Arts

Thinking About Book Marketing for Introverts

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For the purpose of this post, let me start by defining an introvert as someone who enjoys solitude, quiet environments, and working by himself/herself as opposed to someone who enjoys live and upbeat/crazy environments and group work, as well as the spotlight.  You may be an introvert and love to socialize, and not necessarily consider yourself a shy person.  For example, you may prefer the coziness of a small book club to an auditorium full of people, discussing the same topic, and you may prefer one on one interaction to group action.

These days, even if you are an introvert writer, you will be faced with making choices when it comes to selecting how you will market your book.  Technology and the internet opened the doors to many good authors allowing them to share their work – doors that once were slammed in their faces by traditional publishing.  In a world where viral can happen to anyone, introvert authors may find themselves in the spotlight, without even wanting it.  With it comes the interviews, the shows, podcasts, invitations, speaking engagements … and so on.  What is an introvert author to do?  Well, he/she may go with the flow (even if it becomes too much), or he/she may become selective and do things according to a level of “self-preservation” and comfort.

If you are on the “quiet side” don’t let the noise of the “new way of doing things” prevent you from following your dream.  When it comes to marketing your book, you don’t have to do what everyone does.  The purpose of marketing something is just to put the word out there so people know it is available and can make an informed decision whether to purchase it or not (in the case of a product) or to contribute to it or not ( in the case of charity or money-raising events).  You can tailor the marketing to the activities that you enjoy doing, and take advantage of social networking and technology to do them more efficiently.  For example, lets say that there is no way that you will have your face plastered via your YouTube channel to reach readers, because the thought of it makes you sick; however, you love blogging and you love forums, and this is a way by which you can achieve the same marketing results.  You may not want to go on a book tour(s), but you have no trouble with doing one on one interviews, or small group readings.

Those were just examples on how to tailor marketing to the activities that you enjoy, thus eliminating the dislike factor and making the process enjoyable.  People prefer a genuine you than a “stiff/scared forced to do this” you.  When I watch informative videos on YouTube, I go for the ones that show me a down to earth person who seems genuine and seems to be enjoying what he/she is doing.  I stay away from the clips in which a stiff person is trying to sell me something and making a fake effort so it doesn’t come across that way.  My point is, being genuine at what you do, even if it is only one activity, will turn better results than doing tons of activities that you don’t enjoy just because that is what the “experts” say you should do to sell more books, have more traffic, and gain readers.

If you don’t like the spotlight, you can always dim the lights to your level of comfort.  You never know, maybe the activities that you enjoy will lead you to activities that you didn’t know you enjoy.  When marketing your book, do the things that you love to spread the good news and be genuine, generous, and thankful about it.  The guts to live your dream takes many times, just showing up to what matters in life – to what matters to you, and not adopting a one size fits all approach.

New Writers – Beware of Writing Sites

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I am writing this post for all new writers who are thinking about joining writing sites.  When I started writing online, I wasn’t sure of what venue to choose so I selected a few popular sites to write for them, thinking that this would be beneficial for my writing career.  Unfortunately, I started to notice that one of those sites – called Triond, started allowing very bad writing – mostly from people who wanted to make a quick buck and didn’t care about writing garbage and ill edited articles.  The staff let those articles go through, without editing them.  Some of these articles were actually unreadable – just picture a string of keywords with no meaning to them.  Fearing that associating with that site would hurt my career, I contacted them and asked that my content be removed and my account canceled/closed.  My account was closed, and at that time, it seemed that my articles were blocked and they did not show as published.  This happened more than two years ago.

Today, while reviewing some links on this blog, I came across old content that had a link to one of those articles.  I clicked on it and to my surprise, the article did show up published.  I kept clicking on some of the old links and most of them were showing active.  Not only that, but there were all kinds of ads running on them, making Triond money.  I am disgusted.  Immediately, I clicked the contact link and wrote to them asking that my content be removed or blocked.  Lets see what happens.  I hope I get a response this time.

In the meantime, my face and work is plastered on that site, along with all the craziness and bad writing going on.  There are very good writers on that site too, not all  is bad writing, but a huge percentage is bad written content, and that is the only reason I wanted to disassociate my name from it.  I never had a problem with the site otherwise; I just did not agree with their practice of bad editing and letting anything go through to publishing.

