I don't know about you, but I can get really OCD about checking my numbers. Like really. There's no better way to procrastinate than to repeatedly check your stats: how many books sold in the last hour, minute, second? The more books you have the worse the condition.
It was the first thing I checked in the morning and the last thing I checked at night. I knew I needed help. For one thing, and this is BIG, my emotionally well-being became attached to the numbers. If they were up, I was up. If they were down, I came down.
If I was going to stay in this line of work, I had to make a drastic change. Fortunately, I have a group of friends I could confess my addiction too, and they are holding me accountable to only check my numbers twice a month.
You read that right: TWICE a month, on the 15th and 30/31st, just like if it were payday.
First thing I did was delete the link to KDP on my iphone. When I got home I deleted the link from my bookmarks and also my links to Kobo and Smashwords. I needed to make it harder for me to get there.
I did it and you know what? I feel better. Actually, great. Checking the numbers only created needless anxiety and didn't help to sell one book, either. Now I can deal with my disappointment or relief twice a month instead of every ten minutes. It's a much healthier way to live.
So, yeah, I'm new to the numbers checking addicts meeting. I'm Elle Strauss and it's been 3 days since I last checked my numbers.
Whoot!
How about you? Do you have a numbers problem? Are you going to do something about it?
I'm Anne Gallagher and I've gotten a lot better with my addiction. Like you, I used to check 2,3,4 times a day. However, my problem is that I would write them down first thing in the morning, and compare the numbers throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteNow, I just check first thing in the morning and leave it go. I haven't written anything in a couple of months. Some addictions are too hard to give up.
Heck...I do that with my blog numbers! I can only imagine what I'd be like if I had a book on the market!!
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I bet I'll be checking it 50 times a days when I self-pub my first book in April lol But I'll try to do better, with time ...
ReplyDeleteYay for you!
Great post, Elle. I'm like DL. I check my blog numbers a lot. I'll have to remember this if I ever get published.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's amazing!! Good for you. (I check my numbers way too often.)
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I had huge success over the Xmas and New Year period with my books and you're right in saying that makes the constant checking worse.
ReplyDeleteI need to wean myself away!