Open Discussion: Any Advice For A Debut Novelist?

Feb 28, 2011 09:21

As many of you are aware (and I plan to make a formal announcement further down the road), my debut novel Hollowstone is tentatively scheduled to be released some time this Spring. I'm very excited about it, my publisher is immensely excited and I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful and amazing publisher. Seriously, she rocks ( Read more... )

empyrea, hollowstone, novels, writing

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Comments 26

dreamingrain February 28 2011, 15:37:53 UTC
Here's the thing: I'm a bookseller. I work on the other side of the Novel Game, and let me tell you - if you want a good response from the people who will be mentioning your book to customers, treat them right. We once had a fellow who demanded a cup of coffee, without so much a please or a thank you. Needless to say, his book lives on in obscurity.
Another important aspect of selling your book, is of course, yourself. When you're in a bookstore, trying to convince customers to buy, you have to be outgoing - and call to them. Very few people will stop by your table to see what's there - you are your own greatest tool. Call out to them, and try to sell your book by whatever angle you can. Diana Gabaldon once said that she could sell her book to anyone, because it could be romance, historical fiction, drama, adventure, science fiction - and in a similar vein try to work out who your book will most appeal to and then sell to that demographic.
Best of luck with your book release - I'll keep an eye on our shelves!

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mroctober February 28 2011, 16:03:10 UTC
Having the book up for pre-order on Amazon is always a help.

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maradydd March 1 2011, 07:34:30 UTC
Having the "Look Inside" option also helps push me toward the "let's buy this" decision (though I'd like to see stats from Amazon on this -- what are sales like on books with the "Look Inside" feature like over time, compared to books which don't?)

I've noticed that a lot of smaller publishers don't offer this and I wonder if it's a technical problem or a time problem. If your publisher doesn't offer it, neo-prodigy, and if it turns out to be a tech issue that neither they nor you can solve, I'd be happy to help out as I can. (I know basically nothing about the process of putting books up on Amazon but if it's a matter of "we need these X pages to be in format Y" I am totally your girl.)

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neo_prodigy March 6 2011, 14:01:37 UTC
awesome. will do. thank you!!!!

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yaseen101 February 28 2011, 16:56:49 UTC
I'm not in these businesses in any capacity but I suggest some online publicity and promotion aswell. There are people that would want to buy your book based on your personality alone.

Another thing would be and this is nitpick and a personal pet peeve of mine: the summary at the back of the book. I have walked away from what otherwise could have been good books because I didn't like the summary at the back of the book. They are meant to convey the tone of the book and a glimpse into the kind of world the book is about. Another thing would be the cover aswell, since to me it serves the same function as the summary; draw in the reader and set the tone.

I remember someone on ns_d (mechanical_jewel) once did a post in which she re-designed the Runaways cover to make it more appealing (and succeeded). I tried hunting down that post but alas, failed. I suspect that it might not have been tagged.

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heavenscalyx February 28 2011, 18:22:57 UTC
Depending on the press and both the relationship of the editor with the writer and the relationship of the editor with the art department, there may be next to nothing an author (particularly someone perceived as a freshman author) can do about a cover design. I have seen someone successfully fight the cover battle, but only because she chose her battles and spent pretty much all of her political capital with the press on it. (Mileage may vary with the size of the press, of course.)

Ditto the back cover blurb. I think that some smaller presses allow the author to draft a blurb, but usually, that's the editor's job (or someone s/he delegates).

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yaseen101 February 28 2011, 18:55:36 UTC
Though, why can't an author have say in the cover or the back cover blurb?

I imagine that it would be strenuous after having wrote a novel and the promotions and everything but I do think there should be some say of the author. 'Ok, I'm too busy to do the back cover blurb and the cover image so I wouldn't mind if you guys handled it. :)'

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heavenscalyx February 28 2011, 19:50:47 UTC
I expect that, in general, the perception is that while an author may know about her/his writing, s/he probably doesn't know as much about marketing as the editor/art team/marketing team at the publishing house. And this may or may not be true, but removing the author from the equation probably lowers a lot of people's blood pressure, compared to what a dreadful cover or blurb does to the author's blood pressure.

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neo_prodigy March 6 2011, 14:02:12 UTC
wait. graphic novel? do tell. DETAILS!!!!!!!

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playgirl February 28 2011, 17:58:46 UTC
I am so proud of you, and can hardly wait to buy your book!

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neo_prodigy March 6 2011, 14:02:28 UTC
thank you so much. ;D

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