Eldon Farrell's Blog: The Writer's Craft, page 4
July 9, 2016
Oh no you didn't!
This week is going to be a little different as I discuss/rant about one of my biggest pet peeves.
Now I'm sure I'm not the only one who's found themselves in this situation - you've found a book that you're super excited to read, can't wait to dive into it, you check out the reviews for it, and BANG...someone has given away crucial points of the story right there in the review!
Now we've discussed reviews right here and noted that they are for readers. And what does a reader read a review for? Obviously for only two reasons, to find out if it's worth reading or if they're simply curious about what other people think of the book.
In either case, the reader is not looking for a reviewer to give away vital points of the story. Aside from the fact that this is obviously not helpful, it spoils any future enjoyment of the book for anyone who happens to read the review first.
Reviews are not book club discussions - everyone who reads them hasn't already read the book. Please, please, please refrain from telling me who lives or who dies, how happy the ending is or isn't, or describing that one pivotal scene in excruciating detail.
If you simply can't help yourself, if you must include such things in a review, then do us all a favour and include "spoiler alert" before you do. Give the reader a chance. There's even html formatting specific to spoilers right here on Goodreads.
I'm sure you wouldn't like it if it happened to you; all I ask is that you be considerate of that fact and not do it to others. It's only common courtesy really; which ironically is not that common in the world we live in today.
Perhaps it's time though...for us to bring it back.
Now I'm sure I'm not the only one who's found themselves in this situation - you've found a book that you're super excited to read, can't wait to dive into it, you check out the reviews for it, and BANG...someone has given away crucial points of the story right there in the review!
Now we've discussed reviews right here and noted that they are for readers. And what does a reader read a review for? Obviously for only two reasons, to find out if it's worth reading or if they're simply curious about what other people think of the book.
In either case, the reader is not looking for a reviewer to give away vital points of the story. Aside from the fact that this is obviously not helpful, it spoils any future enjoyment of the book for anyone who happens to read the review first.
Reviews are not book club discussions - everyone who reads them hasn't already read the book. Please, please, please refrain from telling me who lives or who dies, how happy the ending is or isn't, or describing that one pivotal scene in excruciating detail.
If you simply can't help yourself, if you must include such things in a review, then do us all a favour and include "spoiler alert" before you do. Give the reader a chance. There's even html formatting specific to spoilers right here on Goodreads.
I'm sure you wouldn't like it if it happened to you; all I ask is that you be considerate of that fact and not do it to others. It's only common courtesy really; which ironically is not that common in the world we live in today.
Perhaps it's time though...for us to bring it back.
July 3, 2016
Promotion...what is it good for?
In the digital age one thing is certain; as consumers we are continuously bombarded with advertising messages and requests for our ever important dollars. It's become so ubiquitous that most of us don't even notice most of them anymore. How many of us notice that product placement in our favourite shows or realize that the nicely landscaped corporate logo on the side of the highway is just another form of advertising. It is quite literally all around us!
Show of hands, how many of you pay any kind of attention to traditional advertising? How many actually watch commercials on television anymore? How many notice the banner ads on websites as anything more than a mild annoyance?
I'm going to go ahead here and assume (since I obviously can't see you) that not that many hands are raised. Speaking from my own perspective I can tell you I don't remember the last time I paid any attention to commercials or took a book suggestion from a banner ad.
So then, given all this, does it not lend itself to concluding that promotion is good for absolutely nothing? If the known quantities can't use the massive marketing machine at their disposal to gain the consumer's attention then what possible chance does an unknown Indie author have?
There is certainly no end of options afforded to us from internet ads, to Facebook ads, to free promotions, to countdown deals, to God knows what else but you get the point. We can utilize plenty of options...but do they work?
At the end of the day, promoting for the sake of promoting is a waste. If we're going to spend time and money on promotion then we obviously expect to see that reflected on our bottom line - we expect sales from the effort.
I've written here before that sales should not be the goal and I stand by that. For those that seek sales though (and to some extent that's all of us!) how can promotion be used effectively?
