Up to now, e-books have been my Nirvana, or at least my focus. But, as mentioned in previous posts, categories on Amazon (really the only place to sell e-books) have become very crowded. In my chosen category books that had resided comfortably in the middle of the top one hundred now struggle to climb higher … Continue reading Pushing Paperbacks
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Free For Followers
Free as a sales technique is losing its edge. That's the current thinking, anyway. The reasoning is there are now so many ebooks offered for free at any one time, the market is saturated. More, some hypothesize, readers have learned to wait for books to be offered free, stockpile them, and thus save themselves the … Continue reading Free For Followers
Writing “SAND”
It is true the sand of the Mojave Desert hides treasures. There are storied treasure hoards, such as a ship laden with pearls, an underground river bed of black sand laced with gold, a shaft of gold ore behind an iron door, lost and never relocated. Then there are the real underground treasures … Continue reading Writing “SAND”
Take A Trip, Clear Your Mind
Writing is a routine. It must be. The brain adjusts well to regimentation, it likes to know when to start being creative and when to stop. I don't banish thoughts or ideas about my books during other hours, but I sit down to type at the same time every day. Every day. That is the … Continue reading Take A Trip, Clear Your Mind
What A Publisher Wants
I recently received an inquiry from a publisher asking that I write a proposal for a book they’d like me to write. This publisher deals in strictly formatted, non fiction books. There is not a lot of opportunity for creativity, nor is there a pot of gold at the end of this particular rainbow. … Continue reading What A Publisher Wants
The Automobile And The Horse
I was intrigued by Penny Sansevieri’s latest bulletin post in which she suggests that The Emperor (read New York Publishers) Has No Clothes (still don’t realize that their existence is in jeopardy). And as she goes on to surmise; perhaps they won't go away altogether. To draw an analogy, when the automobile arrived, the horse … Continue reading The Automobile And The Horse
The Demise of Books
Growing up in the late fifties and early sixties, television was not the time consuming activity it is today. Even in New Jersey (western Jersey, y'all!) any household was fortunate to receive one channel clearly, let alone the hundreds of choices available today. As a preschooler, I had just settled into watching Howdy Doody and Roy … Continue reading The Demise of Books
Do You Know Your Market?
For those of us who got into this business because we want to write, marketing is a huge unwelcome distraction. It presents conflict, and not just because of the time it consumes. There are other, more disconcerting conflicts as well. For instance, market expectations. I was recently told by an agent/publisher that my new novel is … Continue reading Do You Know Your Market?
Free for a Fee
Yes, from Google and others of the same ilk comes the sales concept of "free". Give away meaningful things in a forthright manner and people will remember; you will store up their good will, excite their curiosity, and eventually, there will be a payday. It works. Everything about the publication and marketing of my novel … Continue reading Free for a Fee
Launch Book in your Home Town
Here's a tip - stay local to get started in your book marketing. Consider: out there on the worldwide social media you are one among billions of authors. Where's your edge? On Amazon, and other retail sites, you are one in millions. Even in magazines and newspapers in your country you are one in hundreds … Continue reading Launch Book in your Home Town
R Lawson Gamble 