There are so many independent authors who have written and self-published their books, you can find them on Twitter, on Facebook, on Google+, on LinkedIn, or just about any social networking site you can name or have participated in over the years. Many of them are there to promote the books they've published others are there to promote the company or blogs they write on. They all seem diverse. They all seem to have countless tweets or comments, or followers.
What most writers don't look for is the similarities between this diverse group. One can argue 'they want to be seen.' This is true, we all want and need attention, but there is something more that makes them paradoxically, unique and common. They are fighting against a glass ceiling of self-publishing. It's not everyone who is a bestselling author, nor is every writer earning millions of dollars on their books. What there is is a glass ceiling where only so many writers have a chance to make money. As much as writers like to say they are different from others, the reason they aren't is more compelling. They understand, although they might not agree, they are in direct competition with others, from independent writers, freelance writers, self-published authors, independent authors, and the list goes on. The law of averages about self-publishing still holds true. What is the law of average? I'm not suggesting your book is average, I am talking about a law of averages. On average, most authors sell 41 books outside of their immediate network. This network includes family and friends and they will, in general, be supportive of your efforts when it comes to your books. This means if you have a reasonably large circle of family and friends you will sell some books. On to the next network. These are the friends of friends. They will not buy your book simply because they know you. They probably don't. It will take a bit more effort to get them to buy your book, or your e-book. It is this larger networks the law of averages holds true. This is the glass ceiling, and it's a hard one to crack. On average it takes longer to connect with these people. Not to mention the world. The next two or three networks are what most writers tend to think about: the strangers, the people whom you will never meet, the Internet. These are the ones who will help you grow your book sales. Writers know this. Writers understand they need this support. However, they are competing against millions of others who are doing the same, and this net result is lack of book sales. If this is the case, how can you improve your chances? If you have a properly edited book, a great cover, a good team of people around you, then your chances for success will improve. They won't be sky high, but they will make a difference. The biggest difference comes in the form of marketing yourself. It comes in the form of marketing your book, and getting it out there to your readers. This won't break the glass ceiling of self-publishing but it will crack it. When the next book is published, there is already momentum on your side. Keep on writing and expanding your networks, but also know that there are many others out there doing the same, so aim to go to every network you can and grow from there.
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#1 NY Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy talks writing, publishing, and finding balance, plus gives her advice for new authors… Check out what she has to say then Read on for more information about this blog tour and all its great prizes! You’re an icon in—not just the indie publishing community—but the publishing community in general. Your success is something to which we all aspire. In your opinion, what has been the greatest contributing factor to the success of your novels? There are so many factors that contribute to a successful writing career and it's hard to say which ones are the most important, but I do believe that publishing frequently helps to build an audience and also momentum. I don't write as quickly as some authors do or as slow as others; I think I'm somewhere in the middle. But I try to put out 3-4 books a year and I think that helps keep my books in front of the readers. I also write what I love to read. Sometimes that means my books are not part of the hot trend of the moment, but that's okay. I think it's a mistake to try to chase fads. They blow out as quickly as they blow in. And, finally, I look at writing as my career. I work hard at it. I spend a lot of vacations at my computer. But it's a really rewarding career, so it's all worth it! Writing and publishing books is not a business for the faint of heart. You have to be a risk taker. You have to be willing to speculate on your income and to be able to live through the slow times. You have to develop a thick skin, because rejection is everywhere: agents, publishers, reviewers, readers… We all know that books are subjective. But if you're up for the task, writing can be an awesome career choice! When did you start writing your very first novel, and did it ever get published? How has the world of writing change since you started out? I wrote my first book when I was pregnant with my second child, who is now a young adult. It was eventually published as a Silhouette romance titled Promise of Marriage under the pen name Kristina Logan. The writing world has gone completely upside down and spun around a dozen times since I wrote my first book, but it's an amazing time to be a writer now. There are so many opportunities for writers to get their books to the reading public. I'm thrilled for the writers who are starting out now, whether they want to be traditionally published or publish themselves. There's more work. There are more changes. But there are also many more opportunities. Technology has brought many changes to the world of books, but readers continue to embrace new books, new formats, and—at the heart of every book—great stories. I don't think great stories will ever go out of style. What advice do you have for authors who are either aspiring to write their first book or are working overtime to try to get that book noticed? For writers working on their first book, the most important thing you can do is write all the way to the end. Too many new writers get hung up in the middle or caught up in rewriting the beginning over and over again. To get over the hump, jump ahead in the story or just write something—anything—knowing you can fix it during the editing process. Until you write to the end, you don't know what you don't know. You have to experience the entire process of writing a novel. It takes dedication, determination and stamina to finish a book. But it's hugely gratifying, and there's no better experience than the actual writing. For those writers who have published their first book and are working overtime to get it noticed, I would caution against spending all your time promoting that first book. What you really need to do is write the second book and then the third. You have to look at your writing as a career. More books will increase your audience faster than any amount of marketing you do. I urge an 80-20 split: 80% of your time should be spent writing and 20% on promotion. Describe