Selling Direct

         Like many authors I'm always looking for new ways to reach my readers. I want to share my books and the characters I’ve created and love, but it seems to get more and more challenging every day. I love being self-published. I love being able to set my own hours and decide what kind of books I want to write. But with that also comes the need to help readers find my books. 

         Lately I've been taking a hard look at selling directly from my website. Again it comes back to I like being in control of my business. I like being in can in charge of my books, sales, and writing. I see many advantages to selling direct. If you're one of my readers I can offer you discounts and other perks for buying direct from me. There are just so many things that I can offer to my readers if I'm selling direct.

         I recognize not every reader wants to buy direct and many are prefer going to Amazon or Kobo or Barnes and Nobel to make their purchases. And that is totally fine. I do it all the time. I freely admit Amazon is my go to place, but I also like the idea that there are options besides the mega giants and I also like the idea I could help an artist by buying direct from them and receiving a more personalized touch that I don't get at a big box.

         The challenge for me as the author is how do readers find my books? I don't have a ready answer to that. I have made the decision that I'm going to start selling direct from my website, but my books will still be available everywhere, too.

         I sometimes wonder if this will be the next big thing in the in the Indy author world, and I suspect it will be for the exact reasons I just mentioned. But it’s not as simple as saying I'm going to sell from my website and walk away. There are many, many details that I have to learn, and it will probably be with the assistance of my web designer. 

         I’ll be starting with my children's books since they are all wide, meaning they are available everywhere. Next all my print books will be listed there. After that I’ll have to decide if I will take my books out of Kindle Unlimited (KU) and make them wide so I can sell them direct, too.

         There are so many things to consider. I might do a series at a time and see how they do, I just don't know yet, but it's a whole new world out there and life is all about trying new things, things that are scary. I've always believed in jumping in the deep end of the pool, then learn how to swim, and I've

pretty much done that my entire life. I know a lot of people sit down and educate themselves and learn. Me, I've always been a hands-on kind of girl and roll up my sleeves and get dirty. Life is messy and a lot of the time so are my methods. So stay tuned.

         In the meantime, what do you think about selling direct? Are you considering it? Would you purchase directly from an author?   

          Check out my latest release that is available everywhere, Falling in Love With Her, book 5 in the Falling in Love Series—The Murphy Clan.

        Paradise Falls, Idaho, June, two years ago

I’ve found someone else…

Bare feet planted in the Serenity River, the forest heavy with cedar and pine, Ingie Pulaski should have been in her element, but those four words from her fiancé, Bryce Barlow, still sent her down the river without a paddle.

Staring into the slow-moving water, her simple A-line, square-necked wedding gown was reflected back at her. A hollow cry welled up from the depths of Ingie’s soul, slamming into her with such force it left her breathless and aching with fury. All the hopes and dreams she’d kept hidden away had been ripped from her grasp.

Wiggling her toes, sensation momentarily returned to her feet.

Lifting the rod, she cast the fly line over the water in one smooth motion. Hours had passed and not a single hit. The fish were nowhere to be seen, the same as her empty ring finger. 

She pulled in the line, then whipped it overhead, once, twice before laying it on the water, sending her pent-up frustration with it. 

Did you really expect it to end any other way?

The echo of her mother’s voice severed the slim hold she had on her emotions. Another cry welled up within her, broken by an annoyed meow. Setting the fly rod aside, she scooped the feline off the boulder, burying her face in his soft fur. 

His purr intensified, vibrating inside her. She squeezed him closer, easing the ache burning in her chest.

As she scraped her nails along the one-eyed black-and-white kitten’s back, Taz—short for Tasmanian Devil—rubbed his head against her neck. The persnickety feline had arrived on her doorstep six months ago and became her shadow, following her everywhere. 

Taz might be a bit haughty, but he’d never leave her at the altar like Bryce had.

The ding of Bryce’s text minutes before she started down the aisle kept repeating like song lyrics, annoying and unrelenting.

I found a woman who fits into my world...

Taz squirmed, and she set him back on the boulder. Crouched on his haunches, he began meticulously cleaning himself.

Splash!

A fat rainbow leapt from the water and the reel began to whir like a psychotic sewing machine. 

Grabbing the rod, she quickly reeled in the excess line. Any other day she’d have been thrilled to have a monster trout on the line, but today it only dulled the throbbing inside. 

In what universe did a man like Bryce Barlow, handsome, talented, multi-millionaire boat designer and manufacturer want her? His betrayal turned her mother’s last words to prophecy. “She’s an ugly duckling. She’ll never attract a man. A husband and family aren’t in her future.”

Ignoring the voice, she started reeling again and minutes later landed the biggest fish of her life, but she had no one to share it with other than an indifferent feline.