Examining the landscape of modern day marketing reminds me of a line from Moneyball by Michael Lewis. To paraphrase "If we try to play like [The Big 5] in here, we will lose to [The Big 5] out there."
What this means simply is that as Indie authors we have nowhere near the means or capital at our disposal to market in the same ways that the established publishing houses do. Sure we can pay for an internet ad and post it out there but when the thousands of ads that they run barely receive our notice, why would our one little ad make a difference?
But despair not my fellow Indie scribes; we have something The Big 5 (or Evil Empire if you prefer!) doesn't have. We have approachability and a proven, yes I said proven, method that works.
Think of any big name author that you admire and who has had tremendous success. What do they all have in common? There was a time when no one had ever heard of them. No matter who they are or what they've accomplished this is true of them all. At one point or another they were where we stand.
So how do we get to where they are? How do we follow them? I'm going to say emphatically that it isn't with advertising. Does anyone remember a Stephen King ad before Stephen King was famous? I think not.
The way I see it, the path we should follow is to use our accessibility to readers and begin to network. Sure, this is a long road but whoever said there was a shortcut to success?
The best promotion is the kind that works. We've all read books because they were recommended to us by people we know. That's promotion that works!
So run countdown deals or free promotions; the more eyeballs you get on your book - if it's good - the more recommendations you'll get and the greater chance you'll have of racking up those sales numbers you dream about.
If you want to spend money on ads and the like, do that too, but be realistic about it. I'm not saying they can't produce sales for you; I'm merely saying that the odds are not in your favour.
For me, I'm going to continue meeting people and enjoying getting to know them while we discuss the words. I'm going to go after that elusive word of mouth. I want people to read my books because someone else they know read it, enjoyed it, and told them about it.
I want people reading my work not because it sounds good, but because they know it's good.
Show of hands, how many of you pay any kind of attention to traditional advertising? How many actually watch commercials on television anymore? How many notice the banner ads on websites as anything more than a mild annoyance?
I'm going to go ahead here and assume (since I obviously can't see you) that not that many hands are raised. Speaking from my own perspective I can tell you I don't remember the last time I paid any attention to commercials or took a book suggestion from a banner ad.
So then, given all this, does it not lend itself to concluding that promotion is good for absolutely nothing? If the known quantities can't use the massive marketing machine at their disposal to gain the consumer's attention then what possible chance does an unknown Indie author have?
There is certainly no end of options afforded to us from internet ads, to Facebook ads, to free promotions, to countdown deals, to God knows what else but you get the point. We can utilize plenty of options...but do they work?
At the end of the day, promoting for the sake of promoting is a waste. If we're going to spend time and money on promotion then we obviously expect to see that reflected on our bottom line - we expect sales from the effort.
I've written here before that sales should not be the goal and I stand by that. For those that seek sales though (and to some extent that's all of us!) how can promotion be used effectively?
Examining the landscape of modern day marketing reminds me of a line from Moneyball by Michael Lewis. To paraphrase "If we try to play like [The Big 5] in here, we will lose to [The Big 5] out there."
What this means simply is that as Indie authors we have nowhere near the means or capital at our disposal to market in the same ways that the established publishing houses do. Sure we can pay for an internet ad and post it out there but when the thousands of ads that they run barely receive our notice, why would our one little ad make a difference?
But despair not my fellow Indie scribes; we have something The Big 5 (or Evil Empire if you prefer!) doesn't have. We have approachability and a proven, yes I said proven, method that works.
Think of any big name author that you admire and who has had tremendous success. What do they all have in common? There was a time when no one had ever heard of them. No matter who they are or what they've accomplished this is true of them all. At one point or another they were where we stand.
So how do we get to where they are? How do we follow them? I'm going to say emphatically that it isn't with advertising. Does anyone remember a Stephen King ad before Stephen King was famous? I think not.
The way I see it, the path we should follow is to use our accessibility to readers and begin to network. Sure, this is a long road but whoever said there was a shortcut to success?
The best promotion is the kind that works. We've all read books because they were recommended to us by people we know. That's promotion that works!
So run countdown deals or free promotions; the more eyeballs you get on your book - if it's good - the more recommendations you'll get and the greater chance you'll have of racking up those sales numbers you dream about.
If you want to spend money on ads and the like, do that too, but be realistic about it. I'm not saying they can't produce sales for you; I'm merely saying that the odds are not in your favour.
For me, I'm going to continue meeting people and enjoying getting to know them while we discuss the words. I'm going to go after that elusive word of mouth. I want people to read my books because someone else they know read it, enjoyed it, and told them about it.
I want people reading my work not because it sounds good, but because they know it's good.
June 26, 2016
They said WHAT about me!?
So you've just published that book that you've poured your heart and soul into for the last - who knows how long - and it feels amazing. You're an author now! Sales are all right, you gained a following complete with positive reviews from people you don't even know; the feeling is indescribable.
Then it happens. You get up one morning, turn on your computer feeling terrific and pleased with yourself and find...a poor review of your novel.
To be clear...this is a when it happens scenario, not an if it happens. When you publish, whether your name is Stephen King or complete unknown, you're going to get negative reviews. You want to publish - get used to it.
So there you are staring at that horrible review that is now plastered across the internet suddenly feeling so much less than terrific. So what do you do now? The desire - the urge - to respond to this faceless reviewer can be almost overwhelming.
Who are they to say these things about my work! It's not fair! And not right! If I could only explain to them what they're missing then they'll understand...
Sound familiar? I would strongly advise against responding in any way to those of you who may be feeling the need to "change the reviewers mind". And by the way, that goes for positive reviews as well.
I know we all want interaction with our readers, but the review board is not the place. You post there, you invite only further hurt upon yourself.
I think it can become lost to us on social media sites like Goodreads, in the age of the vast internet, but reviews are not for authors. I can almost see some of you disagreeing with that right now, but it's true. Reviews are for readers; to help the next reader decide what to pick up, or what to avoid.
Before the onslaught of the information age, authors were routinely savaged by vicious reviews - they just didn't know it. The reviews went from reader to reader, and by and large the author never saw them.
Was it better this way? If you're staring at that infernal review...you might say yes.
But no, as with most instances, information when used correctly can only illuminate and help to better your situation. So that being said, how do you use it? How do you react?
If I could here, I'd like to share a deeply personal account of my experiences. I got my first negative - I guess you could call it a review - when I was just a little boy of no more than 9 or 10.
In my school we had a creative writing folder where you could place stories for extra credit. This was a revelation to me. I distinctly remember staying up nights way past my bedtime just writing little stories. Not to gain the credit mind you (as I wasn't doing my assigned homework!) but because I loved writing.
I don't remember most of what I wrote about it then but one story in particular I do remember. It was about a young family who moved into a new home only to discover that it's haunted. Kid's stuff really but hey...I was a kid!
The reason I remember that story is because after I deposited it in the folder the next day my teacher called on me to come to the front of the class. I stood up, pushed my shoulders back and raised my chin high. So proud was I of that story and here was my teacher about to praise me for it in front of everyone. Or so I thought.
What actually happened was she figuratively ripped that story to pieces in front of everybody!
I stood there listening to her criticize my story as my shoulders slowly slumped and my head lowered. More than her venomous words, I could hear the muffled laughter from my classmates. I was 9 or 10 years old...
Her main problem with the story was it "didn't reflect Christian values". It wasn't even assigned work! She rewrote the ending for me while I stood there and everyone laughed. Then she handed the paper back to me and I slinked back to my desk depositing the paper in the trash along the way.
I would not write again for 6 years - until well into high school. Even if it was assigned, I took a zero rather than risk that humiliation again.
You might be thinking that what she did was wrong; and I'd agree but she did teach me a valuable lesson that day...even if it took years to know it.
I learned eventually that you can't look for self-confidence in the eyes of others, you have to find it within yourself. I lost 6 years of writing and improving my craft because I failed to realize this. Please don't let it happen to you.
So you find that negative review...someone doesn't like your words...I say so what?
What should you do now? Move on, forget it, it's just one person's opinion. Even if it's more than one person, if it's a hundred or more, what does it matter to you? Serve as your own critic. If you were proud of what you wrote before some stranger lambasted it online, why shouldn't you still be proud of it?
