1/20/18
1/4/18
12/31/17
11/27/17
10/18/17
Good morning, everyone!
I wish I could be running through my office popping some champagne, but alas we came up about 20 readers short of getting into the Top Three.
I do want to say congratulations to Paul, Kate, and Meghan -- you all have what look like amazing stories, and I know all of your readers (including me) are eager to get them.
THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and my story so far. Your support and well wishes mean the world to me, they really do.
But things are not over for "Devil" quite yet. I’m going to take a few days to be disappointed (’cause I am, I gotta be honest: when you want to be in the Top 3, fourth place kinda sucks :-) ) and recuperate. Doing this campaigning can be really mentally and emotionally draining.
However, my funding window is still open and there is no reason that "The Devil You Don’t" can’t hit the Quill funding level or better. So, after a pout and a nap, I will turn my attention to figuring out how to make that happen... because I really do believe "The Devil You Don’t" is a great story and I want to make sure you all get a chance to enjoy it.
I’ll keep you posted. Thank you again.
Best,
Susan I probably need all of the above. :-)
10/17/17 - part 2
Sorry for second message, but I totally spaced!
I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Craig Munro and the Fantasy Syndicate, who also selected "The Devil You Don’t" as their October pick to back.
Thank you all very much -- I really appreciate the support and vote of confidence.
Best,
Susan
10/15/17
Hello! Well, we are certainly coming down to the wire in Launchpad and I think I’m going to have grey hair and high blood pressure by the time we’re done.
Right now, less than 20 pre-orders stand between "The Devil You Don’t" and that third place spot! So a HUGE thank you to those of you who have ordered and gotten me this far. WE ARE SO CLOSE!
I am doing my best to network and contact all of my prospects, and hopefully will see more orders come in to propel us up into that third place spot (or better!). Please, if you have not ordered yet, it would be a tremendous boost to have you become an official reader.
The competition will end on October 17 -- That’s in just a few days!
And don’t forget: If I’m in the Top 3 at the end of the competition, I will be doing a "thank you" raffle for everyone who pre-orders a copy, and the prize is a $100 Amazon gift card!
And speaking of raffles. I’m happy to announce that the winners of my first raffle were Tracey Bigelow (gift card) and Trinity McKay (signed copy of "Darkstar Rising"). And I just passed my 100 reader mark, so as promised, I’ve done the second drawing. The lucky winners are Karen Bradbury (gift card) and Jessica Hackett (signed copy of "Darkstar Rising")! Congratulations.
I’ll send another update before the competition ends -- thank you for your support and enthusiasm. You guys are the best readers ever!
All the best,
Susan
10/9/17
Well, it has been a day full of surprises, let me tell you!
First, I learned today (and it was confirmed by Elena), that the original deadline for Launchpad was incorrect! That’s right -- all this time I’ve been working towards a 10/10 finish when the real contest deadline is October 16 (that’s next Monday).
So I am psyched to have the chance to continue building my reader base over the next week, but I know all the other authors will be doing the same thing, so I will keep at it right until the end. The thing that terrifies me about this is that I built my entire marketing plan around that first date so now, I’m flying without a net a little. But that’s where the magic happens, right?
Second, I was thrilled to learn today that "The Devil You Don’t" was selected as the October pick for the Rite of Passage Syndicate on Inkshares. I am delighted and humbled that this wonderful group of folks has elected to throw their backing behind my book.
Where does that leave things then?
As of right now--with one week left--I am in fourth place, and thanks to the syndicate and several orders that have come in over the past 24 hours, am working towards that elusive top three. But there is a lot of time left, and I can’t just kick back and assume orders will roll in. I know it takes a lot of focus and hard work to bring in pre-orders, and I’m up for the challenge.
If you haven’t ordered yet, the clock has reset, but it is still winding down. Please consider a pre-order -- if not for you, a gift for the book lover in your life? A donation to your local library? The possibilities are endless!
And if you have ordered, you know you have my constant and sincere thanks for your support.
I’ll update again soon. Until then, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."
Best,
Susan
10/4/17
Hello -- a quick update for everyone on where we stand in the competition (we’re down to 6 days!)
First, I’m thrilled to announce that "The Devil You Don’t" was chosen by the Quill Brotherhood Syndicate as their selection to back in the month of October. Big thank you to the QBS for that -- there are lots of excellent books on Inkshares and I’m honored that you selected this one.
Second, we have passed the 50 order mark! Thanks to a random generator, I’ve selected my two raffle winners and notified them via email -- and I’ll announce names once they get back to me (one is listed as "reader writer" so until he/she responds, I don’t know who the winner actually is!).
And thanks to some recent activity, we’re now tied for 4th place in the competition!
Since I was in Launchpad last year as well, I am well aware of how much can change in the last week--and especially the last days--of this contest, so this is not a time to start coasting. Fourth place is great, but third place or better is what I’m shooting for, so I’m going to keep looking for new readers right up until the end because every person makes a difference.
Please share info about "The Devil You Don’t" with your friends or order a copy for yourself if you haven’t already!
Best,
Susan
Full link to my page in case anyone needs it: https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t
September 12, 2017