10,000 pages later

A few weeks ago, I pressed the publish button on Cold As Silk and hoped for the best.

Like most indie authors, I tried to keep my expectations realistic. I hoped a few people would read the book. I hoped somebody might enjoy Eleanor and Nathan's story. Mostly, I hoped all the time, effort and heart that had gone into writing it would resonate with readers.

Today, Cold As Silk passed 10,000 Kindle Unlimited pages read.

(For context, that's more than 10,000 pages of Eleanor and Nathan's story being read by real readers.)

As milestones go, it probably isn't one that means much outside the world of publishing, but for me it feels incredibly special.

Those aren't clicks on an advert.

They aren't impressions on social media.

They aren't people scrolling past a Facebook post.

They're pages. Actual pages. Readers spending time with Eleanor and Nathan and choosing to keep turning the page.

Along the way, Cold As Silk has picked up reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, climbed into Amazon's Top 1,000 Romantic Suspense Kindle books, and introduced me to the strange and fascinating world of Facebook advertising. I've learned far more about marketing in the last few weeks than I ever expected to.

What has surprised me most, though, is the reaction to some of the small moments in the story.

A line from Eleanor's husband's funeral became my most successful Facebook advert.

A pair of fluffy pink slippers was unexpectedly promoted to marketing superstar.

And readers have taken to Nathan exactly as I hoped they would.

One review described him as being gentle and strong while giving Eleanor the space to reclaim herself. As a writer, that's about as rewarding as it gets. It told me that readers were seeing exactly what I was trying to put onto the page.

The truth is that publishing a book can feel a little like shouting into the void and hoping somebody shouts back.

Over the last few weeks, people have.

They've bought the book.

They've borrowed it through Kindle Unlimited.

They've left ratings and reviews.

They've recommended it to friends.

Most importantly, they've spent time with the characters.

So this post is really just a thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has taken a chance on Cold As Silk.

Thank you for every page read, every review, every recommendation and every message.

For a debut indie novel, reaching 10,000 pages read feels like a wonderful milestone.

And if you're one of the readers who has helped get Eleanor and Nathan there, thank you for being part of the journey.

❤️📚🌹

Cath Bell