Rebranding

This is the post that I had really meant to put up, but I did not have my images ready. Karen and I were having a discussion about book titles and "Chaya Four One!" was the main topic. Whereas it means a lot to me, it probably does little for most and certainly would not get many hits on search engines. So, rebranding is perhaps the word of the day. Titles are the first thing we see in a bookshop or on a web site and if they attract no attention and invoke no questions, what good are they?

We came up with two possibilities for now, obviously the potential list is only bounded by imagination, and here they are:

1) Across the Zambezi
2) African Encounter

We decided that Chaya Four One! is principally a romance so the latter appeals, but Across the Zambezi also has attraction. My resident artist also suggested new a new cover, so quickly last night two were created. I am looking for votes on which might garner the most interest.

Across the Zambezi

African Encounter

e-Books versus print books

I was getting disheartened by the lack of notifications from Amazon of sales of any of my books. I still make sales myself to those unfortunates who are seated next to me on plane rides and are thus victims to the sales pitch, but as plane rides are few and far between these days, I will not get rich doing that. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by notices from Amazon Accounts Payable of monies posted to my acount. I admit the sums are not vast and as they say I should definitely not give up my day job, whatever that is, but it is welcome money all the same. The receipts come from e-Book sales and, surprisingly to me, the book that sells the best is "Just off the Great North Road". Quite why that is is a mystery to me, perhaps the title, perhaps the cover image. What it does confirm for me is that any new releases need to go out as an e-Book at the same time as the print version, or perhaps I'll try one that is e-Book only with no attendant print version.

Web site hits

I reviewed statistics of my web site www.kilihune-books.com yesterday and was surprised by the level of activity from the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China. Kilihune Books is my publishing company and to date there are five books listed, Chaya Four One!, Just off the Great North Road, Kuuipo, The journal of Jan Englebrecht and The Sagitta Mishap. Which of these excites interest in Russia and China I cannot tell, but presume it is the last. The Sagitta Mishap after all is about ballistic missile programs and events surrounding an incident in a factory building the rocket stages.  Take a look and let me know if you agree with my assessment.