Andra Marquardt
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    At The Finish Line. Dare I Cross It?

    Friday, October 17, 2008, 02:11 PM CST [Publishing]

    For the past six months I've been finishing up a novella. It focuses on two secondary characters, a man and a woman, who appear in my second novel. I was so intrigued by them and their relationship, I decided to write their story.

    I liked it so much I thought it worth publishing.

    Here's the rub. It's only 22k words, and no publisher will touch novellas (or at least very few). It's also Christian science fiction, and deals in part with homosexuality.

    Yeah, no publisher, secular or otherwise is going to touch it for those three reasons.

    I decided to take advantage of Booksurge, a POD publisher and subsidiary of Amazon. I looked through their publishing options, and I found one at a reasonable price. I can not only purchase as many books as I want to sell at a substancial discounted rate, but it will also be listed on Amazon.

    The royalties are also decent, but that's not the reason I want to publish it. I simply like the story and believe others will enjoy it as well. If I make money, all the better.

    I hope it'll be a nice starting point for marketing my other novels. I'd like to see those published traditionally, so I'm seeking an agent (sort of. I tend to procrastinate). If enough readers enjoy my novella, they'll want to read my novels once they come out.

    Sound like I'm dreaming too big?

    Perhaps, but I figure if I'm going to dream, may as well dream big.

    Yesterday I purchased my publishing package, and a few hours ago received by ISBN number. Now I have no reason not to submit my manuscript to the printers.

    I'm scared enough about it, I'm trying really hard to find one.

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    Build It and They Will Come? I Don't Think So.

    Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 03:29 PM CST [Blogging]

    G Williams wrote an interesting blog entry about how blogging, while useful, needs to be more than simply a public venue to talk about our writing. It's one aspect of marketing, but not the only one.

    People read blogs to learn about an author, and yes, even build a relationship. Blogs have allowed that, whereas before, readers were limited to fan mail. More often than not, a response was either a form letter, or written by an underling. There was no guarantee the reader connected with the author on a personal level.

    Author blogs now give readers that chance. They also give the author an opportunity to find out who's reading, and what they like or dislike. I believe because of potential relationships developing, the author is more likely to work harder at creating solid work so as not to disappoint and end up losing their readers.

    Writing blogs now for three years, I've learned blogging isn't just about me. It's equally about the reader. I always consider before I publish an entry what the reader will think. I'm not talking pandering (readers can see right through that), because honesty in everything we write is key. I'm talking about variety, written well enough to be understood no matter the subject, provoke thought and emotion, and entertain.

    Readers want to know they can relate to their favorite authors. By writing personal and philosophical entries as well as writing-related entries is necessary for a successful blog.
    Even so, subject matter isn't enough to garner multiple and (God willing) return visitors.

    This is no "Field of Dreams" where "If you build it they will come." We have to present ourselves first to other readers. That means finding other blogs read and comment on. They need to be well-written and thoughtful comments, though, not a mere "Hi. Read your blog. Liked it." That's not a conversation starter. Like G Williams said, blogging is a conversation. Start one, or jump right into an existing one.

    More than likely, if our comment is engaging, the blogger will return the favor and read and comment on ours.

    That said, what will my next entry be about? No idea. You'll have to come back to find out.

    In the meantime, I have a few blogs to read.
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