Let my experience serve you as a measure to choose a writing site very wisely and carefully, to avoid situations like this one.  I hope that Triond listens and blocks all of my content, which they are not authorized to publish anymore.

Two Serious Writing Goals for 2013

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photo by M. Diaz

photo by M. Diaz

I am loving 2013.  After the many Doomsday theories that we had to listen to over the past year, I am glad that 2013 is here.  2012 was dark in many ways, I perceived the “doom” in many people’s moods, and in the overall atmosphere, both cyber and reality.  I had many personal challenges, which I view as lessons that I must go through so I can evolve.  In a way, I view 2013 as a year of possibility and light, a year of taking journey, of flapping wings and embracing the sunlight.  2013 is just the beginning of many good things to come our way.  At least, that is how I choose to perceive it.

I have set two serious writing goals, which I want to accomplish before the end of the year (pending dates).

  • The release of my first novel – “Moonlit Valley”
  • The release of my second novel – “The Dinorah Chronicles – Ramblings of the Spirit.” (first in the trilogy)

A third goal has been set to write the second book in the trilogy, which title is “The Book of Sharon;” however, I will be extremely happy if I get to the first draft on this one.  I am hoping to release this one by 2014.  I don’t know what the 3rd book in the trilogy will be, as it hasn’t knocked on my door yet, but it will, just as the others did.

Ideally, I would love to write a novel a year and to have it ready for release the next year.  However, reality tells me that I (still) have a pending move to a very rural setting (mind the internet speed here), and a farmhouse to restore by hand, and very limited funds, so let’s see how that goes.  For now, I will be happy if I can materialize these two major goals before the end of 2013.

Do you have a serious goal for 2013?  Feel free to share it here; let’s make this year one of amazing things happening 🙂

Why I Chose to Self-Publish in 2013

/ inkspeare / 6 Comments

The decision to self-publish did not come easy to me, neither did it come after tons of rejections, since I stopped myself from sending queries, after sending one.  I realized that more than anything else, I had to define what I wanted out of my love for writing, before going forward.  I knew that I was not doing it for money (for most writers, there’s none in it), or to become a famous author one day … One thing that I knew for sure was that I loved to write, and it seemed that I could do that forever, if the opportunity to turn that passion into a career path presented itself.   Why choose to self publish without even making a real attempt at publishing a novel by going through the usual channels and motion?  It all came down to Creative Control.

Having control over the entire process, and not having to depend on others to decide how or when the story came out matched my working style, work ethics, and personality.  In addition, I never understood why someone who never gave birth to the story would understand it in a deeper level, enough to change parts of it (I’m not talking here about fixing gaps, and other valuable efforts/work of editors and the traditional industry in general).  I wanted the opportunity to craft the entire project, learn from it, and grow from it and with it.  The decision to self-publish was clear only after I understood that all I wanted was to have creative control if writing was going to be something that I would want to do for the long run, and possibly for the rest of my life.

I was aware that it would be a long, slow and tedious process, tons of work, and an exhausting venture, that is, if I was going to do it the right way, and not in a hurry to publish in digital or in print.  The need for getting published fast was not even an issue, when I considered the facts and information.  However, the need to control the process, the schedule, the dates, the story, the deadlines, the art, the release … and all the other issues that go along with it was what I seem to long for the more  I thought about the issue.

I have read about self-published authors who after selling many of their books successfully, have signed up with a well-known publisher.  I totally understand the need of having people taking care of the small details, sites, emails, and putting together a book … all that is a ton of work, and very difficult to do for one person, especially if that author has become a best-selling author; besides, it robs from the main purpose, which is writing the story, and many more stories to come.  So while creative control is a wonderful concept, it doesn’t come easy, and in an ideal scenario, the best of both worlds would be the “perfect balance,” if there is such a thing.  For now, I am very happy to have found my “balance” for the moment, and that is to have been able to understand and finally, make the decision of releasing my piled up novels in 2013.  In doing so, I go with the confidence and peace of mind that it is the right path for me and the decision has not been rushed by any external factors.

