Kind Friends, I have some wonderful news and stats to share with you. I hope you are having a happy holidays. Almost time for New Year’s Resolutions content too! Please tell me about your life too. Let me know in the comments what you felt about this year and some reflections ☺️

How I Sold Less But Maintained Flat Royalties YoY and What I’m Changing in 2025

Spotify Wrapped week is done but author wrapped is in.

If you haven’t taken a moment to reflect on the last year, I encourage you to do so, because I was having a pity party for myself thinking I hadn’t accomplished enough, when in fact this year had taught me so much.

Whether you are a reader or an author reading this, or just a curious person that stumbled upon me, take an hour to look through your camera roll, your texts, your journal entries, anything that can highlight what has come about this year, and write out what you are proud of and what you have learned. Take that knowledge into 2025, and your year will be all the better for it.

Um, I wrote how much in 2024? This is an improvement to 2023, where I wrote about 150K, and across only four books instead of over fourteen projects like I worked on this year. (Yeah, the ADHD went rampant this year.)

The 185K words does not include the blog post words, or deleted words. This is only final words in my documents. I’m sure I’ve hit over 200K once the blog posts are included.

Writing on 4thwords.com (use code SHKQT15560 if you’d like to join and get some extra perks) has been the joy of my year, helping me find more joy in writing faster, with a sprint system where you fight monsters and get crystals to buy clothes for your avatar by writing faster.

4TW has these cute little monsters that you fight by writing words 🤯

And then you get points to use to dress up your avatar and your room. It’s so much fun.

Yet despite the increase in word count, I published less this year. Only’s second edition was double in length, but the other two releases were just enhancements and new formats. So was the problem working in fourteen projects (still laughing at that)?

No, actually! 80% of those words are in two main projects, and the rest are with projects coming later, so it doesn’t feel like wasteful words.

Because of some changes in my son’s life, the stress has been high, and I had to postpone those two books to next year, but I think the projects will be all the better for it.

I’m so grateful to have launched my store Aria James Publishing and written twenty-nine blog posts (thirty including this one). I’ll have a wrap up of my best posts of the year soon, so stay tuned.

And launching Substack? HI! So glad you are here.

(2025 Update - I have removed Substack and my store, details in that year's write-up.)

Interesting points:

• Audiobooks more than doubled after I went wide, adding these audiobooks to libraries and Spotify

• Paperbacks and hardbacks are mostly flat on Amazon and other retailers, but more than doubled in direct outlets like Kickstarter and my website

• Ebooks declined 10% after joining Kindle Unlimited and less new book launches this year

I forgot to add an epic accomplishment in these pics. Ember Dragon Daughter also hit top 10 on Amazon free charts this summer! Only hit top 31, shown in the screenshot, and I believe this is the third or fourth time it’s been in the top 100 in the past year.

So did I meet my financial sales goals for the year? No, but the paradigm shift that got me to flat royalties while being down YoY is a shift in the right direction. I can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring.

Analyzing my sales data brought me to some interesting conclusions. I’m going to write out what they are here so you can get an example of how data can help make a decision, while your feelings are the main deciding factor. That mix is so important in my life.

Changes to my Author Life in 2025

These are not my goals for the year, that’s coming separately, but these are some decisions that do relate to them.

• Hardbacks that weren’t on Kickstarter were less than 1% of my sales. Hardback covers often cost extra and increase my admin work, so I won’t be offering them in 2025 other than for Kickstarter editions. (If you’ve preordered a hardback, an update is coming from me soon)

• Audiobook sales increased YoY, but I haven’t made back my investment on any of my 4 audiobooks. Until audiobooks are less costly, I can’t pursue them other than through selling audio rights, which I’m open too.

• Moving to KU lowered my ebook income more than expected, but being on one platform instead of over a dozen has saved me time and worry. As of now, I will continue.

• Genre: Despite paranormal selling more, this doesn’t impact what I plan to write. I alternate between genres depending on what my creativity needs. This part of my process keeps me happy.

• Direct Sales will continue, with tweaks to my process to bring in higher profit and lower time spent, as well as special editions or exclusive options. More details coming soon, but I have a surprise planned!

The Gut Check Test in Goal Setting

All decisions in my author life are based on data and feelings - when looking at what “didn’t go well” does it make me feel relieved or worried?

Harback sales were low, was I upset? No, though it was a little disappointing.

Then I asked myself, “what if I didn’t do them?” I felt relief. That was the answer.

Audiobooks are increasing, which is exciting, so I asked myself, “do I want to make more?”

The question immediately brought on stress because of profit margins (currently none) and time spent to QA and proof audio. Those stresses outweighed doing more.

KU brought my profit for ebooks down. “Do I want to take them off KU and go back wide?” I felt a clenching in my chest at the thought of managing all those files, website promos, and sales info again. The answer for now is no.

Can’t Feel Your Intuition? Use the Coin Test

The coin test is a good way to trick your brain into telling you what you want, because by “taking the choice from you” and having a coin decide, it’s easier to have a reaction then if you are reasoning with your thinking mind.

Ask “Should I do X?” and flip a coin. One side means yes do it, the other means no.

The coin “picks” the answer for you, but you will have a reaction to that choice being taken from you.

If you get disappointed in what the coin took from you or asked of you, you know your real answer.

For Now*

As always, I reserve the right to change my mind on these goals and changes, as I’ve changed it so many times this year!

I hope this author wrapped, which has honestly too much info in it, helps you know you can do the same too.

It’s not the numbers that matter, it’s how you feel about the numbers that does.

Cheers to an even better 2025!

If you’d like to keep reading and compare to previous years, read my Rachel H. Drake 2023 wrapup (only made half of those goals) and my 2024 phrase of the year.