Promotion Opportunity

I posted yesterday about how difficult it is for a new author like myself to get the word out about his or her books. I was saying that sales will be slow if buyers don't know about them. And I don't have any real access to real buyers.

Fortunately, a reporter from the local newspaper where I live has advised me that I will be interviewed about my two published books, Killer of Killers and The Vase. It's something that I had hoped would happen ever since Killer of Killers got published over a year ago. But I could never figure out how to make that happen. I tried to find phone numbers to call or email addresses, but there was no phone number on the paper to call, or on any website through which I could make contact.

Finally, I tried again last week, and this time there were phone numbers and even email addresses, so I contacted the main one, and they got back to me the next day. A reporter from the paper has set up an appointment with me today after school, right here at the school where I teach, and a photographer will be coming, also. I didn't really want my picture in the paper, but if this is going to help get the word out, then I think I should make the most of it.

Tomorrow, I'll post about how all of that went. Fingers crossed.

How Long to Blog?

More and more bloggers are stopping. And many are blogging less frequently. I try to blog Monday through Friday, and I have been pretty consistent. I've noticed that other consistent bloggers have become less consistent.

I've blogged about this before, and I can understand why some bloggers quit blogging. it's an effort after all, and no doubt other things take priority. I have this time before school starts to say something about writing. It's fun, and I do want to have some kind of platform, as they say, to promote my books.

So I guess if people like to read, and really do read this blog, then it is logical that they also like to read books, and will buy a copy of one of my books. I only wish that more than one was published right now, but I'm glad that at least one of them is.

Will get back to work on The Vase pretty soon, and send it to that publisher. I'll keep you posted how that one goes. Even though the sales ranking for KOK is decent, I expect The Vase to do even better. We'll see.

The Blogging Phase Dying Out?

A lot of bloggers are no longer blogging. Even the most famous one, whose name I shall not mention now, even though I've mentioned it before, has become an infrequent poster on the blogosphere. Several bloggers whose blogs I used to read no longer blog at all.

So is the phase dying out? Is Twitter the next phase? I never twittered and don't expect to any time soon. I don't even know how to do it. The reason I blogged at all was to make an effort to establish a "platform" which, I had learned from reading blogs, was something an author needed if they wanted to be successful.

And now that I have a book published, I'm not even sure that this blog has led to a single sale of a single book. Or even a digital file. Two of the bloggers who had followed my blog are no longer blogging. Which, to me anyway is unfortunate, because I read their blogs and looked forward to buying their books when they became available.

So what happened to them? I don't know if their books were ever published, don't know if they just gave up, or what. It's kind of sad to me. I had hoped that one of them would be a beta reader for my fourth novel, John Dunn, Heart of a Zulu. But I guess that won't happen.

Speaking of which, it's time to get back to these other books I wrote. John Dunn is one of them, of course, but the book I should really start concentrating on is Killer Eyes, the sequel to Killer of Killers. And then the third and final entry into the Trent Smith story, The Killers Guild. But I haven't even outlined that one yet. But I'm getting some good ideas for it. Stay tuned.

Do People Just Quit?

When aspiring writers don't find a publisher, or even an agent, at what point do they quit? Sure many go the self-publishing route, which might be the last resort. And I suppose it's better than quitting. But maybe some people are like me in the sense that they refuse to go the self-publishing route. And I've noticed a couple people who, not only don't blog anymore, but have eliminated their Google accounts altogether.

One of those was the very first "follower" of this blog. She was an aspiring writer of historical fiction. She expressed interest in my own historical novel, JOHN DUNN when I was writing it. But she has disappeared.

You don't need a blog, per se, to follow a blog, but I think you at least need a Google account, and I think hers has discontinued. And there is one other person who has disappeared, too. It's somewhat saddening to me. It makes me reflect on the times when I was finding it near impossible to find a publisher. Even when I had an agent.

But I didn't quit. Even when my agent(s) quit on me. I found publishers. First for THE VASE, and then for KILLER OF KILLERS. OK, the situation on THE VASE has been chronicled. But the publication of KILLER OF KILLERS is imminent. Hooray.

And what did it take? Well, yeah, it took a great story, and great characters, but it also took perseverance. And endurance. And hard work. I don't doubt my two "friends" put in a lot of hard work. And I'm sure they persevered to a great extent. But everyone has a limit when it comes to endurance, no matter what it is you're talking about. You can only take so much of anything before there comes a limit to how much more you can take. Of anything. And frustration is surely a trying element.

I hope they just got bored of my blog and did not quit trying to get published. Rather they quit this blog than their aspirations. It's too bad even if that's the case. I read their blogs, and I found their writing to be good. I wanted to read their works. Now, it seems, I won't be able to, because their blogs are inaccessible or nonexistent. Which makes me think they are no longer seeking publication.

Because blogs are the first step to forming your "platform." And it is your "platform" from which you promote your work. Often, the author is the first in the marketing of his/her books. Without the blog, I think, that first step is gone. But what do I know. For all I know they got published and quit blogging for other reasons. I wish them good luck in any event.

Platforms Effective?

I use this blog as a "platform" and I have Facebook, but only as a "platform" but I'm not sure just how effective they are or will be as "platforms." Sure more people know about me and my books now than before I did them. But how will that translate into sales?

Since my books are not even available right now, that's impossible to gauge. I suppose I will have more sales than I would otherwise. I'm just not sure if I started this blog and FB too soon. I mean I started this blog a year and a half ago. It was when I was writing KILLER EYES. Then I went back and did some more revisions on THE VASE. Then THE VASE sold. Then it sold again. And that's a good thing, but it wasn't because of the blog or FB.

But when you are submitting, the publishers are typically glad that you have some kind of "platform" and blogs are at least a beginning. So, again, we'll see how it all pans out.

Online Platform

I remember when I first heard the word, "platform" in regards to being an author. I didn't even know what it meant at first, but I figured it out soon enough. I suppose one way to put it is your platform is how you promote yourself. Your accomplishments, your positions, your way of doing things, and your method of selling books.

I guess the reason I do this blog is to establish a platform, otherwise no one out there would even know a thing about me or my soon to be released book, THE VASE. But this blog is not just about THE VASE or me. It's about writing and getting published. Most people who write, I think, also write blogs. It's part of their "platform."

And it could be true that an online platform, like blogs, is the most effective. I know from the stats page on this blog that people all over the world have read some of my posts. For instance there are readers in China, India, Malaysia, Ukraine, Germany, France, England, Canada, even Arabia, and South Africa.

Here's hoping that when THE VASE is finally out, some of them will buy it. That's the bottom line of having a platform in the first place. Can't wait to find out.

Short Stories

Many authors take time from their novels to write short stories. It gets their name out there when they get their stories published in magazines or anthologies.

I wrote one or two, but that was way back when I was in school. I really don't have the desire to write short stories right now. Still, it would be wise to do it.

You know, to get your name recognizable, like, 'Hey, that's the guy who wrote that short story I liked in such and such book.' It's part of building a platform.

Maybe I'll try it again one day.

One day.

Platform

The unfortunate part of writing is when you have no platform. People who are famous for whatever reason have an automatic platform. They also get nice advances. Unless some publisher is convinced you wrote a soon to be best seller, it's likely you won't even get an advance, but that depends on the publisher. On top of that, you will have to work your butt off to establish a platform.

I am only in the beginnings of making a platform. Lot of work ahead.