Then I came across this this morning:
SOCIAL MEDIA JUST FOR WRITERS
It is a facebook page and the "Owner" of the page is selling a book on Amazon by that same title. Social Media Just For Writers by Frances Caballo.... I find this interesting. It is all about finding a niche, right? She sees that people like ME, need help in this area. She writes a book, and BAM! she's got a huge audience! WOW. I'm impressed. Then there is another book on the facebook page: Blogging Just For Writers by Frances Caballo. Isn't this JUST what I need??? Again, she's found the ticket. This is forward thinking I lack. Or just plain old "thinking" that I lack. I am really not an idea person. I mean, I obviously have ideas but they are focused on romance stories involving pain, and love, and life's trials. My little brain doesn't tend to go to the next step of "How do I promote my books after I write them?"
Technically, I have been thinking about writing and promotion for a while. I learned years ago that as a writer you have to know who your audience is. Ok. I basically do. And when I write, I have to keep in mind who might read it and what they are looking for. There is a sense that a writer wants to be able to write WHAT THEY WANT, but if the audience will not buy it, then I am only writing a story that will sit on my desktop and not on the shelf in someone else's house. So, Frances Caballo has my attention!!
Will I buy the book / books? IDK. I probably need to! I am curious that is for sure. I haven't read reviews on it, I am just writing a commentary on the brilliance of such a focus for a novel.
I lack ideas on promotion, that is for darn sure! Sales for My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! took off and I am not exactly sure why except that maybe it had a catchy title, had a great cover, or it was just the sort of HEA book that people were looking to read to start the new year?? Or another reason all together. But, whatever the reason, I am super thankful that Jock was so successful because it drew attention back to my first novel When Love is Not Enough.
Attention is KEY to gaining success. If no one notices my books at all, then I will not really get anywhere. Do I want to be "Stephen King" famous? lol... I don't think even I aspire to that height of greatness. "Andrew Grey"famous? Maybe, but I think he is well more known than I will ever be. (Plus he is a super nice guy, where I tend to be a pain in the a**.) Anyway... Fame, fortune, and Book sales....
How do you get them? Maybe Blogging for Writers is up my ally? IDK. Has anyone out there read it? I'm up for discussion. I like discussion. I am an inquiring mind and I want to know, "What do readers like in a blog?" What makes you read one? The title? The content? The wacky, disjointed thoughts of a deranged writer? Perhaps this book sheds some light???
I also think that the key to being a good writer is to WRITE!!! Something I struggle with sometimes. At the moment I have a WIP that sits at 22k. LTLTA is all mapped out. It's like a puzzle right now and I am filling in the holes one piece at a time. I find that writing a 3rd book in a trilogy is difficult. You can't just write off the top of your head. (Something I normally do.) I have to consider the content of the other two novels that came before it. And, as it turns out, "Jock" because the characters overlap. I seriously don't want to get the information wrong because I guarantee that readers will notice mistakes!
As far as a niche... (Again, I applaud Frances Caballo on her brilliance of thought!) What is my niche? Well, I want to write about life. That is partially why I chose to write about suicide in WLINE. I see it as a real issue in life. Suicide happens. Sometimes it is unpredictable and rash, but the thoughts are out there in young (and older) people who don't know what to do with their feelings, or people who are hurting, scared, and alone. I took my thoughts and wrote about them. TCOL is about church persecution. (Not sure if that is a popular topic or not, we'll see.) I wonder how many readers out there have been treated poorly by the church, any church? How does it make you feel? What does that type of hatred do to your belief or faith in God? My desire is to take real life situations and put them into stories. Readers want to relate to characters, don't they? Part of the excitement in a book is feeling like I relate to the characters in some way and "connect" with them.
My WIP, LTLTA (or Love, Trust, And Learning To Live Again) is about brokenness and a desire to be loved. Who out there has experienced deep pain from abuse or neglect? Well, Darian is the one who you might relate to. Fingers crossed, I am TRYING to finish that book this month!
But seriously, knowing how to attract readers is a good thing when you wish to write for a living. You know another blog that I find fascinating is Ryan Field's blog. This guy has something to say about everything! Sometimes maybe it is a post of something he found interesting, IDK, but if you want to know stuff, he's got a variety of information on his blog that I have not seen too many places. A wealth of information in one spot. Seriously. Ryan probably doesn't even know I exist, but to me he is an inspiration.
So, that is all I have to say for now. I guess. I am still gathering questions to do a "reader" driven interview. I will more than likely be contacting some blog places to ask about doing an interview. I did one 2 years ago when WLINE came out. Maybe I am due as this next novel comes out. My life has changed greatly in the last three years. I am in a different place and I feel I want to share that. So, if you have questions for me about life, writing, or anything else, visit my last blog and leave a question in the comments. or comment on Goodreads. Or on Facebook. (look for my status: If you had the chance to ask a question about me, what would it be?) I am collecting the questions and will write a blog post in the near future. Think of some funny ones too, not everything has to be serious ;)
Anyway. I'm done. Chat laterz.
Wade
Remember: follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" onGoogle+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.
Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.
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