We’ve all heard stories of Indie Authors who’ve shot through the roof and earned oodles of cash seemingly overnight. They appear to possess a magic elixir that, once ingested, promises to turn any hardworking writer into a publishing sensation. Does the elixir exist? You bet: Build your backlist.
Avid readers aren’t drawn to “one book wonders.” They’re itching to download your debut novel with the knowledge that once they fall in love with your inimitable voice, you’ll lavish upon them a cornucopia of other literary delights. Don’t be fooled. Secretly they view your debut as a tasty appetizer meant to leave them hungry. It’s your job to cook up a main course of novel after novel you’ll gladly serve with gusto.
This is one of the reasons why series novels remain wildly popular. When I published Treasure Me I hoped the eccentric women who populate fictional Liberty, Ohio would amuse readers. I prayed their trials and tribulations would resonate with any woman who’s ever raced to the office unaware she had banana pudding on her suit, or who’d prepared a holiday meal only to find Aunt Martha attending with her underwear donned over her pants.
Women “get” silly in a way that often escapes men. We bathe children who fart in the tub. We jiggle when we jog. If a relative loses his marbles, we’re called into action like a sassy-mouthed Nurse Nightingale. Once I chased after my dying grandfather, who’d transported himself back to a whorehouse in Rome, Italy, circa 1920. He fled down the hospital corridor with one of my sisters interpreting his broken Italian for the terrified nurses as I grabbed for the hem of his robe.
But wait. This post is about building your backlist after all, and I want fans of Treasure Me to continue salivating as the release of the next book in the series, Second Chance Grill, approaches in April. I want to prolong the excitement—and add spice to the magic elixir. How? By releasing a dramatic, stand-alone novel first, The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge.
If my Liberty books are heartwarming and sweet, my stand-alone works are gripping, poignant—even heart stopping at times. Building a backlist is about variety, after all.
If you find yourself clicking Refresh to see if your debut has budged one iota on the Amazon lists, stop now. Begin work on your next novel as you continue marketing your debut. After you’ve polished that second gem, get to work on the third. And the fourth. I once met a top novelist at a convention, the keynote speaker, out plugging her latest release. Her husband was back at home proofreading the galleys of her next release. She had the line edit of a third book in her briefcase … and carried a notepad that she scribbled upon throughout dinner—her latest WIP.
Besides, there’s an up side to building your backlist. The more your write, the better your ability to grab the reader by the hem of her ratty old bathrobe and never let go.
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Christine Nolfi is the author of Treasure Me, available on Amazon.com and other major retailers. You can find Christine on Facebook and follow her on Twitter, learn about her other novels on her website, and visit her blog for tips on Indie Publishing. A version of this article appeared on Christine’s blog on 2/12/2012. It is used here with her permission.[subscribe2]
Christine Nolfi a good point. Just as publishers need to know there is more than one book in an author they are considering, so readers like to know that they can find more entertainment from the same source. Getting a series of books out and then promoting them all is therefore a good tactic for Indie writers and even for those who are trade published my minor houses.
I fall into the latter category as my writing so far has been memoir, specifically memoir about the years I spent working in Africa. I've tried to approach the writing from a narrative point of view and told the tales about other people, as they are more interesting than me and slowly I am building a following.
My African Memoir series currently has three published titles: Bride Price, Man in a Mud Hut, and Supper with the President, all of which are starting to sell. These will soon be joined by a fourth title, Dust of the Danakil, which will be published on 17th March 2012 and is already attracting attention from those who have read my earlier books.
As well as creating a backlist an author must become active in promoting his or her own books and not leave it all to others; they will soon lose interest unless you are one of those lucky ones who becomes an instant star. sadly that is not the case for most of us and we have to work hard for any visibility. So, use the Amazon and Facebook Author Pages, get your books listed and recommended on Goodreads and be active on the internet as well as doing bookshop signings, talks and any other activity that gives you the opportunity to display not only your books, but yourself. You need to give people a reason to want to read what you've written and the best way of doing that is by letting them get to know that you are interesting and have something to say.
And while you're promoting one book, don't miss the opportunity of waving your backlist and telling people about your other books; show them there is more. And talk about ones you are still writing; keep their interest alive.
You can find out more about me and my books from my website: http://www.ianmathie.com and also read some of the reviews which will tell you what other people think of my work.
I also have an Author Page on Amazon and on Facebook.
Interesting thought.
I did think to myself that I have enough material for a second book starring my protagonist.
Now, I will just Have to write a sequel, won't I? 😉
I'm guessing that 6 years between books hasn't been helping my cause … from now on, more time on the keyboard than on the couch.
Shoba – Go for it!
Christopher – There's no time schedule you have to meet. If it take you six years, so be it. My fist book, The Man of Passage, took ten years to get right and even then I'm not satisfied with it. Bride Price took three years and the one being published next month, Dust of the Danakil, was only started on 15th July last year.
