Remember that time I was so certain changing the cover of the third Mephisto book was the thing to do? Remember that time I was wrong? (Okay, so I’ve been wrong lots of times – that’s not the point.)
The thing is, response to the new cover, which looks like this

has been about 50/50. Some love it, some hate it. I think the review comment that resonated most was the one that said she would never give this a second look, that it’s like every other paranormal romance cover out there. This must be a pervasive feeling, because sales have gone down to zero. Literally no one is buying this book. I dropped the eBook price to $3.99 – no sales. Damaris Cardinali at Good Choice Reading, blogger extraordinaire, graciously offered to do a cover reveal blog tour for me when I decided to change the cover. She put it together in record time and so many extremely wonderful bloggers jumped on board and posted the reveal. We did a giveaway that had over 4500 entries. Since the cover changed, I’ve sold 23 copies. All that and just 23 copies. But hey, it is what it is. I absolutely do not see this as a critique of the book. I like this book. I think it’s a good story. I just seriously suck at selling it.

The point of all this?
As much as I like the new cover, I’m still madly in love with Paula Kubiak’s photograph, and it pained me to change it.

So, even though the couple on the new cover look just as I imagine Phoenix and Mariah, I’ve decided….
…

…

…

…

…

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to do this:

It’s uploading to Amazon right now and is already live at Kobo and Barnes & Noble. It will be available in print very soon. I’m waiting for CreateSpace to clear the files for publication, and then I’ll need to proof it, and then it’ll be up and available. I pinkie swear and kiss my elbow this will be the last change. I’ve done all I can for this book, and now it’ll either sink or swim on its own. I am stepping back to work on my historical romance project, and then the fourth Mephisto book, which will have a similar cover to this, and if it screams Young Adult, as someone told me this one does, I’m going to be okay with that, even though it’s not Young Adult. Why? Because I’ve just learned that if a cover screams anything at all, someone will hear it. If it’s not saying much, no one notices.

I’m embarrassed about all this. I like being one of those Sure Of Herself kind of women, who boldly goes forth and conquers stuff. Like publishing a book. I won’t lie – this has set me back on my heels and humbled me in a way I can’t describe except to say, I have seriously considered taking up smoking again. Or giving up writing. Or running away to join the circus. But, then I thought, nah, I don’t want to smoke – too expensive and that shit will kill you. I don’t even like the circus, so why would I join one? And as for quitting writing, I may as well be dead. Writing is what I do. It’s what makes me complete, so do or die, succeed or fail, I’m going to keep writing books.

Thanks to everyone for your generosity, your help in spreading the word, and your unfathomable kindness. It makes all of this so much easier to get through and I love you for it.

Onward!

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Remember when I published the third Mephisto book? It seems so long ago…

Actually, just three weeks.

Yes, I’m completely serious, and don’t call me Shirley. Well, here’s the thing. It was slow coming out of the gate, and things have only gotten worse.

 

Yes, really. I’ve been through a whole smorgasbord of emotions the past few weeks. First, there was

 

 

Then there was

 

 

Followed quickly by

 

 

And then,

 

Still, I held out hope. I mean, the book had LOTS of requests on NetGalley, which was promising, right?

 

 

And it kept racking up 5-star ratings over at Goodreads, which made my heart beat faster and my joy endless.

 

 

But over on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, it was kind of a different story. And I began to wonder if

 

 

Then, one day last week, I actually had negative sales. I had no ebook sales on Amazon that day, but two people returned books, so yes, I had negative two sales. I had to face reality.

 

 

But what gives here? How can all those readers on Goodreads and NetGalley give this book 5 stars and write amazing reviews, but the book completely tank? I mean,

 

 

I decided I love the Mephisto too much to let them go, and selling negative two books in a day means I can’t afford to write any more. It’s reality, and sadly, I am not a trust fund baby.

 

 

So, I did some thinking, and decided the problem is marketing. You guys read the third Mephisto book because you read the first two – you’re kind of invested. But other people, those readers who shop for new books online and are looking for a certain kind of book, like, say a paranormal romance with hot boys and a kickass heroine and some sexy times and lots of angsty romancey banter and hijinks, will never look at the third book in this series. They won’t click the cover – even though it’s beautiful – because it screams Young Adult Novel. An author friend said she didn’t know it was a romance. She’d seen me post about The Mephisto Mark and thought it was an international spy novel.

 

 

International spy novels are awesome – but this isn’t that. So, I decided to be brave (again) and try something different, to see if perhaps this book will appeal to more romance readers.

 

 

No, no – not rewriting the book. Nothing in the story will change. The cover will change, and the title, and… the author. I decided to republish this book as me.

 

 

I LOVE my readers, and I hope you will understand why I’m doing this. I want SO much to write all the books in this series. And I want to have them edited, and proofread, and then I need to advertise them. All that costs money, and right now, I’m still way in the red on the third Mephisto book. I’m not avaricious – but practical.

 

 

You may be asking, What kind of moron changes cover, title and author 3 weeks after release day?

 

 

Me. I’m the moron. But maybe not as idiotic as it seems. When I decided to self-publish the third Mephisto book and make it New Adult with sexy times and more grown-up-y angst, I gave serious consideration to doing this to start with, but couldn’t decide, and so I asked author friends for their advice and they unequivocally said I should keep Trinity Faegen as the author, use the same font for the title, and the same general theme of the cover. Continue the package and branding.

So I did. And it’s beautiful – I love the cover of The Mephisto Mark. But most people have never heard of the Mephisto Covenant series, so they don’t know – or care – that this book is all matchy-matchy with the previous books.

 

 

So no new readers are jumping on board. And readers of the first two assume this will be like those, but it’s not. Even the writing is different. Book 1 & 2 are in third person, alternating POV and this one is in first person alternating POV. This one has more language and adult themes and is not anything close to a YA.

 

 

It’s New Adult – except not about somebody in college. Just college age. It’s a romance novel, pure and simple. It’s a sad story, a hopeful tale, a love story with a happy ending – like all romance novels.

 

 

The first two Mephistos were romances. Young Adult romance, but romances just the same. This book, the third Mephisto, with a new title and cover, written as Real Me, the romance writer, will hopefully find its place on the right bookshelf, and people who love romance novels will find it and enjoy it. Should I have done this to begin with?

 

 

Well, yeah, but who knew? That’s the beauty of self-publishing! You can climb down off the horse in the middle of the stream and get on another horse. Or swim to shore and take a bus.

Are you still with me? Or are you

 

I am hopeful about this change, and will post again soon to let you know how it’s going. I hope you will go along with me on this crazy wackadoodle journey I began when I decided to self publish.

 

 

The new title for the third Mephisto book is Only You. And without further ado, here is the new cover. It’s sexy, yes, but pretty, and it definitely says, This Is A Romance.

(If you click the cover, it’ll take you to a page with the book description.)

 

I’m so thankful and appreciative of your support – to everyone who bought the book already, I love you like whoa and damn.

 

 

Well, not THAT kind of love. More like

 

 

To celebrate a new beginning, I’m giving away a $100 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble – your choice. So enter and hopefully you’ll win. You’re all already winners to me – THANK YOU!!!!

 

$100 Gift Card Giveaway!

 Go here to enter!

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