Tina Boscha

Like so many out there on the interwebs, I’d like to post my 2012 goals.  But I’m still mulling those over, and in the interim, I thought I’d share a little tale about the wonders of social media.

In December, I had a goal of selling 100 books online.

NOTE: Before I go further, I know some of you might smile and think to yourself, shoot, I sell that many per day. And to you I say, WOW. (I also say, “Good for you” and “grumble grumble I am jealous but I know you worked for that so I won’t hate you”.) I also know some of you might read this and think, holy cow, I haven’t sold that many yet and it’s been <insert time period>. To you I say, keep going. We’re all in this biz together, from the crazy sellers to those who haven’t caught on yet.

Anyway, I wanted to sell 100 books via the Internet, ebook and paperback combined. I was part of a promotion that priced my ebook at 99 cents (and still is on Amazon), and I figured I might have a shot at it. I was also promoting quite a bit. And sales were picking up. But the end of the month was creeping close, and I hadn’t hit 100 yet. But I was so, so close. In fact, around noon on December 30, I was at 99.

I was at the computer (where else?) and my hubby came round and kissed me on the cheek. I was feeling a little hungry, and I turned to him and said, “If you really want to show me your love, you’ll get out that sausage.” I waggled my eyebrows up and down. Hint hint.

He paused, blinked, and then burst out laughing.

A second later, so did I. I shouted, “I meant the soppressata! I meant the soppressata!”

And then, like a true modern couple, we both mused how we should post that.

Which I promptly did. I posted a quick tweet about it, and then a gentleman I hadn’t interacted with before replied to me, poking fun at my Freudian slip. I noticed he was from the UK, and that was about it.

Then, about ten minutes later, I checked my sales (which I admit, I was doing religiously all day, on the hour). No movement on the American site. Then, on a whim, I checked the UK site. Now, I hadn’t sold a single solitary copy of River in the Sea to a UK reader. In fact, I have one review there, a 3* (my ONLY 3*, by the way). It’s not exactly helping me across the pond.

But lo and behold, there was a sale! A nice “1” in the sold column. I did it! I reached 100 books online! And, it was my first UK sale to boot!

Of course you know where this is going. I go back to Twitter and that same gentleman sent me a tweet that said he checked out my novel and bought it, remarking that it sounded fascinating. WOOHOO!

All this from telling the world of my waggling eyebrows and asking my sweet hubby to get out that sausage.