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Showing posts with label Taste of Candy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taste of Candy. Show all posts

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Do Free eBooks Increase Backlist Sales?

Hello, Fellow Writers!

I'm doing a marketing experiment. I recently got the rights back to Taste of Candy, a short novella originally published in 2011 by The Wild Rose Press.

After re-editing the book and giving it a shiny new cover, I self-published it for free by making it free on Smashwords, and having Smashwords distribute it to Apple and Barnes and Noble at the free price point.

Of course, at this moment it's still stuck in Apple's notorious "naughty jail" where all erotic romances go to do time before they're approved. ;)

Anyway, Amazon price-matched from 99c down to free once B&N had it up for free.

Right now, going through Smashwords seems to be the only way to get a perma-free book on iTunes, B&N, and Amazon. I uploaded it directly free to Kobo.

The first week the downloads were intense, getting me to #154 overall Free in Amazon, and up to #3 on the Free Amazon Erotica Bestseller list (which is higher than my paid books have ever gone, including Overheated and Enslaved, both Paid Amazon Erotica Bestsellers).

The book's gotten great reviews, but so far it seems like the Also-Boughts on Amazon are other free books, or other rockstar romances. We can compare that to Enslaved, where the also-boughts are the rest of the Enslaved Trilogy, or to books like Snowed in With the Tycoon or The Man Who Holds the Whip, where the also-boughts include the rest of my books.

So the experiment is still up in the air! So far, I'm happy reading reviews that say the reader loved my voice and will read my other books. Free for the win? Perhaps!

If you're an author, have you experimented with making one of your books free?

Read an excerpt from my free rockstar erotic romance Taste of Candy here.

Friday, July 15, 2011

I Used to Dream of Release Days

Hello Fellow Writers!
The day a new book comes out is always an exciting time for me. It gets me thinking back to a not-very-long-ago time when I dreamed and dreamed of having a published book come out. I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to write books and have people read them. Thank you to my readers, I love you all!

As many of you know, today is release day for Taste of Candy! Here's the post I put on my author site, www.ShoshannaEvers.com. I don't usually put excerpts on The Writer's Challenge since I like to think of this blog as PG-rated, but this excerpt (unlike the book) isn't too graphic. Still, please only read further if you are over eighteen. Thanks!

Taste of Candy Available Now!

My latest erotic romance novella, Taste of Candy, is now available from The Wild Rose Press.

Sizzling Hot Books reviewed it here, and Thomas said:
Taste of Candy is a great book. I loved the way that the author builds the relationship between the two characters. I would recommend Taste of Candy to all erotica readers.”

Here’s the blurb:
Candace “Candy” Bryce can’t believe her luck when she wins a dinner date with Dave Roads, the lead singer of a hot new band. Not only is he a drop dead gorgeous rock star, but after she lets it slip that she's never been able to reach orgasm with a man, he seems bent on giving Candy what she needs. Who knew all it would take is a little "tie me up," a few toys and Dave's merciless desire for a Taste of Candy?

And here’s an adult’s only excerpt:

Candy took another sip of the wine to buy time. Who wouldn’t want to hook up with a rock star? And he was so amazingly sexy…but he didn’t know what she was like in bed. According to all three of her ex-boyfriends, she was a prude. A cold, vanilla prude. But something about Dave made her feel sexy and exciting…
“I should tell you something,” she whispered.
Dave leaned in to hear her, a lock of his dark hair falling into his warm brown eyes.
“I’ve never been able to reach, um, that point with anyone.”
Dave frowned. “You’re a virgin?”
“No. I mean, I’ve never been able to have an orgasm with a man before.”
“How do you…relieve the tension?”
Candy lowered her voice even more, so that she could barely be heard above the quiet murmur of the other dining guests. “I’m fine if I’m by myself. Just um…not with anyone else.”
Dave broke out into a grin. “I’m taking that as a personal challenge. I’m going to make you come tonight.”
Was this really happening?
Their food came then, and Candy dove into her filet mignon with relish, enjoying how the meat practically melted in her mouth. “Delicious,” she murmured appreciatively.
“Not as delicious as you’re going to taste,” Dave said as he put down his steak knife.
“I really wouldn’t know.”
“Oh come on, are you telling me no guy has ever gone down on you before?”
“Well, I’ve never felt comfortable enough to do that, exactly. I get embarrassed.”
“I just need to get you to the point where you can’t think about anything except what I’m making you feel.”
Candy squirmed in her seat with barely contained excitement. “How?”
“I’d really like to tie you up so you can’t get away and then take my time bringing you to orgasm.”
Candy got wet at the thought of his mouth on her body, her hands tied above her head. She’d never done anything like that before. “I don’t know…”
“Why not? It’s just one night. One night to forget everything you thought you knew about yourself sexually and just let go.”

Here’s Taste of Candy on The Wild Rose Press site. If you buy it (only $2.50!) please email me and let me know what you think! I love to hear from readers and writers. My email is shoshanna.evers @ yahoo.com (no spaces).

Sexily *Evers* After… ShoshannaEvers.com   Twitter   Facebook   Blog   Titles at Ellora’s Cave

Monday, July 11, 2011

Squee! Good reviews!

Hello Fellow Writers!

I got some great reviews recently of my books, and I wanted to share :)

This one is for Chastity Belt from Ellora's Cave. (Read the whole review here) Thomas from Sizzling Hot Books said:
"Overall, Chastity Belt is a great read. I loved how the author built up the tension between the characters. I would recommend Chastity Belt to anyone that likes BDSM and surprises with the characters."

Yay!  The same reviewer reviewed my upcoming release Taste of Candy from The Wild Rose Press, and said:
"A Taste of Candy is a great book. I loved the way that the author builds the relationship between the two characters. I would recommend A Taste of Candy to all erotica readers."
(read the whole review here)

I've never gotten a pre-release review before :) Usually my reviews roll in several weeks after my books debut. I hope when Taste of Candy comes out on Friday that you guys like it as much as he did! *Fingers crossed*