Writers, Embrace Paradox When Building Your Platform…
Because no one knows jack shite, me included.
image by Kevin Dooley
J.C. Hutchins, author of 7th SON: DESCENT, is someone I respect very much as a writer and innovator in promoting one's work using social media. His recent announcement, parts of which I've quoted below, was, in a word, sad. And the timing of it really hit home, too.
Next week I'll begin releasing a 24-week series called The C.A.R.E. Platform Building Process For Writers here on the Wordslinger blog. After reading J.C.'s post, I was tempted to say screw it. I mean, if J.C. couldn't make it happen, then who can? No one deserved to have a book succeed on the merits of hard work and passion and being an all-around good guy more than Hutch did (he's a damn good writer, too).
But then it occurred to me: J.C. will be fine. Success in writing books professionally takes more than just hard work and good writing. It takes luck, too.
It's quite possible you'll toil your whole life writing amazing novels and promoting your butt off in every medium known to man, and those not yet invented...and still not sell a single copy of your book.
In other words, it pays to be a little delusional.
The rest of this post is a tribute to delusions, gathered from some of the smartest people I know writing books and leveraging the web to promote them, J.C. Hutchins included. There's truth to be found in all of these perspectives, even when they seem to conflict. You should take the time to read the full articles in which the quotes appear. Much of what I'll be sharing here on Wordslinger will be my attempt to reconcile these views into something useful and actionable that writers can use to further their careers.
Podcasting your novel may not work all that well...
"Creating podcast fiction does does not generate direct revenue for me. Based on anecdotal and statistical data, very few people are willing to pay for general podcast content, much less podcast fiction. Since my goal is to make a living wage with my words, the current monetization models — including in-show advertisements — will not deliver this. Dedicating time and effort to my non-fiction podcast projects will deliver equally underwhelming monetary results.
It is also apparent to me that using the Free model to promote a tangible product, such as I did with 7th Son: Descent and Personal Effects: Dark Art, does not deliver sustainable sales results. I have friends — some of whom are my best friends, the most talented people I’ve had the privilege to know and work with – who have absolute faith in this model. I treasure their trailblazing efforts and enthusiasm. My faith, however, has been fundamentally rattled.
Put simply: The new media model viably supports only the most blessed and talented of authors. The time, effort and money I invest in entertaining you for free pulls my attention and talent away from projects that can generate revenue. While podcasting, podcast fiction, and — most importantly — your support and evangelism has positively impacted my life and career in ways I’ll never be able to fully express, I cannot continue to release free audiofiction if I wish to make a living wage with my words."
-J.C. Hutchins
Then again...
"Elisabeth McLaury Lewin: So tell me about the podcasting angle of this. Has podcasting, do you think, enabled you to do things that you otherwise might not have been able to do?
Scott Sigler: Yes, absolutely. I mean, (a) for all of the fact-checking information, that I said earlier, there’s no way I could have 30,000 people checking my story for me, to make sure there’s no errors. That’s the first thing.
And (b) the second thing is, I wouldn’t have a publishing deal if it wasn’t for podcasting.
I was doing this for 12 years before I started podcasting. I had well over 100 rejections. Because my stuff’s a combination of suspense, thriller, horror and hard science fiction, none of the publishers would touch it. They didn’t know what shelf to put it on, what category to put it in. That was the line I kept getting, they didn’t know how to sell it.
So when I started podcasting, it built up an audience; it also showed that audience would actually go out and buy print books. That enabled me to get to the point I’m at now, which is being a “majorly featured” hardcover, at the front of bookstores and all this crazy stuff, in airports even. It wouldn’t have happened without podcasting."
- via Podcasting News
Or was it all just first-mover advantage?
"For the past two years, I’ve nigh-obsessively wondered about the viability of podcast fiction, and if this distribution method is as powerful and disruptive as it was during its scrappy, eye-opening 2005 and 2006 roots. It’s far too early to say. Its days of newness are certainly gone … but new creators are coming on the scene every day, with new stories to share.
I pray this model becomes a viable, sustainable business-driven movement — and not the fleeting moment I fear it may be."
-J.C. Hutchins
For love or money?
"When folks ask me for writerly advice, I usually reply with two words: Writers write. What I rarely say, but absolutely believe, is that writers should be paid for what they write. It’s time for me to write. To write my ass off, to tell stories that can be sold in many media, so I can continue to entertain you, and achieve my career goals. I am honored by your friendship, and hope I have clearly explained the circumstances that led me to these difficult decisions."
-J.C. Hutchins
Speaking of worthwhile resolutions...
"I will keep my website updated.
I will keep up with my blog and social networks.
I will schedule bookstore signings, and while at the bookstore I'll meet and greet the customers rather than sit dejected in the corner.
I will send out a newsletter, emphasizing what I have to offer rather than what I have for sale, and I won't send out more than four a year.
I will learn to speak in public, even if I think I already know how.
