What are you doing to market your book?
I kicked off with a big book release party, had another bookstore reading, and a third is lined up in May. I’ll be in New York for a four night tour in June. I live in Chicago, which retains a reasonable number of independent bookstores. By making the rounds and leaving my book with employees, I gained placement at seven stores. In one store, an employee gave it a recommended review, which makes a big difference in visibility. When last I visited St. Louis, I also made the rounds there and garnered five stores willing to carry it. Having a high quality, well-designed book with a unique story makes a big difference. I’m continually sending out copies to bloggers and reviewers with relevant interests, and I similarly networked at the 2011 AWP convention. I printed postcards that I sticker with available bookstores, and drop them at coffee shops around Chicago. How have sales been? Where have you had the most success? I pre-sold 125 copies of A Greater Monster through a Kickstarter project, so that got me off to a great start. Even so, I consider sales to be a marathon not a sprint. Self-published authors struggle with placement beyond Amazon, so I’m fortunate to have support throughout Chicago. I have sold well at the bookstores that placed me face-out on the local or new author shelf. After I received a generous review in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, I sent all the bookstores that carry me a small review card that quoted the review. Sales increased in the stores that posted this card with my book. It took my several months, but I recently gained the enthusiastic support of Last Gasp, a small press distributor. They plan to feature me in their newsletter to bookstores and on their website, which should help me gain orders from additional bookstores around the world. I plan to continue getting the word out as best I can, especially nationally through my distributor Last Gasp. I’ll be reading at 57th Street Books in Chicago in May and participating in a four day tour in New York City with several other Chicago writers. Thursday evening, May 31, I’ll be reading at Le Poisson Rouge, an art/literature bar, and finishing up Sunday night, June 3, at the well regarded KGB Lit Bar. I’ve been submitting the book for awards competitions, and I’ll continue sending my book out to reviewers and bloggers. I’m in the process of adapting the book to ebook format, which will be challenging given the unusual text layouts, graphic design elements, and illustrations. I also hope to get back to the audio version of A Greater Monster that I started but put aside for other priorities. What is your next project? I funded my 1000 copy print run of A Greater Monster through the generosity of 128 supporters via a Kickstarter project. Kickstarter.com is a curated crowdsource funding website for artistic ventures, and through the site artists of all stripe offer tiered creative rewards in exchange for contributions to their project. In addition to receiving my new novel or both of my novels as a reward, I offered to write a stream-of-consciousness email, letter, or short story inspired by the contributor’s name or any suggestion they wished to make. The Chicago Coalition for Literature & Photography (CCLAP) is going to publish my collected Kickstarter Letters at the end of 2012 in an ebook format and a limited edition hand-bound edition. Any advice for other writers/indie authors out there? Write something that you love to read. For example, I write my essay or something original and push the boundaries. Follow your inspiration rather than any targeting plan about what sells. If you create something you are truly proud of, then you have a much better chance to find readers. Any advice for other writers/indie authors out there?
When it comes to publishing, first try the traditional route. Select the most appropriate publishers and send out your query letters. But if it doesn’t pay off, then read all the books out there about self-publishing and consider whether you are willing to dedicate the time, effort, and expense to it. I found it to be a very rewarding experience. And if you do self-publish, be sure to vet your work thoroughly—have a network of writers or an editor, a proof-reader, and a good designer. Make it important; if you treat it as a throwaway project, then it’s not worth the effort. How are readers/reviewers reacting to your book? Given the rather extreme nature of my book, I’m quite thrilled with the positive response and feedback I’ve gotten so far. I expect there are many readers out there who won’t be able to connect with it but those who do seem inspired. One blogger described it as “…an exotic literary gift for readers who like to read beyond the lines of contemporary fiction.” As an experimental writer who seeks to create something wholly original, I am particularly vulnerable to negative reactions. I’m not interested in writing to an audience or making it easy for a reader. I also didn’t intentionally set out to make the book confusing, ambiguous, or off-putting. I simply followed the form of the work as I created it in the same way Michelangelo refers to the sculptor’s task being to find the statue inside the block of stone. What was the biggest challenge you faced writing this book and how did you overcome it? The writing challenges I faced constantly morphed. One week I struggled to create a character voice that felt right. Another week it was inventing an organic transition between two scenes. Sometimes I’d spend a week on a single sentence. Every aspect of writing was difficult in some fashion, but it was persistence that allowed me to get through it. And by difficult, I don’t mean painful. The struggle was actually a pleasurable one that varied from releasing my creative imagination to that of solving puzzles. I was constantly surprising myself and making new connections, which made the experience rewarding from start to finish. If there was one single greatest challenge, it was simply trusting myself. And I overcame my self-doubts through patience and persistence and by writing for my own satisfaction. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |