THE Group for Authors! discussion
Publishing and Promoting
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Do blogs Sell Books?
My experience thus far (2 books and 3 short stories, and a book coming out in a couple of months, and one hiding under my keyboard) is that literary agents, editors, and people with connections in the industry sell books. So does scandal, notoriety, political intrigue, posing naked for Playboy (I only tried this once - they sent back the polaroids and my book), and spending $50K on advertising. I haven't actually tried advertising, yet. I only have $6.28 saved up.
That said, blogs are free. If you sell one book from your free blog, your profit margin approaches infinity. So why not? Besides, they're a lot more interesting than the usual fare around here ("Can somebody...ANYbody, PLEASE review my new 10,000 word novel about a magical Druid unicorn and his undead teenage rider fighting zombies in the future").
I think I'll check out your blog, Barbara. Is that your real name? I don't think I've ever heard of you.
Jon
(yes, THE Jon)
Oh, THAT Barbara. I'll have to be nicer to you. I spent some time on IN COLD INK and rather quickly concluded that someone with your connections could have someone like me rubbed out as a personal favor.I doubt whether IN COLD INK will help me sell books -- it only took five minutes to re-discover the verdict consigning self-published works to eternal damnation. However, your content is pure gold when compared to most of the prevailing tin can blogs I've seen. I have it bookmarked, hoping to find professional help for my little "premature publication" problem.
Caveat...this is my opinion only, but if the other authors on this site don't go to IN COLD INK, then they're medically stupid.
Jon
Actually, it's been YEARS since I had anyone rubbed out, plus he deserved it. If I eliminated everyone who hasn't heard of me...well, I'd still have the dogs, but it would be a lonely world.Thanks for that lovely note. Forgive me if I make one correction---I don't actually damn self-publishers to eternal hell. Not even temporary purgatory. I just make the argument that beginning novelists are better served by seeking out a commercial publisher than doing it themselves, in this post: http://barbararogan.com/blog/?p=29
But I want to follow up on your comments on blogging and book selling. I follow a number of bloggers I think are smart about the publishing industry, but I'm not sure that if they wrote a novel, I'd automatically buy it, because fiction writing involves a different set of skills. Maybe I would, out of hope and gratitude for what they've shared, but then, I'm easy. I love doing the blog, don't get me wrong, but I'm still wondering how it will impact my real career. I guess time will tell.
Nice to meet you, Jon.
I'm pretty sure my blog has never sold a book. The thing is, there are millions of blogs out there, and it's hard to create a blog that 1) attracts people to it 2) develops a followership 3) sells things. Not that I'm going to stop doing it; it's kind of part of "the package" these days...
k.a., you make me feel so inadequate. I started blogging on GR, then got an author site on Amazon. Perhaps I expected too much (Mental Image: throngs of Incan supplicants surrounding a mountainside temple, sacrificing newborns to me). So I decided what I needed was a more personal site. I set up blogging software on my server, got lost at "Banner color scheme" and gave up. I think perhaps I overestimated my technical capabilities (Mental Image: My hair uncombed for days, I'm draped in a white lab jacket, sitting at a metal desk in an abandoned Lucite mine converted to Evil Organization headquarters, pressing 'Enter' on my laptop, unleashing nuclear Armageddon on an unsuspecting planet through a forgotten back door that used to belong to Compuserve, laughing the maniacal laugh of a madman who no longer cares if his first novel gets reviewed, as camera pulls slowly away and fades to black).
My wife and confidant has grown weary of what she calls "The Topic of Every Conversation" and now answers all my questions with a mix of "Uh-huh" and polysyllabic grunts. I need more variety in my life (Mental Image: disheveled and unshaven from thirty straight minutes of interrogation, I break down and admit I did it, I did it, somebody had to...)
Hmmm. I attached my blog to my book-specific website through Wordpress. A minor learning curve, but no overflowing bubbling test tubes. Then I just fed it to my facebook & goodreads sites. No, not that kind of "fed it"...stop! Let go! OK, I can see you've been sitting alone in the dark too long, but you really should have been eating something.