It's not that I'm getting any better at writing books; each one takes its own time and I expect the next one will take well over a year to get to the point where I'm ready to submit it to my publisher.
It's better to write as well as you can and get a reputation for that than to churn out hastily composed sub-standard work. Your readers will wait and enjoy the satisfaction all the more when you deliver them another good book.
I don't disagree, Ian, but here's the rub … if I don't sell a few more copies of Headwind, there ain't gonna be a third tome, because I'll be too busy greeting Walmart customers to write one.
Christopher, unfortunately the first book won't usually sell too many copies on its own. I found that once I published a second, the first book picked up its sales pace. Now that I have eight books published, that first book is going stronger than ever – even though it was published in 2001. You can make it happen. Take your time.
As a reader, many times I will pull up earlier books from an author. My suggestion is to put out the next one and the one after that. Headwind will continue to get more fans as your future stories are told.
Best of luck to you!
Emmly Jane
It can take years to work out how to turn the one book into a series all right. I do memoir too, I don't have the imagination (yet) for fiction, but I can turn the everyday into an adventure. After the first book, I wondered for ages what to write next but my total inability to get a 'proper job' meant that eventually I looked for wackier and wackier ways to earn a living, just because 'there has to be a book in this'. The second is almost complete and there are 2 more to come. And if anyone wants a book about, oh I don't know, lion taming, and has a contact I'll give it a go.
Hi Christine,
Good post and it is so true. The one thing that keeps all our writing moving – no matter what we are doing – is the writing itself. I love your example of the woman who had 3 project running simultaneously while a keynote speaker for an event!
Guess I better get cracking on Book Three. Sigh. Being a late bloomer does have drawbacks. 🙂
Great post! Lets me know to not to rest after my first book goes live. I want a following 🙂
Christopher, there's no rush and you could always use your time at Walmart as research time, observing people's behaviour and buying habits and then translating this into material for your book. No time is ever wasted if you look at alternative ways of using the experience it offers. Good luck with selling Headwind anyway.
So many great comments! Here are a few thoughts, in no particular order:
1. Know what you want from your writing. Is it a hobby? Or would you like to become a career novelist? If you wish to earn some or most of your living as a writer, submit to a writing schedule. An hour before you leave for work in the morning. Or three hours every Sunday afternoon. Find what works for you and stay with the plan! Stephen King is a firm believer that no serious novelist has time for TV. While I wouldn't go that far I would admit that I spend most of my free time reading or working on future plots, not in front of the tube.
2. Great fiction doesn't have a shelf life. The debut you wrote ten years ago can find new readers as you finally release book #2. Of course, working novelists strive to publish at least one book a year. Don't crank out a book before it's ready for Prime Time but don't procrastinate either.
3. These next comments may catch heat but what the heck. I worked as a freelance writer for two decades before sitting down in 2004 to begin writing fiction full-time. I've given up hundreds of hours of free time for my craft. I exercise daily with the understanding that I can't produce stellar fiction without maintaining a mind-body balance. Check the bios of authors who consistently make the NYT bestsellers list and you'll find dedicated professionals with ingrained exercise habits. Trust me. If you care for your body every day, you will quickly increase your writing output.
4. Find critique partners. Learn to love revisions. Enter contests. Join a writer's group. Treat yourself like a working professional and you'll become one.
I think I sound like that lady you met at the convention- I ALWAYS have something going. I've even scribbled notes on a napkin at lunch when hubby gave me an idea. I have a laptop, netbook, external hard drive, and piles of paper of ideas, drafts, and completed works. Yes, I write- a lot!
I can visualize your story about chasing your grandfather down. Mine had Altzheimers and was at home one day when he decided to drop his shorts and run through the house in his underwear with me, my mother and my aunt in hot pursuit. Been there, done that…
Great story!
K. Rowe, do we share a family? Given your entertaining description of YOUR grandfather, it's a sure bet you write fiction with comedic elements. Or should.
Love how you write everywhere, even on napkins. Clearly you're a storyteller to the bone. Wishing you all the best.
A Good post, Christine! lessons for everyone.
Thanks for reading along, Ian.
Great stuff Christine! I've been seeing this touted more and more for us newbie authors and it's finally beginning to sink in:) I've been one of those who had to check his sales on amazon about every thirty seconds, but have decided to let it go. I sure could spend the time more productively. I've had so many people read my first and come up to me and say, "Ok, now what? When's the next one?" Fortunately my next one is due in March and the third is my WIP but I've been socializing so much the WIP has sat for a couple of weeks. Thanks for the motivation to get back to it! I'm on it.
Richard, I suspect most writers must resist the urge to check the Amazon numbers with dizzying regularity. It helps to keep in mind that the reader who fell in love with your debut waits expectantly to fall in love again–with your next release, and the one after that. Here's hoping you're now so motivated to finish #2 and pen notes for #3, you haven't time to read my reply.
Happy writing!