your writing process. Are you a plotter, a pantser, or something in between? I am closer to being a pantser than a plotter, but I do always know at least the five main plot points of my story before I begin writing. But part of the fun for me as a writer is telling myself the story. I want to be inspired and surprised as I go along. It makes it more interesting to me. Of course, I would be able to write faster if I outlined, but it just isn't the way my brain works. There's no right way to write, just the right way for the individual author. What was your reaction when you first found out you broke onto the New York Times and USA Today bestsellers’ lists? How did you celebrate? Hitting #1 on the New York Times with my novel SUMMER SECRETS was an amazing moment, especially because it was my first self-published title. I celebrated with a lovely dinner out with my husband. What was even more astonishing was that the novel stayed on the NYT list for 5 weeks and since then I've had 19 more novels hit both USA Today and the New York Times. It never gets old! How do you find balance between writing, publishing, and promoting your books and the rest of your life? Any tips for the rest of us? I have no balance whatsoever at the moment! I do try to do something in the world of exercise—take a walk or play tennis at least 3-4 times a week. And I also try to refill the creative well by reading and watching movies and television. Inspiration comes from everywhere, sometimes a song on the radio, a person that walks by, a sign on the road… I think it's important for writers to be out in the world, because all our experiences provide the fabric for our stories! Congrats on your groundbreaking, new partnership with Ingram to get the paperback editions of the Callaways out to the world. What about this opportunity has you most excited? I'm thrilled to be able to bring my bestselling digital titles into print and have the books sold at physical bookstores throughout the country. Partnering with Ingram Publisher Services has allowed me to use their national sales team and distribution system to sell my books into Target, Barnes and Noble, airport bookstores and supermarket chains. I know that some readers still love their print books, so I want my readers to be able to read my books in whatever format they prefer. Until very recently print has been under the control of large publishing houses, but now print readers will have an opportunity to get titles by an Indie author, and I think it's a game changer for the publishing industry! About the Callaway Blog Tour & All Its Great Prizes!
This is the week you finally meet the Callaways! Not only are they all over the web as part of their extraordinary blog tour, but they are also out and about in your neighborhood. That's right; we're celebrating the print launch with Ingram by throwing a party all over the world! Make sure to follow this tour closely for your chance to win gift cards, swag, autographed books, and other incredible prizes. All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment—easy to enter; easy to win! To Win the Prizes:
It is an honour and a privilege to be invited to guest-post on the lovely Rachel Rennie's blog. And now all I have to ensure is that I don't put off her regular readers with my sheer randomness (but I'm afraid that's what I do...randomness, that is, not put people off...not intentionally, anyway). Since Rachel is writing a wonderful fictional series on her blog entitled 'Cold', in which the heroine is ever a bit chilly and needs to wear more clothes than the average person, well I thought I could identify with that - which makes a handy link to today’s random post. Because I am infamous for being cold (temperature-wise, not in temperament...well no, sometimes I'm that too). Here in England, the season of summer is a short and wondrous thing. I do not exaggerate when I say that our former few summers have endured the sum-total of 2 weeks. And then that's that; back to endless winter. Honestly, we are still harping on about the summer of 1977 - a long and blisteringly hot heat-wave; that's how rarely it happens here. If you're English, you'll back me up on that. But when we are graced with summer (very often it's in May or June while July and August [when the kids are on school holidays] pretty much sucks), everything changes. At the first hint of warmth, people prance from their houses with gay abandon in their droves, clad in...well, far too little. This is a bit of a bugbear of mine because 'cautiousness' is my middle name. I don't like to be caught out. When summer first shows its face I am scornful, ‘ha, summer? I laugh in your general direction!’. As I drive past the sea of people sporting their short-shorts and vest-tops I narrow my eyes and I scoff at their naïvety. I shout to myself, ‘it’s too soon for that! Put it away!’. It takes approximately two weeks of consistent heat for me to believe that, actually, summer has indeed arrived and it may be time to put away my parka coat and knee-high boots. So I gingerly slope off to the wardrobe and scour through to see what items of light-weight clothing I have left from the last time warm weather graced our fair isle. And even then I am judicious and mindful of making an error. ‘I may just adorn that pair of shorts – but not with a vest! That is just too much flesh on show for one day! Hmm, yes I do like that vest – but not with that short skirt! Put on some skinny jeans, girl! You know the rules!’ . Or, ‘Gosh, it is hot today...Havaianas or Birkenstocks? Have you gone completely insane?! Does this look like the Sahara to you? Converse at the VERY MOST!’. You see, the coming of warmth creates a huge internal struggle within me. Even though the voice of reason in my head is screaming at me to wear less apparel, the jaded realist who has just survived another arctic winter, bundled up in the largest coat, scarf and hat that money can buy...well; she just can’t accept it. I’ve always been somewhat prone to the effects of cold but when I lost a couple of stone in weight a few years ago, things became far worse. Friends now mock me. I kid you not; I am openly mocked due to my penchant for too many garments for the current climate. But that is my way - I cannot be cold. If you asked me which extreme temperature I would rather be the cause of my untimely death, well I’d say neither; but if I had to choose – I’d rather the heat kill me. And yes, you ridiculers, I’d rather carry around an enormous bag containing extra clothing for myself and my children than be caught unawares! I’ll have the last laugh, you’ll see! So just to recap – being cold is not an option. And if I’ve made a heinous mistake and come out of the house in less items of clothing than is optimal, I like to reassure myself that my neck and my feet are protected. I won’t have a cold neck or cold feet; that’s just basic common sense. In fact, I’ve already decided on the epitaph to be chiselled into my tombstone (and you’re welcome to borrow this for yours if you feel the same way); ‘She came, she saw, she mourned. She wished she’d brought a cardigan’. (c) Adele Archer A big thank you to Adele Archer for honoring me with a Guest Post on my site.