You mean I didn't have to buy all those test tubes? But everybody said I had to "distill my artistic essence". I thought they meant my blood, sweat, and tears. I've been experimenting in the kitchen, trying to get the optimal ratio and let me tell you, you heat them test tubes to overflowing and you got yourself a whole passel of flies! No wonder the missus wants to go out to eat every night.
Barbara wrote: "Hi all,I'm new to the group and look forward to getting to know folks here. I'm a writer---8 novels published, 1 coming next year with Viking/Penguin. About two months ago, I started a blog, call..."
Hi, Barbara,
Just took a look at your site, IN COLD INK. Some pretty great content, and now I'm going to have to figure out how to juggle priorities to spend a little more time there. Perhaps I can give up that second round of sun salutations....
As far as my experience in blogs selling books, well, I have to agree with Jon in assessing cost of blog versus exposure to shotgun audience equals possible sales. (BTW, I think we should ask Jon if he would forward those Playboy polaroids, you know, just so he'd have a few more opinions...)
We can only hope that as blog followers increase, so does the potential for sales and recommendations. At least, that's my theory at the moment....
Speaking to the original question, no, blogs don't sell books. But IMHO that's not why most people blog.
Each of us blogs because we like to hear the sound of our own voice and we hope that some of the aliens amongst us who came from planets where people care about others more than they care about themselves will read our blogs and admire our insights and logic.
"...we like to hear the sound of our own voice..."Good God, Peter! You make that sound like a BAD thing! My solution is Cepstral Text-To-Speech. My voice sounds like Antonio Banderas.
("Djoor skeen ees layk Eye-voh-ree. Buy my books.")
K.A. wrote: "I'm pretty sure my blog has never sold a book. The thing is, there are millions of blogs out there, and it's hard to create a blog that 1) attracts people to it 2) develops a followership 3) sells ..."K.A. True---there's so much noise out there it's hard to be heard. But say the blog does succeed. Mine has attracted over 3000 visitors since I started it, 9 weeks ago--don't ask me how. But the blog sucks up a lot of time, too. Even when I run interviews, as I did recently, making up a good set of questions is time-consuming in itself.Then there are efforts to promote the blog: posting on FB, writers forums, etc. All this takes time that could be spent writing my next book. My agent and editor both encouraged me to blog, and the truth is I'm enjoying it and I feel I have something to contribute. But I'm still wondering what all this does for my fiction.
Hi Jaye,Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the blog.
[[[We can only hope that as blog followers increase, so does the potential for sales and recommendations. At least, that's my theory at the moment....]]]
That's the theory, all right, and it does make perfect sense that people are more likely to buy a book if they feel they "know" the writer.I wonder if anyone has any actual data or if we're all just assuming.
Peter wrote: "Speaking to the original question, no, blogs don't sell books. But IMHO that's not why most people blog.
Each of us blogs because we like to hear the sound of our own voice and we hope that som..."
Some of us, maybe. I am blogging to save the world.
[whispering]: You're right, of course, but you're not allowed to say it out loud. Watch out for the blogging police.
Barbara wrote: "We can only hope that as blog followers increase, so does the potential for sales and recommendations. At least, that's my theory at the moment..."Thought-provoking. Thus provoked, I'm thinking there's a slim direct relationship between blog followers and book sales. I have never been to Stephen King's blog, yet I remember the day when I first opened "The Stand", an ambitious work by a newcomer. I also remember "Maximum Overdrive" and "The Stand - Writer's Edition". Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Writers are known by their works, not their words. I don't know any writer who became successful as a direct consequence of their blog. However, I know a good blog when I see one. Barbara Rogan is a name I'll remember.
Jon
Thanks, Jon. Actually, that interesting quote came from Jaye. Re. "I don't know any writer who became successful as a direct consequence of their blog"--that got me thinking. I think a lot of factors go into commercial success. Good story-telling ability is a given; so is a dollop of luck. A smart website and/or blog that allows readers to feel a connection is probably also a factor, but who knows how much of one? I suspect that Amanda Hocking's very popular blog was a big contributor to her success--that, and her amazing speed, and overall marketing savvy. On the trade publishing side, Neil Gaiman has a great interactive website. The danger, I think, is that these tools--blog, websites, FB author pages, etc.--are deployed to some extent at the cost of writing time and energy. So it's a trade-off.
