Many of you know that my recent book, Devils, topped Amazon’s horror anthology category list (Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Anthologies & Literature Collections > Horror). To say it was unexpected is like saying the ocean is damp. Once it hit #1, things started to happen. Here’s a partial list:

1. Yep, that’s right. Nothing much changed. The book launched on June 30^th, and hit #1 on July 4^th, just 4 days after launch. You might be expecting that in the time since, I’ve been contacted by royalty from the U.K. to arrange my knighthood, but, alas, no one has reached out. You might also expect that I’ve signed 13 movie deals (looking at you, Peter Telep) or landed a major trad publishing deal (ahem, Sylvain Neuvel). Nope. Maybe you’d expect that I’ve been lauded by my peers, but no, I haven’t heard from Stephen King, Joe Hill, Clive Barker… or… well, anyone. So yeah, nothing much happened, except proving the old adage that when you’re on top, there’s nowhere to go but down.
2. I became obsessed with hitting refresh. Before I hit that top spot, I was firm in my belief that this book wasn’t going to do well (first book in the genre and short story anthology to boot), but that it was all about getting my name out there. Yeah. So when I saw #1, all that went out the window and I began to obsess about staying in #1… then the top 3… then the top 5… then the top 10… then the top 20… I’ve finally stopped checking 13 times an hour. And that’s not even a lie. Nope. 12 isn’t 13.
3. I developed the strangest writing habits. I began writing 2 or 3 paragraphs and then either checking the rank page, or looking at book marketing websites. Oh, or talking to Supergirl about either one. I’ve read that the best book marketing an author can do is get on with writing the next book. Well, I have one written already, so I’m working 2 deep. Of course, the book I’m writing isn’t the one I should be writing… but that’s for another post.

So, yeah, I haven’t been affected by my success at all. No. Life is slowly returning to “normal.” That is, if “normal” applies to a writer’s life.