Hi there,

How's your month been? Spring has definitely sprung here in South Africa. In fact, we may just have skipped right over spring and into summer.

South Africa's just gone down to Level 1 Lockdown, which means most things are now permitted (although it's still a legal requirement to wear a mask anytime you're in public), and it feels like I'm starting to get my groove back, too. For the first time in a long time, I managed (only just) to read and review four books.

How about you? How many books did you read?

I've also been fleshing out the concept for my next book. It's going to be a collection of interconnected, short-ish stories about a fictional fantasy tavern in a fictional fantasy town, telling the backstories of the regular patrons. Think "Cheers" with dwarves, elves, and half-orcs. 

Would you enjoy something like that?

I'll be giving more information about that over the coming months, so watch this space....

No Winners In August

Since Joni won again last month, and has now read and reviewed every one of my books, I didn't have a $5 voucher to give away this month (If you'd like to find out how you can win, join our Facebook Group and read the announcement at the top).

I still used that $5, though: I decided that I'd try my hand at a Facebook Ad again, since it'd been quite a while since I'd run one of those. I spent $5 on an ad for Memoirs of a Guardian Angel, and I made the link point to the free sample on my website.

With a target audience of South Africans over 21 who regularly shop online and enjoy both ebooks and Urban Fantasy, the ad resulted in 35 clicks to the free sample, although as of the time of this writing, I haven't seen any sales yet. Of course, some people may not be done reading the sample, and also some of the retailers take a while to report, so I'm holding out some hope.

I did pick up five new Likes on my Facebook Page, so that's always a good thing. 🙂

Click the buttons below to connect with Raashida online

Every tale in this delightful collection of short stories and flash fiction is a wonder … sometimes compelling … sometimes hopeful … sometimes intriguing … sometimes playful … sometimes whimsical … sometimes painful … but always thought-provoking and insightful. The stories are as much for entertainment as they are a commentary on themes and issues relevant to South African society.

Raashida Khan has gifted her readers with a peek into her writing mind and creative soul. She gives depth of reality to her characters as we are drawn into their worlds. The plots are masterfully woven in settings that are instantly recognisable. The only thing you will regret is reaching the end of the book. But be assured … the book will remain with you for a long time after you have put it down.

"Raashida Khan’s collection of short stories is interesting and thought-provoking. It upholds the entertainment value of stories, but she does not abdicate her role as a social commentator. Artists are, by and large, shaped by the environment in which they exist – either inspired by it or in reaction to it. Khan’s writing shows that, while South Africa may have the most liberal constitution on earth, we are far from being a normal society. We are still confronted with such issues as religious intolerance, sexism, racism, and many other societal challenges.

Please, do yourself a favour and reach out for this smorgasbord of stories, an exquisite and most welcome addition to the body of South African fiction."

- Fred Khumalo, Author -

Finances: August 2020

I continue to chase that elusive profitable month. But I'm getting close. 😉

Something happened last month, though, that truly surprised me: I sold paperbacks. A lot of them (well, by my standards anyway). I sold copies of A Petition to Magic, Heaven and Earth, and Memoirs of a Guardian Angel, in print in August. My distributor doesn't tell me where those sales came from (either store or country), but since I focus practically none of my marketing efforts into telling people where they can buy print copies of my books, it's really surprising. I'm so grateful!

Here are the figures, converted to South African Rands using the rate at the time of this writing:

• Income:  R  73.22
• Expense: R 106.28
• Loss:    R  33.06

Want to Help?

If you'd like to help support me and my business, there are plenty of ways.

First, buy and read my books. It sounds obvious, but so many people open this email religiously every month, click on my links, even reply to tell me how happy or proud they are of me... and haven't read any of my books.

Second, if you've read one of my books and enjoyed it, tell a friend. Although authors like me put a lot of effort, and spend a lot of money, on marketing, the very best marketing remains word of mouth. Nobody's going to know about us unless people tell them.

And if you're really passionate about the book, don't stop at just telling your friend about it. Why not buy it for them as a gift? Plenty of ebook stores allow gifting, and if they don't, you'll surely be able to buy them a voucher or gift card, and gently suggest that they use it to buy my book.

Third, write a review. Reviews are word-of-mouth marketing meant to reach people you've never met. It takes very little time to pop onto Goodreads and rate and review one of my books. In fact, my personal philosophy is, "If there's no review, it never happened!"

Finally, if you're really dedicated and want to make a living out of it, have you considered becoming an affiliate marketer? Most stores have this option: sign up for their affiliate programs, then advertise their products (which hopefully includes my books), and earn commission when people buy them. It's a lot of fun, and many people make respectable livings on affiliate marketing alone.

Month in Books

Four books read in September (busy with a fifth, but I'm not going to finish it before Thursday). And I enjoyed most of them.

Click a cover to read my review, and find out where you can buy each book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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