Today is February 24th, 2012, meaning tomorrow is the 25th. I mention that, because 02/25/2011 is the publication date of The Sable City on Amazon KDP, the first title I ever uploaded, to the first place. I sold four copies the last couple days of that month, and of course I know who bought them. 😉
At that time, one year ago, my “online presence” consisted of an e-mail account I checked every few days. Maybe once a week. No facebook, no blog, never heard of Goodreads nor Smashwords, nor several dozen other virtual places where I now seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on a daily basis.
My intent with this post was to present some of what I’ve learned over the last twelve months, which for me was not just my first year as an “Indie” but my first year being a…whatever you want to call it. A “wandering around the series of tubes that constitutes the internet” guy. However, upon further review, I realized that I really don’t “know” anything.
I have suspicions, of course. I suspect that around 90% of the time everybody spends on “social media,” while it may be fun and friendly and a necessary break, is pretty much without purpose. We are all hanging out and talking and having a good time, and every once in a while something very useful or thought provoking will come up. But it’s rare.
I suspect that in the overall scheme of things, time spent “marketing” books to fellow authors is largely wasted, as even if it nets a sale here or there, they generally aren’t the kind of sales that are going to lead much of anywhere on “the back end.” I suspect the only thing that is going to turn one sale into multiple sales is a reader who likes the book telling their friends about it. Yes, a fellow writer may tell their friends, too, but A.) they aren’t going to plug your book most times if they can plug their own, and B.) most of their friends are probably sick of hearing about books from them.
I suspect that once you have reached some sort of baseline with an appealing cover and a cogent blurb, those things aren’t going to push sales a whole hell of a lot. I suspect, in fact, that most readers view covers and blurbs more like filters. Ergo, if a cover is amateurish and/or sloppy, someone looking at it probably isn’t going to buy the book. Ditto if the blurb is clunky, riddled with typos, or doesn’t go anywhere. And even if a gorgeous cover and a snappy blurb get you a few sales here and there, in the long run it doesn’t matter much. I suspect no one has ever heard the following: “This book is only so-so, but the cover is awesome so you should read it.”
So what, if anything do I suspect does work? This is where I have to fully admit I know nothing for certain, and I submit that nobody else does either. If you read twenty advice articles from twenty “successful” writers (however you want to define it), you’re going to get twenty different stories about how they “broke through.” What works for some may do nothing for others, and something that was a dead-end for nineteen people who tried it may have put the twentieth author over the top. Why would that be so? I suspect it’s because in anything to do with writing (or any other art form), the “value” of the work itself is totally subjective to whoever is doing the judging.
I could name my favorite book now (if I could think of just one), and some people reading this would probably say that book was awesome, some would say it was okay, and some would say it was awful. Whatever your favorite book is, 1984 or Pride and Prejudice or Twilight or Harry Potter or Naked Lunch, there are a huge number of people out there who would enjoy a sharp stick in the eye more than they would reading it. That’s actually why I can’t even offer “Don’t suck” as a definite piece of advice, as by my personal and private tastes, “sucking” is no disqualification from making any bestseller list.
I suspect, and believe, that the only thing that is going to make a book sell at any more than a trickle is if some people who read it enjoy it enough to tell others. And so, even in a digital world, “Word of Mouth” is really all there is. The only way it will work of course is by having that first wave of readers find your book, whether they see an ad for it, read a review on a blog, download a freebie, or are just typing some stuff they’d like to read about into a search bar. Because all of that is to some extent a random occurrence, different things are going to work (or not work) for different people, without a lot of rhyme or reason.
In closing then, looking back over the last twelve months, I can only tell you what I have decided for myself, and intend to do. It may not be right for you, and it remains to be seen how it will work for me, I will let you know. But as I have come to suspect that there is still an awful lot of luck involved in having the “right” reader find the “right” book for them, I am going to hopefully increase my probabilities in the most meaningful way I can think of.
I am going to write more, and do all the rest of it less.
PS: This February so far, 166 sales of The Sable City on Amazon US. Slowly, but with any luck, surely. 😉
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As always in closing, an excerpt from an actual one star review of a real book a real reader really hated.
“…please no more holocaust books. They all are miserable there is no mystery and not much suspense.” (from a real one-star review of Night by Elie Wiesel.)
* * * * *
M. Edward McNally is the author of the Norothian Cycle books: The Sable City, Death of a Kingdom, and The Wind from Miilark, and multiple free short story volumes titled Eddie’s Shorts. He has been writing for twenty of the last thirty years and does not recommend the ten year spell of writer’s block in the middle. Ed is a contributor at Indies Unlimited (IU Bio Page) and tilts at his own windmills over at http://sablecity.wordpress.com/
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It seems we are all groping in the dark hoping to find that holy grail, that magic formula. And the ripple effect of even word of mouth can only happen once the first wave has begun. It's that first one that is the most elusive.
