Guest blogger John J. Hohn on success as a writer.
Finishing my novel, DEADLY PORTFOLIO: A KILLING IN HEDGE FUNDS, represented the achievement of a lifetime goal for me. It has been artistically successful and sells consistently although not in high volume. I may have sold 500 copies since it was published nearly a year ago.
I learned a lot from my publishing venture--both about the book selling business and about writing. I don't care for all the online promo stuff that seems to be required. I think that a lot of writers are writing a lot of writers and we are all spinning our wheels in looking for the magic bullet or whatever. An entire industry has grown up around helping writers publish and sell. It has been very good for the publicists, the publishers, the consultants, and how-to authors, but I don't see much of it coming to anything very spectacular for the individual writers. A great deal of luck is needed. It is still a lottery.
I am underway with my next effort but I have set my sights differently. I want to print perhaps 100 copies, distribute them to fans, reviewers, friends and family, and then move on. I turn 73 on my next birthday so the drive to sell 10,000 copies is not as important as getting the next book written. If I were 35, it would be an entirely different matter.
You can check out John’s website at jjhohn.com
Tip: Do not let age get in the way. I was suppose to die the first of September. I don't go into each day wondering if tomorrow is the day. I have over 2,000 story ideas and I use the attitude that God will not take me until I have finished every single one, to motivate me to the next day.
ReplyDeleteI would narrow it down more. It is okay to take an order form for your books to you book signing. The ones that are selling better, you can make sure to have a little more maybe.