23 copies in an hour...how low can you go?

The flash hour for Drummer Boy resulted in 23 sales as of the rough count, though ranking is sticking at #6,972. I'll keep an eye on it during the next hour to see how it follows up and make a more thorough report this evening. Thanks, all, for playing. What happens when the flash mob is over? Does someone have to sweep the digital streets?

Update: it rose to #6,024 in Hour Number Two. Guess I'll wait for 5 p.m...

I have to admit, there was a time yesterday when I was thinking, "Scott, you're just going to embarrass yourself. You will sell two copies--including the one you buy yourself. Nobody cares. They are too busy with their own lives and have more important things to do than worry about your book." I was tempted to just cancel the whole idea and go dig in the garden. But I also got support from friends and peers, and the stoopid Scott that says, "It's crazy! Do it!" I am glad I did. My wife says, "Have it all." My mom says, "Never give up." My daughter says, "Daddy is a good horror writer." (Hopefully, she doesn't say that to the school counselors, or we'd have to be in for a "talk.")

5 o'clock update--shot to #648, my highest rank ever! There are seven sales in hour #2 so I will follow that up with another rank report. It doesn't seem to be stimulating sales for my other books, though. They appear to be doing their usual turtle crawl.

This is really odd--6 pm update--fewer sales (7) and it STILL rises, to #557. So the averaging formula must spread the numbers out somehow. The promo blitz officially jumped the shark when I made my wife buy one last hour so the "beat goes on."

Even weirder--only five sales in the third hour yet it rises to #524. Maybe fewer people buy books during Rush Hour!

For category watchers, it hit #1 in the "Ghosts" category for both Kindle and all books, and #2 in "Occult." I've had three books in the Top 10 of Ghosts at the same time and haven't seen major mojo from it. I've hit #1 in "Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy" (my daughter was really impressed that I was ahead of C.S. Lewis) and couldn't quit my wonderful Day Job. Unfortunately, those aren't budget-busting categories like "Mystery" or "Thriller," where the book would have a chance to go mini-viral. On the other hand, it beats a sharp stick in the eye. I will now test that theory. Ouch. Yep, definitely better'n a stick in the eye.

Beth has posted a guest blog at Maybe Tomorrow? Book Blog if you need even more Drummer Boyness.

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