How much is too much?

I am part of a five author box set entitled "Regency Quintet– Valentine Edition". The idea behind this was to introduce readers to different authors in a genre that they already enjoyed. We have managed to get this publication into the bestseller charts on both sides of the Atlantic – although it reached number two in the UK and only seventy-two in the US.
What occurred to me during the media campaign we were involved in is – how much is too much promotion?

£1.50 Amazon only.

I tweet once or twice a day but only do promotional tweets when I have a new book out – which is once a month. However, as no doubt you have noticed, 95% of what appears on twitter is promoting books/blogs/book tours etc.
Did anyone who read these actually by the book? We had plenty of retweets/favourites etc, but whether it increased our sales I have no idea. What I do know that, as a reader, I switch off if I am bombarded by constant reminders that book has yet another five-star review, has sold shed loads of copies, has won an award.
I am guilty of putting up posts on Facebook myself of the above variety. However, I think my posts on my normal Facebook page are 80% at least of general wittering. Things are different on my author page as here everything is book related – but it can be talk about what I'm doing/where I'm up to in my current book – or information about covers and sales.
What do you think? Do you immediately visit the blog/author page or download the book when you see it mentioned on Facebook? I tend to buy books through recommendations from friends – which I suppose must mean the promotional post has worked.
Although I no longer read posts by some writer friends when I scroll past them because they are always promoting their books/mentioning another five-star review/or a book tour – never anything personal or interesting or commenting on anyone else's activities.
It has been suggested that writers should contact reviewers and ask for reviews – that's something I have never done and don't intend to start doing now. I know having X number of five-star reviews improves the algorithm on Amazon – but I prefer my reviews to appear organically – even the one star reviews I sometimes get from our American friends.
I have a bestselling writer friend who does no publicity or promotion at all – she puts up a new book every four weeks and leaves her readers to decide whether they're going to buy it. Currently she has eight titles in the bestseller list – which rather speaks for itself. Good writing and great stories don't need constant promotion.

£1.50 Amazon/KU

£2 - Amazon/KU

My latest regency, Lord Ilchester's Inheritance, which came out a couple of weeks ago is already in the charts. I did my usual round of posts on half a dozen loops that I belong to and that was it. Lady Eleanor's Secret came out in December and had exactly the same promotion but has sold only a handful in the US although it's selling well in the UK.
I have no idea whether adverts/promotions/media tours etc do more than irritate the recipients without gaining actual sales. I would be interested to hear your views.

Fenella J Miller

Lord Ilchester's Inheritance – new Regency romance.

£1/50 on Amazon now.

Lord Ilchester's Inheritance is the first of my new books for 2015, it is a traditional, sweet romance rather than an action packed story.
I did not intend this to have no murder, mayhem or sex – the book just turned out that way. The situation the hero and heroine are in provides the external conflict and the gentle manipulations of Mr Bishop (Sapphire's elderly great-uncle) add to the fun.
I have terminated my contract with DC Thomson and so will no longer be submitting my books to them. This means I am free to write at any length and no longer have to follow their guidelines. As I still intend to sell my books to large print, for the Linford Romance line, there will still not be explicit sex or graphic violence.
I am considering whether to revert to the 30K length, and thus be able to write two extra books a year, or stick to the 50K.
Which do you prefer to read? My most popular book to date, Christmas at Hartford Hall, is a 30K, but I'm not sure if it sold so many because it was a Christmas themed book, because of the fabulous cover by Jane Dixon-Smith, or because it was shorter and cheaper.
I would be interested to hear your views. Would you rather pay 99p and have a shorter read or pay £1.50 to have a full-length book?
Fenella J Miller

http://amzn.to/1DvG9gy (uk)
http://amzn.to/1M4QXpn (.com)

REGENCY QUINTET - VALENTINE EDITION BOX SET

£1.50 on Amazon only.

This is a very exciting month for me. I have joined together with four other great Regency writers and we have published a box set. So far this venture is proving a best seller and if it continues to sell well we will publish a Christmas edition as well.

Fenella J Miller – A Gallant Defender

Having already published six box sets of my own I was aware that readers enjoyed being able to buy several books together at a bargain price. Therefore it made sense for a group of us to unite and publish a box set of Regency stories – hence the arrival of Regency Quintet. My story, A Gallant Defender, is an action packed romantic adventure. I hope that readers who enjoy my books but haven't tried the other authors will discover new writers to try.

Amanda Grange – The Silverton Scandal

I'm so pleased to be in the Regency Quintet Box Set. I love box sets because they give readers a chance to discover new authors without having to pay the earth. All the authors in the set have different styles so there is a lot of variety on offer. My book, The Silverton Scandal, has an adventure as well as a

romance. The heroine, Eleanor, is tracking down a blackmailer who is threatening her sister when she meets the handsome Lord Silverton. I like putting my heroes and heroines into dramatic situations and I love the moment when they finally acknowledge their feelings for each other. It's magical.

Wendy Soliman – At the Duke’s Discretion

I was delighted to be asked to submit a book for inclusion with those by writers whom I admire so much. Not only that but it gives me an opportunity to offer readers who might not be familiar with my books a glimpse at my Ducal Encounters series. At the Duke's Discretion is the first in a six books series charting the fortunes of the Sheridan dynasty, headed by the highly eligible Zach Sheridan, Duke of Winchester. In this first book his brother and named heir, Lord Amos, becomes fascinated by a newly-arrived lady in the village. She appears to be running away from something and is definitely in need of his protection.

Dance for a Diamond – Melinda Hammond

When I was invited to join with four other top Regency authors in a box set of our books I jumped at the chance! Writing is a very solitary business, so occasionally it is a comfort to get together with other authors who share one's passion for history and the Regency in particular. Dance for a Diamond was one of those stories that just raced onto the page. I had been researching dancing in the Regency and especially the origins of the waltz. It looked very different to the way we see it today, but it was still considered scandalous, just imagine, not only would the man and woman be holding hands, their bodies might actually touch!

My story features Antonia, who has given up all hopes of marriage but has a passion for dancing. An unexpected windfall allows her to open a dancing school in Bath, but her seemingly innocuous occupation brings her into conflict with the autocratic Sir Laurence Oakford, who knows a shocking secret from Antonia's past. I loved writing Dance for a Diamond, and I am delighted to have the chance of introducing it to new readers.

Elizabeth Bailey – Fated Folly

I was flattered to be asked to join with these four authors in a box set. I enjoy their novels, have known them all for ages as we are all British and members of the Romantic Novelists' Association. We are writing in a niche market with traditional regencies and this is a wonderful way to find new readers. I chose Fated Folly because it is a favourite of mine, with the unusual theme of older man, younger woman. The minx and the ogre is, I confess, a bit of a take on Beauty and the Beast, a fairy tale.

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