It would be nice to say I don't mind when a new book does a nosedive, as my latest did. I put a lot of work into each book. I believe in them all. In the case of the latest book, I love a lot of its features, how it entwines literature with the western, a heroine who is insecure about herself and her work. It has adventure, Arizona, a love story, and a strong, interesting but essentially sacrificial hero, a man with enough self-education to see himself as a paladin.
When a book like that fails to connect, it is painful and even teary. If you write, you know, it's not about the money. It's about acceptance. It has helped in this case where some of the readers have contacted me to tell me they love it. That they did get who this hero and heroine were and loved them. Still, there is no denying that sales matter if the writer hopes for the kind of rankings that keep the book visible. There are probably assorted reasons why it hasn't had the needed sales. I've thought of a few.
When some writers bring out a book, they expect it to do well. They have a sizable fan base and a street team to help promote. This can be true of major writers in large corporate publishing houses but also for some indie writers. Because of this kind of support, those writers also get a lot of reviews right away. It's not as though this all happens by accident. It takes linking up with readers who want what the writer creates. It also takes putting time into building groups. Although I do have some friends, a mailing list, an author page at Facebook, even at Pinterest, I haven't really developed a group or street team. That might be the problem or...
It could be the cover simply didn't connect with readers; but I feel this cover speaks to the book, and it's not like it can be substantially changed. The hero and heroine are depicted with their doubts and the challenges they both face. The background suits the high country of Arizona where much of the story takes place.
For a reason I can't explain, the Arizona historicals have never done as well as the Oregon ones. To me, all my books offer the same qualities. If someone likes one, they would probably like another (including the contemporaries). Except, it hasn't worked out that way. Some locations are more popular than others, but I have to write mine where I know and love. Arizona is one of those places.
I did minimal promoting for Bound for the Hills, no ads-- yet anyway, and maybe it suffered for it-- maybe nothing would have helped. Truthfully, I haven't quite known where to promote it if I wanted to do so. I belong to several historical groups where people promote books, but this one isn't a good fit for any of them. In one, what is beloved are mail order brides. In another, it's straight westerns, and another more historic novels than historic romance novels.
Then again, it could be its historical period. I can't even come up with a word to define 1905 in America. It was a time of transition. The Indian wars were behind Americans. The Old West was still there but changing fast. Railroads, telegraphs, telephones, the age of technology was just slowly getting a toehold. Can we call a time period transitional? Guess we could, but nobody would know what it meant.
Recently I asked in one of the writer groups if they had a name for the early 1900s. Nobody really did. The Victorian era, which officially ended with Queen Victoria's death, worked for the United States because of what it depicted in terms of dress, behavior, cultural expectations. After 1901, supposedly came the Edwardian era. That would mean nothing to most Americans-- including the characters in my book. Some say early 1900s was the Gilded Age (might work for a book set in a big city but the backwoods of Arizona? not so much!). Anyway I came up with no tag that suited it.
It might just have been a bad time to bring out a book near to Easter, spring break at least up here, or maybe a blockbuster came out the same time. Maybe just a lot of books. Bound for the Hills is a particularly long novel, and that might work against it with some readers...
You can probably tell that I have no idea. This though is one reason I recommend new writers (or any writers) not put a lot of money into getting their book out (unless maybe they do have that street team and a fan base eager for each book). It's a lot easier to have one not do well if the writer doesn't also have thousands of dollars into it. Believe me, even with all that money, if a book doesn't hit the current zeitgeist, reader expectations, it's going down.
I could ignore the negative parts of my writing experience, not tell readers here that some books just don't do well, and it's sometimes very depressing for the author when they put a lot of work into a book and that happens. The truth is the rose does have a thorn. When you bring books out, there is a possible downside.
However, upward and onward is my attitude. For those of you who do not write, it might surprise you that even before bringing out any of my books, my mind will have gone beyond into planning the next. I think this happens because the last steps, with a book, are always about editing-- the physical work of anal word-for-word edits, but the eye to the sky is transitioning to new characters and their problems. Editing is mental and physical. Creating is emotional and spiritual.
I think the life of an artist, which I consider most writing to be (if it doesn't follow formulas) is always... 'Yeah, I just finished that but what is on the other side of that door!' That's particularly beneficial when a book doesn't do well.
More on this with the next blog--
4 comments:
Glad you're moving on to the other side of the door, though wish you could do so with this most recent publication having been a more positive experience. I suppose that's an occupational hazard, but doesn't make it any easier. There's always next time. I don't know the book sales business but wonder if there are sometimes some slow to start, or maybe they catch on later?
Sorry you were not rewarded with more enthusiasm and I can understand how it is like having your child rejected by the public. Just remember how many authors early books were totally rejected until many years later when they wrote something more popular and everyone went back to read the earlier books. Still, you love the writing and that in itself is some reward.
Yes, that is exactly how it is. You have to move on but I felt it's good to share the downside of it all. Some writers put thousands into the editing, covers, advertising, getting reviews, etc. and still the books don't sell. Talk about depressing.
I believe it's a wonderful time for a writer that we can put out our books, through social media meet other writers, get a chance to push them (when we know where), but we are competing against what we have no idea is out there. That might be the week a huge book dropped.
When I began this whole thing, I totally felt my books weren't going to fit the existing zeitgeist. They are novel mixed with romance and frankly that can hurt you in any field when you don't fit a box. I also though believed that someday they'd be the books readers wanted. Basically they have had better responses than I originally expected but once in awhile something like this happens and a book I believe in very much just isn't hitting the big market's desires. The individuals who have written to tell me how much they have loved it, that has helped a lot. I don't want to write mail order bride books. I do want to write novels with interesting characters and am very very lucky that I can get them out without compromising. BUT when you put out the book you love, it's always possible it's not what anybody else loves lol.
Anyway thanks for your encouragement, both of you. :)
Incidentally, for anyone who hasn't noticed already, I added Twitter feed alongside this blog. I like it because I can put the little things going on here or with the writing that aren't enough for a blog. A writer friend is the one who told me I could do it and how. I am not a techie but this was fun to add and I am actually doing a little more with twitter than I had been ;)
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