Interview with Successful Indie Author Lexi Revellian

Today, in my first ever interview at Ebook Endeavors, we’ll be talking to (typing at) Lexi Revellian, a UK-based author who sold more than 4,000 copies of her ebook Remix in December.

Please tell us about Remix and how you got into e-publishing.

Remix is my third novel; the first two are untypical fantasy, which I concluded were not genre-specific enough to get published. Remix was my attempt to write a publishable book – though ironically, it too crosses genres. I tried to write as much of a page turner as an early Dick Francis, with a naïve yet intelligent heroine.

I gave myself a year to submit to agents before self-publishing. I submitted to 38 agents and four publishers; two agents approached me, four asked for the full typescript, two said they’d like to see my next novel. None of them offered me a contract.

I set up my own micro-press, Hoxton Press, and self-published for Kindle and Smashwords; I also produced a paperback with Lightning Source.

I can definitely sympathize with producing stories that don’t fit neatly into one genre (or two or three or four…). Did you have any trouble finding categories for your books on Amazon?

Yes – at the start I tinkered around with the Amazon categories, and never figured them out. You choose, then they put it somewhere else. They’ve got Remix under Romance, which is not how I’d describe it – and I worry that will put off male readers, though many men have enjoyed it. But then I share the category with Jane Austen, so can’t complain.

You’re doing quite well at Amazon, especially Amazon UK! What have you done for book promotion?

My total ebook sales since August are over 8,000 so far, and 7,000 of those were November onwards. Mainly on Amazon UK, where Remix has been in the Kindle top 100 for three months, but it’s selling respectably in America too. I’ve had only a few sales on Smashwords, not sure why.

I think you need luck in any type of publishing, and I’ve been lucky. I was the first author to join KUF, and the members chose Remix for October’s book of the month. My book has been reviewed on several blogs. I go on the UK Amazon forums – not the US ones much, can’t seem to get a toehold there – and though I seldom plug, I always have a link to Remix below my signature.

I’ve had a writing blog and a website for years, and have recently joined Twitter.

You do a nice job maintaining an interesting blog. Do you have any idea how many books you sell through your blog and website?

No – though I have noticed in recent weeks many more people have reached my website and blog after searching for Lexi Revellian. I think that will be useful when I have a second book to sell, I hope before the middle of this year.

Did you hire an editor and a cover art designer, or did you handle things yourself?

I proofread, edited, and formatted the text, and designed the cover. I enjoyed learning how to do this, particularly the formatting. I’m fairly obsessive about getting things right, and there’s a lot of help available on the internet. Beta readers were invaluable for picking up on plot holes and details I’d got wrong.

Do you have any suggestions for new indie authors trying to build a name for themselves (and make sales!)?

Write a book that people enjoy reading. Make sure your editing and formatting is perfect, your cover appealing and your blurb enticing. You will need to let readers know your book exists. Look at indie books and authors that are doing well and analyse why they are successful. Don’t overprice your book; what matters is not what you think it’s worth – it’s what the buyer is prepared to pay for a book by a writer she’s never heard of. Write another good book.

This is a terrific time for indie writers; with the advent of the Kindle we can compete for the first time with mainstream authors, on a nearly level playing field. This just isn’t possible with paper books.

Do you think it’s important to show up in a category Top 100 bestsellers list?

I’m sure it helps, but I’m not there yet in the US! I can only speak about the UK Kindle Store, where Remix is in the overall Top 100. That gives your book huge exposure. Amazon rewards books that sell; you spot your title cropping up all over the site.

You have the kindle version of Remix listed at $0.99 right now. Have you tried experimenting with price? Do you have any thoughts on the great pricing debates going on around the web?

I’m an unknown writer, and I want to build a readership. Readers are naturally reluctant to pay much for a book by someone they’ve never heard of, or seen in a bookstore. I want them to give me a chance, so I price Remix as low as I can. That’s not a reflection of my estimation of the book’s worth, it’s a deliberate policy to maximise sales. And, though I put time and effort into writing it, selling a thousand e-copies costs me the same as selling ten.

It’s more fun selling a lot of books.