Indeed, Yvonne. Those readers are some skittish critters. 😉
I published Cel & Anna on 2/22/11, so have been looking backwards over the past year as you have. Come to most of the same conclusions, too. The most useful thing we can do to promote ourselves is to write good books. And keep writing them. You have done well indeed.
Thanks Lindsay, though in fariness I ran an ENT ad this month and the boost from that has made it my best month to date. But that's the topic of next week's post. 😉
I think that everything you've mentioned is spot on with what I feel like I've gleaned over the course of my short journey as an indie as well. (And even though I didn't actually publish a title until 11/11, I've been contemplating it since 2009.) It really does seem to be a black box as to what work is going to breakthrough and become the next "big thing". The only thing I guess we can do is keep writing and chatting up our work to anyone who will listen. 🙂
Agreed. Though the other problem is that if we keep chatting at the same people over and over, they're going to stop listening. And possibly slap us. 😉
Oh good, Ed, I have no idea what an ENT ad is, looking forward to hearing about it. Good post. I think your last line is the key to everyone's success…
"I am going to write more, and do all the rest of it less."
That's E-reader News Today, Jim, good outfit. 🙂
'I have suspicions, of course. I suspect that around 90% of the time everybody spends on “social media,” while it may be fun and friendly and a necessary break, is pretty much without purpose. We are all hanging out and talking and having a good time, and every once in a while something very useful or thought provoking will come up. But it’s rare.'
Agree with this 100%. The only thing we can do is write more. I think John Locke with his marketing tatic was just a one off. I follow Joe Konrath's advice: 'Keep writing.'
That's my plan for the next calendar year, and I'm honestly looking really forward to it. 🙂
You started on my son's birthday!
I think that's good luck. If not now, sometime.
I want to call you out on this whole "writing is subjective" thing. I think that's a myth. Some writing is good. Some is bad, and there's a difference. I also think the writing is — in the end — less important than the story, and that most novelists get it backward.
Or, to obfuscate further:
The margin for error between bad and good "writing" is pretty wide.
The margin for error on story is quite narrow.
Xtine, I don't totally disagree with that, I just sort of assume a baseline of competence before I call something "writing" at all. If it's *that* bad, I don't really consider it writing. Just the transcribed bleatings of a delusional hack. 😉
Beyond that base level though, you hate The Great Gatzby and I love Gravity's Rainbow, so we're both in a minority. But that doesn't mean we're "wrong" per se. It's just subjective opinion.
Happy Birthday to kiddo. 🙂
Hey, Ed, congrats & happy anniversary. You have always been one of the stand-out personalities to me in the community of writers mouthing off online 😉 because of your friendliness, eagerness, and warm personality. No one deserves success more than you, and I'd be thrilled to have sold 166 books this month! I've had my first novel for sale for 5 months and I am nowhere near that yet, despite finding out this morning my great reviews have catapulted me (however briefly) to the top of the Ratings list. (Cross your fingers for me, sir!!!)
Personally, I'm coming to grips with the fact that as much as I like other authors and will continue to have a lot to learn from them, I MUST break away from a lot of the social media "opportunities" in order to fit in more productive activities. With four kids, my writing/editing time is so limited, and something's gotta give! 🙁 It can't be them, can it?
If you'd ever like to write a guest post, I'd love to have ya. Just drop me a line.
Enjoy your day, and much continued success to you!
Thanks Red, and congrats on the ratings. 🙂
Nice post Ed!
I keep trying to tell myself something lately.
You articulated it quite well.
I think I'll print it and stick it on my forehead …..
"I am going to write more, and do all the rest of it less."
That's the thing, hanging out with the tribe of fellow writers is a lot of fun, and not always possible outside of the soical media.
But man, does it eat up a lot of time. 😉
Happy birthday Ed.
I agree that beyond assuming a basic competency what is considered good writing is subjective. I loved The Great Gatsby. I simply detested Eat, Pray, Love and could no longer stand the whining. Commercially, I was incorrect, but I reserve the right to my opinion. Your opinion pieces are very engaging, and I feel certain you will find your readers.
Thanks, L.A. Turns out my readers are masters of camouflage and walking softly. 😉
Congratulations on being published for 1 year! An excellent accomplishment. 🙂
Happy Birthday! And I agree, I have reached the same conclusion. More writing. Less talking about penises on FB. And I'm going to target people who like the kind of stuff I write more. You know, screwed up people. 😉
Hippy birthday! I think everyone is going to connect with this! Marketing takes over! That makes my birthday April 3 2011, when I first published my first poetry book, Kaleidoscope, and then April 22 2011 when I published my first 'novel'!! And around that time I joined Book Junkies – yay!! I have to admit you've sold more books than me too… maybe it's the two month aheadness, but I reckon not. I thought Sable City was excellent, so keep on writing!! 🙂 And plugging! 🙂
Ed, happy birthday and a big congrats on your bookish anniversary.