NOT WAVING BUT DROWNING
The world has changed.
Is changing.
Constantly.
We’re all floundering. Well, the writers anyway. None of us has a clue. This way? That one? Is that a shark? Swim faster! But be careful: that might not be land ahead so much as a fog bank. You might actually be heading further out to sea.
Scary thought, right?
Even on the beach, it’s murky enough these days. Remember publish or perish? More like publish AND perish. We’re all in trouble. Chain bookstores (even the ones still open) won’t carry indie titles, and independent bookstores have become an almost mythical rarity. Mainstream media rarely considers books anymore, and even the tiniest of weekly presses are swamped by review copies. Hundreds, even thousands arrive each month. It’s rough. In an ocean of new titles, only authors who are already household names (or have serious financial backing) have much chance of attracting attention. What’s a writer to do?
There are theories.
The experts all tell you that social media is the key to marketing yourself, completely overlooking the fact that most of the people in your “network” are there for the same reason. (You may have 5,000 friends on Facebook, but 4,999 of them want you to buy their book… or at least accept a free copy in exchange for a review or a blurb.) It’s all about self-promotion. For everyone. I saw an interesting question posed on a popular blog the other day: Where’s the benefit in being a great writer? Does anyone care about that stuff anymore? How many five-star ratings will that even get you?
I don’t drink enough.
Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. We’re all in the same (sinking) ship. But there are people who might actually want to help. You know the ones I mean, right? Passionate, appreciative, enthusiastic readers – the sort who keep a poor writer going. They’re out there. And here’s the thing. They can help.
But they might require a little guidance. (Civilians. Go figure.) Of course, various self-marketing gurus have already posted all sorts of tips… mostly hilarious. Have you seen some of this stuff? Much of it comes down to “if you like my page, I’ll like yours.” Very useful. And so professional.
I don’t drink enough. Have I mentioned that?
Okay, let’s try and be positive about this. There ARE a few thing readers could do that might actually be beneficial for an author. So this is what you tell them: First of all, buy the stinking book already.
Seem obvious? (And, yes, you might consider phrasing that a tad more diplomatically.) I'll sometimes get nice notes from people who rave about one of my books... before telling me all about how they found a good used copy for under a dollar. Many people are surprised to discover authors don’t receive a penny from secondhand sales.
It’s a strange world.
The first fan letter I ever received was from someone who'd borrowed my book from a prison library. (I’ve cherished that. My target readership at last!) But if you want to keep your favorite author solvent, buy a copy. New. (Resist the urge to steal it.) In fact, buy two – give one as a gift! But there’s something else that might be even more important.
Write a review. Let me say that again. WRITE A REVIEW. Even if it’s quite short, post it on Amazon where it will do the most good. Then post it on Goodreads. Tweet about it. Chat it up on Facebook. It’s the mystery of the algorithms: a book can’t sell if people don’t see it. You can do other things of course, but those are the main ones.
Pass the shark repellent. These seas are getting rougher all the time. If there’s a writer whose work you care about, throw out a lifeline.
No, not a chum line!!!!
* * *
For further reading, there’s a great article on this subject at HuffPo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c...
And a really fun blog here, full of terrific ideas, though I would not suggest posting a photo of your baby reading one of my books. (The child welfare people will be after you like a shot.)
http://www.triciagoyer.com/sell-more-...
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Robert, a great post. Much food for thought, and much pain as well. There seems to be a perception in the reading public that an author earns his or her moolah from the initial contract, as opposed to the attendant book sales. The impression with the latter is that this is merely for the benefit of the publisher to cover its costs / outlay. Rightly or wrongly, the publishing industry has to enforce the view that buying a book is a tangible investment in that author's specific talent, and a critical step in bringing that talent to the attention of the unread masses. A large part of the problem is that writers have been commodified: here we can blame the Stephanie Meyers and Stephen Kings of the world. We need to restore the true value inherent in talent. What I like most about Goodreads is the reader is made to feel that he or she can have an impact, no matter how trivial, whereas normally you feel like you are farting against thunder, plugging your two cents worth in some little review or rating. Goodreads brings authors and readers together in a synergy that can only be beneficial for all. Granted, that goes entirely to the heads of some readers (and writers), but that is another debate entirely.
P.S. And there I thought, being in PR / journalism, I had an arse-kissing, arsehole-of-the-world, black hole kind of stinking job. Thank the fuck I am not an author!
Headline in The Guardian: Income for US Authors Fall Below Federal Poverty LineJust in case someone wasn't depressed enough...
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015...
Really interesting synopsis in what the publishers did right, and how they were able to effectively manipulate the confluence of events in their favor to create a bestseller.
Of course, word-of-mouth and early reviews from well-thought-of reviewers here and elsewhere played a HUGE part, but there's many more little things that played out behind the scenes that the general populace might not even be aware of.
(Speaking for myself, it's also why I'm far more likely to write a review for a "smaller" book or author that I like than I am for "Game of Thrones" (as an example.) It's unlikely that my single review will sway someone on GoT, but it might on a book that needs postive word-of-mouth more.)