SHOUTING ALONE IN A CAVERNOUS ROOM
THAT’S what an author colleague, William Maltese, recently called publicity, and I have to whole heartedly agree. Daily blogging, Tweeting, posting on nine “book” Facebook pages, and strictly maintaining an author website, Goodreads, Amazon Author Central, YouTube and LinkedIn presence, I find myself frustrated shouting in that cavernous room, wondering if anyone else really is there. Okay, so I knew five years ago that social media, while it might be a way to tell everyone a bit about myself and my writing, hopefully placing a memory tag in readers’ mind such that whenever they wanted a good read or need a gift to send, they’d think of Raymond Gaynor, and more recently THE EDGE OF MADNESS by Raymond Gaynor, wasn’t a good book sales platform. I’ve even been aware of Facebook having added an option for a “buy and/or sell” tab as well as YouTube’s various attempts to monitize audio-video tidbits that might, indirectly, result in publicity or sales. But, hey, if there’s one thing that is a challenge for authors, it’s “getting the word out” to readers, if there any left. I’m not one to believe we’ve progressed yet to the premise in Ray Bradbury’s FAHRENHEIT 451, but I am admittedly seeing the signs: “News” reports that are shifting from written journalism to video clips; the wholesale closure of bookstores selling “new” verses “used” books; the population shift from readers to viewers/listeners; the unrelenting rise in small studio manga, animation and cinematic productions. Even I, after a tiring day, find myself searching Amazon Prime or Netflix for a movie rather than picking up a good book. Aren’t the best books all made into movies anyway?
I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m decrying the present state of publishing. True, it’s “in major transition” in may ways, but also true, new writers have more opportunities today to transition to authors than ever before, and new ideas similarly have more opportunities today to get “published” and thereby out to interested readers than ever before. No, I’m just sad to see the sudden rise of gambling surrounding publication and authorship. There are so many “Fast Eddies” [see THE EDGE OF MADNESS by Raymond Gaynor] offering fee-for-service publicity, WITHOUT A GUARANTEE OF SALES. In fact, without any guarantee whatsoever, appealing to authors to become gamblers. The gambler’s publicity model (verses the investment publicity model where the investment principal is guaranteed by the advertiser, publicist or influencer to result in at least dollar-for-dollar sales, with sales returns above the investment being the only gamble) also being in need of “major transition.”
Okay, so I’m a fervent, keen reader. Where can I go to locate a “good read” if I don’t know the author’s name or a specific book title? One solution, look up “THE EDGE OF MADNESS Raymond Gaynor” either on Amazon, or any of the four Savant online bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific, Honolulu). And don’t forget my name and the book title when thinking of gifts! It may be quite a regressive approach in this age of the growing digital Internet of Knowledge (IoK; iKnow), but, hey, it works, and it’ll save my voice: THE EDGE OF MADNESS. Raymond Gaynor.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m decrying the present state of publishing. True, it’s “in major transition” in may ways, but also true, new writers have more opportunities today to transition to authors than ever before, and new ideas similarly have more opportunities today to get “published” and thereby out to interested readers than ever before. No, I’m just sad to see the sudden rise of gambling surrounding publication and authorship. There are so many “Fast Eddies” [see THE EDGE OF MADNESS by Raymond Gaynor] offering fee-for-service publicity, WITHOUT A GUARANTEE OF SALES. In fact, without any guarantee whatsoever, appealing to authors to become gamblers. The gambler’s publicity model (verses the investment publicity model where the investment principal is guaranteed by the advertiser, publicist or influencer to result in at least dollar-for-dollar sales, with sales returns above the investment being the only gamble) also being in need of “major transition.”
Okay, so I’m a fervent, keen reader. Where can I go to locate a “good read” if I don’t know the author’s name or a specific book title? One solution, look up “THE EDGE OF MADNESS Raymond Gaynor” either on Amazon, or any of the four Savant online bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific, Honolulu). And don’t forget my name and the book title when thinking of gifts! It may be quite a regressive approach in this age of the growing digital Internet of Knowledge (IoK; iKnow), but, hey, it works, and it’ll save my voice: THE EDGE OF MADNESS. Raymond Gaynor.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
No comments have been added yet.
