Very exciting this morning.
INCEPTIO has been doing well on Amazon.co.uk with 41 reviews so far – 34 5-star and 7 4-star – and at time of writing has a sales rank hovering around #15,000 in the paid Kindle store. In July, it even hit #6,773. All very satisfactory for a first book by an unknown.
That was on the European side of the pond…
On 2 October, INCEPTIO’s ranking on the US site was at a respectable but unexciting #104,459 on 2 October in Amazon Best Sellers Rank, Paid in Kindle Store. Now, Amazon.com is the world’s biggest site and includes sales in countries other than just the US, so I wasn’t too depressed. These things take time.
This morning, I woke up to this result on Amazon.com:
So you can see why smiles are painted all over the forum columns here.
STOP PRESS!
Now (4.30pm)
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In the eleven days before PERFIDITAS is published on 17 October, you can enter a competition to win a signed copy of the paperback. You could be amongst the first to read it, and also receive one of the specially designed bookmarks.
More about PERFIDITAS Watch the trailer
To enter, click on the button in the panel below…
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 A new fan I met today who said she loved thrillers with a difference, asked me why I used my obviously female name and not initials. She thought I would gain more credibility as A M Morton than Alison Morton as I would sound like a man. I gave a stock answer and buried my feminist hackles. But it’s an honest question from a member of the reading public.
Why J K Rowling and not Joanne Rowling?
M C Beaton and not Marion Beaton?
P D James and not Phyllis James?
But what about Sara Paretsky, Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith, Lindsey Davis, Elizabeth George? And C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, P.G. Wodehouse, C.S. Forester, C J Sansom, and J D Salinger – are they perceived as any more masculine because they use initials?
It’s something I thought about when I started writing. Would it sell more books if my gender was hidden? But would it be deceptive and possibly annoy potential buyers when they ‘found out’? I’d always been known as ‘Alison Morton’ and couldn’t quite see myself as a rather remote ‘A M Morton’.
The old idea that men don’t read books written by women doesn’t seem to hold so much water – at least, I’ve found that to be the case with INCEPTIO even though the protagonist is a strong female character and the setting a feminised, modern version of a Roman society.
This may be a sweeping generalisation and I’m prepared to be shot down, but reading around this subject on the forums and readers’ groups, one thing seems to stand out (if I may phrase it that way): many male readers express an absolute dread of the ‘R’ word – romance, even if it’s a minor part in the story or written in a matter of fact, non-emotional way. That’s a shame: emotional relationships are the things that bind people together and to miss this dimension out of any genre of book subtracts some of the essential human substance from the story.
Do you pick up books with initials rather than a full female name?
Do you get annoyed to find out the initials disguise gender?
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers, INCEPTIO, and PERFIDITAS. Third in series, SUCCESSIO, is now out.
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 All are welcome! Here are the details:
An evening with Alison Morton
Wednesday 6 November 2013 at 7pm
Waterstones 32-40 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2TD
Alison will talk about and read from her new novel, PERFIDITAS, an alternate history thriller, the second in the Roma Nova series, and sign copies afterwards.
“Sassy, intriguing, page-turning… Roma Nova is a fascinating world.”
Simon Scarrow, author of the Eagle (Macro and Cato) series
“Powerful storytelling, vivid characters and a page-turning plot makes Alison Morton’s PERFIDITAS a must read.”
Jean Fullerton, author of the East London series
“The plot is complex and clever; the scenes and characterisations so vividly described that I almost felt I was watching a movie in my mind at times. ”
Sue Cook, writer and broadcaster
Tickets £3 available from Tunbridge Wells Waterstones on the ground floor or over the phone on 0843 290 8658. Complimentary drink on arrival, plus ticket redeemable off the price of the book on the night.
Watch the book trailer for PERFIDITAS
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 (Don’t miss the update at the end!)
The what?
In the large sea of self/independently published work, there is a lot of flotsam and jetsam and not all of it is worth picking up. How to tell? Well, indieBRAG, a privately held organization has brought together a large group of readers, both individuals and members of book clubs, located throughout the United States, Canada, and the European Union to address this.
Their mission is to recognise quality on the part of authors who self-publish both print and digital books, principally fiction. Staying with the nautical image, they provide a rudder, possibly now becoming a compass.
So how do they do it?
First, they select titles from the large and rapidly growing pool of indie books available, then members drawn from their reader group evaluate and judge the merits of each book based on their list of criteria. The single most important criterion they ask their readers to use in judging a book is whether or not they would recommend it to their best friend. Once a book meets this standard of quality, they award it the B.R.A.G. MedallionTM.
 They are known to be very picky so it’s a great honour to be on the list and it’s a recognised standard in the independent sector.
Now INCEPTIO continues on its voyage, happily on board a solid ship and will soon be wearing a new gold sticker…
UPDATE
A writing friend of mine, Jane Steen adds this:
“On Saturday (28 September 2013) I went to the IndieB.R.A.G. lunch in Chicago. No sales pitch, just a warm friendly welcome (with book-themed cupcakes finishing off a delicious lunch!) and a real interest in promoting author-published books.
I submitted my novel to them for the BRAG Medallion some time ago, and was recently approved so I was curious (and a little wary) of who these people are and how they choose books. Apparently, after the initial selection process (to screen out the obvious “no” candidates of the unedited first draft kind) each book is read by 5 readers, who vote yes or no. About 90% of the books submitted to them don’t make it through. They are beginning to gain some traction as a “gatekeeper” and have plans to work with bookstores etc. to make author-published books more widely available.
They are currently closed to unsolicited submissions because of the volume they receive every time anyone like me mentions them, but they will open up as soon as they get their TBR pile down. Just wanted to let you guys know they’re on the level and encourage you to go to the next event they arrange.”
Ninety per cent rejected. There you have it.
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers, INCEPTIO, and PERFIDITAS. Third in series, SUCCESSIO, is out early summer 2014.
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