In the days before Amazon, millions of books never saw publication. Rejected by publishing house after publishing house. Some resilient souls reworked, rewrote, and polished their work and resubmitted it over and over again until they became J.K. Rowling. Now with on-line publishing, the polishing phase gets glossed over. Like the story about the Analyst working for Henry Kissinger. Assigned to brief HK on the situation on North Korea, the analyst collected the readily available information and submitted the work the HK. It was returned the next day with the note "You can do better than this. HK". The analyst poured it on, determined to show the senior diplomat what they really were made of. Hundreds of new sources of information were added, graphs, charts and polished writing. Submitted to Mr. Kissinger, it was returned the next day with the same note: "You can do better than this. HK". Now rather mad, the analyst turned on the heat, reaching every conceivable resource, polishing and re-writing until the analyst has nothing left to give. The work was finished, bound and ready to deliver. But rather than take the risk of another rejection, the analyst scheduled an appointment to personally deliver the work. In Mr. Kissinger's presence, the analyst presented the bound work. "Mr. Kissinger, you've rejected my work twice, noting that I could do better. Twice you were right, I could do better and with this work I have, but there's no way I can possibly improve upon this!" To which Mr. Kissinger responded: "Thank you, now I will read it."
We can always do just a bit better and without the gatekeepers of Publishers, we lose that perspective.
You are absolutely right Tim. Only thing is--readers don't notice that part5 of the equation until they've found the book. Maybe even purchased it, but at the very least, they found it and have interest enough to look inside. Most books don't get much of that visibility.
Does selling 222 books count (lol)? Part of writing a book that is also a topic of past personal trauma is that it is hard to keep talking and writing about it. I learned a lot though. My next book is fiction, thank goodness. Looking forward to reading your marketing book to help me out :)
You bring up an excellent talking point. I stumbled across an author's site some time ago. The author had written a memoir about trauma. Instead of focusing on the trauma aspect of his story, he chose to build a site/blog that shared the stories of people who conquered trauma and went on to chase a dream. The entire site was really uplifting, because it focused on the dreams of trauma survivors, instead of their trauma. I wish I'd saved the site, because it was an excellent example. Every story can be approached from many different angles. You know?
I have real experts I'm learning from and slowly building my opt-ins, website, and call-to-action. I actually have 3. That's how diverse my passion projects are. My first published book will be a children's picture book. I have my street team. I have personal relationships with librarians in 3 counties. I have a published children's author that I can turn to. My marketing is up to me. So far I've done it all wrong. I chose my illustrator first and it has been wonderful. Will I make a profit? Hah. It's a legacy project that fills a void in my heart that needed closure.
I think I sold over 200 on Smashwords way back in 2011. But the volume of sales was because I had a huge blog to advertise it on and readers who supported it. I don't think I sold many to people outside of the blog.
You wrote "I don’t understand why so many people don’t even think about how to sell something they’ve put so much work into." For me, in order to do what I do, it requires cutting myself off from the world, and staying true to my authorial self, but that's in direct conflict with marketing the fruits of my "hard work."
And while I realize that's the point of the piece, I'd like to suggest that many of us don't think about how to sell our writing because we don't write with how it will sell in mind. However, I do write with an audience in mind.
Some of my greatest writing influences came before computers and what remains true of many is that they struggled with things ordinary people found simple. Many struggled to go out in public, struggled being out of their element, which was usually alone, in a room, writing stories and poems. I'm not a fan of labeling, especially posthumously, so let's just all agree that many of the greatest writers of all time had, for whatever reason, difficulty putting themselves 'out there.'
It makes me wonder how Ernest Hemingway, master of the epizeuxis, would fare today. How Mary Oliver's Instagram feed would play. It makes me wonder which of Ian McEwen's novels would not be written because he was so busy marketing the others.
I agree with the commenter who stated that the lack of "polishing processes," the lack of taste-arbiters via traditional publishing, has muddied the waters--but even that has shifted to commercial viability over everything else.
The intersection of commercialism, consumerism, art and literature has spawned a whole new level of "rock star" that doesn't necessarily garner better writers, but we get one heck of a movie franchise. On the other end of the spectrum, we have a glut of trauma porn, shock-value non-starters and inaccessible highbrow literature that even goes over the heads of the self-proclaimed literati a la "The Emperor's New Clothes," tittering and clapping politely at the inside joke, calling it "good."
If the greatest novelists and poets of all time were expected (pre-technology) to do the equivalent of the types of marketing today's authors are expected to do, we might not even have Sylvia Plath's particular "weirdnesses," Salinger's Holden Caulfield, Eliot's Four Quartets, and Pynchon's Benny Profane. I don't doubt David Foster Wallace felt like folding in on himself when "Infinite Jest" was so well-received, making him the first 20th-century "rock star" novelist.