I will make selling my books my responsibility, not my publisher's.
I will stay in touch with my fans.
I will contact local libraries, and tell them I'm available for speaking engagements.
I will attend as many writing conferences as I can afford.
I will spend a large portion of my advance on self-promotion.
I will help out other writers."
-Joe Konrath
But is it all worth it?
"I Will Feed My Addiction. Life is busy. There are always things you can and should be doing, and your writing career often comes second.
So make it come first.
Right now, you're reading A Newbie's Guide to Publishing. Not A Newbie's Guide to Leading a Content and Balanced Life.You want to get published and stay published? That means making writing a priority. That means making sacrifices. A sacrifice involves choosing one thing over another.
If you can't devote the time, energy, and money it takes to pursue this career, go do something else."
-Joe Konrath
And is it all just luck?
"In essence: Getting someone within the industry with enough power and money to recognize they can make money from your work. That's luck. It involves having the right book, in the right place, at the right time. Too soon, too late, wrong person, not good enough--these all can minimize your luck. But hard work, paying attention, and being willing to roll with the punches and accept criticism can maximize your luck.
Still, at the end of the day, it always comes down to a roll of the dice. No one said it would be fair, easy, or fun. But if this is your dream, it is worthwhile to pursue it."
-Joe Konrath
Or is there more to it than that?
"You will not become a bestseller through your blog, your touring, your speaking efforts, your internet efforts, or you social networks.
The only way you will become a bestseller is to have your books available, at a discount, in as many places as possible. And that's beyond your control.
That said, every little thing you do to sell your books can help your career.
Books sell one at a time. If you're the one that sells them, one at a time, its one more that probably would not have sold without your efforts."
-Joe Konrath
Ah for love..that's the ticket.
"You need to love writing. In fact, you need to love it so much you're willing to give up other things that other people (perhaps even you) deem important.
How do you know if your love is strong enough and worth the sacrifice?
When you write THE END, if it isn't the coolest feeling in the world, perhaps you should consider a different career.
But if writing THE END is so fulfilling that it was worth giving up TV, sleep, food, sex, and surfing the internet, then you're in the right profession."
-Joe Konrath
So let's roll the dice...
"I believe if you work hard, learn to understand the business, and work at bettering your craft, you can improve your odds.
But at the end of the day, it's still luck."
-Joe Konrath
And make some freakin' moola!
"So I'll be looking at 40k per year on these old titles that NY Publishing didn't want.
I'll earn almost as much on a $2.99 download than I earn on a $24.95 hardcover.
And why shouldn't I? I'm the writer."
-Joe Konrath
Here's how to start: write a lot of short stories:
"I've always believed that being prolific and diverse are the two biggest things a writer can do to create fans. Because of this, I write a lot of short stories, in various genres. The effect works as intended. I've got a few hundred thousand novels in print. But my short stories have been printed millions of times. Each published story is an opportunity to gain a new fan, some of whom will buy my books.
This approach has served me well. I get a lot of fan mail about my short work, and it often leads to the intended effect; to point readers toward my novels."
-Joe Konrath
Or not...
"Stop submitting short stories. Just stop. It does nothing for you. The short fiction market is dead. It’s absurd to even argue about it. I love short stories. I love writing them. You can too. But you’re better off hoarding them until you have a marketable, profitable name and can release your own collection and see some legitimate return on your investment of time and energy. Six years of rejection may seem pious and noble and like a good paying-your-dues mantra, but it is horseshit. Same goes for awards. A best-selling book will get you an award faster than an award will ever get you a best-selling book."
-Matt Wallace
Definitely write short stories.
"The more chances you have to be discovered, the more you'll be discovered. Building a fanbase, which used to be linear and gradual, now becomes more like a patch of weeds, spreading out in all directions and at great speed.
So you want to be a Kindle bestseller?
The more quality content you have, the better your chances. Short stories. Out of print books. Unpublished work that your agent couldn't sell.
This is more than just a quick way to make a buck. This is getting a firm foothold in the oncoming digital revolution.
I used to be known as the guy who wrote nine unpublished novels and got over five hundred rejections before landing a book deal.
Now I'm known as the guy who pays his mortgage selling books on Kindle that NY rejected.
Be the kudzu. Join the revolution before everyone else figures this out and it's harder to get noticed."
-Joe Konrath
And maybe release a few ebooks, too.
"The medium in which stories are absorbed is changing in a big way, and it will continue to change. 2009 will go down in publishing history as Year Zero for the upcoming ebook revolution. Writers should explore this new territory, but we need to understand that Print is still King, and any goals and dreams a writer might have regarding publication should be focused on getting into print.
That's not to say that ebooks shouldn't be explored and experimented with. They should be, and in a serious way. Erights are a very long tail--one that can potentially continue long after our lifetimes."
-Joe Konrath
Bottom line: embrace the paradox of being a writer. Treat it like a business, but write as if no one will ever read a word. And remember, none of us knows jack shite.
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