Indie author Rachel Astor nabbed two spots on on our self-published bestseller list this week. At the same time, her Bridesmaid Lotto novel is the No. 2 free book at Amazon–did the free eBook drive paid sales?
To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
We will update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post.
Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers for Week of June 18, 2012
(Last week’s rank in parentheses)
1. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire: “Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.” (1)
2. Easy by Tammara Webber: “A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?” (2)
3. Snake Skin by CJ Lyons: “A loving mom and wife, dutiful daughter, consummate professional, and kick-ass federal agent, Lucy is living the perfect life. Until the day she comes up against a predator more vicious and cunning than any she’s ever tackled before…” (4)
4. Weekends Required by Sydney Landon: “Claire Walters has worked for Jason Danvers as his assistant at Danvers International for three years, and he has never thought of her as a woman until the day she jumps out of a cake at his friend’s bachelor party.” (3)
5. Whispers from the Ashes by Patricia Hester: “Whispers from the Ashes is based on true events in Pennsylvania history. Underground mine fires have become a fact of life for many mining regions. The one highlighted in this book is the Red Ash fire, located in the borough of Laurel Run. It continues to burn to this day.” (5)
6. Slammed by Colleen Hoover: “Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.” (7)
7. Gamble on Engagement by Rachel Astor: “Book 2 in the McMaster the Disaster series, with all new Disaster Diary entries. Josie McMaster is on the move to London for a top-secret stint as a ghost-biographer for a high profile celebrity.” (-)
8. A Fool for Love by Marie Force: “Joe Cantrell, owner of the Gansett Island Ferry Company, has been in love with Janey McCarthy for as long as he can remember. At the same time, Janey has been dating or engaged to doctor-in-training David Lawrence.” (10)
9. Blood Stained by CJ Lyons: “Just your average Pittsburgh soccer mom, baking brownies and carrying a loaded forty-caliber Glock … Until recently Supervisory Special Agent Lucy Guardino was a shining star in the FBI’s roster. But after killing a man and disobeying orders, Lucy’s been sidelined, chained to her desk.” (6)
10. Not Planning on You by Sydney Landon: “Suzy Denton seems to have it all together. She loves her job as an event’s planner for Danvers International, and she loves her high school sweetheart and fiance Jeff. Fast forward a month and it’s all gone to hell in a hand-basket.” (8)
11. The Wedding Wager by Rachel Astor: “Book 3 in the McMaster the Disaster series. Josie’s back and she’s getting married! Except, how is she supposed to plan a wedding when her mother and her best friend Mattie both think they’re the designated wedding planner, and none of their ideas are remotely similar?” (-)
Barnes & Noble Self-Published eBook Bestsellers for Week of June 18, 2012
1. Sand Castles by Antoinette Stockenberg
2. A Month at the Shore by Antoinette Stockenberg
3. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
4. A Laird for All Time by Angeline Fortin
5. For His Pleasure by Kelly Favor
6. H.T. Night’s 8-Book Vampire Box Set by H.T. Night
7. A Charmed Place by Antoinette Stockenberg
8. Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy
9. Take Me by Locklyn Marx
10. Easy by Tammara Webber
Smashwords eBook Bestsellers for Week of June 18, 2012
1. The Fifth Man by Randy Ingermanson
2. Wisdom by Amanda Hocking
3. Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley
4. Oxygen by Randy Ingermanson
5. Lucky Stars by Kristen Ashley
6. Perfect Day by Josh Lanyon
7. The Last Shaman by William Whitecloud
8. Old Blood by Karina Halle
9. The Wetherby Brides Bundle by Jerrica Knight-Catania
10. Tributary by Lisa Bergren
These three eBook lists were recorded on Monday, June 25, 2012.
For the Amazon list, we found the highest ranked self-published bestsellers in Amazon’s Top 100 Paid Kindle Books list. For the Barnes & Noble list, we highlighted the bestselling PubIt! eBooks from self-published authors. Finally, the Smashwords list was drawn from the bestselling titles in the company’s fiction list. None of these companies have released actual sales figures for the individual books.
If you believe your book should (or should not) be included in our rankings, feel free to email GalleyCat with your concerns. Our list will not include writers attempting to game the system by using the names of famous authors. (Image via Horia Varlan)
Editor’s Note: An earlier edition of this list excluded Marie Force.