/rant and lol
Understand, I'm not sour-grapes over any of it. It's more... okay, it's that I feel a certain sense of foreboding--an odd premonition that we won't know what we've lost until it's lost, and even then, we won't know. It will be an echo of something we collectively yearn for, but even our yearning will get eaten up, lost in the din of louder, faster, shinier voices, splashier copy. I worry for the soul of poetry and great literature, however dumb that sounds, because those have historically captured the essence of the human experience in their time.
That said, how to tap into the larger reading audience is, for me, the $64,000 question (for us old folks), but not because of money. After sustaining a serious head injury, I can't go out of the house for any length of time. I can't travel. My book signing days are over (good thing I met my husband at a book signing and he's here to stay, or I'd be out of luck.) There are no handrails or ramps in the literary world unless you want to write about your need for handrails and ramps, which I don't. And in the last decade, going online is almost as bad as being in public only without the safety barriers of a car and lack of personal-space etiquette.
Of course, it's at this point you would say "Time to hire a marketing person!" Some writers can't afford that. Traditional publishers are looking for a certain type of book. They're businesses. I wrote a book, "Falling Back to Earth," if you recall... and I was poised to acquire a big-name agent in NYC. All I needed to do was tweak the book... just transform it into a romantic beach read.
And while I'm sure, had I done it, the book would have been a charming version of its former self, selling 200+ copies or more, I shudder to think what *I* would have lost as a novelist had I agreed to it.
I'm definitely not a romantic at heart or otherwise, but it's unfortunate in today's literary landscape, or rather, market, many writers feel they have to choose between doing what they must and being who they are.
So in answer to your question, what's working for me is I'm glad I'm not in this for the money, I'm glad I don't have to market my books, but I do wish they had a wider audience. I'd like to broaden my audience without having to sacrifice my personal okay-ness or tout my limitations like a pity flag. Even more vital, I'd like to have a wider audience without sacrificing my writing process and time.
Sorry, I meant "... going online is worse than being in public now due to a lack of personal safety barriers and personal-space etiquette." (also, *waving wildly,* 'Hi Linda!') 💛
In the days before Amazon, millions of books never saw publication. Rejected by publishing house after publishing house. Some resilient souls reworked, rewrote, and polished their work and resubmitted it over and over again until they became J.K. Rowling. Now with on-line publishing, the polishing phase gets glossed over. Like the story about the Analyst working for Henry Kissinger. Assigned to brief HK on the situation on North Korea, the analyst collected the readily available information and submitted the work the HK. It was returned the next day with the note "You can do better than this. HK". The analyst poured it on, determined to show the senior diplomat what they really were made of. Hundreds of new sources of information were added, graphs, charts and polished writing. Submitted to Mr. Kissinger, it was returned the next day with the same note: "You can do better than this. HK". Now rather mad, the analyst turned on the heat, reaching every conceivable resource, polishing and re-writing until the analyst has nothing left to give. The work was finished, bound and ready to deliver. But rather than take the risk of another rejection, the analyst scheduled an appointment to personally deliver the work. In Mr. Kissinger's presence, the analyst presented the bound work. "Mr. Kissinger, you've rejected my work twice, noting that I could do better. Twice you were right, I could do better and with this work I have, but there's no way I can possibly improve upon this!" To which Mr. Kissinger responded: "Thank you, now I will read it."
We can always do just a bit better and without the gatekeepers of Publishers, we lose that perspective.
You are absolutely right Tim. Only thing is--readers don't notice that part5 of the equation until they've found the book. Maybe even purchased it, but at the very least, they found it and have interest enough to look inside. Most books don't get much of that visibility.
Does selling 222 books count (lol)? Part of writing a book that is also a topic of past personal trauma is that it is hard to keep talking and writing about it. I learned a lot though. My next book is fiction, thank goodness. Looking forward to reading your marketing book to help me out :)
You bring up an excellent talking point. I stumbled across an author's site some time ago. The author had written a memoir about trauma. Instead of focusing on the trauma aspect of his story, he chose to build a site/blog that shared the stories of people who conquered trauma and went on to chase a dream. The entire site was really uplifting, because it focused on the dreams of trauma survivors, instead of their trauma. I wish I'd saved the site, because it was an excellent example. Every story can be approached from many different angles. You know?
Let me know if you need beta readers
I will for sure.
I have real experts I'm learning from and slowly building my opt-ins, website, and call-to-action. I actually have 3. That's how diverse my passion projects are. My first published book will be a children's picture book. I have my street team. I have personal relationships with librarians in 3 counties. I have a published children's author that I can turn to. My marketing is up to me. So far I've done it all wrong. I chose my illustrator first and it has been wonderful. Will I make a profit? Hah. It's a legacy project that fills a void in my heart that needed closure.
