Comments on: Write Another Book http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/ A mutual support group for SF/F Novelists Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:39:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: S.C. Butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6889 S.C. Butler Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:18:25 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6889 Alma - I blog for fun as well. Any sales from it are incidental. Alma – I blog for fun as well. Any sales from it are incidental.

]]> By: Alma Alexander http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6865 Alma Alexander Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:02:16 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6865 I blog because I kinda like it. Occasionally someone trips over the blog and goes, oh, yeah, that person - and that results in a book sale - but I don't kid myself that I have an audience of a Neil Gaiman, or a John Scalzi. My blog is a marginal marketing venue, at best. Where blogs do start building is if you can get OTHER bloggers to talk about your book (always available for guest blogs, myself...) - and THAT snowballs. In other words, it's the usual - word of mouth, even if it's in a different media than the old-fashioned kind. And yes, the best thing to do is write another book. Getting it PUBLISHED, however, is a whole other kettle of fish... I blog because I kinda like it. Occasionally someone trips over the blog and goes, oh, yeah, that person – and that results in a book sale – but I don’t kid myself that I have an audience of a Neil Gaiman, or a John Scalzi. My blog is a marginal marketing venue, at best. Where blogs do start building is if you can get OTHER bloggers to talk about your book (always available for guest blogs, myself…) – and THAT snowballs. In other words, it’s the usual – word of mouth, even if it’s in a different media than the old-fashioned kind.

And yes, the best thing to do is write another book.

Getting it PUBLISHED, however, is a whole other kettle of fish…

]]> By: S.C. Butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6845 S.C. Butler Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:46:59 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6845 Lara - Sometimes they're both a blogger and a writer. The two aren't mutually exclusive, especially if you're good at both. Then symbiosis sets in. And everyone has to do some marketing. As Adele points out, it's important to have a website. It's important to go to cons, too. Publishing, like any other business, is based on contacts as much as anything else, and cons are the best place to make those contacts. The important thing is to not get too carried away by the marketing. Lara – Sometimes they’re both a blogger and a writer. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, especially if you’re good at both. Then symbiosis sets in. And everyone has to do some marketing. As Adele points out, it’s important to have a website. It’s important to go to cons, too. Publishing, like any other business, is based on contacts as much as anything else, and cons are the best place to make those contacts.

The important thing is to not get too carried away by the marketing.

]]> By: Lara Morgan http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6841 Lara Morgan Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:36:11 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6841 totally agree. I would far rather be writing than trying to figure out ways to market my work - it generally gives me a headache and leads to confusion as to how to even do it! I have a website and sometimes blog but have no desire to spend hours doing it. I also sometimes wonder how authors who blog alot are seen in terms of credibility. Are they are a blogger with a book, or a writer who sometimes blogs?? totally agree. I would far rather be writing than trying to figure out ways to market my work – it generally gives me a headache and leads to confusion as to how to even do it! I have a website and sometimes blog but have no desire to spend hours doing it. I also sometimes wonder how authors who blog alot are seen in terms of credibility. Are they are a blogger with a book, or a writer who sometimes blogs??

]]> By: S.C. Butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6833 S.C. Butler Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:37:56 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6833 Adele - You're right. Authors do need to have a web presence. And I would agree that they shouldn't just phone it in, either. A blog is as much about your writing as anything else, and should reflect that. What I was referring to in my post is the marketing idea that all writers should start a blog as a way of drawing in large numbers of readers. The experience of most writers I know is that, unless you already have a blog with large numbers of readers, starting one to get large numbers of readers is very unlikely. Much more likely that your books will draw readers to your blog. Adele – You’re right. Authors do need to have a web presence. And I would agree that they shouldn’t just phone it in, either. A blog is as much about your writing as anything else, and should reflect that.

What I was referring to in my post is the marketing idea that all writers should start a blog as a way of drawing in large numbers of readers. The experience of most writers I know is that, unless you already have a blog with large numbers of readers, starting one to get large numbers of readers is very unlikely. Much more likely that your books will draw readers to your blog.

]]> By: Jay Lake: [links] Link salad stumbles into another week http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6832 Jay Lake: [links] Link salad stumbles into another week Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:26:23 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6832 [...] Write another book — Wise advice from SF Novelists. As I’ve said time and again, “write more.” [...] [...] Write another book — Wise advice from SF Novelists. As I’ve said time and again, “write more.” [...]

]]> By: Adele http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6831 Adele Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:23:41 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6831 As always, going to start with I am not a writer, but I am a reader. To me, it is important for an author to have an online prescense. If I can't find a website so I can get some more information I sometimes lose interest. However, much as I love interacting with authors on blogs and twitter and every other place I can, and much as my own blog benefits from that activity, it isn't neccesary. In my view, if an author enjoys the internet and has fun interating with fans or blogging or visiting three thousand bookstores then great, for everyone. If they don't then it is quite acceptable to have a webpage with a bibliography and a bio and leave it at that. We will know if you are phoning it in because "everyone needs to blog" and we won't love you for it. As always, going to start with I am not a writer, but I am a reader. To me, it is important for an author to have an online prescense. If I can’t find a website so I can get some more information I sometimes lose interest. However, much as I love interacting with authors on blogs and twitter and every other place I can, and much as my own blog benefits from that activity, it isn’t neccesary.
In my view, if an author enjoys the internet and has fun interating with fans or blogging or visiting three thousand bookstores then great, for everyone. If they don’t then it is quite acceptable to have a webpage with a bibliography and a bio and leave it at that. We will know if you are phoning it in because “everyone needs to blog” and we won’t love you for it.

]]> By: S.C. Butler http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6823 S.C. Butler Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:09:36 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6823 Green Knght - Good point about books being sales tools. And wanting to read everything by that author when you find a new author. I know I'm that way. Ben- Looks like you have some interesting exercises there. Tom - Thanks. Green Knght – Good point about books being sales tools. And wanting to read everything by that author when you find a new author. I know I’m that way.

Ben- Looks like you have some interesting exercises there.

Tom – Thanks.

]]> By: Tom http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6821 Tom Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:20:40 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6821 Well said. I agree 100%. Well said. I agree 100%.

]]> By: Ben Cirillo http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6819 Ben Cirillo Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:32:21 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/08/15/write-another-book/#comment-6819 You don't have to spend a lot of time working on long-winded blog entries. It's better if you don't, actually, since no one will read them. Check out my work at http://imaginarythings.wordpress.com . It's a collection of writing/creativity exercises that takes a small amount of time on my part, but (once it takes off and more people participate) still has value for the readers. You don’t have to spend a lot of time working on long-winded blog entries. It’s better if you don’t, actually, since no one will read them.

Check out my work at http://imaginarythings.wordpress.com . It’s a collection of writing/creativity exercises that takes a small amount of time on my part, but (once it takes off and more people participate) still has value for the readers.

]]>