The danger in becoming wrapped up in what other people think (good or bad) is that you risk losing yourself to it. You risk losing that most precious commodity - time.
So when it happens and somebody says something nasty about a story you love, just remember it's only an opinion. They may not like it but that doesn't mean the next ten people who read it won't love it. It's our differences that make us who we are.
Don't dwell on the negative. Accentuate the positive. And whatever else you do...be sure to keep writing!
Then it happens. You get up one morning, turn on your computer feeling terrific and pleased with yourself and find...a poor review of your novel.
To be clear...this is a when it happens scenario, not an if it happens. When you publish, whether your name is Stephen King or complete unknown, you're going to get negative reviews. You want to publish - get used to it.
So there you are staring at that horrible review that is now plastered across the internet suddenly feeling so much less than terrific. So what do you do now? The desire - the urge - to respond to this faceless reviewer can be almost overwhelming.
Who are they to say these things about my work! It's not fair! And not right! If I could only explain to them what they're missing then they'll understand...
Sound familiar? I would strongly advise against responding in any way to those of you who may be feeling the need to "change the reviewers mind". And by the way, that goes for positive reviews as well.
I know we all want interaction with our readers, but the review board is not the place. You post there, you invite only further hurt upon yourself.
I think it can become lost to us on social media sites like Goodreads, in the age of the vast internet, but reviews are not for authors. I can almost see some of you disagreeing with that right now, but it's true. Reviews are for readers; to help the next reader decide what to pick up, or what to avoid.
Before the onslaught of the information age, authors were routinely savaged by vicious reviews - they just didn't know it. The reviews went from reader to reader, and by and large the author never saw them.
Was it better this way? If you're staring at that infernal review...you might say yes.
But no, as with most instances, information when used correctly can only illuminate and help to better your situation. So that being said, how do you use it? How do you react?
If I could here, I'd like to share a deeply personal account of my experiences. I got my first negative - I guess you could call it a review - when I was just a little boy of no more than 9 or 10.
In my school we had a creative writing folder where you could place stories for extra credit. This was a revelation to me. I distinctly remember staying up nights way past my bedtime just writing little stories. Not to gain the credit mind you (as I wasn't doing my assigned homework!) but because I loved writing.
I don't remember most of what I wrote about it then but one story in particular I do remember. It was about a young family who moved into a new home only to discover that it's haunted. Kid's stuff really but hey...I was a kid!
The reason I remember that story is because after I deposited it in the folder the next day my teacher called on me to come to the front of the class. I stood up, pushed my shoulders back and raised my chin high. So proud was I of that story and here was my teacher about to praise me for it in front of everyone. Or so I thought.
What actually happened was she figuratively ripped that story to pieces in front of everybody!
I stood there listening to her criticize my story as my shoulders slowly slumped and my head lowered. More than her venomous words, I could hear the muffled laughter from my classmates. I was 9 or 10 years old...
Her main problem with the story was it "didn't reflect Christian values". It wasn't even assigned work! She rewrote the ending for me while I stood there and everyone laughed. Then she handed the paper back to me and I slinked back to my desk depositing the paper in the trash along the way.
I would not write again for 6 years - until well into high school. Even if it was assigned, I took a zero rather than risk that humiliation again.
You might be thinking that what she did was wrong; and I'd agree but she did teach me a valuable lesson that day...even if it took years to know it.
I learned eventually that you can't look for self-confidence in the eyes of others, you have to find it within yourself. I lost 6 years of writing and improving my craft because I failed to realize this. Please don't let it happen to you.
So you find that negative review...someone doesn't like your words...I say so what?
What should you do now? Move on, forget it, it's just one person's opinion. Even if it's more than one person, if it's a hundred or more, what does it matter to you? Serve as your own critic. If you were proud of what you wrote before some stranger lambasted it online, why shouldn't you still be proud of it?
The danger in becoming wrapped up in what other people think (good or bad) is that you risk losing yourself to it. You risk losing that most precious commodity - time.
