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**I'M DONE!! SO DISCOURAGED & READY TO QUIT**
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I love your honest, straight up reactions to our fellow writer. It is daunting and you are entitled to a meltdown now and again ... because you get this kind of good advice and tomorrow you sit down and do it better ... because, it is never perfect .... As for the selling end, there are people who will do this for you or you can cross advertise with others. Educate yourself on social media, like goodreads, etc., and just keep "getting in the pool" until you float to the surface. Good luck and plan on having a great 2020.
M.L. wrote: "Phillip wrote: . . . "I just want someone to tell me if I'm wasting my money. I'll always like my stories, but I can look past some typos and save a couple grand if nobody else is willing to spend ..."Speaking of "boiler room" editors, yep that happened to me way back when by someone who acted look a "boiler room" editor when I had no clue as to getting books published back in the mid-90s before internet. Though I've published all the trilogy books including the whole trilogy (3-in-1) by Lulu Publishing, when I read through them for possible single Amazon e-book KDP publishing, I still find a typo or two every now and then.
My own opinion is that no matter who you hire or get to edit or proofread, nobody will ever find all the so-called mistakes an author makes, no matter how large one makes the fonts,and no matter what "grammerly" type editing software you use.
Freebies: I've over a hundred on my tablet. I maybe read three a year, because other books come in that I'm more interested in/promised to read. Just adding some info to the pot, here.
I'm always delighted when I do read a freebie and I enjoy it. It's like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
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I think if you can be a writing machine and shoot out the books, that's what works for you. Great! And you're probably going to make more money. I don't have the time/focus to write like that, so I write what I want to read... And I've found, (because I'm writing books I can't find - aka not writing to the market) that not everyone likes what I like. And it's hard to find the audience who does.
Finding the audience who enjoys your style is SO DIFFICULT. So, I'm open to any tips on that. ;)
Nat wrote: "Freebies: I've over a hundred on my tablet. I maybe read three a year, because other books come in that I'm more interested in/promised to read. Just adding some info to the pot, here.
I'm alway..."
"I write what I want to read...not writing to the market..." I am in the same boat and glad I am, actually. I'm a believer in Christ who writes to non-believers (I mean, didn't Jesus say to do that?) and not "preach to the choir" so to speak. So yes, it is hard to market the books but they are selling well where I live (in rural remote far west Texas). If I can find another book "I can't find" I'll let myself know ;-) And I am NOT discussing religion here! Just saying what I write about and for. My tip, Nat? Since it could take year to market your style, just keep writing and let "nature takes it's course" if you know what I mean.
Ryan wrote: "I'm just tired of the industry. Getting the next big "lead" and having hope grow up inside me again, only to be let down again, over and over. Sitting at show after show, watching hundreds of peopl..."Ryan, I was reading an article quoting Jane Friedman (if you don't know this name, google her). I thought of your post...she wrote, That struggle--that feeling that you're wasting your time--is normal. However, most people quit instead, especially if they're not receiving validations and encouragement But what if you knew you would succeed no matter what? I bet you'd continue. Try to enjoy the journey, and rely on your determination to improve. That will make up for a lifetime of mistakes." as written for WD. Hope this helps; it helps me.
Can I ask a question? I'm going to self-pub no matter what, but I don't have the $$ to afford a lot of marketing and that seems to be the only way to sell books. Everytime I spend more money that I should on an ad/campaign, I get sales...yet not enough to re-coup the spend. That would be my discouragement. Yet, I agree...NEVER SAY DIE....you cannot reap success if you don't try. Thanks.
Guess that wasn't a question, sorry....lol
Mod
Not in my experience. I haven't spend a cent on advertising in at least three years and I get sales. What I have noticed is when I put out a free book now and then, sales follow. I don't even have to mention the free book anywhere. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. And often when I get a sale, I see another sale on the same book a few days later.
What do you conclude from this?
Hello, Ryan!I just read your post on this thread, and I've sent you a message in regards to it. If you can, please read and reply to it.
Cheers from Ross
Hi there!I've just read what you wrote in the Writers Workshop section of the Support for Indie Authors discussion entitled: "**I'M DONE!! SO DISCOURAGED & READY TO QUIT** ...Now, in this thread, you indicate you've been to 'show after show'...What shows? You state you've been 'watching hundreds of people walk by'...Who? Where? When? You tell the folks in this group you've been 'reaching out and engaging people, starting conversations, asking if they're interested in trying a new book series, getting shut down...OR, actually grabbing someone's attention and thinking, hoping they may be interested'...Have you actually met people somewhere in person? You state you've done 'book signings', 'book shows, conventions, fairs', and so on. If I may ask: How have you been able to attend such events?
Like you, I am an Indie-Author. And like you, I am quite frustrated by the lack of enthusiasm or even attention which is being paid towards folks like you and me and our own respective works. By the way, what is fan expo? I'm now responding to this thread and asking all these questions directly because you never answered my previous message. Now, I'm just curious. And I'd like to at least try and render some form of aid to you. As of this date, I haven't even been asked by anyone to host any book signings. So, if you don't mind, could you please tell me more about your experiences? We could also be frends and follow each other here. And if this helps any, I do have a few different web-sites devoted to my works. Would you be interested in showing and/or telling me more about your works? Would you like to hear about mine? I'd be glad if we could help each other out on this topic, somehow.
So, please don't quit! Not even after you've seen this...Kindly from Ross
P.S. I have complete faith in such Indie-Creators like us; I know we can make a difference...Especially if we all decide to work together. Speaking of which, I happen to know of another Indie-Author who's going through the same frustrations we are.
My only advice. Write because you love to write. Getting readers is a bonus. I am grateful we can now publish independently, but you have to love writing, then one reader makes your day brighter.
Very true. Writing is a calling. A mission. And a CRAFT. Sadly the public will not buy our books unless they can be SEEN. Commercial visibility costs $$$. With 7 million books on Amazon it costs more and more to get that visibility.
Ross wrote: "Hi there!I've just read what you wrote in the Writers Workshop section of the Support for Indie Authors discussion entitled: "**I'M DONE!! SO DISCOURAGED & READY TO QUIT** ...Now, in this thread,..."
I'm not certain I'm doing this right. I think this is the first time I have responded to anyone here. I think all of us who have been writing books for a while and for one reason or another, we are not progressing as quickly as we would like, we become frustrated. I think we can use that frustration to help us uncover where we have drifted astray. Book publishing is changing. It used to be that you could write a good book and readers would appear and appreciate it if it was good. But the game has changed. The game now is that the authors who are able to advertise and who have good marketing skills have a definite advantage. A good book, with a good cover and a good blurb, and clean editing can still get lost and never gain traction. I would review first my purpose for writing by asking myself if I'm okay if I don't make money. Then I would go through the checklist of the obvious: (1) appropriate book cover for your genre, (2) compelling story or information, (3) engaging blurb that encourages the reader to click "buy," (4) clean editing, and (5) adequate marketing to attract book buyers. Only you can determine what needs to be changed to attract more buyers. Having another author go through your book and provide objective advice might help. Best wishes. If your dream is to be an author, you can still be an author even if you are not a best seller. I hope you don't give up. I've been bashed extremely hard, but it is just making me more determined to continue writing and to get better. I hope after you move away from this temporary setback, you feel the same way.
This is a tough, tough industry to make it big in and it very, very rarely happens. When it does, it rarely happens quickly.
I know some people have modera..."