The Next Circle of Hell

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jonaki

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Jonaki, I don't post here very often but I saw your post. Don't self-pub unless you have a marketing plan in place and time to carry it out. I self-pubbed my mystery and haven't done any marketing because of some other things that are going on with it, but in watching other people's efforts, it's a big job to get noticed, especially with only one book. Self-pubbing is basically like having your own small business in a field that is changing rapidly, so advice on how to market from last year is already out of date.
I have been told that as well. Self pubbed book without marketing plan is dead is water. Marketing a book it the toughest part. I have a bad track record in this area.
 

triceretops

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I have been told that as well. Self pubbed book without marketing plan is dead is water. Marketing a book it the toughest part. I have a bad track record in this area.

Ditto this. I started a blog three weeks ago and really shifted into a huge promo/marketing campaign. And man, it ain't easy at all. I've brought my Amazon rank down from 850,000 (stagnant) to a low, averaging from 20,000 to 150,000. Making some good sales. It's not just dropping links everywhere, but participating in blogs, discussions, following, commenting, and doing interviews all over hell's half acre.
 

Drachen Jager

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Wow! Congratulations! How long did it take for you to get signed up? I am wondering if I should ask my agent to try Canadian publishers?

Most Canadian imprints do not accept American authors.
 

OL

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Howdy, Jonaki! (I think someone called me?)

Yeah, my first book is sort of literary/genre hybrid -- "literary suspense" or "literary thriller" or what have you, and it did take just over a year to sell. We went out in small batches and came close at a few other houses, but the higher ups didn't want to risk it. As my agent put it, when your book is different, it will scare a lot of people off. But what makes it different is also what will ultimately sell it. He was right, thankfully.

This be the book. (I removed some of my identifying information when I thought I'd picked up a cyber-stalker)

I think as Peggy said that debuts can be easier to sell because you don't have a sales track record, and who knows, you might just be the next big thing? Or they can market you that way, more accurately.

The downside of being a debut author is that this really truly is a business where you have to be a pro and meet your deadlines and your obligations. I've wondered if that can give editors pause at times, because who knows if their shiny new debut author might turn out to be a tremendous flake.

But by and large it seems that being a debut has some advantages. I'm guessing most of you saw the NYT article about the veteran author whose 6th book didn't find a home until her agent subbed her under a different name and as a new author.
 

K. Taylor

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Hi, can I butt in about self-publishing and marketing?

For background, I've been doing it for 2 years and have observed 2 of my friends do it for 5 years.

You don't have to do "a lot of marketing". What you do have to do is approach self-publishing differently.

First, you need a cover that is easy to tell what genre it is in thumbnail size. It needs to be simple and attractive when it's small.

The next step is having your file contain the right things. Don't put a lot of front matter as the initial pages or sampling won't give the reader much of the story to see. Then, at the end of the book, include links to your website/blog/FB fan page/Twitter so they can learn more about you.

But the most important thing is to get another story out. Short story, novella, another novel - doesn't matter as long as it's also packaged and priced correctly.

All those marketing things an author can pay for? Don't even make the money back you spent on them, in the vast majority of cases. Make connections with reviewers and blogs, sure, but you really don't have to break your neck marketing. Put the book out there in the best way possible and then write another. Self-publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.
 

Calla Lily

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Yanno, it'd set a bad precedent if I took the Spatula o' Doom[sup]TM[/sup] to a new Hellion.

There are no "bad" genres. There's only what we write and the support of fellow writers in this Sisyphus-like climb to the Hallowed Shelves of Barnes & Noble [cue angelic chorus].

Never make an ex-nun angry. We have Connections. :evil
 

Drachen Jager

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Hey Callalily,

I write literary fiction. I know that's a bit of a bad word around here, but my first two novels are "literary thrillers."

Isn't "literary thriller" an oxymoron?

I have honestly never read anything I could classify as litfic that I would describe as thrilling. Enjoyable, engrossing, deep, intellectual, moving, perhaps, but never thrilling.
 

wallybruce

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Isn't "literary thriller" an oxymoron?

I have honestly never read anything I could classify as litfic that I would describe as thrilling. Enjoyable, engrossing, deep, intellectual, moving, perhaps, but never thrilling.

That's unfortunate...Try Angels by Denis Johnson or, more recently, Crimes in Southern Indiana by Frank Bill.
 

Drachen Jager

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Hmm, learn something new every day I guess.

Good news for me. I have a great concept kicking around for when I'm done with my current project, but I wasn't sure whether to take it in more of a commercial mystey/thriller direction or litfic. It's good to know I can do both, because that's where it seems the most natural fit.
 

hillaryjacques

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OL's books are positioned as literary thrillers. I've read the first and have the second in my TBR pile. I think it's an accurate description.

I'd definitely second this, though I've not yet read Book II.

Howdy, all...I love this forum. I think it's the only thing that keeps my head straight while my manuscript gets beat up out there.

Hi, Wally! :welcome:
 

Snappy

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Hi Wally! Welcome.
big-smile2-smiley.gif
 

washingtonienne

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Hi everyone (and welcome, Wally--I describe my novel as a literary mystery but thriller would be pretty accurate too so I get it!),

I'm back! You guys may not even remember me--I was frequenting this thread pretty heavily in late summer/early fall when my agent had sent out the first round of submissions. Upshot: out of 10 editors, five dings with diverging but extremely positive, detailed reviews but five who didn't even respond to the submission. My agent seemed very optimistic on the basis of the feedback we did get and had some structural suggestions of her own that she wanted me to implement. I was pretty upset by the 5 nonacknowledgements. Unfortunately I was on the academic job market at the time so I couldn't really touch it until early this year, which is why I also disappeared from this board (On the upside I'm a law professor now--yay!). Just finished those revisions and she's sending it out this week, this time to more mystery-focused imprints as opposed to literary fiction. So here we go all over again. I HATE THIS! Anyway, running off to check out the last few months on this thread to see who I owe congratulations to. I hope you've all been well!
 

MadDabbler

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Hi Wally! :welcome: Welcome aboard. I look forward to hearing more about your work.

washingtonienne! Congrats on the prof position! :partyguy: That's absolutely wonderful news. And just as wonderful is that you're getting back out there in the submission trenches. I can only imagine how harrowing it is. I'm doing the countdown to April 1 when I join you. I'm (hugely) nervous but have a serious hero-worship thing happening with my agent, so I'm also excited. Wishing you the best!
 
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