Promotion Sucks Ballls. The Next Steps to Take.

This is the part of the life of a writer I hate.  The part that one day I hope to be far, far from.  The part that is all business and none of the art.  The craft of promotion.  

You see promoting for a book is kind of pointless.  One thing has always sold books...word of mouth.  If I was a musician I can play you the best song from my album.  If I made a movie or a show I would have a trailer or a commerical for you.  A book however is a different beast.  There is no quick test.  Maybe read the first chapter, the first twenty-pages, but that is still an investment on your part.  

I think that is why most of my books start in a sort of in medias-res.  I feel like I have to get the reader intrigued right off the bat.  I also think this is the best way to start a story in general, but there is still so much pressure to start that first chapter great.

The reviews for Bloodlines has been nothing but positive.  Truth be told, I never get sick of being told that.  What I wonder is how much they are telling other people?  Without a secure major publishing deal, you lose an element of validity.  You lose the ability to take your book to the major newspapers and review sites.  People look at your book and it’s you saying it’s good.  People need a little more faith.

I hate promoting, I hate networking.  Even this blog I feel is five-hundred words I could spend on my next book, but it has to be done.  So let it be written.

I was impressed by the amount of other independent writers out there, putting their books up on the kindle.  Then I read some of their work, some of my peers.  It’s really not interesting, not amazing.  The plots usually don’t have much to them, or the writing is so uninspiring. 

The dilemma is for the midway writer.  Someone who has written something, is not a big deal yet, but also is not crap.  I was just asked today to give some advice to a writer who just finished their book and what to do with it.  Ten years ago when I really had some books down there was only two options—vanity or a traditional deal.

The problems with a traditional are simply just getting one.  Agents are so tough with what they approve.  Then they still have to get a deal from a publisher, then they still have to have their book get noticed and sell.  The good side to that is the validity of your book.  It will get reviewed from major newspapers.  It will get in major bookstores.  I problem I ran into with my first book Social Studies. 

The problem with vanity press is that it’s a dead end.  Not only did you just do the equivalent of the porn of writing, but the prices of vanity presses are usually so high that your book is pretty much unsellable.  Basically your book will be sold to your family, so just give up.

The e-reader give you the chance to get your book out there for free.  To get it heard, to get some feedback, but it is not the end of the line.  You need the backing of a big house.  You need the backing of a big publisher.  That is why I’m going to take some time away from the Litcave, to try to secure a major deal for Bloodlines.  The reviews have been great.  It’s time for the rest of the world to know what everyone is so happy about.