Status Report

Wow, what 2 sales will do to one's Amazon ranking.

Last week, Five Times Vengeance was languishing right around the 800,000 rank. As of today, it skyrocketed up the charts to 122,000. I checked the "Reports" tab on Amazon and learned that I sold 2 books.

Well, that's 70 cents that I didn't have yesterday. But let me be clear, it's not about the money. Really. If it was all about the money, I'd be buying 5 star reviews like a madman, as countless other authors have been doing.

Scouring the internet, I found that it is quite a racket--paying others to give your ebook a 5 star review. It's really a win-win situation. A "reviewer" gets a fee (I saw fees as high as $99) and they give your book an in-depth, glowing 5 star review. Buy enough of these "reviews" and watch your book zoom up the charts--and your bank account grow.

There are stories of authors becoming millionaires employing such a method, and "reviewers" (they usually never even read the book--they're too busy writing reviews) earning 6 figures a month!

I refuse to stoop to that level (I"ll probably never crack the top 100,000 as a result), and that's why my book only has 3 reviews.I"m relying on YOU.

Speaking of reviews, my last review was only 2 stars, but you know what? In a weird way, I value that 2 star review more so than my 5 star review. Nothing against the person who gave the 5-star (You made me the happiest I've been so far), but the 2 star review really addressed issues with my book. Issues and problems that I will not repeat with the sequel. As the old saying goes, you only learn from your mistakes.

Thanks for reading,

Jason Lee