Please visit Adele's blog to read more of her writing and to learn more about "International Relations" check it out on Amazon. Please comment below and tell me if you enjoyed Adele's writing as much as I do, and if you too are cold and overdressed, like us! Jeremy Crow is the nom de plume of Jeremy Fink, who has been writing blogs entries for almost a decade now. He has had varying degrees of success along the way, several nervous breakdowns, a few “I quit and I’ll never do this again!” moments, and so many get rich quick ideas that you couldn’t count them on two hands. None of any of this has been a failure it’s just been a trial run, for what, he does not know, yet. His brain doesn’t turn off, and he loves to see his own words. The attitude of gratitude is one of the hardest things to teach, when it comes to the healthy new you. Problems arise when we forget that it took us many years of neglect to get where we are when we finally decide that it is time to do something about it. Instant gratification is something that we can expect from out local Target or Wal-Mart, but not exactly something that we can expect when we decide to get healthier. Most people will sit by and sigh in agreement at this statement and then totally forget about it when it comes to diet and exercise. Think about this, but if you keep your mind in today like I do, you can accomplish a lot more than you think. I like to workout first thing in the morning because then I can spend the rest of my day being happy that I did it. Some days I can just spend the rest of the day happy that I got it out of the way, but it IS something. I can now worry about the things that either pay my bills, or get my children fed, or keep my spouse happy, but behind all of that I can be happy that I got my workout finished. I tell everyone that the hour or two I spend at the gym is nothing compared to the many hours of self righteous bliss I get afterwards. What about those days when you just didn’t get that workout in like you know you should have? Here’s the best part! You don’t need to wake up tomorrow carrying that regret; you just need to start the routine over again. In time you will start really being proud of yourself because THAT doesn’t happen as much as it used to. Then it is all about the ideas that you think up that work well for your physical and more important MENTAL well being that a great workout gives you. Oh did I mention that they are ALL great workouts? Well let me tell you that they are all great workouts and that is how you need to think about it. It isn’t about the how, or the how much, or the how often, it is about the how you feel after the workout. Concentrate on that, and don’t worry about how long or how often. Start with one and then go for two. Back in my days of trying to be a personal trainer, I would send the new health aficionado off to the treadmill, for a good long walk. Not a run, not a whacked out recumbent thingamabob, but a good long walk. Because if you can do a good long walk you can do anything, and it is also good to learn to be grateful that you can actually do a good long walk, since some people can’t? Pat yourself on the back because you worked out today, and don’t forget to hold onto that feeling, I promise you it will be better every day you do it. A grateful heart can accomplish great things. (c) Jeremy Crow This post touches close to home for me because my son, who is a track runner, can no longer run, or walk without crutches, due to a recent injury. I think I'm going to go for a walk now!
To read more of what Jeremy has to say, please visit his site. He writes about fitness, blogging, politics and MORE! Please comment below and tell me... Are you going to go fora walk too?
I wear foolishness well. Almost like a badge of honour. Where others exercise prudence and sensibility, I run headlong into situations doomed...that's when I ride the waves... Waves Sit here feeling the breeze that gives birds flight Wondering to myself if today is real or just an illusion Like the pinpoints of stars in the depth of night Listening to my own thoughts come to an orchestral conclusion Does the mind register truth or just the emotion it perceives In the cacophony of psychological silence another symphony starts Every synapse misreading the impulse it receives Like the percussive pounding of a thousand hearts A rhythmic beating of tympani and snare An overture of pure emotional delight Operatic displays of happiness you can't help but to share Time proving relative as days last minutes at the speed of sight This Wagnerian sensation of riding the winds of emotion As this feeling of elation is both surreal and sublime in turn My thoughts are scattered like debris in an ocean Waves of thought extinguishing fires of doubt before they burn © Christian Touchet Please comment below and tell me if Christian's poetry has touched you, as it so often does for most of his readers.
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