So when it happens and somebody says something nasty about a story you love, just remember it's only an opinion. They may not like it but that doesn't mean the next ten people who read it won't love it. It's our differences that make us who we are.
Don't dwell on the negative. Accentuate the positive. And whatever else you do...be sure to keep writing!
Hash's Bash 2.0
https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/phot...
Just wanted to let all the followers know about this free and awesome event that I will be participating in along with several of my fellow indie authors.
http://events.supportindieauthors.com
Check it out!!
Just wanted to let all the followers know about this free and awesome event that I will be participating in along with several of my fellow indie authors.
http://events.supportindieauthors.com
Check it out!!
June 18, 2016
So where do characters come from?
Whenever I meet people and tell them that I'm an author, the response I get most often (after have you been published?) is how do you come up with characters?
I'm sure it's different for every writer but for me it all begins with an idea. And to be clear, an idea is not the same thing as a plot. Sometimes an idea is just that. I'll have a vision of a scene that would be cool to write but nothing else. It's a neat idea but won't support a novel and so to the scrap heap it's resigned.
But assuming the idea will support a novel, well then I need to populate the world I'm contemplating building. Rather than talk in generalities though, let's use specifics and focus on my debut novel Stillness.
The original idea for Stillness is vastly different than the book that has been published. Originally I titled it Stillness of the Heart after an old Lenny Kravitz tune. It was to be a round the world adventure story in the grand tradition of Rollins or Reilly where my main character would need to discover hidden artifacts at ancient sites in a race to stave off calamity.
If you haven't read my finished book I won't spoil it for you, I'll just say it's nothing like that!
I did write about 20 pages of the original concept but scrapped them because my characters had failed to come alive. It wasn't going to work; what I thought was a decent plot turned out to be only an idea in my hands. So I dropped "of the Heart" and got back down to work.
I decided the better plot was an outbreak of plague in a small town in Iowa. So with that decision made...I needed to populate my world with characters!!
Given the plot I knew I would need someone from the CDC as my lead (hello Lynne) and with the bioterror aspect law enforcement was a given (hello Caleb). Rather than spoil the book for anyone though, let's go through the whole process with a minor character so that you can get a feel for it without ruining the story.
Since one of the central locations of the story was a small town that gets ravaged by disease, I knew the mayor would play a role so I crafted Donald Lincoln. My concept for him was a mild-mannered, weak, subservient, spineless jellyfish. I wanted him to engender pity from the reader. Given that he's involved in a love triangle, I thought the reader would feel bad for him.
However, his first scene proved that he was anything but spineless. And that's the beauty of characters, sometimes they follow the script and sometimes they don't. As authors all we do is give them life; what they do with it is often up to them.
And yes, of course I could've rewritten Donald to force him into being the mousy character I thought he was but that would've been a disservice. No, Donald works better as the brash, arrogant, a-hole that he is.
So where do characters come from? For me they're centrally important to the story I'm telling. I write character driven fiction first and foremost.
When a plot comes to me (and we'll discuss where plots come from at a later date) I think about what type of characters will be needed to make it work. What profession will I need them to have? What type of personality will work? What motivations are necessary? These are just some of the questions that lead to the genesis of creation.
Naturally I'm also asked if I ever draw inspiration from the people I know in life. To be truthful, I have on occasion thrown a model of someone I know in life into my stories. Always a minor player though and usually to honor the person.
There was one time though where a real a-hole pissed me off to the point that I wrote him into one of my novels. His description was spot on to what he really looked like and I made him the unlikeable a-hole that he really was. And no...it's not Donald!
And that brings us to names. I know some authors painstakingly contemplate what to name their characters for months on end, just trying to come up with the proper moniker. And in some stories the name is just that important. For me though, all I try to do is place first and last names together that sound real and flow together. My only real rule when it comes to naming characters is that with main ones I won't give them long or complicated names because I'm going to have to type it hundreds of times!!
So that's it then, that's where characters come from. Feel free to ask if there's something I didn't cover :)
I'm sure it's different for every writer but for me it all begins with an idea. And to be clear, an idea is not the same thing as a plot. Sometimes an idea is just that. I'll have a vision of a scene that would be cool to write but nothing else. It's a neat idea but won't support a novel and so to the scrap heap it's resigned.
