Looking for
Readers?
Don’t forget Authors
The rank and file of authors is
growing daily as self-publishing continues to rise in popularity and
acceptance. Every day there are new posts telling writers how to connect with
readers and how to find their target audience.
I think we forget
to look in our own backyard for some of the best readers to acquire—other
authors.
"But,
Marla," you argue, "we’re in 'competition' with other authors."
Are we, really? Some
things to consider:
1.
All authors are readers. If you read author
interviews, you’ll discover the one thing we all have in common is a love of
books. Loving books includes reading!
2.
Authors leave Reviews for the books they read.
3.
An author review, even if it isn’t a five-star,
glowing report, will be realistic, and criticism will be constructive.
4.
Yes, we’re all looking for a piece of the pie,
but the pie is duplicating itself at wildly exponential rates. The number of
Kindle readers alone are in the millions. Add to those numbers, users of Ipads
and other device readers, including the latest craze, reading on a mobile
device, and the number triples. There’re plenty of readers to go around, and many
of them are new readers who are looking for new authors.
5.
Follow and friend other authors, especially
those that write in your genre. The payoff may surprise you!
Dear followers,
It was a wonderful feeling to hear
from so many of you who responded to my two blogs aimed at older authors.
Comforting to know I have so much company!
Writing
is a lonely profession. Meeting others with the same goals and interests makes
it less so!
Happy to meet all of you,
Marla
Nice post, Marla. I agree :-) And--"following and friending" another author, right now. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat to meet you, Teresa!
DeleteNice to find another author friend. Liked your latest blog post, too. Thanks for stopping in
and stay in touch!
Have a great day,
Marla
Thanks for this great blog! Refreshing and inspiring :)
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Mardi! Glad you enjoyed my blog this week. I've met some really nice
Deletepeople since I've started online as an author. Wouldn't have believed e-friends could be
so nice and so supportive!
Thanks for visiting,
Marla
Writer Dave Here.
ReplyDeleteWell, Marla, I am about to find out how much of an audience I will have for my ebook, Web of Guilt, coming out soon on Amazon Kindle. You've been through it with your first ebook, and I know there will be some ups and some downs. But it is all worth it to just get your writing out in the big, bad, world!
You're right, great to get it out there. Now the hard work starts--getting it recognized!
DeleteThat's what we all struggle with. You'll find that your author friends will be your greatest
asset to promote your book. They'll be free with advice and be there when you need a
shoulder!
Good luck with the book,
Marla
I think all my current reviews are from other authors. As are many of my new friends. Some of them are even older than me!!Which, as you remark, is good.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol,
DeleteNice to hear from you. You emphasize a great point: authors leave reviews for the books they read.
And the support we give each other doesn't have a price tag!
Keep writing and keep in touch,
Marla
Unlike some markets, there will never be a short supply of readers, many of whom writers themselves. Thank you for a wise post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and for your kind words. It's wonderful hearing from you.
DeleteLove your cat pic! REminds me of a tabby I used to have. Now I have a big, black and white long-hair who thinks he runs the place!
Marla
Hi Marla, I enjoy reading your blog. Finding your niche also helps and focusing on your audience. I can tell quickly when I write something popular it gets retweeted like mad, but I also have to focus on some of the policy wonks who are loyal to the blog. So it can be difficult making everyone happy as it were, but we do meet interesting people and I enjoy that. I tend to write political stuff from the position of an independent who leans right, and I was going to comment on your union blog but decided against it as my reply was to long, but it was a wonderful post. I have been in two unions and we weren't trying to destroy the economy but simply take care of our families. Have a great day Marla :))
ReplyDeleteHi Daddy!
DeleteYou're right about blogging. It strains the brain to come up with interesting topics. I stay away from all things (or try to) political for fear of getting a --- in the proverbial wringer! My SO is an avid political nut and has a political blog. (http://terryoliverlee@blogspot.com) I really struggled about doing the union blog and tried very hard to keep it nuetral, and even then, I got one nasty piece of feedback. People who are angry tend to twist one's words! Sounds like we are on the same page about things. Thanks for the great feedback. Keep in touch!
Marla
Good post, I imagine a lot of sales are made to other writers. I don't have a published novel myself so I have no stats to back that up, but I do know our writers groups buys a LOT of books from visiting authors.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about sales, but writers who do buy, leave reviews, and that leads to sales and promo. Other writers help each other out, too.
DeleteYes, book clubs are wonderful! One in my area invited me to a meeting and I had a great time talking about my book and my writing career. (They also bought about 14 books, which was great) I'd love to join one myself if I could find one that is about books mostly and keeps the chit-chat about other things to a minimum of the meeting! Not that there's anything wrong with that, depends what the group wants. Hope you love yours.
Nice to hear form you,
Marla
So glad to have found your blog-- enjoyed the post and I LOVE the name of your blog. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Melanie! And for the kind words.
DeleteMarla
On a whim I checked out your tweet and I am glad I did. This post is especially wonderful. I particularly like the pie getting bigger part and I wish more people understood that concept. Wealth, whether money or goods or readers is not a fixed pie and is always growing.
ReplyDeleteI used to write years ago but I never finished anything (fiction that is) because once I discovered the ending, I was done with it. It is when I realized I am a reader and not a writer. So now I blog (A Book A Day Reviews) because I love to share good books.
Thanks for the support of all the older writers. Their stories tend to be richer with the all that experience!
Hi Sunday!
DeleteLove your name. Pen name?
So happy you liked the post. I'm first and foremost a reader too. I love suspense. I'm so happy to
be meeting older authors on my blog. Camaraderie is wonderful, isn't it? Meeting nice people like
you make it all worthwhile!
I'll have to drop by your blog and put in a review request for my next book. Do you do all genres, or do you have a specialty?
Thank you so much,
Marla
I’m excited to uncover this page. I need to to thank you for ones time for this particularly fantastic read !! I definitely really liked every part of it and i also have you saved to fav to look at new information in your site. Psychics online
ReplyDelete