What is It Like When an Indie Author’s New Romance Story is Self-Published on Amazon: Here Is What I Did Right and What I Did Wrong

 

My new romance short story came out on February 4th, titled “Held Captive By My Crazy, Hot Boss.” The story is my first dark romance short, and I had it up for preorder on Amazon. This isn’t the first story I had up for preorder but like the last one it did not sell at all. Here is what I did right and what I did wrong with the writing and publication of my dark romance short on Amazon.

 

Things I Did Right: I Got a Good Romance Book Cover

The first thing I did right was to get a good romance book cover. The cover is sexy and well designed. Although I got the cover from Fiverr, the graphic designer did a great job, and I think that romance fans will like it. It is the type of cover that will have romance readers curious about the book.

 

Things I Did Wrong: The Hero on The Romance Book Cover May Not Be Brooding Enough

The first thing I did wrong is that the hero on my romance book cover is not brooding enough. I told the book cover designer to either put a  shirtless hero on the cover or a woman and a man. She chose the couple, and I love it, but I wonder if not having a brooding hero would have been better.  When I look at book covers for dark romances, there is usually a man on the cover with tattoos all over him while mine not so much. I like my book cover, but if I do a dark romance again, I will try for a brooding hero on it.

 

Things I Did Right: My Story is Interesting

The second thing I did right was that I wrote an interesting story. I think readers will be drawn into the story and will find a romance that is funny as well as unexpected. If I could write it again, which I guess I can through revising, I would do one thing differently which gets me to what I did wrong.


Things I Did Wrong: It May Not Be Dark Enough

The second thing I did wrong was write a dark story that may not be dark enough. Dark romances are seriously dark while mine may have too much humor and not enough brooding, possessive hero, but I will wait to see how readers react to the story.

 

Things I Did Right: Write to The Romance Market

With my short romances, I tend to follow my artistic whims and not quite follow the market but that will change this year. When you follow the market, you can give romance readers what they want, and what I am starting to figure out, while also putting your own artistic spin on it.

 

Things I Did Wrong: My Romance Story is Short

I am starting to realize that short romances like I do, 5,000 to 7,000 words, are a hard sell especially as a preorder. But I am not going to give up, I also realized that I can’t wait forever between self- publishing my romance short stories. My last one was published in Oct/November. To build up a readership, I am going to have to publish a story or two a month, if not more.

 

Conclusion

When navigating the ends and out of self- publishing romance short stories you are going to make mistakes. I am figuring out to just learn from them and keep writing. If interested in reading my story you can find it here. https://www.amazon.com/Held-Captive-Crazy-Hot-Boss-ebook/dp/B0GG5M5LV5?r

 

 

 

 

 

 

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