Switching gears, let me suggest why I blog given that I don't expect my blog to sell my books. A blog can be a major part of one's total marketing program, helping writers earn reader loyalty so that when you publish a new book or offer a course or schedule a bookstore signing, people who like & follow your blog will be moved to support you. It's the total program that can translate effort into sales.
Peter - good philosophy, but at odds with the concept of writing just to hear your own voice. Let me take up the banner of literary narcissism as a beneficial adjunct to creativity. I see four writing activities where I can exercise and improve my...ohmygod, I was about to call it my "craft". Bile rises!1. Writing books and stories. This is a disease, and a cure. In that regard it is much like drinking. The more you do it, the better you get at it.
2. Blogging. This is your "voice in the wilderness", where you learn whether you're better suited to write fiction or give up and become a welder.
3. Forums. Meet people, discover you're not alone, and remember to always write in your "polished" voice. Your goal is to find out how many different ways you can express yourself without alienating the English-speaking world (except Scotland).
4. Letters of complaint. Never underestimate the professional benefits of writing lightly fictionalized accounts of indignity, inequity and financial ruin when your $12.95 is on the line. Note: writing a letter of complaint to AT&T is the same thing as blogging.
(Yes, I have been
Jon
Jon: I would include Letters to the Editor with Letters of Complaint. The craft part is trying to write your letter in such a way that the newspaper/magazine editor can't edit your letter in such as way as to reverse your intended meaning. Easier said than done.Good luck with your drinking...I mean book.
From my viewpoint as a very large consumer of books across many genres, I would vote for continued blogging by authors who can manage the time successfully each week. The entries can be done in one longer session and timed to publish one per day. I know that I don't have regular chunks of time to spend composing a blog daily.I look at the blog as a freebie given by an author to the fans. The first book's quality will sell future books, but a blog can keep fans interested in an author between books by fostering a feeling of closer connection than just author to casual reader. I like to know little tidbits about an author's process or travel for promotions or research. We never know when a blog will go viral because the right person mentioned it or began to follow it along with their huge fan base.
[[[ Note: writing a letter of complaint to AT&T is the same thing as blogging.]]]Ha! Yes, if you have no followers.
Peri---thanks, that's useful. Keeping readers interested between books is a big deal for me, given the 2-10 year gap between mine.
Two things I picked up from someone that most of you will cringe at. John Locke. Aside from his informative book that goes against the grain of some of the information from the marketing elite (can you say SEO?), he gave me some personal information as well.Most of it pertained to my pseudonym. But...
Two things are important, your followers and your list. Your followers are the people who casually follow a blog and/or a twitter feed. But as every webepreneur knows your email mailing list is still king. These are the people who send you hate mail when you put the main character with the wrong significant other, or kill off a beloved character. These are the people that you ask about a certain plot line, these are called OOUs (One Of Us) by Locke and WANAs (We Are Not Alone) by Kirsten Lamb.
These are the people that you have converted. John Locke says his goal is 25,000 of these people and he strives to maintain as personal of a connection to them as humanly possible. Even answering my stupid questions.
A blog? I have 10 followers on wordpress and no stats on RSS. I have no email newsletter (yet) but my goal is to have five books in my back catalog (that I'm proud of... sigh) before I begin my push next summer.
Until then I continue to crawl around on the floor making sure my liege have rug beneath their feet and tile in their showers. And write on a tiny outdated palmtop (12 years old now) while on break.
By then my blog will be massaged into what I want, and at that point I will add my dot com to it.
Now on the frequency of a blog post, I would prefer only occasional posts. I do the same (actually something else recommended by Locke). If you have a service you can offer, as you Barbara, then by all means post as much as you feel comfortable. You will very likely be welcomed (loved the post on a self pubbed Rowling BTW). Me, I only have my opinions. And while some may find my take on child soldiers and how fiction might be putting extra burden on the backs of moral compass - interesting, I doubt any readers interested in my books would find that appealing at this point.
