2024-01-02
Book sales Entreprenerd 2021-2023
About half a year ago, I published the sales results of my 2021 book Entreprenerd. I sold 70 copies in the first half of 2023; sales dropped to 35 copies in the second half of the year. That number isn't definitive yet, because some sales channels don't report every sale immediately, but I don't expect big changes.
So far, I've sold 812 copies of the book. It comes in three versions: hardcover, paperback and eBook.
- I've sold almost as many eBooks as paperbacks: 348 (+22 in 2H23) versus 336 (+10 in 2H23). Those numbers are somewhat skewed: 200 of those paperbacks were sold in the context of talks at events where the event organizer bought copies to distribute among the attendees. I also sold 126 copies (+3 in 2H23) of the hardcover version.
- When we look at the personal sales, we see that I personally sold 16 copies of the paperback on top of the 200 I already mentioned (+1 in 2H23). I also sold 27 hardcover copies personally (+0 in 2H23).
- Looking at the eBook version, we see that Amazon leads the dance with 189 copies (+12 in 2H23), followed by Leanpub with 105 copies (+6 in 2H23). I combined the other channels because none of them stood out: 54 copies (+4 in 2H23, 3 of which through Kobo).
It's hard to calculate the exact revenue because I receive royalties in all kinds of currencies. To make it easy for myself, I use a currency value table that is fixed in time. I know this isn't correct, but it's the best I can do. Using that inaccurate method, I've made €5,197.28 in royalties so far.
Amazon KDP is still the top selling channel (189 eBooks and 122 paperbacks). Its reports allow us to see where the books were sold. Let's take a closer look:
Observe the difference in revenue estimated by Amazon versus my own guesstimate.
- According to my own calculations, I made a total of €1,796.09 (€951.08 eBook + €845.01 paperback) in royalties with KDP.
- According to Amazon's estimate, I made €1,890.55.
The difference of €94.46 is easy to explain. I use the same fixed currency values for the American dollar, British Pound, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, Polish Zloty, Indian Rupee, Japanese Yen, and Brazilian dollar since 2021. Amazon's estimate takes into account the currency values at the end of each month. The royalties that are actually paid use the currency values at the moment of payment. That makes it complicated, doesn't it?
Many people tell me those numbers are great; they also congratulate me on the great reviews I'm getting (last checked today, on July 6, 2023).
| Site | Rating | # Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.42 stars | 24 votes |
| Amazon | 4.6 stars | 20 votes |
| Rakuten Kobo | 4.33 stars | 3 votes |
I have no plans to write a book in 2024 (yet), but I wrote several short stories (most of them in Dutch) that will be published in anthologies and magazines that will be released in 2024. I also have a gentlemen's agreement with a local publisher to prepare a book containing 42 short stories that will be published in 2025 (also in Dutch). That should be fun!
Entreprenerd
Wintercircus
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