But assuming the idea will support a novel, well then I need to populate the world I'm contemplating building. Rather than talk in generalities though, let's use specifics and focus on my debut novel Stillness.
The original idea for Stillness is vastly different than the book that has been published. Originally I titled it Stillness of the Heart after an old Lenny Kravitz tune. It was to be a round the world adventure story in the grand tradition of Rollins or Reilly where my main character would need to discover hidden artifacts at ancient sites in a race to stave off calamity.
If you haven't read my finished book I won't spoil it for you, I'll just say it's nothing like that!
I did write about 20 pages of the original concept but scrapped them because my characters had failed to come alive. It wasn't going to work; what I thought was a decent plot turned out to be only an idea in my hands. So I dropped "of the Heart" and got back down to work.
I decided the better plot was an outbreak of plague in a small town in Iowa. So with that decision made...I needed to populate my world with characters!!
Given the plot I knew I would need someone from the CDC as my lead (hello Lynne) and with the bioterror aspect law enforcement was a given (hello Caleb). Rather than spoil the book for anyone though, let's go through the whole process with a minor character so that you can get a feel for it without ruining the story.
Since one of the central locations of the story was a small town that gets ravaged by disease, I knew the mayor would play a role so I crafted Donald Lincoln. My concept for him was a mild-mannered, weak, subservient, spineless jellyfish. I wanted him to engender pity from the reader. Given that he's involved in a love triangle, I thought the reader would feel bad for him.
However, his first scene proved that he was anything but spineless. And that's the beauty of characters, sometimes they follow the script and sometimes they don't. As authors all we do is give them life; what they do with it is often up to them.
And yes, of course I could've rewritten Donald to force him into being the mousy character I thought he was but that would've been a disservice. No, Donald works better as the brash, arrogant, a-hole that he is.
So where do characters come from? For me they're centrally important to the story I'm telling. I write character driven fiction first and foremost.
When a plot comes to me (and we'll discuss where plots come from at a later date) I think about what type of characters will be needed to make it work. What profession will I need them to have? What type of personality will work? What motivations are necessary? These are just some of the questions that lead to the genesis of creation.
Naturally I'm also asked if I ever draw inspiration from the people I know in life. To be truthful, I have on occasion thrown a model of someone I know in life into my stories. Always a minor player though and usually to honor the person.
There was one time though where a real a-hole pissed me off to the point that I wrote him into one of my novels. His description was spot on to what he really looked like and I made him the unlikeable a-hole that he really was. And no...it's not Donald!
And that brings us to names. I know some authors painstakingly contemplate what to name their characters for months on end, just trying to come up with the proper moniker. And in some stories the name is just that important. For me though, all I try to do is place first and last names together that sound real and flow together. My only real rule when it comes to naming characters is that with main ones I won't give them long or complicated names because I'm going to have to type it hundreds of times!!
So that's it then, that's where characters come from. Feel free to ask if there's something I didn't cover :)
June 11, 2016
Is anyone reading this (and does it even matter)...
I have a confession to make. Since I began this wonderful odyssey of self-publication I have on occasion (no more than a few hundred times now) found my way over to Kindle to check my sales numbers in the hope of seeing that meteoric rise to the top.
Spoiler alert...it hasn't happened yet!
The thing is I don't think I'm alone in this. For those of us who publish our words the very idea of one day seeing them everywhere - of being a huge success - is like nectar to a bee. Intoxicating.
It's beyond amazing to think about someone a world away reading my novel - enjoying my words. And there's the rub. It's subtle but those are two very different things.
You needn't have sales sufficient to be on all the best seller lists in order to have someone enjoy what you've written. Though granted if you are on the best seller list chances are someone enjoys reading your book!
So how to measure success? Is it as simple as reaching a certain number of books sold? If it is then what's the magic number?
No, I think there's more to success than that. I can only speak for myself here, but I think it's the journey that determines the outcome. It's what you experience all along the way that makes the journey worthwhile or not.
