Your chart looks a lot like mine. Much of that trough is where I didn't produce any book of note. I'd slipped off people's radar. Now that I'm trying to get back on people's radar, I'm finding it difficult. So I'm expanding my reach in areas where I can trying to draw in new readers. It's difficult.
To that end, I'm going to stick with I'm doing even if I see 0 sales and 0 views on what I'm producing. Consistency. In a year, I want someone to show up and go "Oh! Look at all this content" and realize they can binge content which will, hopefully, lead them to my books.
As you said, people don't respect free any more. They'll grab the book(s) and move on, usually not reading. A few years ago, a bigger author said the number of people that buy the 2nd book in the series is under 5% of those that pick up the free book and even less for the 3rd book. The power of free isn't there any longer with so many books on the market.
You and I are in the same bin at the moment. Trying to regain people's attention, knowing we've got a product that, at one time, people wanted. It's a painful situation to be in and, with luck, we'll find a way out.
One of my favorite quotes from Donald Westlake (from one of Dortmuder novels, I think): "Whenever things sound easy, turns out there's one part you didn't hear."
Your chart looks a lot like mine. Much of that trough is where I didn't produce any book of note. I'd slipped off people's radar. Now that I'm trying to get back on people's radar, I'm finding it difficult. So I'm expanding my reach in areas where I can trying to draw in new readers. It's difficult.
To that end, I'm going to stick with I'm doing even if I see 0 sales and 0 views on what I'm producing. Consistency. In a year, I want someone to show up and go "Oh! Look at all this content" and realize they can binge content which will, hopefully, lead them to my books.
As you said, people don't respect free any more. They'll grab the book(s) and move on, usually not reading. A few years ago, a bigger author said the number of people that buy the 2nd book in the series is under 5% of those that pick up the free book and even less for the 3rd book. The power of free isn't there any longer with so many books on the market.
You and I are in the same bin at the moment. Trying to regain people's attention, knowing we've got a product that, at one time, people wanted. It's a painful situation to be in and, with luck, we'll find a way out.
Keep at it. Stay Awesome!
One of my favorite quotes from Donald Westlake (from one of Dortmuder novels, I think): "Whenever things sound easy, turns out there's one part you didn't hear."