Holly Lisle: Writer

One of my students made the NYT list, self-pubbing his FIRST NOVEL!

IRREFUTABLE, by Dale Roberts
IRREFUTABLE, by Dale Roberts

A lot of my students have sold novels to publishers, brought out their own books, won contests…

This guy is the first of my students I know of who made it to the New York Times Bestseller list.

Holly,

I can’t thank you enough. Your teaching has been priceless. Using your courses, I wrote my first novel. The Kindle version just made the NY Times best seller list at #19. I am consistantly hovering around the top 100 on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/IRREFUTABLE-ebook/dp/B0052GFSIG

Thanks soooooo much.

Dale Roberts

For the paranoid among you, he really is one of my students. He bought Plot Clinic and Page-Turning Scenes back in early December of last year.

His book, IRREFUTABLE? Fast-paced, well-written, smart, and fun. I bought it yesterday, and it’s excellent. And well worth the $2.99.

Here’s his link again. I’m so excited for him. This is SERIOUSLY cool!
http://www.amazon.com/IRREFUTABLE-ebook/dp/B0052GFSIG

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39 responses to “One of my students made the NYT list, self-pubbing his FIRST NOVEL!”

  1. Reagan Roberts Avatar
    Reagan Roberts

    Im your biggest fan….keep writing!

    Reply
  2. Reagan Roberts Avatar
    Reagan Roberts

    This a GREAT book but the second one is way better and even more twisty…..:D

    Reply
  3. Dale Roberts Avatar
    Dale Roberts

    The New York Times list is published weekly and is averaged over the placement over a weeks time. Amazon tracks the list and updates it in real time. At the time of this post it sits in the #91 spot. It peaked at # 19, but has slipped over the last week.
    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=s9_dnav_bw_ir02_s?node=133141011,322189011&bbn=133141011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1BEVH26NTSG8W2N3MAVS&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1326797262&pf_rd_i=1286228011#/ref=sr_pg_8?rh=n%3A133140011&page=8&bbn=133141011&ie=UTF8&qid=1320704936

    Dale

    Reply
    1. Holly Avatar
      Holly

      Thanks for clarifying, Dale. I appreciate it. And congratulations from me, too.

      Awesome thing to manage with a first novel.

      Reply
  4. FireStorm Avatar
    FireStorm

    YAAY! Congratulations to both of you!!! How wonderful!

    Reply
  5. Esther Avatar
    Esther

    Congrats, Dale!

    You’re an inspiration. As for your plot idea — well, wish I’d thought of it! It’s sounds fabulous.
    And you handled your critics like a true gentlemen and with great integrity. How refreshing!
    May your success only increase.

    Reply
  6. David Ferkins Avatar
    David Ferkins

    Congrats Dale. I hope to keep you company in a few years with a book or two of my own. You are a star in the sky that will lead many others like me. Once again, congrats.

    Holly, congrats to you as well for being a star for Dale.

    Reply
  7. Texanne Avatar
    Texanne

    I bought and read Dale’s book yesterday–nice and twisty! He really used the Plot Clinic to great advantage. Nice work, both of you. :)TX

    Reply
  8. Cheryl Avatar
    Cheryl

    Congratulations to Dale on his success. I’ve just finished reading the intro on Kindle and had to buy it — it’s un-put-down-able.

    Congratulations to you, Holly, but no big surprises here. I’ve been using your courses and recommending them to friends and writing course buddies for several years now. The only one left that I haven’t done is HTRYS but I’ve still got until Feb to get the money together … and I will!
    You have an exceptional gift for being able to share YOUR skills, and to INSPIRE OURS.
    Congratulations again .
    A nice retirement from teaching gift!
    Much love, Cheryl

    Reply
  9. Nancy doyle Avatar
    Nancy doyle

    Congrats,Holly! Your courses are fantastic, and Dale is proof of your teaching skills. His success is an inspiration to your students!
    NancyD — HTRYN in progress

    Reply
    1. Holly Avatar
      Holly

      Dale is proof of his willingness to work.

      I’m cheering because he put my courses to good use, but I take NO credit for his success.

      Reply
  10. Wanders Nowhere Avatar
    Wanders Nowhere

    Congratulations, Dale!! Looking forward to reading the book 😀

    Reply
  11. Julia DeFranco Avatar
    Julia DeFranco

    Nice going. Not my preferred genre, but (from the bit I read on Amazon) I hope someday to be able to write that vividly and compellingly.

    Reply
  12. Faith Nelson Avatar
    Faith Nelson

    That is so freaking cool! Congrats to student and teacher alike!

    Reply
  13. Jean Marie Bauhaus Avatar
    Jean Marie Bauhaus

    Congrats to Dale and Holly! I hope Dale will share the secret to his success with the rest of us wannabes.

    Reply
  14. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    Holly,

    I can’t find Dale’s book on any of the published NYT best seller lists for e-books or print & e-books.

    I found a review on his Amazon page written on the 2nd of June of this year (by an anonymous reviewer, “the Critic”) stating it made #19 on the NYT best seller list, but could not find the said list.
    Unless Dale’s book is appearing on a brand-spanking new list that is yet to be published & Amazon’s system fudged up the date that particular review was published?

    Reply
    1. mitzim Avatar
      mitzim

      Yeah, I agree. I can’t find any validation that the book made it on a NYT best-seller list, either, and I also checked the NYT listing for both print and e-books, as well as several months and date lines. My spouse and I both checked Google searches and could find nothing about it making it on the list. Not sure how getting on a best-seller list works, but one reviewer here said that she couldn’t even find a website of his that promoted the book. At any rate, the theme of the book sounds interesting.

      Reply
      1. Holly Avatar
        Holly

        I verified that he was actually my student. And I noted when I checked his listing and bought my copy of the book that he already had the NYT Bestseller notice on his cover on Amazon. I figured (still do, actually) that authors get prior notice when their book hits the list, and that it would be in either the most recent or not-yet-published upcoming one.

        But I confess I don’t check any bestseller lists—ever—because as a general rule, I simply don’t care who’s on them. And I have no clue where to begin looking. But putting NYT Bestseller on his book if it isn’t one would be something I’d think the NYT would sue him for, were it not true. After all, they have a reputation to uphold, and would have to make an example of anyone who just randomly claimed to be on the list. And the ill will he’d garner from lying about it in what is actually a surprisingly small and tight-knit community would follow him around for the rest of any career he had.

        So I’m guessing he’s telling the truth, and the list he’s on is the upcoming one.

        Reply
  15. Carol Fillmore Avatar
    Carol Fillmore

    Dale, this is fabulous! Congrats, you must be thrilled. I read the first chapter and I will be reading this book … the suspense you’ve built had me on the edge of my seat! Your success has encouraged me to keep writing:)

    Carol

    Reply
  16. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    Congrats—got my copy!

    Reply
  17. Laraine Anne Barker Avatar
    Laraine Anne Barker

    Huge congratulations, Dale. This is an enormous achievement. I wish you all the luck in the world; you deserve it.

    Reply
  18. Reza Gholizadeh Avatar
    Reza Gholizadeh

    Hi,

    Congratulation both to you Ms. Lisle and also Dale Roberts

    honestly this news strongly motivated me to work hard.

    thank you …

    Reply
  19. Diana Layne Avatar
    Diana Layne

    This is terrific, I hope many more of your students can have this kind of success! (including me, yes, lol). However, I found it puzzling, I have found basically no web presence on Dale, saw a few links where the book had been free for a time, and a small twitter account, but no website? Does this not fly in the logic of all the marketing stuff we’re told today? Yes, yes, good books fly off the shelf, but someone has to find out about those books in the first place. I’ve known other indie authors who have done free promotions on their books without this sort of success. I find this whole indie publishing endlessly fascinating.

    Reply
  20. Angie Holtz Avatar
    Angie Holtz

    Congratulations Dale!

    Reply
  21. Cat (from HtTS) Avatar
    Cat (from HtTS)

    Congrats Dale from me too. Please head over to the forum and tell us what you did beside writing the story to make it a success.

    Reply
  22. Candice L Davis Avatar
    Candice L Davis

    Congratulations, Dale! That’s an incredible success, and it seems to me you. And congratulations to you, Holly, for your part in it!

    Reply
    1. Candice L Davis Avatar
      Candice L Davis

      Sorry! Computer hiccup. I meant to say, it seems to me Dale has done the work on both sides of writing–craft and business. Well done!

      Reply
  23. Satima Flavell Avatar
    Satima Flavell

    Congratulations, Dale! May this be the first of many successes for you – and Holly!

    Reply
  24. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    Congratulations Dale!
    I used the link Holly posted to Amazon, used the “Look Inside” feature, enjoyed your lead-in and purchased the book for Kindle.
    I’m looking forward to reading it!

    Well Done!
    Sandra S. Richardson

    Reply
  25. Aimee Avatar
    Aimee

    Congratulations, Dale! I hope this is the first of many. I’m looking forward to reading it.

    Reply
  26. Sue Santore Avatar
    Sue Santore

    Whooo Hooo! Doing the happy dance for you, Dale. Here’s to many more best sellers for you.

    Reply
  27. Dalton Lynne Avatar
    Dalton Lynne

    That is seriously cool – congratulations, Dale!! I’ll definitely be checking it out. 🙂

    Reply
  28. Reetta Avatar
    Reetta

    Congratulations Dale. Your hard work is paying off. I just bought your book. The premise rocks.

    Reply
  29. Victoria Evangelina Avatar
    Victoria Evangelina

    OMG! FIRST my congrats to Holly!!!!!!!!!! This is wonderful, and I am sure if more of us were like Dale, really USING the knowledge we receive from you and having the courage and patience to stick with writing till the end: I am sure there would have been way more of your students’ books on the NYT bestseller list! As of me, I have bought the Think Sideways quite a long time ago… but never had time to start. They say, that “luck of time” and “laziness” is nothing else than “weak motivation”…

    Dale, great job! I would LOVE to read a post from you telling just how you worked on the novel. I am sure it was way more WORK than simple inspiration! How did you make yourself motivated enough to finish it? I am definitely buying it, but not sure when I read it… December, may be!

    Thank you both for such an uplifting piece of news,
    Victoria

    Reply
  30. Natalie Brunelle Avatar
    Natalie Brunelle

    Congrats! I hope this is the first of many.

    Reply
  31. Rahul Singh Avatar
    Rahul Singh

    Congratulations Dale! Finishing a book and taking it to publication is in itself an act of courage. Yours is yielding good results too and inspire a lot of us here.
    Best wishes.

    Reply
  32. elizabeth Avatar
    elizabeth

    That’s so great! Congrats!! 🙂

    Reply
  33. Krystall Avatar
    Krystall

    Congrats, Dale! Super news 🙂

    Reply
  34. Ginger Calem Avatar
    Ginger Calem

    Congrats to Dale. That is awesome and SO encouraging!!!

    Reply

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