Are you unsure of which path to take with your writing endeavor?  Are you torn between traditional venues and the rapidly evolving self-publishing industry?  Is this the only thing stopping you?  For me, it was, but once I understood what I wanted from my writing, the path became clear.  Ask yourself this question, “What do I want from my writing?”

I Think, Therefore I Am – Not!

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English: Picture of the super starbrust galaxy...

English: Picture of the super starbrust galaxy. The green and red splotch in this image is the most active star-making galaxy in the very distant universe. Nicknamed “Baby Boom,” the galaxy is churning out an average of up to 4,000 stars per year, more than 100 times the number produced in our own Milky Way galaxy. It was spotted 12.3 billion light-years away by a suite of telescopes, including NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The French Philosopher Renee Descartes gave us a lot to think about when he said, “I think, therefore I am.”  I used to ponder a lot on this phrase, and although it seems to explain a lot of our behavior, somehow, it always felt incomplete to me.  Why?  Well, lets take this example, and this happens to me a lot.  My husband jokes, “Oh, she’s thinking about it, soon I’ll see it.”  And this is true for me, when I start thinking a lot about something, I end up doing it, and the ball starts rolling, unless I stop myself somehow, usually for a good reason.  But I think that Descartes phrase applies to emotion as well, if I think that I am upset, unhappy … I end up feeling that way.  However, this is where the phrase feels incomplete to me – in the “doing” part.  For the thinking to pass the threshold into reality, an action is required.

Creativity is in our nature, implanted in our right side of the brain; too bad that we have not developed it fully.  For me to think of something and make it real, the act of creation, of doing, must follow.  Rene Descartes phrase tells us of the great capacity of imagination and wonder that we have; our whole existence is based on ideas that came to reality, inventions that came to be, and gave birth to other technologies, but for all that to happen, one of us had to have an idea, imagine it, designed it, dream of it – Think of it.  The threads of reality vibrate when we think about this miracle – all you see around you, was an idea in someones’ mind at one point in time.  The computer in front of you, the cup of coffee next to you, the pen, the paper, the little knickknacks sitting on your desk… That reality came to be only, and only, after someone imagine it, and later it was created.

The magnificence of that realization, is so deep and beautiful that it only tells us that nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible – it just hasn’t been imagined yet, created.  Science, technologies, ideas, dreams, hopes … all of it swirls in a dance of creation, and in the end, it comes to be – it materializes and joins what we call “reality.”  Think about this, how profound … it spells no limits!  Reality comes after thought, after creativity, after creation – not before.  Many times, technologies have to be in place first, and this is where its beauty and amazement starts – we depend on each other to imagine, so we can create.  And we create because it is our nature, as we are part of creation itself, one source to it all.  Reality exists when one idea meets another and another and another … We are creators of reality and that is how we come to be – I THINK, IMAGINE, I CREATE, THEREFORE I AM!

Don’t Undervalue Your Art

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Mass-produced hamburgers.

Mass-produced hamburgers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Would you sell your soul for a penny?  I think most of us would answer NO to that question.  To me, Art comes from the soul, whether it is a novel, a painting, a handmade piece.  When an artist creates a piece, he/she pours soul into it.  I wrote artist, because there is a difference between someone making something for commercial purposes, mass-produced, rushed, or repetitive, and someone who pours his/her soul into creating something.  I can see this in the self-publishing industry, were writers are taking advantage of the boom, and writing quantity, many times, priced very low, hoping to get momentum and creating a stream of constant flow of income.  There is nothing wrong with that, if that is what someone wants to do; however, when you love the craft and pour your soul into it, most likely, quantity will not matter.

That is the difference between product and art, the soul’s passion that goes into it.  Of course, eventually, an art piece/novel becomes a product in the market and will generate income, however, for the artist, the rewards go deeper than that.  It is the satisfaction of presenting art to the public, knowing that it is a part of him/her and has been crafted in due time – when it is ready and perfect enough in his/her eyes, to be released.

A hobby can be easily commercialized, mass-produced if you want; art is beyond that, bigger than money, however of value, extending from the inner self of the artist and going as far as it can reach the souls of others, and therefore, not disposable, but becoming immortal in the souls of those who appreciate it.

