Tony Brasunas

Yes, I just launched my first book, Double Happiness! It has been a thrilling week, something I’ve been working towards for over a decade.

Hoping to launch the book as high up the charts at amazon as possible, I concentrated all my outreach around a single day, December 12th.

I know that many of you responded to the call, became “First Readers,” and bought the book on the 12th. Many also purchased yesterday, the 13th. I can see that from the chart amazon provides to me. But beyond that, unfortunately, the chart is not very forthcoming. It’s quite secretive in fact. They don’t provide real-time reporting on who bought a book, when, or how many copies; the chart indicates that reporting will show up “within 2-3 days of the item’s manufacture.” So there’s the rub: After the sale, there is a ‘manufacture’ date and time, and that it is two or three days after that date and time that the sale will show up in my chart.

Another Approach

The other approach I tried was looking from the outside at various public amazon pages. I had specifically stated that my goal was the “Best Seller” and “New Releases” pages. As for whether we made it there, it would appear, well, not yet. I still haven’t seen the book show up on New Releases or Best Sellers. There is a number on the book page — the book’s “ranking” among “all books” — and that number stayed in the 200,000s all day yesterday, but then hit 150,000 last night. It seems hard to believe that there were 200,000 titles that sold more copies on 12/12 than Double Happiness, but who knows, it is the holidays. Or maybe those copies are still being “manufactured,” and the numbers don’t register until “two or three days after manufacture.”

It was a different story when I clicked into categories more specific than “Best Sellers” or “New Releases.” If I searched for any book about Guangzhou, Double Happiness came up at #25. That was something. I searched for “Travel” in New Releases, and there it was, at #46. And in New Releases, Travel books about “China,” Double Happiness is at #2!

What’s Happening Here

I think what is happening is that the numbers for Double Happiness are trickling into Amazon’s algorithms slowly, and at different rates for different search terms. In other words, it’s still early in the game.

I still believe it was the right strategy to target a single day for the most sales, but sales coming in today and tomorrow are still very helpful, as they will aggregate together as the numbers trickle in. I suppose this all makes sense from a particular perspective; it would be an obvious goal for a book sales ranking system to weigh a day’s sales with a week’s and a month’s. I just amazon provided more real-time information to authors and publishers.

Look Inside

I also noticed that just this morning they gave Double Happiness the “Look Inside” treatment, which is really nice and might imply they think it’s worth more attention.

Feel free to take a peak. You can peak into the book at the Table of Contents and the first chapter and use the “surprise me” feature to read other parts of the book. And if you didn’t buy the book on Launch Day and might enjoy a “journey across China and through the soul of a young American,” buying it today will clearly still help bump up its “peak” ranking!

>> Double Happiness >>

Thank you for your attention and interest. What are your thoughts or questions about amazon’s rankings and Best Sellers pages?

Close your eyes. Open them. And that’s it — it’s published, it’s launched, it’s here. A decade in the making, and now it’s Double Happiness Day. It’s the perfect time to get your

>> Double Happiness >>

Getting your copy today will enable you to read it soonest, and it will enhance the impact you’ll have on the book’s spot in the amazon charts.

>> Double Happiness >>

Last night, the Launch Celebration at Cerruti Cellars winery was marvelous. So many of you came! We drank great wine and ate extraordinary food, I thanked you in English, I thanked China in Chinese, I sang a love song in Mandarin, and we all shared a deep and sweet ritual of realizing our Long-Held Dreams. Thank you!

Today, it’s here. This long-hold dream is realized. The book is born:

>> Double Happiness >>

If there’s still someone on your gift list, Double Happiness is a gift made for Armchair travelers, English teachers, China buffs, adventure backpackers, young people in their twenties and thirties seeking a place in this swiftly changing world, and readers interested in a young man’s coming of age in a foreign land.

My best wishes and gratitude to you today.

>> Double Happiness >>

It’s the 11th, there are 11 hours to go, and the book now has 132 fabulous First Readers! We’re getting close to the Best Sellers list. Thank you!

If you haven’t yet signed up, can you become a First Reader?

If you did sign up, forward this to friends. If you’re doing holiday shopping, consider Double Happiness as an insightful gift.