My blog has yet to find it's voice. And that's okay. I still have until next summer (provided we all survive December 2012 LOL)
A blog is not exactly free - you have to spend valuable writing and reading time on a blog. Then, again, if you sell one book, maybe it approaches a worthwhile endeavor. Nancy Hartney, Arkansas
I still haven't worked out how to set up a blog and am not sure that I want to. It is the time thing. Twitter, Facebook, website, blog. How about writing the book?
I write a weekly newspaper column and stick details of the latest book on the end of that though only for the books I've epublished. I leave the traditionally published to the marketing and publicity department. they seem better at it than me.
I write a weekly newspaper column and stick details of the latest book on the end of that though only for the books I've epublished. I leave the traditionally published to the marketing and publicity department. they seem better at it than me.
Barbara wrote: "Thanks, Jon. Actually, that interesting quote came from Jaye. Re. "I don't know any writer who became successful as a direct consequence of their blog"--that got me thinking. I think a lot of facto..."Agreed. Seems that a lack of exposure, whether website, blog, FB page, twitter, YouTube, Trailers, etc., may mistakenly translate to potential readers/followers as either a lack of commitment (to social media marketing) or a curious disinterest in allowing these same wonderful folks into an author's life. Neither of which is the case, of course. It's often simply a matter of time management, PR budget or expertise. No answers here, just a few observations ....
Nancy wrote: "A blog is not exactly free - you have to spend valuable writing and reading time on a blog. Then, again, if you sell one book, maybe it approaches a worthwhile endeavor. Nancy Hartney, Arkansas"Yes! I thought about that. I've been blogging only 3 months, so maybe I'll get faster at it, but probably not. I'm very particular (avoiding the word "perfectionist") about writing that I make public, so I spend practically a whole day on each blog post and then announcing it in the usual places. That's nuts! A day a week spent on writing fiction could produce a book in a couple of years. Hence this message thread asking if it's worthwhile.
J.g. wrote: "I still haven't worked out how to set up a blog and am not sure that I want to. It is the time thing. Twitter, Facebook, website, blog. How about writing the book? I write a weekly newspaper colum..."
It was actually my editor who suggested that I blog, seconded by my agent. The burden of promotion now falls much more heavily on the writer---we're no longer expected just to show up sober and smile.
Not complaining, though it may sound like it. I'm having a lot of fun with the blog and the people I meet through it. I just wish blogs came with an extra day of the week.
I see my blog as an essential part of my marketing program and as my Internet "hub" where readers can connect with me. I don't know if it sells books, but I'm certain it helps me connect with readers. That is reason enough.I write for my readers. That goes for my blog as well as my books. When I started my blog, I wrote some articles about craft and publishing, but quickly realized that those topics would not be interesting to readers. I believe a blog is stronger if it is consistently targeted to a specific audience, and I decided that my audience was my readers, not other writers (as much as I may love them).
I also use my blog as a way to keep myself motivated in my writing. Each week or two, I update a counter that shows my progress on my WIP. Now that my first book is out and I have readers asking for the second one, I think it is important to show them that it is really coming. That simple counter also gives me some needed positive feedback on my progress.
I try to post every week, but that doesn't always happen. I rarely let the blog go more than two weeks without a new post. After a new post goes live, I post links to it on Twitter, and Google+. My posts automatically feed into my Facebook page and my Goodreads account.
I've made several new friends through my blog (writers and readers) and by taking advantage of author networking programs like "Rachael Harrie's Platform Building Campaign" and the "Magic Appreciation Tour." That alone has made keeping a blog worthwhile.
Barbara wrote: "Nancy wrote: "A blog is not exactly free - you have to spend valuable writing and reading time on a blog. Then, again, if you sell one book, maybe it approaches a worthwhile endeavor. Nancy Hartne..."sorry to barge in in the middle of this but...I now have 3 blogs--one for writing issues, one for my "life' and one on the website for my books..time-consuming but really good writing practice. And practice for how you want to present yourself--complete incompetent? learning as you go? frustrated and whiny? I only mention these because I've been all three..