Ask yourself, am I an artist or a production leader?

 

The Ghost of a Thousand Lives

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Ghost?!

Ghost?! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Muse made me do it …

The Ghost of a Thousand Lives

Where is the crown that makes you king?

Where is the sword that shines of courage?

Where is the stare that froze a thousand fires?

Where is the fire that melts an iceberg heart?

Where have you gone, the eyes cannot see,

If not but a speck of the brave, nor a sunshine ray,

In the depths of the soul, the hero is lost,

All that remains … the ghost of a thousand lives.

Book Pricing – A True Mystery

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English: A Picture of a eBook Español: Foto de...

English: A Picture of a eBook Español: Foto de eBook Беларуская: Фотаздымак электроннай кнігі Русский: Фотография электронной книги (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Book pricing has always baffled me, and with the introduction of eBooks, now more than ever.  To illustrate this, let me compare a novel, which undergoes a creative process that can last months or years, to a painting, or to a magnificent cake, both creations by artists, but creations that take less time to complete.  For example, many paintings start over $100 and reach the thousands in price – famous paintings, millions.  An elaborate cake can reach hundreds and thousands in price, and it is consumed in no time at all, and it ceases to exist.  The painting, an original will last many lifetimes, and most likely will appraise in value.  Considering these examples, and all the labor that goes into making a novel – whether the story is published as a hard copy or an eBook – why is it that we allow it to sell for 99 cents, offer it for free, or price it so low?

What makes a painting or a cake more valuable than your novel, your story?  I don’t know the answer to that question, but it may have something to do with supply and demand in some way, or the fact that people will collect original art, eat cake, and only pay big bucks for first editions of a famous author.  It is one of those things that do not make sense when you think about it from the creative process aspect.  This is why college textbooks sell for more money, hundreds.  It has to do with buyer’s purpose/need (and who knows, maybe buyer’s remorse as well).  Some novels have change the world, have touched lives, but once the cake has been eaten, and the painting hanged, the writer is left with royalties, and the satisfaction of touching (at least) the life of one reader (or more).

Still, it boils my blood to see a novel selling for 99 cents, when it may have taken many years in the creation process.  Here, the conventional rules of pricing do not apply.

What do you think about this issue?

Reading Agenda

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Various antiquarian books, including Francis G...

Various antiquarian books, including Francis Grose’s Antiquities; this is one of the most popular images. If you want to use it, please copy it and host it on your own site. It’d be nice if you linked back to here, though. I still have the original image from the camera, if you want to experiment with colour balance. It’s 1712×1368 pixels. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I love books since I can remember, and to tell you the truth, I worry that there is not enough time in my lifetime to read all the wonderful tomes that I want to read. I try to read at least one book a month, the minimum. Right now, I am missing all the juicy tomes that are packed in several boxes in VA, for when I get to move.  Some very old, some new.  Vintage books are a passion of mine, although I don’t consider myself an avid collector – but certainly looking towards the future to start a collection of rare tomes.

The end of the year will soon be here and I have to say that I have thought about my next selection of books for the next five months.  I have a few books scattered around which I intend to finish before 2012 says goodbye.  So far, I have planned to read those but want to add two new books which I have waited to purchase, since I want to own them in actual presence and not electronic format.  One of them is “So Dark the Night” by Cliff Burns and the other is “The Mandolin Case” by Dr. Tom Bibey.  Can’t wait to get those.

So far, my 1 book a month agenda looks like this.

AUGUST – “The Mandolin Case” – Dr. Tom Bibey

SEPTEMBER – “So Dark the Night” – Cliff Burns

OCTOBER – “Count Lucanor” – Prince Don Juan Manuel

NOVEMBER – “The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady” – Edith Holden (this is a vintage book)

DECEMBER – “Finding Water” – Julia Cameron

I am starting to think about 2013 Reading Agenda, and will be sharing it with you, once completed.  Many times, I get to read more than one book a month, and that of course, bumps one book ahead of schedule.   Do you have any favorites that you want to read?  Any that you have enjoyed so much that you would like to suggest?  Your suggestions are welcomed.