Tell Me a Story: 4 Jun 2008

Wednesday, 4 June 2008

New Authors.

Tell Me a Story opinion.

It's a shit, but it's a fact!

It's many times more difficult to sell a brilliant book by a new author than it is to sell a rubbish one by a popular author. The exceptional book by a new author must fight its way against enormous odds. There are in excess of 150,000 new publications each year. Most new authors fall by the wayside.

The new author has to assert themselves and stand on their own merit. A book by a popular author already has an awaiting readership.

Publicity.

There are several things significant in making a hit of a book: first, the celebrity status of the author; second, the uniqueness of the plot; third, the extent of the publicity, and fourth, how central the topic is to the reader.

Most new writers have no celebrity status, but it pisses me off when they do. Okay, so I'm envious of them, I make no bones about it. In general their writing is crap so why should they make it when thousands of hard-working writers don't.

Unique?

A unique plot .... well that's down to the author. I suppose we all feel our work is unique .. but is it?

Publicity! Don't make me laugh. What publishing house is going to pour a tight publicity budget into an unknown? They're in it to make money not become popular with writers. They boost profits by pushing the popular writer.

Let's play tag.

So I guess it's down to topic, and it's down to us to let our readers know how topical our work is. We have to push whatever's in our book - make hay out of every strand of grass in it. Let the readers know what's in there .... how?

Well Amazon can help. Use the 'Tag' function to guide readers. Let them know about the little gems inside YOUR book. Play the system, they won't mind because it'll boost their profits as well as yours.

And like all authors, I could do with a hand, so if you feel like helping, next time you're on Amazon, just look up Without Reproach and tick my tags. It won't cost you anything, but it'll help me no end..... And if you want me to do the same for you, just drop a line.....

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Hedonistic Heart of Miami

It seems that author, Brian Antoni has attracted critical attention, if not high literary praise, for his fictionalized memoir of life and sex, and love and sex, and chocolate and sex, in Miami's hedonistic heart of darkness in the 1990s.

Don't we all do that. In hindsight, don't we all think that our experiences were golden and special. They seem to grow with the passing as well. Each year brings fonder memories, we were more dangerous, more exciting, more special, than anything today!!!!

Most of us curb the desire to embellish it on paper though. Antoni's first book, Paradise Overdrive, was based on his experiences living the "Bahamian high life." South Beach: The Novel, is his second attempt.

Maybe his memory has improved!

Next post http://ajbarnett-story.blogspot.com/2008/06/perceptive-notebook.html

The Perceptive Notebook

Tell Me a Story - writing tip

The first fundamental for writers is to be perceptive. Yet, some writers are so caught up with their novel, that time away from it is spent in oblivion. They don’t really take in what’s happening around them. If only they’d come out of that trance, they’d find inspiration jumping at them.

Ideas are fleeting.

Ideas are fleeting. Sod’s Law says we’ll have the most brilliant idea when there isn’t time to jot it down. I know, it’s happened to me more than once. I’m confident I won’t forget it, it’s so important how could I? But forget I do, and it’s exasperating. Knowing I’ve had the inspiration of the century, but can’t bring it to it mind, pisses me off.

Ideas seem to come at the most inopportune moment, usually when we don’t have a notebook. Author, Mary Wibberly, has apparently solved the problem in the past by jotting it down on the cover of her chequebook – bankcards have seen that off though. It’s difficult scribbling on plastic.

Important conversations

I’m considering buying one of those digital voice recorders and stuffing it in my pocket. At least that way I’ll be able to record those all-important conversations – much more convenient than scribbling illegible notes whilst talking.

I suppose the moral is, always carry a notebook and you won’t forget that all-important idea! The problem is, forgetting to put it in our pockets …

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