Nikki wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Nancy wrote: "A blog is not exactly free - you have to spend valuable writing and reading time on a blog. Then, again, if you sell one book, maybe it approaches a worthwhile endeav..."Nikki, three blogs! The mind bloggles, er, boggles. How do you find the time to do that and still write? You must be one of those horribly competent and super-energetic types who make the rest of us look lazy.
Daniel wrote: "I see my blog as an essential part of my marketing program and as my Internet "hub" where readers can connect with me. I don't know if it sells books, but I'm certain it helps me connect with reade..."Hi Daniel,
One might argue that your book, not your blog, should be what connects you to your readers. One might further argue that writing fiction is like sausage-making: However good the results, the process if messy and off-putting.
This same "one," (not me, you understand; I am a thoroughly modern blogger) might suggest that writers should no more share their early drafts and experiments than a magician should reveal his tricks.
But one would undoubtedly be shouted down, and rightly so. As literary agent Gail Hochman noted in this interview, this is no time for Emily Dickinson-type recluse-writers. http://barbararogan.com/blog/?p=94
Barbara wrote: "Nikki wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Nancy wrote: "A blog is not exactly free - you have to spend valuable writing and reading time on a blog. Then, again, if you sell one book, maybe it approaches a wor..."Hardly! right now I'm trying to promote my book(s) and so doing a lot of social media stuff...definitely NOT super energetic or competent, just love to write, I guess...also trying to discover the secret of getting people to read them!
Barbara: I agree that the book is what initially connects me to the majority of my readers. The blog is for readers who go beyond the last page to learn more about me or my work. It connects me with my readers in a more personal way. That's also why I'm not sure that blogs sell books.
I think I left you with the wrong impression of what I post on my blog. I don't post early drafts or experiments, other than the occasional flash fiction piece (usually as an entry for a contest).
I have post categories like "Creature Feature" (background information about creatures from my stories), "Location Lore" (background information about locations in the books), and "Character Spotlight." I post a variety of other things as well, but I try to keep everything related to my work or fantasy books in general (author interviews, book reviews, etc).
I don't think there is one way to blog. I don't think there is a "right" way to blog. All I was trying to do was respond to the question and share what I'm doing, for what it's worth.
I blog from my character's perspectives on my website blog--sounds a bit like what you do, Daniel. I don't post already written material, I post from pov's that don't exist in the books...anyway, it's fun and I like it even though I don't think many people read it, if any...
I see what you are saying Daniel. I'm doing a similar thing. Though this is the same blog that has seen me as an affiliate marketer, a rant, a car buff, a tech nerd and some other things sprinkled in. I'm staying away from book reviews now, as I do those either here, smashwords or directly on Amazon/B&N, depending where I bought the work.I am working on an anthology series that throws my flash works out there that have no place in my regular work, or they might be a background setpiece as you mentioned you do with your blog.
So, if I don't do those on my blog, then what do I post? About once a month or so I post a piece that I feel connects something in my books/stories to the modern society.
I don't have many followers, but as I mentioned before, I'm not looking yet...
Daniel wrote: "Barbara: I agree that the book is what initially connects me to the majority of my readers. The blog is for readers who go beyond the last page to learn more about me or my work. It connects me w..."
Hi Daniel,
I wasn't criticizing your blog at all--sorry if it came across that way. In fact, as a new blogger, I'm searching for the right balance myself, between writing for writers (which is my blog's focus) and writing for my readers (which is its raison d'etre.) I'm also trying to overcome a reflexive impulse toward non-disclosure.
But I think you're right---readers are more likely to check out our sites after they've read our books...hopefully just before purchasing others.
I wonder about checking out our blogs AFTER reading our books--for me looking at someone's blog comes first..I want to know where their mind is, look at writing style and find out a little bit about them--kind of like reading 'inside' the book or reading their bio, I guess...
Nikki---I guess we generalize from our own habits. I never look at a writer's site unless I was blown away by something they wrote and want to get a look at the person who did it to me. Latest was Gillian Flynn, who wrote GONE GIRL---excellent thriller! Bard, nice to meet you, too. Glad you liked the post and didn't take it as an affront to self-published writers, as some did. Bottom line is, we writers have choices now we never had before, and that's a very good thing.
