Climbing the book charts

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Published by: Chinch on 30th Oct 2009 | View all blogs by Chinch

I've been pretty busy on another site the past six days. Reading, reading, reading and commenting and backing. The site is Authonomy.com. My goal was to get on their home page. Have I done it? Yes, this morning I woke up to find I was number five in the weekly books charts! It will probably slip up and down a bit, but I am delighted.

I don't intend to stay on there for too long. It can take over your life, and it is oh so hard when someone backs your book and you don't like theirs. I always try to tell them why, but it has really pulled at my heart strings. Of course, I could back them regardless, but if everyone did that then it wouldn't be a fair judge of quality. Harper Collins asks one thing when you put a book on your shelf; 'would you buy it?' and sadly, usually the answer is 'no'. The site has many faults, and it is possible for a poor book to make it to the editor's desk just through networking and back scratching, which is why I don't intend to stay on there too long. Ahhmm, I hope!

My book is called Gods Inc and if you get time, please check it out. Oh and check out AW's book, Chained Chaos too, it's an excellent piece of writing and still on my shelf! Thanks Chinch.

Comments

15 Comments

by Barb 2 years ago

What a lovely thing to wake up to, Chinch!
by Spangles 2 years ago

How fantastic, Chinch! Congratulations! Or, as they say on Strictly, fab-u-lous!
by Chinch 2 years ago

Thanks you Barb and Spangles. Of course it's just a chart of unpublished books but I feel as though I'm getting somewhere. I've had some useful critisism too - small things that I have been able to change. Chinch
by Chinch 2 years ago

Jak has a book on there too, Dawn of the moon. Some of you may have read some of it on here. It's doing very well. Chinch
by BP 2 years ago

That's great, Chinch, good on you. I was just wondering, if someone backs your book, but you don't like theirs and don't back it, what happens? Do they take your book off their shelf or generously leave it on? (I am supposing that to have a book on someone's bookshelf means that book climbs the chart?) I remember fred the brain surgeon telling me about this site months ago, I think he got to #1 for a time with his Roman adventure story. I'm logging back on (if I can remember my password) to read your book asap. Cheers, Beep
by Chinch 2 years ago

Thanks BP. It doesn't actually make any difference to the book's score if someone takes it off their shelf. Once it's backed, it's backed and how long it stays on people's shelves makes no difference. However, if you keep a good book on your shelf that is doing very well and climbing the charts, then you share in its success as you gain talent spotting points. So, it is beneficial to other authors to keep books on their shelves that are doing well. The better your talent spotting rank, the more valuable you are if you back someone elses book as a backing from someone with a high TSR gives the book more points. This can help your own book as more people are likely to back it in the hope that you will read and back theirs. Complicated - I know!
by BP 2 years ago

Oh, right. That's good. The only prob I have is getting through the books as my connection is so slow it just locks up half the time. Thanks for all the info anyway.
by Chinch 2 years ago

I've slipped to number 6 now boo!
by Ancient Woodland 2 years ago

Grats Chinch! Well earned too! I fear I haven't had the time to put in as much effort as I should have on Authonomy, and I second your 'backscratching' comments, but Chained Chaos still seems to be holding at no. 6 on Fantasy weekly and the same on Young Adult weekly charts. I'm going to have to give up completely tomorrow to prep for NaNoWriMo. Nevertheless, it's been a good ride.

I wish you all the best (and yes, Gods inc. is still on my shelf :)

AW
by Weens 2 years ago

How exciting. I've got everything crossed that Harper Collins will see it and like it. I signed up ages ago, but can't remember any of my logging in details. When I filled in the forms for retrieval they told me there was no such email address, so I tried to re-register, at which point they then told my that email address is already being used. I just can't win.
by Chinch 2 years ago

Thanks Edwina, can't you press the tab 'forgotten password'? I've not had quite such a good day on there today and have slipped down to 6th or 7th place.
by Chinch 2 years ago

America must like Gods Inc more as it slipped down yesyerdat but is now number one horror, number one sci fi and number 4 thriller. Number 5 over all. So pleased, Chinch
by Weens 2 years ago

I did try the forgotton password tag, but it told me that there was no such email address registered, yet when I tried to re-register, they told me that my email address was already used. I just can't win. Story of my life lately. I will try again Chinch. We need to get your book back up there.
by Weens 2 years ago

Just read your latest comment on here. That's great news. Well done, you deserve it.
by Chinch 2 years ago

Thanks Edwina!

I have had similar problems with websites before. It's infuriating. Chinch

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