Graham Downs :: Monthly Newsletter

July 2019

Hi there,

How's the month been treating you?

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, chances are you're enjoying some beautiful sunny weather. But here in the South, we've just been through our coldest month of the year.

You know, I used to say that winter was my favourite season, and I'd rather be cold than hot, any day of the week. When you're cold, I would say, you can always throw on another layer of clothing, or get under a blanket to warm up. When you're hot, it's not socially acceptable to walk around naked... and even if it were, it wouldn't help because you sweat so much.

This winter, though, has really hit me hard. I guess it's because last year, I was still working in a heated office, so I had some escape from the cold, but this year, working from home (which is amazing, don't get me wrong!), there's no escape because I don't have an aircon or heater, so I've been bitterly cold.

I did manage to read six books this month, though. Which is fantastic.

How about you? Have you been huddled under a blanket, or lying on the beach? Don't forget, you can reply to this email any time you want to chat with me.

And now, on to this month's news....

Sponsored Link:


Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale
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Every year in the month of June, ebook retailer Smashwords does something wonderful (and, I believe, unique).

You see, around this time of year, those in the Northern Hemisphere are all raving about summer and talking about beach reads. Particularly the Americans, with their "we're the only country in the whole world" mentality (no, I'm not bitter. Not bitter at all). Meanwhile, those of us in the South are freezing our cajones off, teeth chattering away as we read all about the wonderful summers those Northerners are having.

Smashwords attempts to rectify that, by running what they call their Summer / Winter Sale, all through the month of June. That way, those people enjoying summer browse for beach reads, while the rest of us shop for big meaty tomes to curl up with next to the fire.

There are literally thousands of ebooks on sale, with discounts ranging from 25% to 100% off. Click the button below to browse them all.

Show Me The Books!

And in case you were wondering, two of my books are also in the sale. Until the end of the month, you can get A Petition to Magic at 50% off, or Memoirs of a Guardian Angel at 25% off. Click the covers below to visit Smashwords and buy them, before time runs out.

Hurry! The sale ends when the timer hits zero!

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Finances: June 2019

Last month was a good one. I started seeing some traction from the "Sponsored Links" section of this newsletter, and a fellow author signed up for MailerLite using my affiliate link.

In terms of book sales, I sold two copies of Heaven and Earth (one at Google Play Books and one at Scribd), and three copies of Memoirs of a Guardian Angel (one at Amazon US, one at Barnes & Noble, and one at Google Play Books).

This also showed me that when someone reads my books at Scribd, I earn more money than if they bought them at Google Play!

So, if you're not a Scribd subscriber yet, click here to get 60 days free to try it out.

Anyway, on to the figures. As always, they've been converted to South African Rands, using the exchange rate at the time of this writing.

  • Income:   R  99.35
  • Expenses: R  62.63
  • Profit:   R  36.72


I continue to appreciate and be amazed by the support of every one of you, my dedicated fans, and I like to think that you all truly have a stake in my success or failure as a writer. Please keep buying and recommending my books, keep writing reviews, and keep sending your words of encouragement.

Earn Commission from my Books

Many online retailers also offer affiliate programmes, where you can earn a commission for getting people to buy books there. I personally use Amazon's, Smashwords', and Loot's affiliate programmes. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, just reply to this mail and ask me how.

Featured Author

N Gray

N Gray is a South African author living in Cape Town.

Her first three books consist of a collection of short stories.

Her latest is a series centering around Blaire Thorne, an assassin who hunts and kills the monsters in Sterling Meadow.

Click the image on the right to visit her website, find out more about her, and sign up to her email list.

What's For Dinner?

Deadly nightshade: if the dying knows the right words, with a vial against their lips, their suffering will end.

The Island: if you search too hard, you might not like what you find.

​The Villa: if it's too good to be true, it's probably going to kill you.

Too Late: only time will tell

Get a Copy
Blog Posts

Below are all the blog posts I wrote since my last newsletter. Click the link to view them in your browser.

Does Your Favourite Author Write Under a Pen Name? Results of 2019 Piracy Survey
Books on the cheap at Smashwords this month


Celebrating True Independence with IndieWide Books
The Most Discussed Fantasy Books on Reddit... On Scribd



Does Your Favourite Author Write Under a Pen Name? Writing for an American Audience: Why do Authors Compromise?



Month in Books

I read a massive (but not quite a record) six books this month! How many did you read?

And have you read any of these?

Click on a cover to read my review at Goodreads, including a link to where you can get a copy.

The Vampires Next Door
Elle Klaas

⭐⭐


The Colour of Dishonour
Rayne Hall

⭐⭐⭐

One Day in Budapest
J.F. Penn

⭐⭐⭐

Wizard and Glass
Stephen King

⭐⭐⭐

Perelendra
C.S. Lewis

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Self Help Stories
J. Macgregor

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Received this Newsletter From a Friend?

Well, they must be a very good friend indeed, because you've just discovered a treasure trove of reading goodness!

First off, please thank your friend profusely for me. Then, go make sure you don't miss out on any more of these monthly newsletters. You'll also get one of my books, absolutely free, as well as an exclusive invitation to Graham's Super-secret Readers' Circle group on Facebook.

What are you waiting for? Click here to claim your free stuff. :-)

Yours in Reading,

Graham

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