Thursday, January 28, 2016

So you tried everything, still most have never heard of you.

I've spent five years on social media and still only a handful of readers have heard about me. I know the pain other's feel when they have been there longer than I have.  When I started out writing, I never even thought of getting published. Writing was something I enjoyed, having an very active imagination. I jumped around from various stories I was writing intil my wife said I should get published. I had no clue on how to do that. Anyway, I spent a lot of money getting a vanity press putting together my first book for publishing. I paid for editing, extra for a cover exactly like I wanted, among other things they said I needed. Finally the book arrived and I was walking on cloud nine. I sold a lot of copies to friends and family thinking this was great. When I got around to actually read the final version it stank! Formatting was terrible, paragraphs were some times three pages long, typos abound and conversations all ran together where the reader, and I, couldn't tell who was talking and when the speaker changed. At least it never hit the market in a big way, they priced it so high, even I couldn't afford it. 


I almost gave up on publishing any more of my work until a friend suggested I find a publisher that does not charge to get you published. I submitted another of my books to them, they rejected it but then I changed the title and did a little proof reading, they accepted it and my next four books. I thought this was a traditional publisher as they claimed and I was finally on my way. For the next year, I paid whenever they asked for promotion expenses. Finally, one spring, I went to one of their book conferences and learned what promotions they did. They were mainly in the publishing business to sell books to the writer. After that conference and with suggestions from others, I went on social media. The first group I joined proved to be a godsend. LinkedIn, there on the threads I learned all about publishing, my so called publisher, and what an author had to do to get the word out, so readers can learn who they are. I already had a web page but was doing nothing with it. So following their advice, I created a blog or two. Learning no one, including me, likes to get spammed "Buy my book" I learned other things as well, and reviewing books became my main goal of each blog. I felt this was the best way to support all the struggling authors out there. Over time, someone might notice my works.

So what I am saying to all those out there still hidden under the wire, getting noticed takes a lot of time and effort but don't stop writing. You might have a best seller sitting on your keyboard or typewriter. Never give up hope or your dream to create something for others.

Talk back, what is your story, I'm listening.      

Just a little note- I have self published all the rest of my books using Amazon and Createspace if you are interested.

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