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Any ideas on how to get noticed.

WriterJohnB

WriterJohnB

Member
I know the most important thing about writing is to write well and promote interest once you've got the reader on that first page, but how do you get him to look at that first page?

My first novel (sci/fi suspense 2006) was published by a new, small publisher and was only available on two little known sites. I sold most copies myself, to friends in the school system where I work. Sales were low.

Second book was paranormal romance (2009) by a small romance publisher, available on several sites and promoted by the publisher in small ways. Still, I sold most copies myself. Sales were even lower.

This one is a historical/slavery history novel, "...and Remember that I Am a Man." and I've just published it to Amazon in Kindle form. I entered it into Amazon's Next Breakthrough Novel Award and excerpts got good first reviews and then the entire novel was panned because of controversial subject matter. (Like the reviewer was the judge of what SHOULD be printed, never commented on the quality of the writing or the story.) I've approached a couple of bloggers I know, asking for reviews, interviews, whatever.

I've been advised to start blogging, but doesn't that pose the same question, i.e. How do you get people to read your blog? Seems to me, if you could figure that one out, you'd have the answer to the first dilemma.

I've also sent it to about 40 agents and not got a glimmer of interest - that's why I've published on Amazon.

Any ideas about ways to promote it?

JohnB
 
I agree with the blogging. If you're a good writer it'll build up a following. However, becoming a celebrity is the only sure way of getting published these days. How about getting huge silicone tits?
 
Good idea. Maybe a set of brass balls to go with them.

But you reminded me. My second novel published, The Prisoners of Gender, was a spoof about a princess and a captain changing personalities and having to deal with living as a different gender. I never considered how trans-gender people would take it. On one transgender site, I was called a hack. On the other side, I got a nice review on Amazon and an e-mail from a Psychologist (or something) who said I got the gender representations just right and he would promote it on transgender sites. Still didn't get many sales, though. Hmm, maybe those huge silicone tits make it hard to read a book on your masculine lap.

JohnB
 
fleamailman said:
"...well now..." went the goblin, who always wrote in third person, and usually matched the text with a picture too, continuing "...no one will publish your book because you are unknown, and yet have you ever thought of creating a thread that has 30000 hits to it, think you can create one even...", in fact, the goblin knew that most writers left their persona as something both unthoughtout and unnecessary, where obviously readers were more and more on forums now, and where publishers too, were following these trends in poster's reading here, adding "...look, by the time you have got someone to read even one page of your book, or some text in a blog somewhere, just imagine how many hundreds more will have read this post now, simply you have to become known for your posts first, think you can do that then, for if you can, then you won't even need those publishers, people will be reading you directly, won't they..."
Click to expand...

So that's what AquaBlue is doing!
 
fleamailman said:
"...nah, I guess by that, you mean he is someone who posting 30000 times to many threads, where I mean the opposite here, that one is creating one thread that gets that many thousands of hits to it..." mentioned the goblin again, adding "...a simply calculation it is then, it's the number of posts divided by the number of hits which gives ones "readership", whereas the number of replies divided by ones own posts gives one "participation", where "participation" feeds one and where readership flatters one, need I explain more I wonder..."
Click to expand...

"People who talk in third person really annoy me", the Moderator said.

AquaBlue has the ability, some would say superpower, to create a thread that will generate thousands of views.
 
fleamailman said:
"...then I imagine, one will be able to find him across forumland, for all one would need to do is google his username then, as simply if one has the ability to create great posts, and the subsequent threads because of it, it would mean that one had a following now, publishers would take interest..." ventured the goblin hoping that the thread starter was following this, hoping too, to be forgiven for the way he wrote now, explaining "...I am anonymous now, but if I wrote normally you would know much about me by way of the differential between "how one should post" and "how one posts"...." adding "...I am looking forward to meeting AquaBlue then, I love reading talent..."
Click to expand...

He has a few bits in Writer's Showcase for interested persons to see.
 
The traditional publishing route still rules. The idea that you can hack out a novel on your word processor, upload it to Amazon and wait for the cash and acknowledgment to come rolling in is a myth. It's attractive to the lazy writer who does not want to go through the process of query letters, manuscript submissions and rejections. Get with the right publisher and the publisher will get you noticed, first and foremost by getting your book on bookstore shelves.
 
Have you visited the kindleboards? There are quite a few Kindle authors willing to give tips/tricks, etc. In fact, there's a promo thread up now where I posted some ideas: Promo
 
I know someone who posts all of his books on Livejournal, and hopes that if he gets a large enough following, he'll be able to attract a publisher.

The traditional publishing route still rules. The idea that you can hack out a novel on your word processor, upload it to Amazon and wait for the cash and acknowledgment to come rolling in is a myth. It's attractive to the lazy writer who does not want to go through the process of query letters, manuscript submissions and rejections. Get with the right publisher and the publisher will get you noticed, first and foremost by getting your book on bookstore shelves.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the amount or rejections outweighs the amount of acceptances. Even with a well written manuscript, with great ideas, the publisher is a businessman who wants to make a profit. He's more likely to go with traditional styles of books that have done well before, which is often at the expense of originality.

The main thing to do is get your work out there. What I'm planning on doing is writing a webnovel, as well as my main project, and post it online. Then when my main project is done I can say ''here's my webnovel, here are my views, subscriptions and downloads''. That will get my book taken more seriously.

There is also a myth out there that if you post your work online, publishers won't bother publishing it. It is just that - a myth. If your work online is popular, publishers will see benefit in making a printed version of it, because fans will want to buy them.
 
Have you found lists of book bloggers and submitted review queries to them? That's a good way to get reviews (good and bad) and have those reviews posted to Amazon, GoodReads and other places. That can help create additional exposure and interest in your work.

Blogging is a good tool, as well, but it won't work miracles. It's just another tool in the box. Like creating a fan page for your writing on Facebook.

The goal is to create enough of a presence on the Web to get noticed.

-David
 
I've written a book, but I'm also an IT guy. I've created a website The Fabled Tapestry of Paragon - A book of fiction. It's great for SEO, but it'll never be enough.

There are a lot of old fashioned attitudes relating to publishing, but times they are a-changing. Soon, it'll work like e-bay. The better your reviews, the more people who will by your product, be it book, CD, or painting.

Meanwhile, if you've done something good, then just keep pushing it. Good stuff will always be in demand, brilliant stuff will always be sought. Don't wait for the wave to hit you, go out and meet the wave...
 
ClarkPeterston said:
I've written a book, but I'm also an IT guy. I've created a website The Fabled Tapestry of Paragon - A book of fiction. It's great for SEO, but it'll never be enough.

There are a lot of old fashioned attitudes relating to publishing, but times they are a-changing. Soon, it'll work like e-bay. The better your reviews, the more people who will by your product, be it book, CD, or painting.

Meanwhile, if you've done something good, then just keep pushing it. Good stuff will always be in demand, brilliant stuff will always be sought. Don't wait for the wave to hit you, go out and meet the wave...
Click to expand...

Buy not by....I'm useless without spellchecker.
 
Stewart,

Thanks for your timely advice. I was planning to use this holiday period, since I'm off from work, to promote. I took your advice and started blogging at MonkeyJohn's Blog but I'm not blogging about writing. Instead, I'm writing about my life on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp, where farmyard critters are visited by occasional wildlife, hoping to create interest among those who go to sites like "farmville" to pretend they are country people. I'm beginning a thread here to let B&R folks know how it goes.

MonkeyJohn's Blog
 
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