tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post1850938200437601793..comments2024-03-27T10:25:48.913-04:00Comments on Still Writing: Guest Post by Andrew Leon: Damn It, Jim...J E Oneilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09780097298061829471noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-9238807651413517002012-09-02T21:17:38.819-04:002012-09-02T21:17:38.819-04:00William: Thanks!William: Thanks!Andrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-42534017272013049092012-09-02T18:05:11.555-04:002012-09-02T18:05:11.555-04:00Great post, Andrew!Great post, Andrew!William Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331324250821836822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-61019321183445155332012-08-30T15:48:43.522-04:002012-08-30T15:48:43.522-04:00Gwen: I don't disenjoy it so much as I hate al...Gwen: I don't disenjoy it so much as I hate all the time it takes up, which is considerable. I'd have had my next book finished already if I wasn't busy with all of this extra stuff to get my first book out there and seen.<br>Glad you liked the post :)Andrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-7288449582695235652012-08-30T09:22:57.674-04:002012-08-30T09:22:57.674-04:00HaHa! This marketing stuff does take some work and...HaHa! This marketing stuff does take some work and I do enjoy it for the most part, but it takes me away from writing. I could be getting so much more done. The writing world has changed so much. Cute post, Andrew:)Gwen Gardnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13132836346305559246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-6421484480237322102012-08-29T13:38:09.884-04:002012-08-29T13:38:09.884-04:00Liz: That may be true, and I know many people who ...Liz: That may be true, and I know many people who have taken that route. While I was writing my first book, I kept thinking about how hard it was, and it was, but, man, it was nothing compared to what it was like after I'd finished.<br><br>Michael: I appreciate that Michael. And, yeah, I don't really know what I'd be doing if I hadn't met Rusty. I'm tempted to say it was fate. <br><br>Rusty: Yeah, I need some super fans. The only problem with super fans is that they, also, have to have people that listen to them. hehAndrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-31761317366671852232012-08-28T22:52:00.045-04:002012-08-28T22:52:00.045-04:00Good stuff. I think the real dream of an author is...Good stuff. I think the real dream of an author is to find a superfan that goes around and does all your selling for you. From there it all starts to blow up. <br><br>Thanks for the plug. I need some praise after a rough week.<br><br>Rusty Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-56939848522148162292012-08-28T17:41:06.654-04:002012-08-28T17:41:06.654-04:00I think you are doing fine Andrew. And your covers...I think you are doing fine Andrew. And your covers look amazing thanks to Rusty :)Michael Offutt, Tebow Cult Initiatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-87467660715179452972012-08-28T17:08:07.188-04:002012-08-28T17:08:07.188-04:00Perhaps it's just easier to never finish a boo...Perhaps it's just easier to never finish a book.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531953467834426316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-74237668315650782792012-08-28T15:41:13.808-04:002012-08-28T15:41:13.808-04:00L.G.: Oh, yeah, I definitely did. I was being naiv...L.G.: Oh, yeah, I definitely did. I was being naively foolish in believing that people would rely on the, um, actual writing in a book to decide if they want to read it. heh<br>And I was completely lucky to get Rusty. He's awesome!Andrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-36465514579484348532012-08-28T14:31:35.641-04:002012-08-28T14:31:35.641-04:00Yeah, I think you underestimated the power of a go...Yeah, I think you underestimated the power of a good cover on your first foray with the novel. People really do judge a book that way. You were lucky to find Rusty. He's a very talented artists, and awesome that you two are able to work out a deal. <br><br>I don't look forward to marketing either. I am on Twitter, but not really very active. And I do have a blog I enjoy, but beyond that I have no idea how to get the word out about a novel. *shrugs* I think I'll sink a load of money into a good eye-catching cover though. :)L.G.Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15762881276976395955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-36875609200924529982012-08-28T13:21:33.120-04:002012-08-28T13:21:33.120-04:00Alex: I think you must be doing it pretty well, al...Alex: I think you must be doing it pretty well, all things considered. I think I still don't really have the online thing figured out.<br><br>Briane: <br>1. But I don't want to be on twitter! And, you know, really, you don't want me to be on twitter either. It would take even more time out of my writing.<br>2. But I'm already on FB. Actually, I sold my very first copy of my book on FB. (I wasn't given a choice about FB, btw)<br>3. Have you done a convention. I haven't even been to a convention in almost longer than I can remember :(<br>4. I have to be entertaining?<br>5. I can barely handle one blog, and I don't have that Darth Vader toaster, yet.<br>6. Do you have that Darth Vader toaster?<br>7. At some point, I'll figure out the whole youtube thing.<br>8. Tried the bookstore thing. They all suck.<br><br>Anyway, 10 copies a month is way more than I do, right now, so, maybe, I'll call up Katy Perry. Or is she fading? Who's the next big thing coming up?<br>Andrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-81049610464278108252012-08-28T13:08:29.406-04:002012-08-28T13:08:29.406-04:00Here are all the things I think you could do to he...Here are all the things I think you could do to help sell your books:<br><br>1. Be on Twitter.<br>2. Don't be on Facebook. It's stupid.<br>3. Go to conventions with a pile of books.<br>4. Have a blog and be entertaining.<br>5. Have another blog where you talk about your kids a lot with some mostly-pointless stories that always, always, end up involving toast because it turns out you are obsessed with toast. <br>6. 5. is really just for me.<br>7. Put some ads on Youtube. I did that. It's fun.<br>8. Write to bookstores and ask them to stock your book. I did that. It's no fun.<br>9. Put your book in the local library. It won't help SELL your book but most libraries take donations and it's kind of neat to go in and see it on the shelves. Plus, with the Patriot Act and all, you can guarantee that at least 2 members of the NSA will read your book.<br>10. Offer to send your book to people if they will autograph it. I did that for a while, too, but it came to a screeching halt when Neil Gaiman never responded to me. That's too bad, too. I thought he was cool.<br>11. Write your book as though it were fan fiction on Reddit and hope it gets voted up like that one guy who used his lunch hour to write a story about a troop of US Soldiers getting transported back to Roman times and now he's writing a script for a movie.<br>12. Send your book to reviewers and hope they post about it.<br>13. Get Katy Perry to hold a copy of your book while she "accidentally" flashes people at a waterpark. I haven't tried this one yet because of the restraining order, but come July, 2017, Katy can expect a letter from me.<br><br>After you've done all of those, and lightning has struck and your book is a bestseller and selling hundreds of thousands of copies, one of the large publishers will come along and offer to sell your book for you and you can then feel like a "real" author. (Paging EL JAMES!)<br><br>In all seriousness, I do very little to market my books, and I sell on average about 10 per month, mostly based (I assume) on people clicking on the wrong link and accidentally downloading my books. Sales is sales, as Stephen King claimed Abraham Lincoln said.<br><br><br>If all ofBriane Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01616494058636881575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-31169899408490790932012-08-28T13:05:27.480-04:002012-08-28T13:05:27.480-04:00I'm still writing even though I really only wa...I'm still writing even though I really only wanted to do one book!<br>I think I panicked when my publisher told me to get my butt online to promote. They do all the physical stuff - review copies, promotions, dealing with stores and libraries, science fiction conventions - but online was all me. Not sure I ever figured it out, but my books are still selling.Alex J. Cavanaughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1281469968333860626.post-22475523428090707092012-08-28T12:53:34.877-04:002012-08-28T12:53:34.877-04:00Thanks for hosting me!Thanks for hosting me!Andrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.com