The Post Turndog’s Monthly Income Report (September 2015) Originally Appeared on Epic Brand Storytelling.
In the beginning of 2014, I decided to do something rather scary… BE TRANSPARENT & HONEST. I want to be an open book, but I’m scared. WHY? Because I’m still at the beginning of my journey, and the numbers are pitiful, and the failures often and obvious.
Below are the numbers, the finances, the projects, my health, and stats from September 2015. This is a snapshot of what it’s like to be a self published author. A new entrepreneur. An average guy still finding his way. It isn’t designed to scare, nor glorify, merely provide the truth of right now. For all my other Monthly Income Reports, Click Here.
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Many of the links in this post are affiliate ones, directing you to the products, apps, and softwares I use to create this monthly report. Don’t worry, it doesn’t cost you anything or affect your privacy, just gives me a commission if you happen to buy. Please note I use(d) everything I link to, and am picky when it comes to sharing such info.
LIKE TO GET ALL THE TOOLS I USE TO MAKE THIS MONTHLY REPORT? I made an Exclusive PDF just for you, and you can grab it for FREE by Clicking Here
WRITING:
Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, I love to tap away at the keyboard and share my words with those willing to read. However, standing out from the ever growing list of book is tough, so let’s dive into my published books, the amount of copies sold, and the kind of income a crazy pen scratcher like myself earns:
…
EXISTING PUBLICATIONS:
BOOK:
TICK TO THE TOCK
BEYOND PARALLEL
ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER
TALES FROM A TINY THAI TABLE
THE SKYPE STARTER-KIT
SALES:
127 (2)
26
19
13
1
BIT.LY HITS
36
9
6
5
6
THE TOOLS I USE:
At the moment, all books are Exclusive to Amazon, although I do sell Paperback & Hardcover editions of Tick to the Tock and Beyond Parallel (sales indicated in brackets). The tools I use to gather the above info are through the AMAZON KDP DASHBOARD and BIT.LY.
After last month’s lofty heights, things have fallen back to earth for Tick to the Tock and co. Don’t worry though, because this was somewhat on purpose. First of all, I wanted to see what Tick to the Tock would fall back to naturally. Would it go back to shifting one or two copies per day?
Would it tumble back down in the Amazon charts?
As I write this, Tick to the Tock’s is 19,500 in the USA Free Chart, and 7,500 in the UK Free Chart. Things are back to normal in the USA, but remain higher than before in the UK. BUT things did fall rather quickly, and as September drew on, less and less people downloaded.
Which tells me one thing: YOU NEED TO KEEP PUSHING!
This may sound obvious, and this is what I suspected, but I wanted to know for sure. I consider August’s promo a success, and in the future if I raise the price of my books shortly afterwards, I should make some money. It’s been a good learning curve, and it’s also given Kirsty and me (my new Fiction VA) a chance to get organised and create a plan of action.
Our initial focus now turns back to Tick to the Tock, so hopefully we see some more bumps and spikes this time next month. I’m trying to be more proactive with my book marketing, and with Kirsty’s help I’m confident we’ll make a few inroads. It’s a case of continuous tweaks to help get the ball rolling, and for it to then continue going.
???…
CURRENT PROJECTS:
Nothing new here, as I continue to work on The Successful Mistake and I Unlove You.
I suppose the big change is that we publish I Unlove You in less than two months, and I’ve set myself a December 1st deadline to complete The Successful Mistake’s first draft. It won’t be easy to achieve this, and I’ve still got a good 20% of The Successful Mistake to write, but I think I can achieve it.
It feels like that dreaded bus scenario where two come at once. Although a good six months will separate I Unlove You’s and The Successful Mistake’s launch days, I’ve started to plan and think about them at the same time. As you can imagine, my mind’s rather fried because of it, but I’m also excited.
These are, after all, two books that have played a large part in my life.
Focus now turns largely to I Unlove You because there’s lots to do if we’re to hit a December 1st launch day. But that’s not to say The Successful Mistake slips to the side, for I’ve a lot of writing to do, as well as early launch day planning to finish. I’m actually grateful for it, because I hate the thought of working on I Unlove You 24/7.
Overall, these two projects are picking up insane pace. It’s great to see after all these months of struggling through. It also means the time has come to do them justice, sell, market, and ensure I give it my all.
THE TOOLS I USE:
The tool I use to create all Affiliate links is SMART URL, which not only creates a handy short link, but allows me to send users from different countries to specific stores (as you can imagine, ideal for Amazon).
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INCOME BREAKDOWN:
INCOME:
BOOK/AFFILIATE:
TICK TO THE TOCK
BEYOND PARALLEL
THE SKYPE STARTER-KIT
THE SUCCESSFUL MISTAKE
30 DAY BRAND STORY (TIPS)
AMAZON USA (affiliate)
AMAZON UK (affiliate)
EBAY (affiliate)
APPLE APP STORE (affiliate)
HOOTSUITE (affiliate)
FOLLOW UP.CC (affiliate)
STUDIOPRESS (affiliate)
SCRIBE (affiliate)
YOAST (affiliate)
ECAMM (affiliate)
GETRESPONSE (affiliate)
TOTAL:
..
THIS MONTH:
£21.27
£0
£2.21
£6.59
£0
£0.03
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£30.10
..
LAST MONTH:
£6.14
£0
£2.18
£0
N/A
£0.38
£0.08
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£10.57
…
EXPENDITURE:
…
TOTAL:
…
THIS MONTH:
£0
…
LAST MONTH:
£0
£0
TOTAL PROFIT = £30.10
THE TOOLS I USE:
I use WAVE to organise and keep on top of my invoices and finances, and the above breakdown is taken from reports generated with this fine piece of FREE software. I’ve not been using it long, but so far I have no complaints.
Thanks to a few Tick to the Tock Paperback sales (via my website) I’ve actually made a few pennies this month. Not a lot, but I consider every small victory a victory nevertheless.
I can’t imagine I’ll make a great deal of money from my books for a while yet, but with I Unlove You’s pre sale kicking in soon, that may change. Moving forward however, a lot should change around these parts – hopefully for the better.
SPEAKING:
I’ve decided 2015 is the year I kick my speaking/workshop career into gear, and as such I’ve created four topics to build a portfolio around:
YOUR STORY MATTERS, DAMN IT! (aimed at colleges)
CREATE CUSTOMER LOYALTY & BANISH COMPETITORS THROUGH BRAND STORYTELLING (aimed at businesses)
THE SECRET BEHIND THE MODERN CREATIVE, ARTIST & CHANGEMAKER (aimed at colleges)
THE LOCAL AUTHOR WHO NEVER USED TO READ OR WRITE (aimed at primary schools)
Focus for the rest of the year is to refine these topics, gain kick-ass testimonials, and generate momentum ahead of 2015:
THE GIGS:
Book Marketing
The Instant Follow Up Webinar
Wakefield Literature Festival
Likeable Local
Saturday 26th September
Thursday 24th September
THE BEHIND THE SCENES:
Not much to say here. Speaking has seriously dropped down my to-do list, although I did partake in an awesome webinar with the Likeable Local team, and took part in a panel-type talk at Wakefield Literature Festival (thanks to my editor, Diane for the invite).
With the new school year now underway, I hope to visit a few schools. Like I say though, this is down on my to-do list, and until I get my head around I Unlove You and The Successful Mistake, it’ll remain this way.
???…
INCOME BREAKDOWN:
INCOME:
TALK:
YOUR STORY MATTERS, DAMN IT!
CREATE CUSTOMER LOYALTY & BANISH…
THE SECRET BEHIND THE MODERN…
THE LOCAL AUTHOR WHO NEVER…
MISCELLANEOUS
TOTAL:
..
REVENUE:
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
£0
EXPENDITURE:
TYPE:
N/A
TOTAL:
..
OUT GOING:
£0
£0
TOTAL PROFIT = £0
Nothing to see here, so enjoy a picture of Kid Turndog instead.
CHECK THIS BIG KIS OUT WITH HIS BIG KID BACKPACK
CLIENT WORK:
I may be a writer, but that doesn’t define my whole world. I also help businesses Discover, Create & Share their story, and I’m constantly meeting and greeting local businesses. However, the fine line of client work, networking events, and crafting your own projects is delicate indeed – and one I’m still toeing along each day:
…..
CURRENT CLIENT PROJECTS:
PROJECT CODE NAME:
No Projects at the moment 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
,
….
COMPLETED THIS MONTH
No Projects finished this month
NETWORKING:
I’VE BEEN TO
NETWORKING EVENTS
MEETINGS
CONFERENCES
THIS MONTH
1
12
0
LAST MONTH
0
4
0
INCOME BREAKDOWN:
INCOME:
CLIENT WORK:
TOTAL:
..
REVENUE:
£0
EXPENDITURE:
TYPE:
.
TOTAL:
..
OUT GOING:
£0
£0
TOTAL PROFIT = £0
I’m afraid to say it’s been another client-less month, as I continue to search for my next big project to work on. I’m hustling and pushing and reaching out to those I believe I can help, but nothing as of yet.
The one saving grace is, I’ve been so busy with book writing, editing, and launch planning, I’ve not had much time to stress about it. I won’t lie though, it’s becoming worrying, and I REALLY need to bag a new project soon. It’s beginning to drag me down and keep me awake at night, but I have to keep the belief and positive outlook.
I know I can make a difference, and I know there are a couple of great projects on the horizon. I just know it. I feel it.
So… back to the hustle, my friend. More email. More meetings. More conversations to have.
TO SAY I WAS SPOLIT ON MY BIRTHDAY IS AN ABSOLUTE UNDERSTATEMENT
WEBSITE:
This website is my home, and although it doesn’t generate any income per se, it does offer a detailed overview of WHO I am and WHY I can help. As such I think it’s important to breakdown all the ins and outs:
…
GENERAL OVERVIEW:
TITLE:
UNIQUE VISITORS
PAGE VIEWS
AVERAGE TIME
BOUNCE RATE
NEW VISITORS
DIRECT TRAFFIC
GOOGLE SEARCH
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
THIS MONTH:
3,149
6,011
1:32
77%
83%
569 Views
2,637 Referrals
61 Referrals
129 Referrals
LAST MONTH:
3,240
5,918
1:19
81%
81%
593 Views
2,259 Referrals
97 Referrals
109 Referrals
THE TOOLS I USE:
I anlyse all of my website’s data through GOOGLE ANALYTICS, which is a free piece of kit from the Google Empire. I’ve tested other software over the years, but nothing has tempted me away from this freebie yet.
…
POPULAR BLOG POSTS:
50-brands-with-amazing-brand-stories-20-11 = 1,336 Views
how-to-get-your-book-on-amazon-for-free-indefinately = 374 Views
50-brands-with-amazing-brand-stories-40-31 = 328 Views
the-best-brand-stories-in-the-world-2013 = 301 Views
50-brands-with-amazing-brand-stories-10-1 = 266 Views
NEW BLOG POSTS:
How Awesome Merchandise Share An Awesome Product Story = 42 Views
Why You Should Create a Podcast Your Listeners Need: with Jared Easley = 2 Views
How To Show Your Product Journey Like Litographs Do? = 22 Views
Validation Before Creation – How To Smash Your Next Project: with Grant Baldwin = 1 View
Turndog’s Monthly Income Report (August 2015) = 79 Views
How To Build A Network That Will Change Your Life: with John Corcoran = 11 Views
What Can Your Shoes Teach You About Storytelling? = 101 Views
Passion v Purpose – How To Get The Right Balance: with Tim Grahl = 5 Views
This Is Product Storytelling At Its Best = 21 Views
…
PURPLE COFFEE PODCAST:
TITLE:
MONTHLY DOWNLOADS
MOST POULAR SESSION
THIS MONTH:
498
Session 52 (70 Downloads)
LAST MONTH:
801
Session 49 (40 Downloads)
THE TOOLS I USE:
I gather all Podcast stats through LIBSYN (my podcast hosting) and FEEDBURNER (which breakdowns subscribers).
SOCIAL MEDIA:
FOLLOWERS:
FACEBOOK PROFILE
FACEBOOK PAGE
TWITTER
THIS MONTH:
476
186
1,209
LAST MONTH:
459
187
1,201
**The above Facebook stats consider a combined friend/follower count for the profile**
Overall, it’s been a rather solid month for the website. I had a guest post appear on Marketing Profs and Real Business UK, which, although hasn’t brought a lot of traffic or new subscribers yet, is sure to have some beneficial effects moving forward.
My main excitement lies on the future though, as I’ve got I Unlove You’s launch approaching, The Successful Mistake launch period not that far away, and a revamped version of the Greatest Brand stories in the world series. As you may notice, these are my most popular posts (at least in terms of Google), and I’ve wanted to do a 2015/2016 version for a while.
I should finish writing and scheduling this new series in the next two weeks, and they’re set to launch in November/December.
I’m hoping this will provide some new traffic, subscribers, and the like
Apart from this, I’ve placed The Purple Coffee Podcast to one side. The Successful Mistake interviews I had planned for it are now at an end, so I need to decide what to do next. I like the podcast. I like to think it’ll be back. In what form, I do not know.
I’m taking some time to figure out its purpose, it’s style, and its content.
I’ve also launched a Marry Misfit Closed Facebook Group (well, Kirsty has), dedicated to my fictional writing and such. I’m really excited about this, and sense I’ll do another similar group for my non-fiction/The Successful Mistake. I’m not sure what role it will play in this monthly income report just yet, but I want to track it and keep you updated with its growth.
