He showed up in the middle of sophomore year and was a bit of an enigma. And if he even looked in my direction, it was an adrenaline rush. For two and a half years, he totally dominated my thoughts. I obsessed ... and made everyone around me nuts. Like every crush, it was epic highs and crushing lows. Publishing For Ever has actually felt very similar!
Yesterday, after a grand high, I came crashing back to reality. Why? Because I had the brilliant idea to run a very last-minute free promotion on Amazon (thinking to myself, "Fewer people have been buying For Ever since August, so maybe its run is over ... let me test that theory."). By the end of the day (or as close to midnight as I got), For Ever had reached #13 in the Children's Love and Romance category (free) and #56 in the overall Children's Fiction category (free). Now, in my short foray in self-publishing, I know this is not a great feat. It's easy to give away free stuff. People love free stuff.
In the aftermath, I'm left with two questions: First, will anyone who downloaded a copy for free actually read it? And second, are the people who downloaded it for free the intended audience or simply people who like getting free stuff, regardless of whether or not it seems like something they would enjoy?
I just don't know; therefore, my experiment with free is over until I see compelling evidence (i.e. that someone who downloaded it for free read and enjoyed For Ever) to change my mind.
That said, I'm very grateful for the support of the readers who took a risk and splashed out the $0.99 (£0.77). (For those of you who have reached out to say a kind word, I am extra grateful.)
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