For anyone who's interested: here's the post Bard was talking about: What if JK Rowling had self-published? http://barbararogan.com/blog/?p=29
Barbara--I read your post about self-publishing with interest. I sent my first book of my fantasy trilogy out to 50 agents before I decided to self-publish--and although I agree with most of what you said, I'm an older writer and I just don't have the time to wait around! I had it professionally edited and went through the manuscript at least 7 times before it went to press..I'm working on a fictionalized "memoir" of my parent's life now which is based on my father's journals kept while he was a POW in WW2 and this one I plan to send out to agents...it's so competitive out there that my feeling is many good writers are not being read.
Hi Nikki,Well, my point in that post is that IF a new novelist has a choice, mainstream publishing has big advantages over self-publishing. But you did give it a fair shot, and rather than shove the book in a drawer, you made a perfectly reasonable decision to self-publish. On this issue (and others), I am definitely pro-choice.
Good luck with the new book!
Nikki: Thanks for your comment about checking out author blogs *before* buying a book. That's the first time I've heard anyone say that, and it's encouraging. As Barbara said, we tend to generalize from our own experience, and I rarely look at an author's blog even after I've read their book(s).Barbara: Thanks for clarifying. Sorry if I was being over-sensitive.
J: Nice to meet you. It's rare that I post a book review myself. Most of my reviews/ratings are here on Goodreads, but I keep those brief. The reviews I put on my blog are in-depth reviews about books that have special importance to me for one reason or another.
Barbara: I just read your article. It was well written and your arguments well presented. It's refreshing to see a pro-(trade/traditional/legacy?) publishing article that treats the considerations of self publishing fairly. My conclusions on the subject are the opposite of yours, but that's the beauty of today's market: authors have more choices than ever, and no matter which choices we make, we can change our mind later.
Thanks Barbara--hope that this time the traditional publishing world will be more welcoming...
Truthfully, there is no way to know unless a buyer tells you that they saw your site and bought your book. I view my blog as a fun research project. I learn quite a bit in my research and it's great to be able to share it with others. I write Regency so I blog about the Regency Period and Writing. People leave comments and I have the StatCounter, so I know how many people are visiting my site and what articles they are reading. This helps me to know what subjects are appealing to the people visiting my site. www.lahilden.com
L.A. wrote: "Truthfully, there is no way to know unless a buyer tells you that they saw your site and bought your book. I view my blog as a fun research project. I learn quite a bit in my research and it's gr..."I checked out your blog--good site and looks fun!
I'm enjoying the discussion on this forum and want to add a comment. First of all, I don't think I have the chops to write an author's blog and I"m not sure who would be that interested.
But I've been writing a travel blog, "A Year and a Day," based on our travels to Europe, Canada, the Southwest, Australia, and New Zealand since I retired last year.
http://ericksongypsycaravan.wordpress...
A few months ago, I started adding a teaser at the end of each post mentioning my novels and short mysteries with links to Kindle, iTunes, Nook and Smashwords.
My WordPress blog is sent to my FB, LinkedIn, and GR home pages. I've felt uneasy 'pitching' on FB & LI, but am comfortable sharing my travel blog with links to my books / stories.
I also have a new Web Page which links to my social media and book pages.
I'm calling this a 'linked and layered' approach; my travel blog is linked to social media sites layered with information on my books and short stories.
I actually think that's the best way to go, Jack. Your readers will know you as a person and want to buy your writing because of that.
Jan Hawkins Hi there. I have really enjoyed this discussion and like others I was advised to consider a blog to give my readers a presence and to assist marketing.Never was quite sure what I was supposed to blog about but the discussion had been great to bring this into focus.
Like Jack, I found pitching on Facebook a hesitant exercise but in running my own blog I was more comfortable with it.
Thanks for the input... it is great.
I'm new to the group and look forward to getting to know folks here. I'm a writer---8 novels published, 1 coming next year with Viking/Penguin. About two months ago, I started a blog, called IN COLD INK, about writing and publishing (I was also a literary agent and editor.) I'm a great pontificator, and I have a lot of generous friends in the industry who are giving me interviews, so it's all been great fun so far. But here's what I'm wondering: do blogs actually sell books? Because it's not self-evident to me. Thanks!