I'm not topping any best seller lists but I'd rate my initial foray into publishing as a success. As the title states, it doesn't really matter if anyone is reading it; that's not what makes you a success.
If I could say one thing to my fellow newbie authors it would be this: don't get swept up in the dream of selling copies like gangbusters. Remember why it is that you went down this road in the first place. None of us began writing just to sell books or run promotions. We did it for the words for they are what really matter.
We, each of us, had a story to tell.
And if that story reaches just one person out there and touches them in the way that only pure writing can; then count yourself a success.
But if it doesn't - if the worst happens and you don't sell a single book - don't hang your head. If you told the story you set out to tell in the way you wanted to write it, then hold your head high for you've succeeded.
So now I'm going to go take my own advice and stop checking my sales...at least for awhile anyway ;)
Spoiler alert...it hasn't happened yet!
The thing is I don't think I'm alone in this. For those of us who publish our words the very idea of one day seeing them everywhere - of being a huge success - is like nectar to a bee. Intoxicating.
It's beyond amazing to think about someone a world away reading my novel - enjoying my words. And there's the rub. It's subtle but those are two very different things.
You needn't have sales sufficient to be on all the best seller lists in order to have someone enjoy what you've written. Though granted if you are on the best seller list chances are someone enjoys reading your book!
So how to measure success? Is it as simple as reaching a certain number of books sold? If it is then what's the magic number?
No, I think there's more to success than that. I can only speak for myself here, but I think it's the journey that determines the outcome. It's what you experience all along the way that makes the journey worthwhile or not.
I'm not topping any best seller lists but I'd rate my initial foray into publishing as a success. As the title states, it doesn't really matter if anyone is reading it; that's not what makes you a success.
If I could say one thing to my fellow newbie authors it would be this: don't get swept up in the dream of selling copies like gangbusters. Remember why it is that you went down this road in the first place. None of us began writing just to sell books or run promotions. We did it for the words for they are what really matter.
We, each of us, had a story to tell.
And if that story reaches just one person out there and touches them in the way that only pure writing can; then count yourself a success.
But if it doesn't - if the worst happens and you don't sell a single book - don't hang your head. If you told the story you set out to tell in the way you wanted to write it, then hold your head high for you've succeeded.
So now I'm going to go take my own advice and stop checking my sales...at least for awhile anyway ;)
June 4, 2016
I guess I'm an author now...
Though not for the reason you might expect. I woke up this morning to a surprise in my inbox - an invitation to be represented. Someone (I won't use names because neither did he) wants to help me navigate through the muddy waters of publication and make me a success! "Oh my, why I nearly fainted with excitement."
And of course to have access to this amazing expertise all I have to do is pay him. Pay him for access to social media, pay him for followers, pay him for "honest" reviews, pay him for beta reading services, pay him for editing, hell apparently I could even pay him to write the book for me!
I'm sure I'm not alone in having received this message, or others like it. Just as I'm equally sure that it's a scam. But I should thank him for making me feel more like an author. After all, so many of us it seems are the target for these types of scams as soon as our name gets out there even a little bit.
But why is that? Why should it be that people feel the need to prey upon the hopes and dreams of others? Somewhere out there, someone might be reading this and having their bubble burst for they might've actually thought his message was genuine. That despite the total lack of personalization or individual detail about the book that he supposedly thought so much of, that he was actually speaking to them and was able to deliver on his promises.
It angers me to think about my fellow Indie authors who get swindled like this. It isn't right. Whoever we are, we all have dreams. We all have aspirations; we all have something we want to accomplish.
For many of us here that is having our words in print - being a published author. We should be able to reach for that brass ring without fear of it being tarnished by scam artists preying upon our dreams, and yes, our desperation. For publication is not easy; it is a long road that can often lead to feeling desperate. Don't we all feel that way from time to time?
So what can be done about this? If the scams persist it's because money is being made; good people are being conned. This is how we stop them - by getting the word out! So please, spread this by any means at your disposal to everyone you know and lets make a difference; let's force the scammers to get a real job!!
