Category Archives: Marketing your novel

August 8, 2011 · 12:54 pm

Are you a Hare or a Tortoise in your writing?

The Hare and the Tortoise

Some writers are hares. They are either fortunate or blessed with amazing talent to write a best seller first time or they go haring off in search of success. A writer’s race is an individual one. Of course the eyes of the world see us competing with each other to win prizes and fame too but do we see ourselves that way?

To my way of thinking writing is lifelong journey. Each good review, acceptance letter, positive feedback given by word of mouth, twitter, e mail, letter, facebook or any other way boosts our feeling of self worth. Today I was contacted by a ladies group wanting me to give a talk and share my experiences and the background to my writing. This request lifted my spirits to an unexpected high.

Of course, like any person writing to share in the public arena you have to harden yourself against the knocks as well. Rejections and criticism are part and parcel of the experience but listening and learning from others can be empowering too. Being prepared to adjust, amend, rewrite or even change direction are also skills we need to hone or even acquire; but sometimes we need to stand firm and accept that people have differing opinions.

With technology opening up a world of communicating to your audience in a way unheard of even ten years ago it is still possible to be a hare, but it is also quite satisfying being a tortoise, gradually building up an audience both virtually and in the real world. Being a tortoise also has the advantages of learning to value feedback but also to learn from it along to way.

I recently read in a Writer’s magazine of someone who was an apprentice writer for several years and only when he had strived to reach perfection did he open his work to the world. My question to him is ‘How did you know that you had reached the one? Are you sure that one of your earlier works would not have been enjoyed equally by your now avid readers?

No, I’m quite happy to be a tortoise. As long as people genuinely enjoy my writing and are interested in what I have to say I will share it.  I’m also sure  that the tortoise appreciates every moment of his experience in the race, taking time to acknowledge the world around him. His limbs may ache with effort at times but how satisfying it is when he reaches his goal(or each individual goal)?

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July 7, 2011 · 2:02 pm

e book revolution – From a writer on the edge

I have read several articles recently about the e book revolution and how it is changing not only how we read, publish and advertise our writing but also that the whole industry is in a state of flux from publishing companies to bookshops. As a writer this can be quite exciting, albeit a bit daunting. Personally I feel as if I’m standing on the fringe, on the outside of a revolution watching it happen, almost as if I’m watching a fast action movie, when you’re left in suspense but your brain is trying to tell you it’s not real.

Years ago I had a similar experience in a space simulator at Universal Studios.  However hard I told myself that I was sitting in a capsule which was suspended over a 3D screen and that we had barely moved half a metre since the start of the ‘flight’, the signals to my brain were contradicting reality and I felt as if I’d journeyed through several time zones, shooting through the air, narrowly missing buildings towering in front of me. Later on in a theatre I even felt mice rushing under my feet. How did they do that?

I digress. Form all the articles I’ve read, I’ve been gleaning how it all affects me as I write?

  • It gives choices barely contemplated a couple of years ago
  • It provides opportunities for writing to be available to an audience almost immediately
  • With Social Media Networking it is possible to reach that audience equally fast, to all parts of the globe
  • The writer appears to have more control over their writing

I’ve said nothing new here so what are the pitfalls:

  • Ensuring that the quality of the writing is not undermined
  • Not being tempted to short cut the vital editorial process. The final novel should still be as perfect as possible before it reaches the public
  • The writer’s time is no longer taken exclusively with the creativity of research, writing and proof reading but in experiencing hands on marketing in a way never seen before, a far cry from the odd book signing or library talk of the past- this can be a positive thing but it is also very time consuming
  • The novel itself, the creation which took months of painstaking work, can be read and deleted almost as instantly as it arrived, whoosh, back into the ether

Do you think the two worlds will be able to live amiably side by side for a while?

I do hope so because as a reader there’s nothing quite like reading a real book and there are those I’ve kept for years because I treasure them so much. Sometimes life is just too instant. How do you wrap up an e book to put under the Christmas tree and think of the festive season without anticipation of wondering which book lies inside the wrapping?

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June 23, 2011 · 1:27 pm

Which Setting? – An Inspiration to Write

Choosing the right setting for your novel is vital but how do we do it?

Familiar or Imaginary

If we choose a familar location it has loads of advantages:

  • You can imagine each scene and the descriptions flow effortlessly as you write
  • Your audience loves to read about places they know
  • Promotion is more straight forward because  your initial drive can focus on reaching out to people with links with that location

If we choose a local setting there are added advantages:

  • You are more likely to have success with local papers if it is local interest
  • You are more likely to be interviewed on local radio
  • Local bookshops will feel more parochial and will be happy to promote your work in their ever popular local interest section
  • Talks in libraries and to various local groups will be popular
  • It is easier for a new author to begin making a name locally

If you choose a holiday location:

  • You may have a fresh audience for some years to come
  • People often buy books to read on holiday
  • People often buy books to remind themselves of a memorable holiday
  • The setting is usually beautiful, inspiring, exciting……
  • It is a setting which lifts readers beyond their everyday lives

If you choose an imaginary setting then:

  • You can let your imagination truly take over
  • You are not restricted to accurate detail as long as it is plausible
  • You are aiming for a wide audience
  • The scenes you evoke stand for themselves and do not need association to be successful

Your setting may have been your original inspiration, as Alderney was mine. As I stood on the Butes wondering what life might have been like in Victorian times I knew I just had to carry out some research. Alderney is unique as a setting for a novel. Many have been written on Guernsey and Jersey but, as far as I know, ‘Riduna’ is the first novel inspired by the beautiful island of Alderney.

My current writing was inspired looking out over a field one day. Very different!

Was it a location which inspired you to write?

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