I've immersed myself these last few weeks in trying to understand how to promote books. With the entry barriers knocked down by Amazon, Apple, and other literary content providers, new writers who have dreamed of writing a book all their lives, can now publish their books.
In the past, legacy publishing houses were the gatekeepers, and only a select few writers were allowed inside the kingdom of Authorville.
But these days with CreateSpace, and a good story, you can be a self-published author. This is great news, but it also means that it's easy for new authors to get lost in the tall weeds.
There are a lot of successful writers who've published books through the big publishing houses who have moved to self publishing because they have total control of their creative content, and they get a bigger share of the profits.
It's an exciting, and a scary time to be a writer. I'd love to earn enough to pay for our travel, with money I make from my books, but as I have always said, "If you're only in this business to make money, you're in the wrong business."
I write because I love writing, if I learn how to make a few bucks, that that's all gravy.
In the past, legacy publishing houses were the gatekeepers, and only a select few writers were allowed inside the kingdom of Authorville.
But these days with CreateSpace, and a good story, you can be a self-published author. This is great news, but it also means that it's easy for new authors to get lost in the tall weeds.
It's an exciting, and a scary time to be a writer. I'd love to earn enough to pay for our travel, with money I make from my books, but as I have always said, "If you're only in this business to make money, you're in the wrong business."
I write because I love writing, if I learn how to make a few bucks, that that's all gravy.
good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think it's wonderful to be able to do what you love to do. To make money besides? Heaven!
ReplyDeleteI like this new kind of publishing. My mom used to send her manuscripts out and have to wait months for a reply and most publishers didn't want multiple submissions sent out.
ReplyDeleteI wish you good luck with your book!
I think that is a wonderful outlook on life.
ReplyDeleteYou should do things which you enjoy doing then its not work.
I fear I'll have difficulty marketing books because I don't even have a local following. Now if I still lived in Western Maryland where I knew everybody and his brother, it would be a different story. But, why worry? I haven't finished the book.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
There was a time when they called it "vanity publishing"...you did it because the big publishers rejected your work. If you did it, marketing could be a problem.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's easier now, self-publishing quite common and acceptable these days.
Your last sentence summed it up sir...you write because you love writing.
ReplyDeleteHaving a passion for what you do always brings about better results. Making money off it is an added bonus.
ReplyDeleteRick, sometime the trick to success is nothing more than to be in the right place at the right time. I hope that this happens to you to be in the right place at the right time.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that your book is excellent. I like you style of writing. Good luck with this.
JB
Good points made here Rick! Gives a lot of people the opportunity to 'break into' this world of publishing.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your book, Rick!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Rick. I would love to write but know that it is almost impossible to break into the market. I would really like to write some children's books and do it just for the love of the writing of the story. Good luck to you- xo Diana
ReplyDeleteWell said. I identify with "if you are in the business to make money, then you are in the wrong business" part. It is for the love of writing.
ReplyDelete