What's in store?
Write, publish, launch... what's next? Only going to brick and mortar bookstores, libraries, conferences, fairs, workshops, signings... basically a lot! Writing is turning out to be the smallest portion of being a writer! I'm still writing though, my cat is not too happy because he hasn't been getting as much attention lately. I've been so busy!
So far I have learned so much as an author published by a small press.
First, from a lot of other people's perspective it is like being self published only it has the benefit of the book being in Ingram. This is the major distribution center for most printed books, and everyone I talked to (libraries, Barnes & Noble, small independent bookstores) orders books through them because they offer buyback options.
Second, I realized having a few copies of your book is great for the stores that want it on consignment, but the vast majority will simply order your book through Ingram. You don't need a lot of copies of your book. So, all of these self-publish websites offering you 1000 copies of your book are just going to leave you with a garage full of books that you paid for.
Third, there's a lot of marketing and promotion left to do to get the word out. The publisher does some but I've got to keep up momentum on social media sites, as well as do all the local media legwork. I've invested a small amount in marketing ($25 Facebook ads) and $25 on BookGrabbr to see which social media sites produce the most interest in the book and to test out the efficacy. I like looking at numbers, so it has been worth the small investment. I'm thinking I might invest more in this arena once the trilogy is out, but for now I am just testing the water, so to speak.
Fourth, there is so much more but it will all have to wait until the next blog post...
For now, I can say that the first book in the Cyborg Dreams series is sitting on the Science Fiction shelf of a local, fabulous bookstore called Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA. All the greatest authors who come through town go to that store, so it is an honor to be included in their stock.
What is even more exciting is that the King County Library System is adding MY BOOK to their collection in about a month! I can't wait to go and check out my own book from the library! Now that is a dream come true! I used to practically live in the library when I was a kid.
So far I have learned so much as an author published by a small press.
First, from a lot of other people's perspective it is like being self published only it has the benefit of the book being in Ingram. This is the major distribution center for most printed books, and everyone I talked to (libraries, Barnes & Noble, small independent bookstores) orders books through them because they offer buyback options.
Second, I realized having a few copies of your book is great for the stores that want it on consignment, but the vast majority will simply order your book through Ingram. You don't need a lot of copies of your book. So, all of these self-publish websites offering you 1000 copies of your book are just going to leave you with a garage full of books that you paid for.
Third, there's a lot of marketing and promotion left to do to get the word out. The publisher does some but I've got to keep up momentum on social media sites, as well as do all the local media legwork. I've invested a small amount in marketing ($25 Facebook ads) and $25 on BookGrabbr to see which social media sites produce the most interest in the book and to test out the efficacy. I like looking at numbers, so it has been worth the small investment. I'm thinking I might invest more in this arena once the trilogy is out, but for now I am just testing the water, so to speak.
Fourth, there is so much more but it will all have to wait until the next blog post...
For now, I can say that the first book in the Cyborg Dreams series is sitting on the Science Fiction shelf of a local, fabulous bookstore called Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA. All the greatest authors who come through town go to that store, so it is an honor to be included in their stock.
What is even more exciting is that the King County Library System is adding MY BOOK to their collection in about a month! I can't wait to go and check out my own book from the library! Now that is a dream come true! I used to practically live in the library when I was a kid.
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