Feb 2, 2019

Hey, everyone. I hope you made it through January with your sanity intact. Things continue to chug along with BoAT. Inkshares has kindly granted another extension on the campaign. We continue to be the top title in funding in terms of pre-orders, and one of the top titles trending on the entire Inkshares site.

But we are still a looong way from hitting the 750 pre-order mark. You may be asking at this point, and rightly so, if that goal is even obtainable.

The fact is, I don’t have to hit 750 to get this book published with Inkshares.

That’s right. The Inkshares team has seen enough to know that pre-sales alone are not a full measure of a title’s popularity or marketability. It is tough to convince strangers to pre-order a book which they can’t actually have and read yet, even if they like it.

That’s why Inkshares also has a program called Blink that tracks metrics like page visits and time spent reading chapters. Inkshares will also chose a book for publication based on these metrics, aside from number of pre-orders.

The thing is, I have no idea how well I am doing on these other metrics. Inkshares doesn’t share them with me. I could be close, or still miles away. That’s why I have kept the focus with you on reaching 750 – it is the clear and obvious goal that I can track through my Inkshares dashboard. 

But I have done plenty to drive those non-pre-order metrics.

I have reached out to hundreds and hundreds of people, tried Tweet promotion on Twitter, post boosts on Facebook, secured local newspaper coverage, posted flyers and business cards in my local coffee shops, library and gym. Many of you I know have also been spreading the word to friends and family and supporting my efforts on social media with shares, likes and retweets, and I thank you.

Together, we are driving eyeballs to BoAT’s page, even if those pre-orders are slow to come.

So, let’s keep at it. While pre-orders remain of utmost importance, know that the needle is moving on other key indicators behind the scenes, too.

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to Ricky Ruszin, who launched a campaign for a suspense thriller called Showtime only 17 days ago and has already racked up enough pre-orders to make BoAT look like it’s standing still. That’s hustle for you. 

As always, I remain truly humbled and grateful for the support each of you have lent this dream of mine thus far.

Cheers

Leo