I've just discovered an insidious new disorder specific to authors and publishers of Kindle eBooks. Kindle Obsessive Disorder. I know, because I am currently in recovery.
It manifests itself as an overwhelming compunction to check those sales figures several times a day. It was bad enough when we only had the sales ranks to worry about for our hardbacks and paperbacks, but now that Amazon provides a continuous hour by hour update on sales of books in the Kindle Store it has become an obsession.
Not so much of a problem when lounging by the pool in sunny Sicily, but a nightmare two chapters into your next book. OK, it's important to know how they're doing, and to nip in the bud any significant signs of a dip by changing the key words, or inviting readers to leave a review, for example. But when it's first thing in the morning, every time you take a break, and last thing at night...that's spells disaster for the creative flow.
So now I'm rationing myself to once a week. Every Monday morning after breakfast. That way I'll get a a whole week's total, and a much better indication of trend. Then I can get on with the real work untrammeled by peaks and troughs and pointless projections. It's tough, but it has to be done.
The shaking has stopped, and the night sweats, and the incoherent mumblings. I know it's only week one, but it's progress.
Watch this space. I'll let you know how I get on.
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