See? I told you I'd get back to multiple blog entries per week.
I've blogged about the dangers of envying peers before, but I feel it's time to take a closer look at this topic.
For the uninitiated, success in this business comes largely from luck. Yes, you can write good books. Yes, you can promote like crazy. But the magic balance of the right book at the right house at the right time remains largely beyond the control of the writer.
In some cases, success if the result of hard work and talent.
In some cases, success comes when the publisher isn't expecting it.
In some cases, success comes because a few key people at the publishing house force it.
But in most cases, it's an unrepeatable combination of events that leads to a whole bunch of folks buying your book for some unforeseeable reason.
Lately, I've been watching the success of some of my peers. By success, I mean:
1. Lots of books selling.
2. More money/bigger contracts being offered.
3. More opportunities presenting themselves for more sales and more money.
Publishing mimics most other facets of life, in that the more successful you are, the more successful you are. Why this is true is beyond the scope of this blog.
What is within the scope of this blog is how we, as writers, should react when someone we know lands the big deal that we would ritually sacrifice our entire family for.
I believe that envy and jealousy are useless, because they dwell on things that have to do with other people, not with us.
Unfortunately, part of being a writer is being imaginative. It's super-easy to imagine a million dollar movie deal, a #1 bestseller slot, and a seat on Oprah (on her show, not on her personally.)
We all have the lottery dream; the huge life-changing success that transforms our lives and ourselves.
When this dream actually happens to someone we've heard of, or someone we know personally, it's a natural reaction to wonder: Why not me?
But just because the reaction is natural doesn't mean it's correct. Or healthy.
Your critique buddy, who just signed a contract for more money than you've made in your whole life, simply got lucky.
It doesn't matter how hard they worked to get this deal. And it REALLY doesn't matter how hard they worked compared to you.
They got lucky.
Besides, that's their life, not yours. Envying it won't make you a better person. Wishing for it won't compel the forces that control the universe to make things fair. Dwelling on it won't make your books sell more copies.
So how do we handle it when everyone around us is flourishing and we must deal with tragedy after tragedy?
Remember the following:
Life is a race with yourself. The only person you should be comparing yourself to is you. Every time you write, speak in public, or promote yourself, it is within your power to do better than the previous time.
No one deserves success. If you believe there's some grand scorekeeper who is keeping track of how hard you're struggling, you're wrong. Luck determines who wins the lottery. Stick your sense of entitlement in your ear.
Luck favors the prepared. All you can do is try your best. The more you do, the more chances you'll have to succeed.
No one is ever satisfied. This may sound odd, but even those writers who you are convinced live lives of splendor and fortune still want more out of life. The secret isn't about getting more. It's about being happy with less.
So how should you react when your peers are living your dreams?
There's only one reaction that's acceptable.
Be happy for them.
Celebrate the success of others. It should never make you feel bad about yourself. Someone else doing well means that good things actually do happen in this very tough business, and one day they might happen to you.
Especially since you work a lot harder and you're a lot more talented. :)
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
The Harder They Come: Writing Woes
Those who follow this blog know that I've been slacking on entries lately, because I wrote two books back-to-back January-April.
The second book, (FUZZY NAVEL, Jack Daniels #5) kicked my ass. I've never agonized over a book like this before. I fretted about plot. I worried about construction. I second-guessed tone. And while I was never blocked, my daily output was much slower than average--about half of what I can usually do.
Part of the problem had to do with writing one book right after another book, without any brain break in between. It was harder than I thought. My hat is off to writers who can write THE END and then immediately start on the next book. I'm not sure I'd attempt it again.
Part of the problem also had to do with the structure of FUZZY--it takes place in real-time, over an eight hour period. There are two POVs in first-person present tense, and six other POVs in third-person present. The book is pretty much all action; there's a psycho in Jack's house, waiting for her to come home, and Jack is followed home by three snipers--so she can't stay in the house, and can't leave the house.
Part of the problem was length. This book is my shortest yet, and I thought I'd be told to pad it out and bump up the word count.
But the biggest part of the problem was believability. I kept questioning if it was realistic to have my characters under fire for so long but still able to make jokes. The book is action-packed, but it's also funny, and I was scared this would take the reader out of the story.
So, for the very first time in my writing life (FUZZY NAVEL is my 15th novel, counting those that never sold) I doubted my voice. I doubted it to the point where I was convinced the book wasn't working. I'd made a big mistake. I was going to have to start over from scratch, and jump through hoops to satisfy my agent and editor.
Which meant I spent more of my time second-guessing than writing. Which meant the book took twice as long to write, even though there was less actual writing and more staring at my last sentence and wondering if I should change it.
The ending was tough. Keeping in sync with the experimental tone of the rest of the book, I also wanted to have an experimental ending. Even though I knew what I wanted, I kept worrying about it.
I hemmed and hawed until I finally sequestered myself in a hotel for four days and finished the bastard. Then it went, fingers crossed, to my beta readers.
To my pleasant surprise, they all really liked it. Since my beta readers are comprised of several published thriller authors, this made me feel pretty good.
What made me feel even better was my agent and editor saying they loved the book. In fact, the editorial suggestions they each made took less than two hours total to do.
So now I'm left to puzzle over my doubt. Did doubt make me concentrate harder and turn in a better book? Could doubt indeed be a good thing?
My conclusion: Hell no.
Doubt is never a good thing. If I hadn't doubted myself, I still would have written the same book, only faster. Doubt didn't force me to make changes, or take the story in new directions. All it did was postpone me from doing what I should have done in the first place; write the story I wanted to write.
So are you paralyzed with fear that your latest opus sucks? Are you convinced you're a phony and a fraud and can't write for shit?
Repeat after me:
1. When in doubt, keep writing anyway.
2. Tell your internal editor to shut up until you reach the end.
3. You're often a poor judge of your own work. Let your readers tell you if you succeeded.
Writing should be fun. That's why we became writers, right? It isn't for the money, fame, or glory. It's because we love telling stories.
Don't let worry get in the way of that love.
The second book, (FUZZY NAVEL, Jack Daniels #5) kicked my ass. I've never agonized over a book like this before. I fretted about plot. I worried about construction. I second-guessed tone. And while I was never blocked, my daily output was much slower than average--about half of what I can usually do.
Part of the problem had to do with writing one book right after another book, without any brain break in between. It was harder than I thought. My hat is off to writers who can write THE END and then immediately start on the next book. I'm not sure I'd attempt it again.
Part of the problem also had to do with the structure of FUZZY--it takes place in real-time, over an eight hour period. There are two POVs in first-person present tense, and six other POVs in third-person present. The book is pretty much all action; there's a psycho in Jack's house, waiting for her to come home, and Jack is followed home by three snipers--so she can't stay in the house, and can't leave the house.
Part of the problem was length. This book is my shortest yet, and I thought I'd be told to pad it out and bump up the word count.
But the biggest part of the problem was believability. I kept questioning if it was realistic to have my characters under fire for so long but still able to make jokes. The book is action-packed, but it's also funny, and I was scared this would take the reader out of the story.
So, for the very first time in my writing life (FUZZY NAVEL is my 15th novel, counting those that never sold) I doubted my voice. I doubted it to the point where I was convinced the book wasn't working. I'd made a big mistake. I was going to have to start over from scratch, and jump through hoops to satisfy my agent and editor.
Which meant I spent more of my time second-guessing than writing. Which meant the book took twice as long to write, even though there was less actual writing and more staring at my last sentence and wondering if I should change it.
The ending was tough. Keeping in sync with the experimental tone of the rest of the book, I also wanted to have an experimental ending. Even though I knew what I wanted, I kept worrying about it.
I hemmed and hawed until I finally sequestered myself in a hotel for four days and finished the bastard. Then it went, fingers crossed, to my beta readers.
To my pleasant surprise, they all really liked it. Since my beta readers are comprised of several published thriller authors, this made me feel pretty good.
What made me feel even better was my agent and editor saying they loved the book. In fact, the editorial suggestions they each made took less than two hours total to do.
So now I'm left to puzzle over my doubt. Did doubt make me concentrate harder and turn in a better book? Could doubt indeed be a good thing?
My conclusion: Hell no.
Doubt is never a good thing. If I hadn't doubted myself, I still would have written the same book, only faster. Doubt didn't force me to make changes, or take the story in new directions. All it did was postpone me from doing what I should have done in the first place; write the story I wanted to write.
So are you paralyzed with fear that your latest opus sucks? Are you convinced you're a phony and a fraud and can't write for shit?
Repeat after me:
1. When in doubt, keep writing anyway.
2. Tell your internal editor to shut up until you reach the end.
3. You're often a poor judge of your own work. Let your readers tell you if you succeeded.
Writing should be fun. That's why we became writers, right? It isn't for the money, fame, or glory. It's because we love telling stories.
Don't let worry get in the way of that love.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Review Redux
I just got a really good review from Publisher's Weekly for my latest book, DIRTY MARTINI, and it got me thinking about something:
Reviews sell books.
I know this for a fact, because I buy books after reading reviews. It doesn't even matter if the book was given a thumbs up or thumbs down. I read reviews for content, not opinion, and reviews alert me to the existence of the types of books I normally buy.
If this works on me, I'm guessing it works on other people. As a counter example, I've never bought a book because I ate a piece of candy with the book cover image glued to the wrapper. Because of this, I don't pass out snacks to potential fans. But I do try to get reviews.
Unfortunately, getting reviewed is becoming harder and harder.
The first reason: Too much competition. There are 200,000 books being released every year, and too little space to review them in. The bestsellers get preferential treatment, leaving the rest of us midlisters to fight for scraps.
The second reason: Too few publications review books. As newspaper circulation dwindles, so does advertising by publishers, which reduces or eliminates the book review pages.
I haven't gotten a lot of print reviews. No big ones like the NYT, ET, or People, and not many by bigger newspapers. My big hometown paper, The Chicago Tribune, has never reviewed me, even though my books are set in Chicago. Though my other two Chicago papers, The Sun-Times and the Daily Herald, have reviewed me, but in both of those cases knowing the reviewer probably had something to do with it.
Genre mags have been good to me, and I've been reviewed in EQMM, The Strand, Mystery Scene, and Crimespree, but they've each missed a few titles.
The trade mags (Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, PW) have all reviewed me, but again they've missed a title here and there.
The Internet has been very kind. Lots of book review sites and blogs have mentioned my books, and Amazon.com reviewers continue to post their comments about my oeuvre.
How does a writer get reviews?
Usually a publicist, either in-house or independent, sends out galleys or ARCs to reviewers along with a brief letter and perhaps a press release. Reviewers can receive over a hundred books a week, even though they only have space in their column to review six books.
Sometimes an author will send books directly to reviewers, and this personal touch may improve their chances. But it's expensive, time consuming, and there is still no guarantee you'll be reviewed.
A good way to get reviewed is to already be a bestseller. Then reviewers will seek out the book, because they know their readers are anxious to hear it. But even then, some reviewers might pass on reviewing the latest Patricia Cornwell if given the chance, and might embrace a smaller author whose book they adored.
Since competition for print reviews is so stiff, many authors are concentrating on the Internet. The World Wide Web has the advantage of being Googleable forever, which can lead people to your book for years after it's been published. But most of the review sites are small, getting very few hits. While it may be great that you're reviewed on 100 blogs, you have to consider the cost-effectiveness of it. Sending out 100 ARCs will cost about $500 (double if you have to pay for your own ACRs), and you may only be reaching an audience of 50,000 people total. Two million people read the Tribune, and it only cost you $5 to send the ARC.
I've seen authors offer free copies of books to Amazon reviewers, which seems silly considering the very small number of books Amazon actually sells.
I've also seen authors give free books to bloggers, which is a somewhat better prospect, but even then you have to consider cost-effectiveness.
It's a dismal situation.
Writers and publishers spend big money on ads and fancy multimedia websites, with unspectacular results.
They spend big money on galleys and ARCs, even though the overwhelming majority of them don't lead to reviews.
More and more books are being released, with less and less print venues to review them in, and Internet reviews are probably not cost-effective to procure.
So what's the answer? Here are a few:
1. Buy reviews. I'm not talking about paying a reviewer. I'm talking about asking a more famous peer to review your book, then using that as the basis for print ads. If your publisher has an advertising budget, it's a much better use of their money if they run 200 words about your latest, reviewed by a known writer, than the standard book cover/author photo/blurb.
2. Schmooze. Reviewers are people. Meet them. Be nice to them. Chances are they'll remember you, and you'll have a better shot at being reviewed than the thousands of authors they don't know.
3. Give away ebooks. While mailing out review copies to people with small blogs probably isn't cost effective, you can email them a pdf file of your latest for free. You'll have to clear this with your publisher first. Remind them how much they spend on galleys.
4. Enlist your fans. Why not use a portion of your marketing budget to reward the folks who already buy your books? If you have a blog, MySpace, website, and/or newsletter, tell your fanbase if anyone writes and posts a review of your latest book on their website, blog, MySpace, Amazon, BN.com, etc, you'll send them something. Maybe a signed bookplate. Maybe a signed magazine you have a story in. This could run a few hundred bucks, but it will reach more people and cost much less than going to an out-of-state writing conference. You can do this for several weeks after your book comes out, or you can do it forever.
5. Become a reviewer. I've written several dozen of Amazon reviews. I've also posted reviews on various sites, and have even had a few reviews published. We need to help each other, and you reap what you sow.
And on that note, DIRTY MARTINI will be out July 3. To paraphrase a bit of PW's lovely review:
"Konrath's latest is a particularly potent mix of equal parts mirth and mayhem with a dash of sex and a twist (or two) of plot. It should be taken straight, no chaser needed."
Want to review DIRTY MARTINI? Email me at haknort@comcast.net.
Reviews sell books.
I know this for a fact, because I buy books after reading reviews. It doesn't even matter if the book was given a thumbs up or thumbs down. I read reviews for content, not opinion, and reviews alert me to the existence of the types of books I normally buy.
If this works on me, I'm guessing it works on other people. As a counter example, I've never bought a book because I ate a piece of candy with the book cover image glued to the wrapper. Because of this, I don't pass out snacks to potential fans. But I do try to get reviews.
Unfortunately, getting reviewed is becoming harder and harder.
The first reason: Too much competition. There are 200,000 books being released every year, and too little space to review them in. The bestsellers get preferential treatment, leaving the rest of us midlisters to fight for scraps.
The second reason: Too few publications review books. As newspaper circulation dwindles, so does advertising by publishers, which reduces or eliminates the book review pages.
I haven't gotten a lot of print reviews. No big ones like the NYT, ET, or People, and not many by bigger newspapers. My big hometown paper, The Chicago Tribune, has never reviewed me, even though my books are set in Chicago. Though my other two Chicago papers, The Sun-Times and the Daily Herald, have reviewed me, but in both of those cases knowing the reviewer probably had something to do with it.
Genre mags have been good to me, and I've been reviewed in EQMM, The Strand, Mystery Scene, and Crimespree, but they've each missed a few titles.
The trade mags (Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, PW) have all reviewed me, but again they've missed a title here and there.
The Internet has been very kind. Lots of book review sites and blogs have mentioned my books, and Amazon.com reviewers continue to post their comments about my oeuvre.
How does a writer get reviews?
Usually a publicist, either in-house or independent, sends out galleys or ARCs to reviewers along with a brief letter and perhaps a press release. Reviewers can receive over a hundred books a week, even though they only have space in their column to review six books.
Sometimes an author will send books directly to reviewers, and this personal touch may improve their chances. But it's expensive, time consuming, and there is still no guarantee you'll be reviewed.
A good way to get reviewed is to already be a bestseller. Then reviewers will seek out the book, because they know their readers are anxious to hear it. But even then, some reviewers might pass on reviewing the latest Patricia Cornwell if given the chance, and might embrace a smaller author whose book they adored.
Since competition for print reviews is so stiff, many authors are concentrating on the Internet. The World Wide Web has the advantage of being Googleable forever, which can lead people to your book for years after it's been published. But most of the review sites are small, getting very few hits. While it may be great that you're reviewed on 100 blogs, you have to consider the cost-effectiveness of it. Sending out 100 ARCs will cost about $500 (double if you have to pay for your own ACRs), and you may only be reaching an audience of 50,000 people total. Two million people read the Tribune, and it only cost you $5 to send the ARC.
I've seen authors offer free copies of books to Amazon reviewers, which seems silly considering the very small number of books Amazon actually sells.
I've also seen authors give free books to bloggers, which is a somewhat better prospect, but even then you have to consider cost-effectiveness.
It's a dismal situation.
Writers and publishers spend big money on ads and fancy multimedia websites, with unspectacular results.
They spend big money on galleys and ARCs, even though the overwhelming majority of them don't lead to reviews.
More and more books are being released, with less and less print venues to review them in, and Internet reviews are probably not cost-effective to procure.
So what's the answer? Here are a few:
1. Buy reviews. I'm not talking about paying a reviewer. I'm talking about asking a more famous peer to review your book, then using that as the basis for print ads. If your publisher has an advertising budget, it's a much better use of their money if they run 200 words about your latest, reviewed by a known writer, than the standard book cover/author photo/blurb.
2. Schmooze. Reviewers are people. Meet them. Be nice to them. Chances are they'll remember you, and you'll have a better shot at being reviewed than the thousands of authors they don't know.
3. Give away ebooks. While mailing out review copies to people with small blogs probably isn't cost effective, you can email them a pdf file of your latest for free. You'll have to clear this with your publisher first. Remind them how much they spend on galleys.
4. Enlist your fans. Why not use a portion of your marketing budget to reward the folks who already buy your books? If you have a blog, MySpace, website, and/or newsletter, tell your fanbase if anyone writes and posts a review of your latest book on their website, blog, MySpace, Amazon, BN.com, etc, you'll send them something. Maybe a signed bookplate. Maybe a signed magazine you have a story in. This could run a few hundred bucks, but it will reach more people and cost much less than going to an out-of-state writing conference. You can do this for several weeks after your book comes out, or you can do it forever.
5. Become a reviewer. I've written several dozen of Amazon reviews. I've also posted reviews on various sites, and have even had a few reviews published. We need to help each other, and you reap what you sow.
And on that note, DIRTY MARTINI will be out July 3. To paraphrase a bit of PW's lovely review:
"Konrath's latest is a particularly potent mix of equal parts mirth and mayhem with a dash of sex and a twist (or two) of plot. It should be taken straight, no chaser needed."
Want to review DIRTY MARTINI? Email me at haknort@comcast.net.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Faking Confidence
Just got back from Sleuthfest, and attended a session where a panelist said this to folks in attendance:
"You aren't the audience for this book."
Now, in deference to the guy, maybe he was right. But if he was, why was he speaking on a panel to those people? And why was he at Sleuthfest to begin with, since he seemed intent on making sure he didn't sell a single book?
We all have lapses in confidence. It's human. But if you want to have a writing career, DON'T SHOW WEAKNESS IN PUBLIC.
Charlie Brown isn't a good marketer. Sure, we can all identify with being the loser. Especially if we're at a signing and only one person shows up, or if we get dropped by our publisher, or if we don't win that big award we were nominated for, et cetera ad nauseum. Writers are magnets for bad luck. And publicly denigrating ourselves may get us a measure of sympathy.
Unfortunately, sympathy doesn't sell books. Stephen King is not a bestseller because people feel sorry for him. King is a winner. Winners tend to keep winning. He knows it, and the world agrees.
The secret to being a winner is confidence. Since most of us lack in this department, being sensitive artist types, we have to learn to fake confidence.
How do you fake it? Here's how:
1. Smile. A smile shows you're happy to be there, secure in your place, and receptive to your audience, whether it's a room full of fans or a guy standing next to you in an elevator.
2. Be positive. Optimism is sexy, and it's contagious. No one likes to be around a downer. Don't let anything negative escape your lips.
3. Like your books. Think about the enthusiasm you have when you see a great movie and you're telling a friend about it. Tone that down just a touch, and talk about your books in the same way. If you aren't excited about what you write, why the hell are you a writer?
4. Dress for success. The more comfortable you are about your appearance, the better you feel about yourself. This translates into better verbal and non-verbal communication.
5. Laugh. Laugh early, laugh often. It puts people at ease, and attracts them to you.
6. Listen. The best conversations you'll ever have are the ones where you talk the least.
7. Focus on success. You'll fail sometimes. We all do. But if you focus on the good things that happen, and push down the bad, you'll be perceived as a winner. Perception equals reality.
Don't be cocky. Don't be pushy. Don't be overbearing. Just be confident. If you aren't 100% sure that people will like your books, don't speak in public about them--you're only doing yourself a disservice.
"You aren't the audience for this book."
Now, in deference to the guy, maybe he was right. But if he was, why was he speaking on a panel to those people? And why was he at Sleuthfest to begin with, since he seemed intent on making sure he didn't sell a single book?
We all have lapses in confidence. It's human. But if you want to have a writing career, DON'T SHOW WEAKNESS IN PUBLIC.
Charlie Brown isn't a good marketer. Sure, we can all identify with being the loser. Especially if we're at a signing and only one person shows up, or if we get dropped by our publisher, or if we don't win that big award we were nominated for, et cetera ad nauseum. Writers are magnets for bad luck. And publicly denigrating ourselves may get us a measure of sympathy.
Unfortunately, sympathy doesn't sell books. Stephen King is not a bestseller because people feel sorry for him. King is a winner. Winners tend to keep winning. He knows it, and the world agrees.
The secret to being a winner is confidence. Since most of us lack in this department, being sensitive artist types, we have to learn to fake confidence.
How do you fake it? Here's how:
1. Smile. A smile shows you're happy to be there, secure in your place, and receptive to your audience, whether it's a room full of fans or a guy standing next to you in an elevator.
2. Be positive. Optimism is sexy, and it's contagious. No one likes to be around a downer. Don't let anything negative escape your lips.
3. Like your books. Think about the enthusiasm you have when you see a great movie and you're telling a friend about it. Tone that down just a touch, and talk about your books in the same way. If you aren't excited about what you write, why the hell are you a writer?
4. Dress for success. The more comfortable you are about your appearance, the better you feel about yourself. This translates into better verbal and non-verbal communication.
5. Laugh. Laugh early, laugh often. It puts people at ease, and attracts them to you.
6. Listen. The best conversations you'll ever have are the ones where you talk the least.
7. Focus on success. You'll fail sometimes. We all do. But if you focus on the good things that happen, and push down the bad, you'll be perceived as a winner. Perception equals reality.
Don't be cocky. Don't be pushy. Don't be overbearing. Just be confident. If you aren't 100% sure that people will like your books, don't speak in public about them--you're only doing yourself a disservice.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Happiness and the Writer
So I've been writing lately. A LOT. I've just finished my second book this year, and now I'm playing ketchup with my blog/website/email/myspace.
Now that I'm back in the swing of things, I've been thinking a lot about why I became a writer. My answer is probably the same as yours: I love to write.
And yet these past few months haven't been easy. In fact, in the spirit of full disclosure, even though I spent almost all of my time writing (not much self-promotion, not much marketing) I really haven't been that happy lately.
So what gives? I got my wish, landed the big publishing deal, and am living my dream. Shouldn't I wake up every morning with a smile on my face and a "I'm so lucky to be alive" attitude?
Yes, methinks, I should. I should be happier than I've ever been in my life. But I'm not, and after thinking long and hard about this topic over several beers, I finally understand why:
Happiness isn't productive.
I just had a long conversation with the talented Tasha Alexander, who was very excited that she got her first royalty check, having earned out the advance on her first book. It was a very nice royalty check too. I also shared good news: On my last royalty statement, I found out I'm only $1500 away from earning out on my three-book contract. Considering my third novel, Rusty Nail, hasn't even had a paperback release yet, I'm confident by the next statement I'll have also earned out.
We congratulated each other for roughly thirty seconds, then spent over two hours openly worrying about our futures.
Q: Why couldn't we just celebrate the good things, and push aside the bad?
A: Because you don't get anything done when you're celebrating.
Worrying, on the other hand, makes you work harder, which gets things done. It helps you focus on the future, and forces you to create a plan to reach your goals.
The problem, of course, is that after you spend a year worrying and working, and you finally reach those all-important goals, you only celebrate for thirty seconds.
Which made me realize something. Happiness should come from the journey, not from reaching the destination. We spend so much of our time as writers WAITING for the big something: getting an agent, landing a book deal, getting a second contract, getting a royalty check, finishing the new novel. Instead, we should enjoy the process, rather than the just end result. After all, the process is what we have control over.
So here's a list of things we should focus on as writers, to maximize happiness and minimize stress and worry.
1. Start on the deadline early. Waiting until the last minute made me late, anxious, and more worried about page count than story conflict. Had I begun earlier, I would have enjoyed the process a lot more.
2. Set realistic goals. Focus on what you have control over. Sending out three queries a week is within your control. Selling three stories is not. Attending a booksigning and giving a good speech is doable. Selling at least 40 books at your booksigning may be out of your hands.
3. Celebrate as long as you can. Enlist your family and friends. Call people up. Go out. Congratulate yourself. Break out the champagne. Smile, darn you, smile.
4. Remember why. The sad fact is, once you've done it for a few years, writing becomes a job just like any other. But it isn't like any other job. We get paid for our words, and we ARE the luckiest folks on the planet. Remind yourself of this from time to time. Look through your old rejections. Stare at the shelf with all your published magazines. Fondle your awards (wait until you're alone first.) You've got a lot to be proud of.
5. Embrace your fans. Writers write. but they also tour, sign, promote, speak, correspond, blog, network, and interview. Interacting with fans is important, because even when you doubt yourself, they never doubt you. And they constantly remind you of who you are. We all need to be reminded every so often.
6. Help other writers. Snoopy was right. Happiness is about sharing and giving and helping. Hording your success is selfish. Share what you've learned, give a hand up to those who need it, and make yourself available to your peers. In that spirit, I'll be teaching two classes at Sleuthfest in Miami Beach this Thursday the 19th of April, 2007. One class is on marketing. The other is on finding an agent and selling your writing.
Can't attend? Eventually I'll post links to the handouts on my website, when I'm all caught up. In the meantime, you can email me at haknort@comcast.net and I'll send the handouts to you. They're 90 pages of hard-earned wisdom about this business. And they're free, of course.
I'll be back to posting on this blog two or three times a week. Thanks everyone for their patience during my work sabbatical.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go celebrate something.
Now that I'm back in the swing of things, I've been thinking a lot about why I became a writer. My answer is probably the same as yours: I love to write.
And yet these past few months haven't been easy. In fact, in the spirit of full disclosure, even though I spent almost all of my time writing (not much self-promotion, not much marketing) I really haven't been that happy lately.
So what gives? I got my wish, landed the big publishing deal, and am living my dream. Shouldn't I wake up every morning with a smile on my face and a "I'm so lucky to be alive" attitude?
Yes, methinks, I should. I should be happier than I've ever been in my life. But I'm not, and after thinking long and hard about this topic over several beers, I finally understand why:
Happiness isn't productive.
I just had a long conversation with the talented Tasha Alexander, who was very excited that she got her first royalty check, having earned out the advance on her first book. It was a very nice royalty check too. I also shared good news: On my last royalty statement, I found out I'm only $1500 away from earning out on my three-book contract. Considering my third novel, Rusty Nail, hasn't even had a paperback release yet, I'm confident by the next statement I'll have also earned out.
We congratulated each other for roughly thirty seconds, then spent over two hours openly worrying about our futures.
Q: Why couldn't we just celebrate the good things, and push aside the bad?
A: Because you don't get anything done when you're celebrating.
Worrying, on the other hand, makes you work harder, which gets things done. It helps you focus on the future, and forces you to create a plan to reach your goals.
The problem, of course, is that after you spend a year worrying and working, and you finally reach those all-important goals, you only celebrate for thirty seconds.
Which made me realize something. Happiness should come from the journey, not from reaching the destination. We spend so much of our time as writers WAITING for the big something: getting an agent, landing a book deal, getting a second contract, getting a royalty check, finishing the new novel. Instead, we should enjoy the process, rather than the just end result. After all, the process is what we have control over.
So here's a list of things we should focus on as writers, to maximize happiness and minimize stress and worry.
1. Start on the deadline early. Waiting until the last minute made me late, anxious, and more worried about page count than story conflict. Had I begun earlier, I would have enjoyed the process a lot more.
2. Set realistic goals. Focus on what you have control over. Sending out three queries a week is within your control. Selling three stories is not. Attending a booksigning and giving a good speech is doable. Selling at least 40 books at your booksigning may be out of your hands.
3. Celebrate as long as you can. Enlist your family and friends. Call people up. Go out. Congratulate yourself. Break out the champagne. Smile, darn you, smile.
4. Remember why. The sad fact is, once you've done it for a few years, writing becomes a job just like any other. But it isn't like any other job. We get paid for our words, and we ARE the luckiest folks on the planet. Remind yourself of this from time to time. Look through your old rejections. Stare at the shelf with all your published magazines. Fondle your awards (wait until you're alone first.) You've got a lot to be proud of.
5. Embrace your fans. Writers write. but they also tour, sign, promote, speak, correspond, blog, network, and interview. Interacting with fans is important, because even when you doubt yourself, they never doubt you. And they constantly remind you of who you are. We all need to be reminded every so often.
6. Help other writers. Snoopy was right. Happiness is about sharing and giving and helping. Hording your success is selfish. Share what you've learned, give a hand up to those who need it, and make yourself available to your peers. In that spirit, I'll be teaching two classes at Sleuthfest in Miami Beach this Thursday the 19th of April, 2007. One class is on marketing. The other is on finding an agent and selling your writing.
Can't attend? Eventually I'll post links to the handouts on my website, when I'm all caught up. In the meantime, you can email me at haknort@comcast.net and I'll send the handouts to you. They're 90 pages of hard-earned wisdom about this business. And they're free, of course.
I'll be back to posting on this blog two or three times a week. Thanks everyone for their patience during my work sabbatical.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go celebrate something.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Your Game Face
Today we're going to talk about your public persona.
Hmm? You don't have a public persona?
Why the hell not?
Public figures need public personas. Writers are public figures. You're a writer.
Even if you stay inside your house 24/7, you're still a public figure, still able to make an impression on the public via the Internet, mail, and phone calls.
You want the impression you leave to be favorable. Every human contact you make or potentially make has the power to recruit fans. Or it can sour people on you before they read a single word.
Your public persona is what you chose to show the world. It's your game face. You reveal what you want them to see. Even if it isn't the real you.
In fact, revealing the real you is probably a mistake.
Authors are insecure types. We seek validation, bristle at criticism, and tend to be demanding, volatile, egotistical, and prone to pessimism. We have a sense of entitlement, and often superiority, while at the same time complaining about everything.
This attitude, if shown in public, won't sell many books for you.
What does sell books?
1. Being nice. Never underestimate the power of a kind word or gesture.
2. Being positive. Remaining upbeat, and projecting an aura of success, helps to actually breed success. Never complain in public, no matter what happens. The only difference between a winner and a loser is the winner is smiling.
3. Being attractive. I'm not talking about physical beauty. I'm speaking of charisma. Be the person that other people want to be. Adjust your words, your clothes, your posture, your style, and invite the world to join your party.
4. Being available. Allowing people to have access to you can only help your cause. The bigger you get, the less time you have, and the more people will appreciate your generosity.
5. Being forgiving. Mistakes will be made. Publishing is made up of people, and people aren't perfect. Neither is the publishing industry. You want to be a duck's back, not a sponge.
6. Being confident. Neediness and desperation are guaranteed ways to scare people away.
7. Being aware. Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. If you don't have anything positive about you, fake it. If you suck at public speaking, stay off the microphone. You need to know your strengths and your limitations, and adjust accordingly.
8. Being professional. This is a business. Be businesslike. That means staying on your toes, not relaxing. It means taking this seriously, not thinking it's a game.
As a writer, you're the first and biggest salesperson for your writing. Thousands of people will judge your books by your persona rather than your words.
Make sure your persona is just as good as your words.
Hmm? You don't have a public persona?
Why the hell not?
Public figures need public personas. Writers are public figures. You're a writer.
Even if you stay inside your house 24/7, you're still a public figure, still able to make an impression on the public via the Internet, mail, and phone calls.
You want the impression you leave to be favorable. Every human contact you make or potentially make has the power to recruit fans. Or it can sour people on you before they read a single word.
Your public persona is what you chose to show the world. It's your game face. You reveal what you want them to see. Even if it isn't the real you.
In fact, revealing the real you is probably a mistake.
Authors are insecure types. We seek validation, bristle at criticism, and tend to be demanding, volatile, egotistical, and prone to pessimism. We have a sense of entitlement, and often superiority, while at the same time complaining about everything.
This attitude, if shown in public, won't sell many books for you.
What does sell books?
1. Being nice. Never underestimate the power of a kind word or gesture.
2. Being positive. Remaining upbeat, and projecting an aura of success, helps to actually breed success. Never complain in public, no matter what happens. The only difference between a winner and a loser is the winner is smiling.
3. Being attractive. I'm not talking about physical beauty. I'm speaking of charisma. Be the person that other people want to be. Adjust your words, your clothes, your posture, your style, and invite the world to join your party.
4. Being available. Allowing people to have access to you can only help your cause. The bigger you get, the less time you have, and the more people will appreciate your generosity.
5. Being forgiving. Mistakes will be made. Publishing is made up of people, and people aren't perfect. Neither is the publishing industry. You want to be a duck's back, not a sponge.
6. Being confident. Neediness and desperation are guaranteed ways to scare people away.
7. Being aware. Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. If you don't have anything positive about you, fake it. If you suck at public speaking, stay off the microphone. You need to know your strengths and your limitations, and adjust accordingly.
8. Being professional. This is a business. Be businesslike. That means staying on your toes, not relaxing. It means taking this seriously, not thinking it's a game.
As a writer, you're the first and biggest salesperson for your writing. Thousands of people will judge your books by your persona rather than your words.
Make sure your persona is just as good as your words.
Friday, March 30, 2007
More on Ebooks
Looking for some suggestions.
I've been talking with my print publisher, Hyperion, about giving away free ebooks in the Jack Daniels series.
I've been an active believer of Internet promotion since I first became a writer. My blog gets over 20,000 unique hits every month, my website gets almost as many, I have 13,000 MySpace friends, 10,000 people who have signed up for my mailing list, and if you Google "JA Konrath" you get 143,000 hits.
I try to maintain a large Internet presence, because more and more people are using the net. According to http://www.internetworldstats.com, there are more than 1.1 billion Internet users.
The more I do on the Internet, the likelier chance I have of people finding me. The more people that find me, the more who will read me. And, of course, the publishing industry has known for years that a certain percentage of readers will become buyers. Publishers give away millions of ARCs and galleys, hoping they will be read and talked about.
Which brings me to ebook downloads.
An ebook costs nothing to manufacture or distribute. It can be copied by pressing a button, and sent around the world by pressing another button.
And yet, for all the excitement about ebooks a decade ago, they aren't really big sellers. In fact, looking at past royalty statements, I haven't sold many ebooks.
The reason is threefold:
1. Ebooks are too expensive. Readers don't want to pay $16.95, or even $6.95, for a text download, when they can buy the print book for the same price. And the print book is easier to read.
2. Too many formats and restrictions. Consumers need special equipment and programs, and books that can be read on one device can't be read on another device. Some ebooks can't be printed, or put on two computers at once. It's confusing, and not user-friendly.
3. The majority of book buyers don't care much about the Internet. That's slowly changing. But I've spoken at over a hundred events, and I have had thousands of fans show up to see me, and I always ask them how many have visited my website. Surprisingly few have. Mystery readers buy print books, not ebooks. They don't care if an author has a website.
By giving ebooks away for free, I don't want to turn my print readers into ebook readers. That isn't going to happen, because my average reader (a woman in her mid-fifties) isn't going to give up the joy of reading a book on the beach to hunch over her computer to read. She doesn't have a Blackberry or a PDA or a Palm Pilot, nor does she want one.
I want to reach the audience that is already online---the Internet people---and turn them into print book fans. And I want to do this by giving away free ebooks.
If you Google "ebooks" you get 50 million hits. People are reading online. But, based on my ebook sales, my fans aren't among them.
Giving away free ebooks will help reach this potential audience. And as my audience increases, so will my print sales. Here's why:
First, because people who wouldn't read me normally will give me a try if it is free. Some of those people will become fans. Fans who talk about me, buy my books as gifts, and even buy copies for themselves.
Second, because not many people like to read entire books online, there is a percentage that will read some of it, then go out and buy the book to read it in the bathtub, on the beach, before bed, etc. People are likelier to download a full ebook than simply an excerpt, because there is a perception of greater value. An exceprt is a teaser to get someone to buy a book. A free ebook is a gift, and the attitude towards free ebooks is warmer and more welcoming.
Third, because this will help me reach an audience I haven't been able to reach. I've been to the mystery conventions. I've won some mystery awards. The mystery fans already know who I am. But how do I reach the larger audience? The regular fans?
I know I can reach thousands of people on the Internet. I can do this without spending a lot of money. And it won't cost Hyperion much, because my backlist ebooks haven't been selling very well.
This is cheaper than print advertising. Cheaper than touring. And I'll do most of the work.
Here's my plan:
I'd like to make WHISKEY SOUR, BLOODY MARY, and RUSTY NAIL available for free on my website, blog, and MySpace page.
I'll use two formats, pdf and HTML, as these are universal and able to be used on the most devices. Downloads will be handled on my site.
I'll encourage folks to download these files, and share these files with their friends and family. Business author Seth Godin did this with his first ebook, UNLEASHING THE IDEAVIRUS, and went on to become a bestseller in print. Sci-fi author Cory Doctorow has had hundreds of thousands of free ebook downloads, and still sells like crazy in print. The publisher Baen/Tor has had an ebook program for years. Dave Weber's novel ON BASILISK STATION has been available for free for several months. Over that time it's become Baen's most popular backlist title in paper.
Naturally, the fear is if we give away ebooks, people won't buy the print copies. I believe the opposite is true. When Napster (the original file sharing site where teenagers traded their music online) closed down, CD sales did not go up as expected. Sales went down. Getting music for free didn't prevent sales, instead it encouraged people to try new music, which they then went out and bought.
I'm read for free in libraries all the time. And many of those people who discover me at the library later buy my books.
I believe that ebooks are another way to get noticed, and get read. Publishers spend a lot of money on marketing and promotion. Here's a way to spread name-recognition and brand-awareness for free.
I'd really like to give it a shot. If I'm wrong, and my sales go way down, we've learned something. If I'm right, we've figured out a new, inexpensive way to promote authors.
Hyperion decided on a compromise. They're allowing me to give away 1000 downloads of one of my backlist titles, and see how that goes.
In order to do this effectively, I need to know several things.
1. Which book should I give away? The first book in the series makes the most sense. But giving away the newest book might spur more interest in that book.
2. How should I go about giving these 1000 away? I have a blog, website, newsletter, and MySpace page to do so. Should this be a contest? Or should they go to the first 1000 people who respond?
3. How can I leverage this to get as much bang for my buck as possible? Enlist other bloggers? Draft a press release? Take out a few ads?
Let me hear your ideas and suggestions. You might be doing something like this for yourself, someday soon...
I've been talking with my print publisher, Hyperion, about giving away free ebooks in the Jack Daniels series.
I've been an active believer of Internet promotion since I first became a writer. My blog gets over 20,000 unique hits every month, my website gets almost as many, I have 13,000 MySpace friends, 10,000 people who have signed up for my mailing list, and if you Google "JA Konrath" you get 143,000 hits.
I try to maintain a large Internet presence, because more and more people are using the net. According to http://www.internetworldstats.com, there are more than 1.1 billion Internet users.
The more I do on the Internet, the likelier chance I have of people finding me. The more people that find me, the more who will read me. And, of course, the publishing industry has known for years that a certain percentage of readers will become buyers. Publishers give away millions of ARCs and galleys, hoping they will be read and talked about.
Which brings me to ebook downloads.
An ebook costs nothing to manufacture or distribute. It can be copied by pressing a button, and sent around the world by pressing another button.
And yet, for all the excitement about ebooks a decade ago, they aren't really big sellers. In fact, looking at past royalty statements, I haven't sold many ebooks.
The reason is threefold:
1. Ebooks are too expensive. Readers don't want to pay $16.95, or even $6.95, for a text download, when they can buy the print book for the same price. And the print book is easier to read.
2. Too many formats and restrictions. Consumers need special equipment and programs, and books that can be read on one device can't be read on another device. Some ebooks can't be printed, or put on two computers at once. It's confusing, and not user-friendly.
3. The majority of book buyers don't care much about the Internet. That's slowly changing. But I've spoken at over a hundred events, and I have had thousands of fans show up to see me, and I always ask them how many have visited my website. Surprisingly few have. Mystery readers buy print books, not ebooks. They don't care if an author has a website.
By giving ebooks away for free, I don't want to turn my print readers into ebook readers. That isn't going to happen, because my average reader (a woman in her mid-fifties) isn't going to give up the joy of reading a book on the beach to hunch over her computer to read. She doesn't have a Blackberry or a PDA or a Palm Pilot, nor does she want one.
I want to reach the audience that is already online---the Internet people---and turn them into print book fans. And I want to do this by giving away free ebooks.
If you Google "ebooks" you get 50 million hits. People are reading online. But, based on my ebook sales, my fans aren't among them.
Giving away free ebooks will help reach this potential audience. And as my audience increases, so will my print sales. Here's why:
First, because people who wouldn't read me normally will give me a try if it is free. Some of those people will become fans. Fans who talk about me, buy my books as gifts, and even buy copies for themselves.
Second, because not many people like to read entire books online, there is a percentage that will read some of it, then go out and buy the book to read it in the bathtub, on the beach, before bed, etc. People are likelier to download a full ebook than simply an excerpt, because there is a perception of greater value. An exceprt is a teaser to get someone to buy a book. A free ebook is a gift, and the attitude towards free ebooks is warmer and more welcoming.
Third, because this will help me reach an audience I haven't been able to reach. I've been to the mystery conventions. I've won some mystery awards. The mystery fans already know who I am. But how do I reach the larger audience? The regular fans?
I know I can reach thousands of people on the Internet. I can do this without spending a lot of money. And it won't cost Hyperion much, because my backlist ebooks haven't been selling very well.
This is cheaper than print advertising. Cheaper than touring. And I'll do most of the work.
Here's my plan:
I'd like to make WHISKEY SOUR, BLOODY MARY, and RUSTY NAIL available for free on my website, blog, and MySpace page.
I'll use two formats, pdf and HTML, as these are universal and able to be used on the most devices. Downloads will be handled on my site.
I'll encourage folks to download these files, and share these files with their friends and family. Business author Seth Godin did this with his first ebook, UNLEASHING THE IDEAVIRUS, and went on to become a bestseller in print. Sci-fi author Cory Doctorow has had hundreds of thousands of free ebook downloads, and still sells like crazy in print. The publisher Baen/Tor has had an ebook program for years. Dave Weber's novel ON BASILISK STATION has been available for free for several months. Over that time it's become Baen's most popular backlist title in paper.
Naturally, the fear is if we give away ebooks, people won't buy the print copies. I believe the opposite is true. When Napster (the original file sharing site where teenagers traded their music online) closed down, CD sales did not go up as expected. Sales went down. Getting music for free didn't prevent sales, instead it encouraged people to try new music, which they then went out and bought.
I'm read for free in libraries all the time. And many of those people who discover me at the library later buy my books.
I believe that ebooks are another way to get noticed, and get read. Publishers spend a lot of money on marketing and promotion. Here's a way to spread name-recognition and brand-awareness for free.
I'd really like to give it a shot. If I'm wrong, and my sales go way down, we've learned something. If I'm right, we've figured out a new, inexpensive way to promote authors.
Hyperion decided on a compromise. They're allowing me to give away 1000 downloads of one of my backlist titles, and see how that goes.
In order to do this effectively, I need to know several things.
1. Which book should I give away? The first book in the series makes the most sense. But giving away the newest book might spur more interest in that book.
2. How should I go about giving these 1000 away? I have a blog, website, newsletter, and MySpace page to do so. Should this be a contest? Or should they go to the first 1000 people who respond?
3. How can I leverage this to get as much bang for my buck as possible? Enlist other bloggers? Draft a press release? Take out a few ads?
Let me hear your ideas and suggestions. You might be doing something like this for yourself, someday soon...
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Future What Ifs
It's easy to fall behind when you're a writer.
I'm behind in my blog, behind in my email, behind in MySpace, behind in my website, and behind in my writing.
The strange thing is, I've been working my tail off.
I'm writing back-to-back novels. Finished the first. Almost finished the second. Then had to stop work on the second to do a semi-major rewrite on the first.
On one hand, I feel this is what I've always wanted to do: write for a living. For the past four years I've felt more like a marketer than a writer, because that's taken up the majority of my time.
But for the past three months, I've been feeling guilty because I haven't been putting in the marketing time.
I haven't been a complete slacker. But I haven't been able to find the harmonious balance between writing and promoting. It's been 95% writing.
I'm not sure that's a wise idea. Because the publishing world is changing.
I've been thinking a lot on this topic. Here are some of the things I've been noticing.
I'm behind in my blog, behind in my email, behind in MySpace, behind in my website, and behind in my writing.
The strange thing is, I've been working my tail off.
I'm writing back-to-back novels. Finished the first. Almost finished the second. Then had to stop work on the second to do a semi-major rewrite on the first.
On one hand, I feel this is what I've always wanted to do: write for a living. For the past four years I've felt more like a marketer than a writer, because that's taken up the majority of my time.
But for the past three months, I've been feeling guilty because I haven't been putting in the marketing time.
I haven't been a complete slacker. But I haven't been able to find the harmonious balance between writing and promoting. It's been 95% writing.
I'm not sure that's a wise idea. Because the publishing world is changing.
I've been thinking a lot on this topic. Here are some of the things I've been noticing.
- More titles being published, but less of each title being sold
- The price of books rising while other media drops in price
- Indie bookstores struggling
- Books getting smaller promotional budgets
- Chain bookstores losing money, closing locations, reorganizing
- Bookstores stocking higher quantities of fewer titles
- The ineffectiveness of advertising to sell books
- Greater competition for fewer readers
- The majority of books being sold through non-bookstore outlets
- Movies, TV, Music, and the Internet taking readers
Now many of these things have been happening for decades. I don't think we're near the end of the print book anytime soon.
But I do think that the future is coming, and profits won't be tied into selling a lot of paper books as much as they've been in the past.
Authors have needed publishers for two things: printing and distribution. These things cost money. Printing, shipping, warehousing, advertising, and marketing isn't free. Neither is paying editors, sales reps, publicists, marketers, etc.
The Internet allows for free copies and distribution. Virtually all costs associated with a book are eliminated. Yet I don't see many publishers, or authors, taking advantage of this, a market where 1 billion people log on daily. In fact, many people are fighting it.
I've had several thousand downloads of my free ebooks, ORIGIN and THE LIST, and several hundred positive comments on them from readers.
I released these books as an experiment, to spread word-of-mouth and encourage free readers to also try my print books.
But maybe I missed the bigger picture.
In this age, information wants to be free. You can search the net and find free songs, movies, shows, and books. This terrifies the music companies, the movie companies, the publishing companies, because people are getting for free what they paid for in the past.
But haven't things always been free?
Since the 1950's, people have gotten TV for free. They've just paid for the device to watch it on.
Prior to that, there was radio.
If the users doesn't pay for these shows, who does?
Consider Google. A billion dollar company. They're a search engine, using software to compile information about websites they didn't create. Where do they get their money?
Writers have long thought that publishers are the only way to make money in this business. But there is another way, that really hasn't been pursued.
What if, in ORIGIN, my characters drank Coke? What if, in THE LIST, my hero drove a sporty new Mazda RX7? What if, at the end of each book, there was a nice full color ad for Alberto VO5? And what if each of these companies gave me a few thousand bucks to do this? What if they also distributed the books for me, reaching more readers than I ever could?
Advertisers pay for TV and radio. Advertisers help pay for movie production with product placement. Advertisers make Google worth a billion dollars.
What if advertisers paid authors for product placement in their books? On author websites?
Or go a step further. What if advertisers hosted websites where people could download text and audiobooks for free?
Instead of making money off of sales, authors would get paid by advertisers.
Now before everyone starts screaming about the purity of the novel, and how it is an expression of the author, not a 300 page commercial, consider that film and TV and newspapers and magazines have been putting out a lot of quality product for many years, being funded by advertising dollars.
Publishers could capitalize on this. What if paperbacks had ads in the back? Would it bother you, as a reader?
Would it bother you less if these paperbacks with advertising only cost $3.99 as opposed to $8.99? Or if you could get a new hardcover Stephen King novel for $10, but all of Steve's characters drank Miller Lite, and on the last page there was a coupon for Handi-Wipes?
What if publishers hosted the websites, paid authors a salary to generate content (novels) and gave the books away for free, generating their income through banner ads and sponsors?
What if there was a subscription based service, like an Ebook of the Month Club?
What if a really great ebook reader gets created, something that is even better to read than paper? Don't laugh---Sony thought CDs would always rule the music biz, until that pesky iPod came around. CD sales have dropped. People are trading music for free. This will happen in the publishing industry as well. Could authors still make money?
There will always be a need for storytellers. But the way storytellers get paid may change
An author's success is based on positive reactions to name recognition. In 2007, that means the author can sell a lot of paper. In 2027, that might mean that author has his face on a box of cereal, with a free book inside.
Peer-to-peer file sharing is done by millions of people. On sites like Kazaa, e-donkey, Limewire, bit torrent, mIRC, and FTP warehouses, people are trading their media.
Think about that. This isn't a distribution network set up by the media, or the advertisers. It's set up by fans. And it's growing.
Yet instead of media companies exploiting this, they try to shut it down. The scream about copyright infringement, and intellectual property.
Shouldn't they be using this somehow?
Shouldn't we?
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Momentum
I've learned a valuable lesson these past few weeks.
Writers are fearful creatures. The joy of being paid to be creative, and the unavoidable side effect of egotism that goes along with it, is easily tempered by the constant paranoia that everything will be taken away from us.
We worry about sales, fret over decisions our publisher makes, question the effectiveness of our agents, compare ourselves to peers, and eke by contract to contract, wondering if the ride is going to end.
My attitude has been that of a shark---keep swimming, or I'll drown.
That means non-stop touring, a constant web presence, a steady release of new product (books and stories), and keeping in touch with fans and peers.
These last two months have changed my attitude somewhat.
I've been writing a lot. In fact, in the last 75 days, I've plowed through about 150,000 words.
It's been great, and made me remember why I became a writer in the first place.
But I've been concerned that my writing time has been at the expense of my self-promotion time, and that I'd lose a lot of what I've built up.
It's nice to be shown I've been wrong.
My website hasn't been updated in months, and I've only been able to post a handful of blog entries. Yet, according to Statcounter, my unique hits have stayed consistent.
I'm still getting a decent amount of email.
I'm still getting requests for stories and articles.
Google Alerts and Technorati have shown me that I haven't left the public eye, even though I've made very few public appearances.
And though I've slowed down seeking out MySpace Friends, more and more folks are approaching me first.
In short, I haven't been forgotten in the last few months.
This has made me revise my original analogy. Instead of comparing a writing career to a shark, I'm going to instead compare it to a locomotive.
It takes a lot to get started. A lot of effort, time, and money.
But once it starts, it takes a lot to stop it.
Careers have momentum. And momentum wants to keep things moving, even if you're no longer stoking the boiler.
How does a writer build momentum? How long does it take for momentum to die?
The easy answer is: the more you do, the more momentum you build, the tougher you'll be to stop.
Every event, every signing, every interview, every short story, every appearance, every email, every newsletter, every blog, keeps you in the public eye. And many of these things keep you there long after you've put in the effort. Old blog posts get new visitors. People pick up an anthology that you were in three years ago. A speaking engagement last year leads to three more this year.
There are countless ways to build momentum. And the more you do, the harder you are to stop.
I've often believed that I'm not reaching for success, rather I'm running from failure.
But it seems like I'm able to take a rest from time to time and simply coast on what I've already done. It's a good feeling. And perhaps when I finish this book, and return to actively pursuing self-promotion, I won't be quite as gung-ho.
It isn't about how quickly it takes for you to reach 100mph---six seconds or six years. Because once you reach that speed, you're going to be hard to stop.
The goal is getting up enough speed.
What are you doing to build momentum?
Writers are fearful creatures. The joy of being paid to be creative, and the unavoidable side effect of egotism that goes along with it, is easily tempered by the constant paranoia that everything will be taken away from us.
We worry about sales, fret over decisions our publisher makes, question the effectiveness of our agents, compare ourselves to peers, and eke by contract to contract, wondering if the ride is going to end.
My attitude has been that of a shark---keep swimming, or I'll drown.
That means non-stop touring, a constant web presence, a steady release of new product (books and stories), and keeping in touch with fans and peers.
These last two months have changed my attitude somewhat.
I've been writing a lot. In fact, in the last 75 days, I've plowed through about 150,000 words.
It's been great, and made me remember why I became a writer in the first place.
But I've been concerned that my writing time has been at the expense of my self-promotion time, and that I'd lose a lot of what I've built up.
It's nice to be shown I've been wrong.
My website hasn't been updated in months, and I've only been able to post a handful of blog entries. Yet, according to Statcounter, my unique hits have stayed consistent.
I'm still getting a decent amount of email.
I'm still getting requests for stories and articles.
Google Alerts and Technorati have shown me that I haven't left the public eye, even though I've made very few public appearances.
And though I've slowed down seeking out MySpace Friends, more and more folks are approaching me first.
In short, I haven't been forgotten in the last few months.
This has made me revise my original analogy. Instead of comparing a writing career to a shark, I'm going to instead compare it to a locomotive.
It takes a lot to get started. A lot of effort, time, and money.
But once it starts, it takes a lot to stop it.
Careers have momentum. And momentum wants to keep things moving, even if you're no longer stoking the boiler.
How does a writer build momentum? How long does it take for momentum to die?
The easy answer is: the more you do, the more momentum you build, the tougher you'll be to stop.
Every event, every signing, every interview, every short story, every appearance, every email, every newsletter, every blog, keeps you in the public eye. And many of these things keep you there long after you've put in the effort. Old blog posts get new visitors. People pick up an anthology that you were in three years ago. A speaking engagement last year leads to three more this year.
There are countless ways to build momentum. And the more you do, the harder you are to stop.
I've often believed that I'm not reaching for success, rather I'm running from failure.
But it seems like I'm able to take a rest from time to time and simply coast on what I've already done. It's a good feeling. And perhaps when I finish this book, and return to actively pursuing self-promotion, I won't be quite as gung-ho.
It isn't about how quickly it takes for you to reach 100mph---six seconds or six years. Because once you reach that speed, you're going to be hard to stop.
The goal is getting up enough speed.
What are you doing to build momentum?
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Booklaunch Party!
Not for me. Mine isn't until June. You're all invited.
You're also invited to my friend Melanie Lynne Hauser's Booklaunch Party, for the debut of her second novel, Super Mom Saves the World.
It's a chick lit novel, mixed with super heroes and villains. Think Spiderman, if he were a single suburban soccer mom.
I like her books, and like her, and not just because she's having free beer at the party.
If you're in the Chicagoland area on March 7 at 7:00pm, come by and say hello. It's taking place in Glen Ellyn, IL, at The Bookstore. If you can't make it, call them and order a signed book over the phone.
I'll be there. So it's a good place to corner me and ask, "Joe, what's up with the blog lately? Are you on vacation?"
Uh, no. I'm writing back-to-back novels, which isn't as easy as I thought it would be.
I just finished a stand alone horror novel, and now I'm working on Jack Daniels #5 (The book, funny guy. Not the drink.)
So it's been nonstop writing, stopping only to blurb a few friends, do a few speaking events, and occasionally shower. There hasn't been much time for blogging lately.
In April, The Newbie's Guide will resume multiple posts per week.
In the meantime, if you have anything to gripe about, Vent Club is open.
Hope to see some of you at Mel's party. You can also catch me in Homewood, IL on the 18th---I'm doing a library with Marcus Sakey. And in April, I'll be at Sleuthfest.
You're also invited to my friend Melanie Lynne Hauser's Booklaunch Party, for the debut of her second novel, Super Mom Saves the World.
It's a chick lit novel, mixed with super heroes and villains. Think Spiderman, if he were a single suburban soccer mom.
I like her books, and like her, and not just because she's having free beer at the party.
If you're in the Chicagoland area on March 7 at 7:00pm, come by and say hello. It's taking place in Glen Ellyn, IL, at The Bookstore. If you can't make it, call them and order a signed book over the phone.
I'll be there. So it's a good place to corner me and ask, "Joe, what's up with the blog lately? Are you on vacation?"
Uh, no. I'm writing back-to-back novels, which isn't as easy as I thought it would be.
I just finished a stand alone horror novel, and now I'm working on Jack Daniels #5 (The book, funny guy. Not the drink.)
So it's been nonstop writing, stopping only to blurb a few friends, do a few speaking events, and occasionally shower. There hasn't been much time for blogging lately.
In April, The Newbie's Guide will resume multiple posts per week.
In the meantime, if you have anything to gripe about, Vent Club is open.
Hope to see some of you at Mel's party. You can also catch me in Homewood, IL on the 18th---I'm doing a library with Marcus Sakey. And in April, I'll be at Sleuthfest.
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