Yay for a Second Printing!

Erica Here: 

Jane sitting on a case of reprinted
copies of The Debutant's Code in the
Kregel Warehouse. Jane is my little mascot and
traveling buddy. :)

I’m thrilled to announce that The Debutante’s Code has gone into its second printing! Why am I so excited? Because reprints mean a few fun things for a writer.

1. Your book is selling well. Both the buy in and the sell through. What are those, you ask?

Buy in – Initial orders, including pre-orders of your book. Bookstores and book buyers look through your publisher’s catalog and place orders of new releases. They buy the book into their store. Over the initial period of about three months, your goal is to sell those copies bought in and not have the store return them as unsold.

Sell through – This is when the books that have been bought in have sold, and the bookstore orders again. This takes place 3-9 months out from the release date. Publishers track these numbers closely. Sell through means your book is doing well.

2. Good sales numbers result in happy publishers and happy authors. It can mean a bit of extra marketing money allocated to your book, and it can also help the author land that next contract with the publisher.


3. It means you are reaching readers. This often means in uptick in review numbers, visibility, and buzz about your books. More interactions with readers online, emails, etc. Requests for interviews, guest blog posts, articles, etc. And it means readers will suggest your book to others, in online groups, and in person, which then can mean more books purchased.



All those things are pretty universal for traditionally published authors. For me, there were a couple of other bonuses for me this time around.

1. Due to a printer error, the cover of The Debutante’s Code came out much darker than we anticipated. While we wanted a mysterious cover, the first printing’s cover was soooo black. For the reprint, the publisher was able to stipulated that the cover be much brighter. I love round two, because Juliette’s hair doesn’t disappear into blackness in the corner, and you can actually see what’s in the painting.

 

First printing on the left, second on the right.

2. There was an error on the back cover copy, too, in round one! Our hero, Daniel Swann, was incorrectly called Daniel Thorndike! Yikes! I was so bummed when I saw that. However, in the vein of making lemonade with lemons, I had a little award designed for those eagle-eyed readers who noticed and contacted me. I replied with the graphic, and the words “You would make a great Regency Spy. As one of the few who have found the typo, you are the winner of The Spyglass Award.” Readers got to feel clever, and one lady even said she was going to display the award on her blog.

Can you see the typo?

I was blessed to be able to visit my publisher in Grand Rapids, MI about 10 days ago, and to get to speak to the owner, the publisher, editorial, and marketing. That face-time is invaluable! We talked about Millstone of Doubt, coming out this September, and Children of the Shadows, which will release in 2023, as well as some new projects! I’m thrilled!

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she is married to her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!