The more I read about the effective marketing of books, the more I come to the conclusion that we are seeing causation where there is correlation Often, we hear the notion of social media as being a panacea or a fast-track for selling paperback copies and digital copies of your novel. As writers, I think it is time we face the facts: being an indie writer is no different than being a traditionally published writer in the sense that you can only sell books when you treat other people like human beings and talk to them like human beings.
I am as a guilty as the next writer of succumbing to social media schizophrenia, quickly becoming a faceless link-and-blog monster who does little more than tout interviews with authors I have on my blog, or to let people know other relevant (or perhaps irrelevant) information about the publishing world. As I sit on the precipice of working in a more traditional publishing position as an editor at a magazine and then being an indie author when I self-publish my own novels, I find that time is the enemy.
I would love to believe that someday my novels will be more visible, but the reality is that it won't magically happen. I need to take steps to make my novel more visible. It would be wonderful if everyone I knew picked up one (or many) of my novels and then told someone else about the books, or perhaps bought the books as a gift for someone else. I would even settle for everyone just talking about them, as it would be more visible, but that is an undertaking that I need to lead.
I cannot expect others to do it for me.
Enough of that pontification.
I have decided that I am going to treat the blog as a multi-pronged platform.
I recently started training for an Ironman event, which is to say I am prepping for a qualifier two, or possibly three, years out. The summer off from graduate school has been helpful in really getting in the mindset for an event. I recently completed a sprint triathlon, which consists of, on average, 820 yards of swimming, 12 miles of cycling, and 3 miles of running.
I was able to finish it under two hours and with no difficulty. Building exercise programs has always been a small passion of mine, and I will often help others create programs to meet goals. Training for such a rigorous event is proving to be a very enjoyable experience: both physically (in pushing myself) and intellectually (creating and altering programs based on day-to-day changes).
School is about to start, which is always fascinating.
I only have one more theory class in my Master's program, an advanced developmental class, and then I just have to finish my thesis. I have been scoping PhD programs and have narrowed it down to around ten, most of which are West Coast schools.
Be sure to follow the blog, though I imagine you probably are if you are reading this.
I love comments, so be sure to let me know what's the what.
Beautifully spoken. :)
ReplyDelete"I would love to believe that someday my novels will be more visible, but the reality is that it won't magically happen. I need to take steps to make my novel more visible. It would be wonderful if everyone I knew picked up one (or many) of my novels and then told someone else about the books, or perhaps bought the books as a gift for someone else. I would even settle for everyone just talking about them, as it would be more visible, but that is an undertaking that I need to lead."
I know the feeling. Every writer just wants to be known, and/or read. We put our hearts and souls into our work, and for me, when people are reading my stories, and then review them, I often feel they are looking over my inner spirit. It's a great, and sometimes frightening feeling, but I love it!
Unless someone is lucky like Amanda Hocking (no pun intended), all of us authors have a major role in promoting ourselves, because no one else is going to do it for us, and the more we promote, little by little, the more our "babies" will get out there.
Thanks. It is all a process, especially in a literary world where so many people, for better or worse, have found a voice through writing. I will just keep writing and taking the steps to make my work more visible.
ReplyDeleteYour posts will be going up in early September.
All the best.