Read on Twitter
I think a lot about a conversation I had with an agent at a con where we were both presenting.
An audience member asked her how important blogs are to get published. “Not really important at all,” she said, and it turned into a long back and forth.
An audience member asked her how important blogs are to get published. “Not really important at all,” she said, and it turned into a long back and forth.
See, apparently a few years ago, she’d written about how good it was for aspiring authors to “establish” themselves with blogs.
The problem is...by that time, blogs were dead. But the internet and Google searches are forever.
Later, at the hotel bar, I kept talking w/ her—
The problem is...by that time, blogs were dead. But the internet and Google searches are forever.
Later, at the hotel bar, I kept talking w/ her—
“The problem,” she said, “is that at the time, we ALL thought maybe blogs would help. They couldn’t hurt? And it’s easy advice to give. But when I say something, some of these people think of it as written in stone, a law they must obey forever.”
She didn’t get it, but I did. When you’re aspiring, and publishing feels like an insurmountable mountain, you grasp at any foothold you can. You cling to the idea that maybe if you do X—or maybe Y—or Z? Or a combo of all three?? Maybe, MAYBE then you’ll find your “in.”
And to a lot of aspiring authors, agents are the infallible experts. They say having a blog helps? You start the blog. They say get on Twitter or social media? You join them all.
And you start to think that all of these are stepping stones to publication.
They’re not.
And you start to think that all of these are stepping stones to publication.
They’re not.
What sells a book: a good book.
And as much as we want to think that maybe our book was rejected because we didn’t have enough Twitter followers, the hard truth is that it either wasn’t good enough or you weren’t lucky enough.
And as much as we want to think that maybe our book was rejected because we didn’t have enough Twitter followers, the hard truth is that it either wasn’t good enough or you weren’t lucky enough.
(Because LUCK plays a huge role in publication. It just does. Did you book hit a saturated market? Did it strike a trend at just the right time? Did the agent sign on someone already with a similar story? All these things have nothing to do w/ quality, all to do w/ luck.)
But anyway, my point is:
Sometimes, you find advice that IS from a reputable source and it IS well meaning, & it WON’T hurt. But often, it’s just an easy bit of advice. Don’t cling to it as a lifeline. The BOOK is the only rope that will help you climb the mountain of publishing
Sometimes, you find advice that IS from a reputable source and it IS well meaning, & it WON’T hurt. But often, it’s just an easy bit of advice. Don’t cling to it as a lifeline. The BOOK is the only rope that will help you climb the mountain of publishing
And if it’s weighing you down—if social media distracts you from writing, or building a following makes you depressed, or, frankly, if you just don’t wanna....don’t. Don’t hold onto these things.
Focus on the book. And then write the next one.
Focus on the book. And then write the next one.
Often, what you chase that’s not writing a novel—social media followers, a “platform,” or a “brand”—those things only move the needle if you’re in the millions, and even then, it STILL only moves the needle if you have a good book.
(The exception: if you’re writing nonfiction, you do need to base that off something, such as your own expertise or experience. But that’s a different horse. I’m talking about novels.)
(Other exception: you’ll inevitably hear about someone who has like a big YouTube channel or something that garners them a book deal. But for every one, I can give you thousands of people who got their book deal with just...........their book.)
Anyway, my point is: take that sort of advice with a grain of salt. Focus on the book. And don’t worry so much. There’s no secret to selling a book other than a good story and a bit of luck.