Do you mean 3 different book topics/genres? I'd love to know what the others are. :)
I worked in marketing, probably not as deeply as you did, but I've always had a feel
for what it takes for any person to see your message, be affected enough to take
it for a ride, engage, buy something. And yes, I had my own business in graphic
design and then just in editing - but failed to market it properly. I have read a lot
about it (way in the past!) but I need to learn new stuff...and then ACTUALLY do
those things!
I like the way you say "hard things" in a kind, receivable way. As in, yes, I listened
to your advice. And now will read the article about the man whose first book
is dying on Amazon! Thanks!
*I like the way you say "hard things" in a kind, receivable way.*
That sentence is one of the nicest things ever. Thanks, Dana. Hope you enjoy the post. See you over there. lol
I think I sold over 200 on Smashwords way back in 2011. But the volume of sales was because I had a huge blog to advertise it on and readers who supported it. I don't think I sold many to people outside of the blog.
I so pray you'll let me hire you!!!
You wrote "I don’t understand why so many people don’t even think about how to sell something they’ve put so much work into." For me, in order to do what I do, it requires cutting myself off from the world, and staying true to my authorial self, but that's in direct conflict with marketing the fruits of my "hard work."
And while I realize that's the point of the piece, I'd like to suggest that many of us don't think about how to sell our writing because we don't write with how it will sell in mind. However, I do write with an audience in mind.
Some of my greatest writing influences came before computers and what remains true of many is that they struggled with things ordinary people found simple. Many struggled to go out in public, struggled being out of their element, which was usually alone, in a room, writing stories and poems. I'm not a fan of labeling, especially posthumously, so let's just all agree that many of the greatest writers of all time had, for whatever reason, difficulty putting themselves 'out there.'
It makes me wonder how Ernest Hemingway, master of the epizeuxis, would fare today. How Mary Oliver's Instagram feed would play. It makes me wonder which of Ian McEwen's novels would not be written because he was so busy marketing the others.
I agree with the commenter who stated that the lack of "polishing processes," the lack of taste-arbiters via traditional publishing, has muddied the waters--but even that has shifted to commercial viability over everything else.
The intersection of commercialism, consumerism, art and literature has spawned a whole new level of "rock star" that doesn't necessarily garner better writers, but we get one heck of a movie franchise. On the other end of the spectrum, we have a glut of trauma porn, shock-value non-starters and inaccessible highbrow literature that even goes over the heads of the self-proclaimed literati a la "The Emperor's New Clothes," tittering and clapping politely at the inside joke, calling it "good."
If the greatest novelists and poets of all time were expected (pre-technology) to do the equivalent of the types of marketing today's authors are expected to do, we might not even have Sylvia Plath's particular "weirdnesses," Salinger's Holden Caulfield, Eliot's Four Quartets, and Pynchon's Benny Profane. I don't doubt David Foster Wallace felt like folding in on himself when "Infinite Jest" was so well-received, making him the first 20th-century "rock star" novelist.
/rant and lol
Understand, I'm not sour-grapes over any of it. It's more... okay, it's that I feel a certain sense of foreboding--an odd premonition that we won't know what we've lost until it's lost, and even then, we won't know. It will be an echo of something we collectively yearn for, but even our yearning will get eaten up, lost in the din of louder, faster, shinier voices, splashier copy. I worry for the soul of poetry and great literature, however dumb that sounds, because those have historically captured the essence of the human experience in their time.
That said, how to tap into the larger reading audience is, for me, the $64,000 question (for us old folks), but not because of money. After sustaining a serious head injury, I can't go out of the house for any length of time. I can't travel. My book signing days are over (good thing I met my husband at a book signing and he's here to stay, or I'd be out of luck.) There are no handrails or ramps in the literary world unless you want to write about your need for handrails and ramps, which I don't. And in the last decade, going online is almost as bad as being in public only without the safety barriers of a car and lack of personal-space etiquette.
Of course, it's at this point you would say "Time to hire a marketing person!" Some writers can't afford that. Traditional publishers are looking for a certain type of book. They're businesses. I wrote a book, "Falling Back to Earth," if you recall... and I was poised to acquire a big-name agent in NYC. All I needed to do was tweak the book... just transform it into a romantic beach read.
And while I'm sure, had I done it, the book would have been a charming version of its former self, selling 200+ copies or more, I shudder to think what *I* would have lost as a novelist had I agreed to it.
I'm definitely not a romantic at heart or otherwise, but it's unfortunate in today's literary landscape, or rather, market, many writers feel they have to choose between doing what they must and being who they are.
So in answer to your question, what's working for me is I'm glad I'm not in this for the money, I'm glad I don't have to market my books, but I do wish they had a wider audience. I'd like to broaden my audience without having to sacrifice my personal okay-ness or tout my limitations like a pity flag. Even more vital, I'd like to have a wider audience without sacrificing my writing process and time.
xoxoja
Sorry, I meant "... going online is worse than being in public now due to a lack of personal safety barriers and personal-space etiquette." (also, *waving wildly,* 'Hi Linda!') 💛