A few simple rules to go by. Many of us know these all ready, but for those who don't here we go:
1. Reputable publishers don't ask for money from an author up front for their services.
2. If they're contacting you out of the blue, be wary. It's rare that this legitimately happens.
3. If what they've written to you reads like a form letter and sounds like it was written by an eight year old, well you know...
4. If guarantees or promises of success are proffered, remember that such things can never be assured and reputable businesses don't lead with hooks designed to entice you in such ways.
And while on the subject of things that cannot be offered...an honest review that is paid for is the same thing as being found missing or living dead. For a review to be truly honest there can be no fiduciary relationship involved. Anyone remember the rating agencies and the 2008 financial crisis? Still think bought and paid for opinions are honest?
In closing, I'd like to say that receiving one of these e-mails shouldn't be a rite of passage for newbie and Indie authors. It's sad really. But it's within our ability to change that. Together we can squeeze these types of scammers out and return the gleam to that brass ring we're all striving for.
And of course to have access to this amazing expertise all I have to do is pay him. Pay him for access to social media, pay him for followers, pay him for "honest" reviews, pay him for beta reading services, pay him for editing, hell apparently I could even pay him to write the book for me!
I'm sure I'm not alone in having received this message, or others like it. Just as I'm equally sure that it's a scam. But I should thank him for making me feel more like an author. After all, so many of us it seems are the target for these types of scams as soon as our name gets out there even a little bit.
But why is that? Why should it be that people feel the need to prey upon the hopes and dreams of others? Somewhere out there, someone might be reading this and having their bubble burst for they might've actually thought his message was genuine. That despite the total lack of personalization or individual detail about the book that he supposedly thought so much of, that he was actually speaking to them and was able to deliver on his promises.
It angers me to think about my fellow Indie authors who get swindled like this. It isn't right. Whoever we are, we all have dreams. We all have aspirations; we all have something we want to accomplish.
For many of us here that is having our words in print - being a published author. We should be able to reach for that brass ring without fear of it being tarnished by scam artists preying upon our dreams, and yes, our desperation. For publication is not easy; it is a long road that can often lead to feeling desperate. Don't we all feel that way from time to time?
So what can be done about this? If the scams persist it's because money is being made; good people are being conned. This is how we stop them - by getting the word out! So please, spread this by any means at your disposal to everyone you know and lets make a difference; let's force the scammers to get a real job!!
A few simple rules to go by. Many of us know these all ready, but for those who don't here we go:
1. Reputable publishers don't ask for money from an author up front for their services.
2. If they're contacting you out of the blue, be wary. It's rare that this legitimately happens.
3. If what they've written to you reads like a form letter and sounds like it was written by an eight year old, well you know...
4. If guarantees or promises of success are proffered, remember that such things can never be assured and reputable businesses don't lead with hooks designed to entice you in such ways.
And while on the subject of things that cannot be offered...an honest review that is paid for is the same thing as being found missing or living dead. For a review to be truly honest there can be no fiduciary relationship involved. Anyone remember the rating agencies and the 2008 financial crisis? Still think bought and paid for opinions are honest?
In closing, I'd like to say that receiving one of these e-mails shouldn't be a rite of passage for newbie and Indie authors. It's sad really. But it's within our ability to change that. Together we can squeeze these types of scammers out and return the gleam to that brass ring we're all striving for.
May 28, 2016
Stillness Giveaway
What it's about...
This is a big day for me...my very first blog post. I've written numerous short stories and a number of novels but never a blog. I have to admit, the permanence and reach of the internet makes this a little daunting.
What I hope to accomplish here is to create a forum to keep the followers I acquire informed about my writing pursuits. This will primarily be a space for my musings on my work and/or observations on the process of writing. That being said, I can't promise I won't stray off topic now and again!
If you have any questions for me, or topics you'd like to see discussed here, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to reply quickly.
What I hope to accomplish here is to create a forum to keep the followers I acquire informed about my writing pursuits. This will primarily be a space for my musings on my work and/or observations on the process of writing. That being said, I can't promise I won't stray off topic now and again!
If you have any questions for me, or topics you'd like to see discussed here, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to reply quickly.
