When I grow up, I wanna be just like JA Konrath

If you're a reader, author, publisher or agent and you haven't heard about JA Konrath, then you must have been sleeping for the past 6 years and it's time to wake up and smell the margarita mix. JA, aka Joe, has become one of my book marketing idols and I aspire to be just like him "when I grow up". Truthfully, I think I'm a bit older than he is, and I really mean "when I figure out how to sell ebooks and make the kind of money Joe does."

JA Konrath is the author of the very popular "Jack" Daniels mystery series, and this guy knows how to sell ebooks--something I am just starting to get familiar with after taking back my ebook rights. In fact, he estimates he's selling 230 Kindle ebooks a day. WOW!

So what's the secret of his success? As much as he's been very gracious in sharing his techniques on his blog, I still can't see what exactly he's doing that is resulting in such high ebook sales--other than he's walked the walk, talked the talk and gotten his name (brand) out there any way he could PRIOR to going the ebook route. I've seen his name mentioned at events, conferences and everywhere online. Only a handful of authors seem to be making the ebook sales he's making.

I would like to be one of them. There! I said it. Out loud. In front of people. Ok, maybe only you, but I said it. I wanna be just like JA Konrath when I grow up. I am tired of making pennies and working long hours for such small financial rewards. Sure, money isn't everything; I LOVE to write! But I chose this as a career. Wait! That's not quite right. IT chose ME and wants to be a career. One where I make some money to validate the hours I spend pouring my heart and mind out onto my word processor, not to mention what I spend on marketing.

I was thinking of going back to school. Then I realized I AM in school. I'm attending Konrath University, reading his blog posts, reading his marketing book, studying everything he does, mimicking his techniques, creating some of my own and experimenting--because like Joe, I'm an experiment waiting to happen. And in case any of you are now rushing off to google Konrath U, I made that up. In other words, I'm kind of cyber-stalking Joe. He just doesn't know it. Yet. Or maybe he does...

Okay, break's over. Time to get back to my studies.

To learn more about JA Konrath, his novels and his amazing ebook sales, visit his blog A Newbie's Guide to Publishing and his website http://www.jakonrath.com. I'm hoping he'll add me to his links page since I blogged about him, so be sure to tell him you heard about him from Cheryl Kaye Tardif. lol

My ebooks:
Whale Song - available only at KoboBooks.com until June when it will be available thru Kindle and Smashwords.
The River - KoboBooks.com, Amazon Kindle and Smashwords
Divine Intervention - KoboBooks.com, Amazon Kindle and Smashwords

Lancelot's Lady - to be released September 27th via Kobo, Kindle and Smashwords.