I don’t know with certainty that it will take 200 sales tomorrow on 12/12 to land on the Best Sellers; that’s an educated estimate. What I do know is that if you are planning to get Double Happiness, by signing up as a First Reader today and buying the book tomorrow, your purchase will combine with those of others and launch the book higher.

Tonight at the Launch Celebration, we’ll get a bump. To get to 150, we’ll need 18 more; to get to 188, we’ll need 56 more; and for the 200 goal, we’ll need 78 more. Can you help us do it?

In any event, I’m unbelievably excited to see many of you tonight for the Launch Celebration and to launch Double Happiness into the world tonight at midnight!

You’re wonderful. You inspire me. Without you I wouldn’t be here. Thank you.

Lo and behold, this Thursday, December 12, is the big one, launch day, my life’s biggest undertaking come to fruition. It will be my best opportunity to launch the book up the Amazon charts! Can you help?

If buying Double Happiness is a possibility — as a gift* or for yourself — consider buying it on 12/12. I would be deeply grateful. In fact, sign up to be a First Reader, and I’ll send you an email reminder on launch day and a holiday gift! My goal is to sign up 200 First Readers and peak on the Best Sellers list.

Let’s launch Double Happiness up the charts!

Be a hero, be a Double Happiness First Reader >

*Double Happiness would make a particularly nice gift for: armchair travelers, English teachers, China buffs, adventure backpackers, young people in their twenties and thirties seeking a place in this swiftly changing world, and readers interested in a young man’s coming of age in a foreign land.

Gratitude from the bottom of my heart,
Towards double happiness,
Tony

My dear friends,

After over a decade of writing and revising, after a year of publication planning, after an amazing kickstarter campaign and countless hours’ work with an editor, a proofreader, an illustrator, a book designer, and a cover designer, I’m humbled, moved, and delighted to announce…

The publication date of Double Happiness
12/12
December 12, 2013

That’s the day!

Double Happiness Day.

The day will arrive on the heels of an incredibly busy month for me and for the Double Happiness Team.

On that day, in addition to many other amazing moments, I will have perhaps my best chance to place Double Happiness on Amazon’s bestseller lists. Please mark the date on your calendar now. If you or anyone you know is going to purchase a copy, please consider making the purchase that day.

I’m compiling a list of First Readers, people who are going to buy the book the day it comes out. They will receive special treatment and a gift from me (as well as a reminder!). I hope to have 200 people on that list so Double Happiness can pop up the Amazon lists right away. Would you be willing to join in to help push the book up the charts? Can you find others who might be? To be a First Reader, just sign up!

Double Happiness Day
12/12
First Reader List

This is an amazing feeling. I have the first copy of Double Happiness in my hands!

It’s not a publication copy of the book. Those don’t exist yet. What I have in my hands is what is often called a Galley or an Advance Review Copy (ARC).

To get to this point, the last month has been unbelievably busy. And not just for me. The whole Double Happiness team that I’ve been blessed to assemble (thank you generous Backers) has been very busy.

First, after I completed the final manuscript in all its countless respects, I sent it to the book designer I hired, the famous Joel Friedlander, who had already worked with me in August to design the interior. Joel then flowed the final text of the book, inserted the gorgeous maps hand-drawn by my illustrator, Estelle Kim, and produced the first proof. I received that proof and sent it to my proofreader, the amazing Nicole Francois, who set to work on the final manuscript with her fine-toothed comb. Meanwhile, after a back-and-forth that many of you participated in via polls, the talented cover designer, Laura Duffy, created the photographically beautiful front and back covers. With those covers, and that proof, I was able to do it — make Galleys.

When the box of Galleys arrived at my door, I was overcome with gratitude and delight, and I chose to capture the moment of opening that box and holding the first copy in my hands. Here is that moment in a video I created to share with you: Video at Kickstarter.

If you didn’t click over to the video, here’s what that Galley looks like:

Yes, it’s just the ARC. But still, here it is, Double Happiness.

Already, since receiving them, I’ve sent ARCs out to authors and reviewers in the hopes of getting endorsement “blurbs” for the final cover. And the proofread proof is now back with the book designer, who is busy creating the final proof for the final publication version of the book.

Wow, my dear friends, it won’t be long now. It will be in your hands soon.