Analyzing the sales trends

Miss me? Of course you did, and how nice of you to say so. Been busy, playing wingman to the living legend. When I think about how one day he will have to slow down, I echo the thoughts of Gene Wilder as the Waco Kid in "Blazing Saddles" when it is pointed out that a man who drinks the way he does and doesn't eat is going to die..."When?"

I think I have to admit, he's got energy reserves the Columbian drug cartels would like to be able to package and sell. He is exhausting. He doesn't mean to be so, but I think I understand part of the reason why he's been divorced twice. No one can keep up...and I don't have to live with him. I keep thinking he's pulling what Ethan Hawke's character did in "Gattaca" when he swam against his genetically perfect brother...he's leaving nothing for the return trip. I wonder which of his demons he swims against.

I thought I'd add my two cents to his earlier data about his book sales. Here is, by my best numbers, the comparative sales ranks for all his books, all sources of distribution:

1. 101 Great Love Poems - I came up with the title for this volume (grin)
2. The Compleat Panther Cycles - Deserves to be #1, six times the poetry for less than 50% greater price...
3. Love Gods of a Forgotten Religion - My favorite cover of his books.
4. PanthEon - Did I mention I found the Panther's website in cyberspace the other day? Interesting stuff.
5. from an unexpected quarter - He has lost faith in this book, must be the cover.
6. INVOCATO - The best entry-level book to his work, but probably intimidating some readers.
7. The Morgantown Suite Poems - My second-favorite cover.
8. from out of the city - You can still find used copies of this in circulation!

No huge surprises here. "from out of the city" (#8) was only in circulation a few weeks before iUniverse scooped up Writers Club Press and had him redesign the book as "from an unexpected quarter" (#5).

"The Morgantown Suite Poems" (#7) suffers from an almost total lack of sales support...he signed away all royalties to that local arts group and they haven't yet figured out what they want to do with it.

"PanthEon" (#4) has benefitted from free distributions and donations as well as the fact it is the oldest book, by far.

"INVOCATO" (#6) is on a sales curve like "Love Gods..." (#3) but it has only been out a few months, and that book will take time to get traction, mostly due to word of mouth.

His next book, "THEOCRICIDE", may yet endure a title change in light of these market forces. I've also encouraged him to put out a volume entitled "101 Great Erotic Poems"...bet it would sell like condoms at a drive-in theatre. I envision a cloned cover of "...love poems..." with the heart deep purple, maybe?