Ask the Author: Richard Gentle
Answered Questions (1)
Richard Gentle
Here are a few of the useful tips I have for aspiring writers:
You obviously think your book is the best thing since sliced bread. However, you are not your audience and most other people couldn't care less. Ask yourself how you feel when someone tries to interest you in books that you perhaps wouldn't normally pick up. How are you going to entice people to want to pick up your book? Stand in any bookshop and feel the competition!
Develop a good author platform with your own website.
Target your book as much as you can to the type of audience that it will appeal to. As some might say: Find your tribe.
Use social media to drive people to your website rather than building everything on social media.
Write a regular blog to draw people into your writing world.
Bear in mind that you will have to generate your market. Contrary to popular belief, publishers do not see themselves as primarily responsible for finding your readership. If you use print-on-demand 'indie' publishing such as lulu.com, createspace.com or Balboa Press, they will offer extended services, but be careful if you think they will market your books for you - they will probably be offering only editorial and cover design help and a promise to mail to a million customers once - and you cannot always be sure that this list will be targeted to the specific readers interested in your type of writing.
Other ways to generate your readership include: Press releases, public talks, book signing events, short audio or video clips, interviews on local radio/TV, or Internet radio/TV shows.
Find ways to develop an email contact list. One way to do this is offer something unique and/or free to people who respond to an offer and are willing to provide their email address. (You could build your list using a site such as mailchimp and this offers the option for people to opt out if they no longer wish to be on your list).
Some suggest that an email list of 100,000 people is required to generate any sort of real income from your writing. Only a small percentage of those who come across your books will actually buy them.
You need to reach a 'tipping point' where enough people are talking about you and passing the message on word-of-mouth to others, that your books are a 'must read'.
You obviously think your book is the best thing since sliced bread. However, you are not your audience and most other people couldn't care less. Ask yourself how you feel when someone tries to interest you in books that you perhaps wouldn't normally pick up. How are you going to entice people to want to pick up your book? Stand in any bookshop and feel the competition!
Develop a good author platform with your own website.
Target your book as much as you can to the type of audience that it will appeal to. As some might say: Find your tribe.
Use social media to drive people to your website rather than building everything on social media.
Write a regular blog to draw people into your writing world.
Bear in mind that you will have to generate your market. Contrary to popular belief, publishers do not see themselves as primarily responsible for finding your readership. If you use print-on-demand 'indie' publishing such as lulu.com, createspace.com or Balboa Press, they will offer extended services, but be careful if you think they will market your books for you - they will probably be offering only editorial and cover design help and a promise to mail to a million customers once - and you cannot always be sure that this list will be targeted to the specific readers interested in your type of writing.
Other ways to generate your readership include: Press releases, public talks, book signing events, short audio or video clips, interviews on local radio/TV, or Internet radio/TV shows.
Find ways to develop an email contact list. One way to do this is offer something unique and/or free to people who respond to an offer and are willing to provide their email address. (You could build your list using a site such as mailchimp and this offers the option for people to opt out if they no longer wish to be on your list).
Some suggest that an email list of 100,000 people is required to generate any sort of real income from your writing. Only a small percentage of those who come across your books will actually buy them.
You need to reach a 'tipping point' where enough people are talking about you and passing the message on word-of-mouth to others, that your books are a 'must read'.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more