 "I have a writing question for you: When you write, do you read other books? When you're not writing, do you prefer fiction or nonfiction? If fiction, what kind, what author, etc.?"
Technically, that was four questions, not including the etc. They came from a friend who read The Unlived Lives of Raymond Quinn. I haven't responded yet, but I will, and when I do, I'll use what you see below. "When you write, do you read other books?" I read every weeknight from 6:30 to 8:30, at which time I put aside my tablet (all my recreational reading is on my tablet) to allow my eyes/brain to adjust. If I don't do that, I don't sleep. (I know, turn on the blue light filter. I did, it doesn't work for me.) I do read other books when I'm writing, mainly because these days, I'm always writing, editing, and doing things related to my unexpected writing career. So, do I read books when I'm writing or when I'm not? Yes! "When you're not writing, do you prefer fiction or nonfiction?" The latter. Early in my recreational reading career, some 50+ years ago, I did read both. In terms of fiction: Hemingway, Steinbeck, Vonnegut, Michener, Crichton, and a few others. I didn't pick them knowing I would like what they wrote. I picked them because I knew they were famous writers. I didn't like all of it, but I always finished what I started. I also read nonfiction and became an avid NF enthusiast, having read Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song. An incredible story, because of an even more incredible Pulitzer Prize-winning writing job. I've almost exclusively read nonfiction ever since. "If fiction, what kind, what author, etc.?" I'll assume this was answered in the above question. In its place, I'll answer a question not asked, below. "Since you no longer read fiction, why did you attempt to write it?" I still read some, but not much. There is an unlimited number of actual events involving real people whose stories are extraordinary. The trick is finding those written by extremely talented authors. When I do, for me, most fiction pales in comparison, and I'm in I-can't-put-this-down city. That's me; read whatever appeals to you, you'll be a better person having done so.
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 Disclosure: Another post for those thinking about or who are writing a book.
You need a book marketing plan, one that includes essential marketing mix elements that apply to selling books:
You might get some traction with just that last one, but it's unlikely that many people will be looking to interact with you unless you advertise. Other than friends and family, they won't know that you or your book exists. How you do that is covered in some of the previous posts in this blog. If you have questions, message me; I'll be happy to help you however possible. Once you're doing that, there are two metrics you want to follow closely:
The graphic in this post is a month-long website traffic summary for The Unlived Lives of Raymond Quinn book page on my website. An upward trajectory for both page views and unique visits, with a slight drop in the average number of pages visited on my website. So was June bad, mid-July onward, good? If so, what made the difference? For starters, there wouldn't have been a 'trajectory' had I not advertised. I did, and both Views and Visits were relatively flat from June 28 to July 16. Seeing that, I reviewed my advertising, turning off underperforming ads completely, reducing budgets for those that were doing okay, reallocating the money to ads that were performing well above average. The result is an increase in traffic with sales trending upward as well. An oversimplification, but you get the idea. You have to pay to play. Just make certain that what you pay for is producing.  The Many Worlds Interpretation is complicated.
But you don't have to understand quantum mechanics to recognize when people from one universe encounter people from another. Consider what happened March 1, 2005, at Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth II was introduced to Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Brian May at a day-long event honoring the British music industry. As the article notes, and the video within the article shows, she didn't know much about any of them despite the five of them having lived much of their adult lives in proximity to each other on an island much smaller than any universe, parallel or otherwise. My friend, Paula Johnson, sent me the link to that article. She's a large part of the reason The Unlived Lives of Raymond Quinn became a success. Attention, newbie authors, those who are thinking about or who are currently writing a book: Whether you know it or not, you, too, are in a universe parallel to the ones inhabited by those who know how to do so successfully. Reach out to Paula for all the book writing/publishing/marketing know-how you didn't know you don't know. She will help you when she has answers for questions you didn't know to ask, and will tell you when she doesn't.  The Unlived Lives of Raymond Quinn became available October 15, 2024.
I remember that day well. No more hiding in the weeds; the book was out, time for it and me to put up or shut up. The initial response was, well, predictable. Another self-published book from another unknown person (I couldn't then, and still can't today, refer to myself as an "author") who wrote and self-published their own book. I browbeat friends and family into buying what I knew might be the only copies purchased. Do you know how many self-published books come out each year? Around 2,000,000 to 2,500,000 annually. Do you know how many will sell more than 100 copies, total? Less than 10%. I didn't have enough friends and family to get me anywhere near 100 sales. But I did have enough to give me the confidence to believe I might one day. One day and beyond, that day is today! What does 812+85+105= 1,002 mean? As of this morning, 812 sales of print and digital versions on Amazon, 85 sales of the audio version on Audible, and 105 sales through additional channels in the US and around the world. 1,002 Total to date. I thank each and every one of you who took a chance on me and Raymond's story. Without you, this post, and future Unlived stories would not be possible. Keep watching this space for the sequel due out this fall, The Unlived Lives of Shelly Bennett. (PS: The total having finished this post is now 1,003. Thank you as well, #1,003.) |
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