When I was releasing stories through publishers, I had no control over my release dates. The publisher told me when the story was being released and I had to work with that date.
Now that I’m Indie, I have total control over my release dates.
Indie writers decide on release dates based on a variety of ways. Some writers have lucky dates (for example, the 7th of every month). Some writers have set number of days between releases. Some writers always release on a specific day on a specific week (for example, the third Wednesday of the month).
The release month for my stories is usually determined by how quickly I can write these stories. It normally takes me two months to write one of the cyborg stories. Then it takes me a month for multiple rounds of edits. That means I can release a cyborg story every three months.
The actual date in that month is determined by what I personally like as a reader. I believe a writer can never go too wrong if she/he makes decisions around what readers like and want.
I prefer that releases in my favorite niches are spaced out time-wise. Having stories from fifteen of my favorite SciFi Romance writers releasing in one week stresses me out. Which story do I read first? I want to read them all on release day. It also depresses me because I know there will be weeks with NO big SciFi Romance releases.
What I do, as an Indie writer, is look at the Hot New Releases Top 100 lists on Amazon for my categories and note when other writers are releasing. I also reach out to other writers in my niche. I’ll message Cara Bristol, for example, and ask if she’s releasing a story from her awesome cyborg series that month.
If another writer’s cyborg story is releasing in the second week, I might release my story in the third week. If twelve SciFi romances from other writers are releasing in the third week, I might release my story in the fourth week.
Sometimes I’ll move months. I had originally planned to release Chasing Mayhem in August. Then I discovered that Laurann Dohner, one of my favorite cyborg romance writers, was re-releasing her 8 story cyborg series AND releasing a brand new 9th story in August. I knew I’d be reading those stories all month. I figured other cyborg romance buddies would be doing the same thing. So I moved Chasing Mayhem’s release date to September.
As for the day of the week, I usually release stories on Tuesdays. Big publishers release their stories then because it is the ideal day for making the USA Today Bestseller List. I release my stories then because, thanks to the big publishers, that’s when many readers (including myself) expect them to be released. If the story releases early, I’m happy. If the story releases later, I usually worry that I’ve somehow missed release day.
That’s my rather bizarre method of determining release dates. (grins)
Reading buddies, is there a day you prefer stories be released on? Writing buddies, how do you decide release dates?
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Wild. Free. Hers.
Mayhem has spent his lengthy lifespan obeying the Humanoid Alliance’s rules. Finally free from their cruel control, the cyborg warrior plans to cause chaos. He infiltrates a remote settlement, provokes the savage locals until they want him dead, and allows himself to be captured by the sexiest little Retriever he has ever laid his mechanically-enhanced eyes on.
Imee’s sole mission in life is to keep her family alive. To do this, she must hunt rebels, returning them to the Humanoid Alliance’s evil clutches where they will be executed. She doesn’t allow herself to feel anything for her targets…until she meets a tall, muscular cyborg with wild hair and even wilder eyes.
With his sure hands, laughing lips and erotic holds, Mayhem makes Imee’s body sizzle and her resistance melt. Their love is doomed. She must deliver the warrior to his death or she’ll place her family’s safety at risk. But she can’t resist him.
Imee soon discovers that Mayhem, life, and love are never predictable.
Chasing Mayhem is Book 6 in the Cyborg Sizzle series and is a STANDALONE story.
It is also a BBW Cyborg SciFi Romance.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Mayhem-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01IRPO9WY#nav-subnav
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chasing-Mayhem-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01IRPO9WY/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-chasingmayhem-2077430-340.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-mayhem-cynthia-sax/1124139998
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/chasing-mayhem
I’ve done the traditional Tuesday release, but lately have begun to release on Monday, to avoid the crowd. My upcoming release, however, will come out on Tuesday because Monday is a holiday in the US and holidays suck sales wise. Which leads to another release rule….I won’t release a book after early November. It would just get swallowed up in the flood of Christmas books.