those books released. Love the upward trajectory!
It’s more of an indicator that Amazon doesn’t count preorders the way it says it does. 🙂 Self-pub authors have been saying for years that preorders decrease their release day sales rank and The Inheritance is the definitive proof. Sweep of the Heart had a greater initial sales because of the preorders and did not land in the top 5.
Blood Heir reached:
• number 2 on the USA Today bestseller list
•number 5 on the Combined Print and Ebook List of the New York Times
• top 4 in Kindle sales, with preorder period 🙂
Thanks for sharing the info, Ilona and Mod R! Well that is too bad that Amazon isn’t counting pre-orders per release day. I see they do it for longer engagement/promotion on their website. And i forgot Amazon switched their recos to being sponsored ads for the most part. Cool the BDH help drive up sales, but sucky that authors have to trade off pre-sales time to make best seller lists, and new books have a more difficult time reaching new audiences without paid media. Glad you have your own book store now. I bought it also on book funnel cuz I eventually want to switch over to that app.
I never put a review in Amazon. I usually use Goodreads for that. So I can still give you a 3 star review to help with the problem if you like. Don’t get me wrong. It won’t be easy. But I still can.
Hahahahaha a problem a solution, never fear the BDH is here 😂😂 I love it 😂
Loyalty for the Author Lords, always
Lol this is not what they wanted, you gonna mess up their metrics
But nice gesture fellow soldier
I am so happy to be part of the BDH, I love this small community that we have here on the blog, all of you are so funny, so relatable and can squeeeeee and w*it together, it’s so much fun ☺️☺️
I really love the Author Lords books, each time I read a new one I always tell myself “It’s crazy I’m never ever disappointed”, the worlds you build are so rich, characters are deep, the stories interesting and I’m carried away unable to put the book down each time.
I love being able to share all of that with you all, Author Lords and BDH. It feels like I’m never alone when I read a new book from the Lords.
I also like the posts your sharing, you are under no obligation to do any of that but you or ModR always take the time to answer, to share and explain a few things. I love it, thank you for being so “present” and for having patience with the Horde ☺️
(That was a big love confession hahaha)
Couldn’t agree with you more Élodie!
+1 – So right!
Interesting insight on the significance of ratings spread on Amazon.
I guess, I personally have a different experience. I only review books I would recommend (so 4 or 5). Life is too short to spend time writing “meh” reviews. I certainly don’t feel a mission to warn people away from books with a review, just because they’re not my cup of tea or badly crafted.
There is definitely a trend towards rating inflation on sites, but when I see a book with enthusiastically high ratings, I check the sample and some reviews to see why the book is inspiring such reader advocacy.
Of course, the best way to find a great read is still personal recommendations. And blog serials are a fantastic vehicle for me to recommend HA to new readers, since ebooks (unlike the old paperbacks) aren’t casually lendable. The Inheritance hooked my 20 year old son this way.
Just re-read the post and realized what’s been niggling at me: Ilona‘s joy at being able to move from editing back to writing reminds me of Elias‘ eagerness to finally go into the breach and get things done, leaving all the guild admin and politics behind. (Even if he does repeatedly resolve that the latest, or next, will be his last gate dive.)
Hope the current projects bring the point where the author lords can take things easy and just enjoy writing a little bit closer.
Fascinating take on the stats from marketed books; thanks. And I’ve got my dead tree version, yesterday. As one version of ‘On The Cover Of The Rolling Stone’ ended, “Dat’s byooteefulll!!!”
If you want young people its not in facebook, and also you need short vertical video with a brief interaction between some characters, also faster camera movements than your usual posts. Does your kindom has queer protags? Thats a way to reach thw new gen
Maybe its faster to hire a youngling
Already read the ebook. physical copy arrives later today. Woo-Hoo
The BDH is mighty!
I agree with your conclusions. The Inheritance was revealed on the blog to the horde. Yes, we are definitely biased, but that’s because we know your writing is so stellar. Publishing with TOR should bring more advertising and a bigger media presence. We all just need to write reviews and promote you as well.
I found the comments on the stats used by Amazon and others very interesting, but to be totally frank, I’m more interested by a burning question : who is Solentine ? Have I missed a snippet of information somewhere ? If so, where ? If not, well, WHO is he ? Obviously a character in TKWNKM, but WHO ?
Not asking for spoilers, precisely, but…
That’s for Maggie to know and us to find out 😉
well, it’s kinda nice because doesn’t the marketing on your traditional published books trickle back to the inheritance and self publishing anyway? 🙂
I still haven’t read it, but I did buy it!
Well I’m doing my part in marketing your books. I had introduced my 18-year-old grandson to your books last year; and even re-bought them for him. He has read everything up to “Inheritance”; which he WILL do soon. I introduced my DIL to your books, and she has started with “Innkeeper”. I did the same with my Dermatologist. And my husband read “Inheritance” on your blog; and will finish it. The kicker is…he isn’t a reader. In the 47 years we’ve been married, I have never seen him read a book. Male and female, 18 to 72, professionals and blue collar. Quite a span. Just think if every one of the BDH introduced 4 people to your books, how many more there would be.
Thank you, House Andrews, for your explanations. I very much appreciate learning how this whole process works. 🙂
I loved the Inheritance. It was fantastic. And I only buy digital now because I collect children’s myths and fairy tales and have run out of physical space for more books. So I don’t think about physical copies much.
BUT ( just a suggestion to the rest of the BDH) maybe we should be trying to talk to our friends and family who haven’t discovered KD, Innkeeper, etc. to try and then write more reviews.
I would hate to think that future generations might miss out because future publishers believe the BDH has all the books or have died off. One of my other favorite authors is H Beam Piper. I still go back and read Little Fuzzy about once a year. And then I have to read all the spin-off/sequels.
what I got from this is that the BDH needs to up those numbers to 25k 5* reviews. I’m pretty sure that was not the take away I was supposed to get. oh well time to go leave a 5* review
Re reaching new audiences, I introduced innkeeper (paperback) to a reluctant member of my bookclub. She loved the whole series, is now just discovering KD. In return, she has introduced me to the Chalet School.