Speaking of… with the end of 2015 not far away, I’ll more than likely revamp this monthly report, alter what we track, change the look of things, and other such suchness. Nothing more to add than this right now, but a quick heads up.
LIKE TO GET ALL THE TOOLS I USE TO MAKE THIS MONTHLY REPORT? I made an Exclusive PDF just for you, and you can grab it for FREE by Clicking Here
EMAIL:
Like this website, EMAIL doesn’t generate any income, but it does play a huge role in my journey. Overall, I try not sell via email all too much, rather use the medium to connect and share. Email is my primary tool to introduce myself to potential new clients, reach out to those I wish to interview, and talk to YOU on a regular basis. This is a snapshot of my email world:
….
THE MAIN NEWSLETTER:
???
TOTAL SUBSCRIBERS
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
UNSUBSCRIBES
OPEN RATE
CLICK THROUGH RATE
THIS MONTH:
404
19
22
22%
1%
LAST MONTH:
401
19
22
20%
2%
THE OTHER LISTS:
TOTAL SUBSCRIBERS:
FICTION
NON-FICTION
HOW TO BUILD AN AUTHOR HOUSE
PURPLE COFFEE PODCAST
#HAPPENINGS
TOTAL FOR ALL LISTS:
THIS MONTH:
230
385
129
8
20
1,178
LAST MONTH:
208
172
129
8
21
941
…
THE TOOLS I USE:
My email platform of choice is GETRESPONSE, which offers all the specifics I need to build my email lists. It also provides comprehensive reports which the above info is captured from. There’s many providers to choose from (and I’ve tried most of them), but these guys rock!
.
Nothing new to add when it comes to email. Subscriber and unsubscribe rates remain the same, as do open rates and the like. But the big continued trend I’ve loved to see… folk like you hitting reply and having conversations with me.
This is what it’s all about. I don’t want a list of names, but a community of real people that I know.
Tis links in well with the Merry Misfit Facebook Group, and the continued focus on relationships, collaboration, and involvement. We’re doing okay in this regard, so I’m chuffed to bits.
We also saw some new subscribers this month (both Fiction and Non-Fiction), largely from my webinar with Likeable Local and the recent surveys I’ve done for I Unlove You. The approach I take (daily emails) means I lose quite a few people, but those who stick around are doing me proud.
I’m starting to place a lot of emphasis on these emails in the coming weeks (especially surrounding I Unlove You and The Successful Mistake) so I’m hoping to see these numbers climb and climb and climb. From here, it’s about learning the best way to convert, figure out how much value I can offer, and continue to share a truly transparent process.
WORKING HOURS:
Time is a valuable entity you can never get back, and knowing how I spend my time (or as often is the case, waste it!), is a vital cog in my growth. I’m forever trying to find a balance between work, sleep, spending time with Kid Turndog, and chilling with a book in hand. The below doesn’t break down my exact timetable, but it does provide a rough overview as to how productive I am:
WORKLOAD:
TOTAL HOURS LOGGED
WRITING / BLOGGING
VIDEO / DESIGN
PLANNING / STRUCTURING
OFFLINE (CLIENT WORK)
EMAIL
SKYPE
FINANCES / MISC
THIS MONTH:
150 hours
26:47 hours
10:15 hours
24:22 hours
4:00 hours
23:42 hours
2:57 hours
6:11 hours
LAST MONTH:
69 hours
17:26 hours
0:43 hours
3:58 hours
0:00 hours
15:40 hours
0:58 hours
1:27 hours
…
THE TOOLS I USE:
The app I use to capture this data is RESCUETIME, a nonintrusive app that monitors your computer’s use. You can set yourself goals, block certain sites, and bespoke it around your needs.
…
WRITTEN WORDS:
FICTION = 5,750 words
NON FICTION =5,500 words
BLOG POSTS = 14,500 words
GUEST POSTS = 0 words
EMAILS / NEWSLETTERS = 8,282 words
TOTAL = 34,032 WORDS
…
150 hours has seemed like 250 hours this month. It’s. Been. Frantic!
Overall I’m happy with the amount of writing I’ve done, and although 25 hours spent planning and structuring may sound like a lot, it isn’t when you plan a book launch (and begin to think about a second). I’m happy to say I’m on top of everything, and although there’s lots to do, and October, in particular, WILL BE insane, I’m beyond confident December 1st will launch in style.
I may just need a few days of rest over the festive season to regain my sanity.
But for the most part, most of my time has gone into writing, editing, and planning. I can’t see this changing a great deal in October, but if all goes according to plan I should have room to work on a few other things towards the backend of the month (aka: client work!!!).
No rest for the wicked, as they say <img src="http://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/72x72/1f609.png" alt="