tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post8136149120394462575..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: An Author’s Life of Snakes and Ladders - Guest Post by Mary CavanaghKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-89464567424021314372015-04-01T18:27:53.751+01:002015-04-01T18:27:53.751+01:00A really interesting article, Mary. Thank you for ...A really interesting article, Mary. Thank you for posting your experiences.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01397954925915396546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-78943529975656455682015-04-01T08:54:49.386+01:002015-04-01T08:54:49.386+01:00Yes, that game is only too familiar. My first stor...<br />Yes, that game is only too familiar. My first stories were published in the early 90's, my first novel in 1999, and there have been many snakes and ladders on route, to say nothing of a frustrating pre-publication decade trying to find the right agent/publisher for my work.<br /><br />But look on the bright side... there are only so many snakes on the board (even though publishing appears to have more than its fair share of them!), and when you reach the bottom there's only one way to go. Up another ladder! Katherine Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-73467823457577151442015-03-31T15:28:24.857+01:002015-03-31T15:28:24.857+01:00Yes I've been up and down like a... sorry, all...Yes I've been up and down like a... sorry, all the similes that occur to me are rude so let's stick with snakes and ladders! It seems to be just part of being a writer, and a lot of the snakiness at the mo is just the sheer volume of writers out there clamouring for attention. Here's hoping you get your foot on a ladder soon.Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-46444401663777962432015-03-31T14:24:14.194+01:002015-03-31T14:24:14.194+01:00You've struck a major chord for most of us. Th...You've struck a major chord for most of us. Thanks for sharing--and the great analogy. glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-65237019526808152632015-03-31T10:54:03.562+01:002015-03-31T10:54:03.562+01:00I love the snakes and ladders analogy and agree wi...I love the snakes and ladders analogy and agree with you about it. Personally, I was glad to see the back of the Net Book Agreement - there was no way it was going to survive in the modern world. Also, I don't think it was the advent of online purchases that messed up publishing for mid-listers like me, so much as amalgamations and those mega publishing corporations that took over the smaller and more caring publishers. It happened to me mid publication - The Bodley Head was bought over by Random House and proved to be a disaster for me and many others, even though we were being told it would be good for us. It wasn't. Similarly, my local and lovely independent bookshop was closed down not by Amazon which wasn't even a gleam in Bezos's eye at that point, but by one of the big book chains moving in over the road and undercutting them in all possible ways. I couldn't find it in my heart to lament their subsequent troubles at the hands of an even bigger fish and now smaller indie bookshops seem to be springing up all over the place, offering exactly the kind of friendly, targeted service that survives - the equivalent I suppose of the small local deli! I've tried a few promotional ventures with mixed results. Countdown has been excellent for me but I do think this depends very much on genre. I also think in order for a promotion to 'stick' your promo price has to be somewhere around the 99p or 99 cents mark. $2.99 is full price for a lot of people for an eBook. Even my traditional publisher for one of my novels has it at £2.99 and it sells fairly steadily at that price. Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-71819764315622371682015-03-31T10:43:45.172+01:002015-03-31T10:43:45.172+01:00Very interesting post, Mary - and snakes and ladde...Very interesting post, Mary - and snakes and ladders is a very apt comparison! I haven't tried any of these promotional routes myself, mainly because I've always been a bit sceptical of some of the claims made for them. Some writers have reported a big increase in sales as a result, but we're all different and what works for one person probably won't work for another...Mari Biellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14221256993468150226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-51656376124699720562015-03-31T10:34:09.480+01:002015-03-31T10:34:09.480+01:00Promotion doesn't tick any boxes with me. My o...Promotion doesn't tick any boxes with me. My one and only Kindle Countdown resulted in only 5 sales the week of the deal I had done better the week before and again it picked up the week after. Another time I lowered the price on the first book of my Dundee Crime Series, did a free promotion with 'Indie Book Bargains' - sales zilch - Did a paid one with 'Dirt Cheap Mystery Books' a newsletter that popped into my inbox regularly and I thought was a good platform to advertise, but again - sales zilch during the offer period. And this is for a book that sells well at full price all year round! There must be some kind of reverse psychology in play there! So, I don't think I'll be chasing advertising any time soon.<br />Congratulations on an interesting post, Mary. I liked your snakes and ladders take on the whole thing. Don't hit me if I borrow it sometime.Chris Longmuirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02488093821886798927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-34557494686981933412015-03-31T10:23:51.721+01:002015-03-31T10:23:51.721+01:00A neat, excellent summary of how it was and how it...A neat, excellent summary of how it was and how it is, Mary. The 'snakes and ladders' sequence brought wry smiles of recognition at every move. Of course, there is a way of selling loads of books - be a celebrity first.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-53107118603996223742015-03-31T10:17:18.745+01:002015-03-31T10:17:18.745+01:00This has been really interesting for me. Being fai...This has been really interesting for me. Being fairly new to this I appreciate your insight. I will be on Fussy Librarian on 12th April. It's the only one I've tried. I am under no illusions I am likely to get a huge sales boost but one can only live in hopeWendy H. Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04022089775887274043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-32750633686481191212015-03-31T09:42:27.187+01:002015-03-31T09:42:27.187+01:00'Don't, not 'doesn't.' How tru...'Don't, not 'doesn't.' How true Daniel's blog yesterday is.Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-64078269146227465162015-03-31T09:41:01.680+01:002015-03-31T09:41:01.680+01:00I agree, Andrew. And, for those of you who doesn&#...I agree, Andrew. And, for those of you who doesn't know Mary, she's a terrific writer. Who Was Angela Zendalic? is an absorbing, wonderful book. I have a review in preparation for Eclectic Electric. A Seriously Useful Authors Guide has served many writers well. I'm glad to have Mary's cautionary tale. I was looking at these sites myself. But sadly I've ceased to believe in many of these stories of fortune-earning ebook sales. I was lucky - I enjoyed the experience of a conventional, comfortable writing career which seemed would never end but inevitably did. I suppose I can cheerfully say that when reality kicks in you must just grin and bear it. But I know that for many this is not true.Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-55614034614033791552015-03-31T09:30:36.460+01:002015-03-31T09:30:36.460+01:00I loved this piece; a perfect vignette of the mode...I loved this piece; a perfect vignette of the modern writer's life. I'm sure it will ring many bells for many fellow travellers.Andrew Croftshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16101696875255886422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-7776483889597966932015-03-31T09:01:49.181+01:002015-03-31T09:01:49.181+01:00Getting noticed is one of the biggest hurdles of s...Getting noticed is one of the biggest hurdles of self publishing. When I published my first book I used every social media trick that was 'bound to increase sales.' I spent hours and made a few sales. I decided to give the social media a rest and I found my sales didn't drop. In fact each year sales have slowly grown. The income my books generate hasn't allowed me to give up my 'proper' job but I have proved a book that 'won't sell' does. <br /><br />So keep going you'll get there. Lynne Garnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05697330164705623835noreply@blogger.com