Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Your Book is Invisible

No one will stumble across your work.

There will be no avalanche of book sales upon release.

Hopefully that didn't just destroy your hopes of publishing success, if it did, keep listening and pick yourself up off the floor.

Everyone out there is busy. Readers have full Kindles, and no one knows the name of the next Newbie Author. Success will not be had by clicking "publish". Instead success will come from telling people about your work. Not in a blatant roar, not in a mass of tweets every day: Buy my Book! Buy it Please! It's Awesome! I'll Pay You to Read It!

No, not that. But when you run into someone and start talking about books, mention yours, talk about it, give them a free taste if you can. Ask if they like it, to review it. Look for book reviewers: These passionate readers don't just consume your work, they shout about it to others. They value taking the time to do so.

Just don't brandish your book about like a weapon. But make sure you adjust the hilt at your hip, flash a bit of the blade at your reader. Time will build your list of connections, and if the work is good, one day that will all matter.

A far cry from "Shhh... Don't talk about your work", posted back in 2014. But I've learned. And as I slowly build up a list of interested readers (people that may one day be fans), I look at the fast approaching release of Kip the Quick and wonder what will happen.

Will it fade into the background faster than a shy chameleon at prom, or will it stand proudly upon the shoulders of a reader base, built one at a time?

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