Amazon is
featuring my YA/Paranormal novel, DEMON, this week. They do a nice job, and it
does help with expanding the reader base for a series. In other writing news, I
made it to 84,000 words in the sequel to COLD BLOODED. I’ve enjoyed getting
back into my characters Nick, Rachel, Jean, Gus, and Deke the dog. Gus talks
Nick into coming out of retirement, and the resulting mayhem convinces Gus the
old cliché about letting sleeping dogs lie was based on real life fact. As Nick
has warned Gus in the past, his work usually accumulates unintended
consequences.
Besides the
sheer thrill of writing this sequel after so many years have passed, it’s very
good in this market to have another novel nearing completion. One thing I’ve
noticed these past couple of years – without new product, the market is
unforgiving as hell. Good selling novels go stagnant, and name recognition
takes a dive. I don’t make the rules, but it seems as if we either write or we
disappear. It used to be a writer could release a novel every few years, and
still maintain a solid reader base. Now, with the increasing numbers of
offerings on the market, that plan just doesn’t work. We have to adapt to the
market, so I’m glad Cold Blooded Book II: Killer Moves will be out by the end
of May. It used to be a goal to strive for in the cliché ‘Writers Write’. Now…
it’s a commandment. :)
5 comments:
Agreed partner. In today's market with traditional publishers, Online stores publishing books and Indie Publishers, we either sink or swim...fast! Readers move on to new talent if you don't produce quarterly. I proved that in 2013 when I never put out a new book. I will have 4 new books out this year by May 31 as I wrote all winter. With the new book pre-selling, it's cast a wide net over my older books and rejuvenated several of them. We have to satisfy our fans with new material and attract new readers in the process.
Recently an author with one standalone book says he spends all day marketing and it's still not selling. I told him that he's wasting his time. Write instead. Series's are the key because we get wrapped up in our favorite characters. I really laugh at those who sit back after one or two books and wait for something to happen. Doesn't work in this business. Here today, gone tomorrow. So produce!
It is a cold hard truth in this business. Without a name like Stephen King, Nora Roberts, etc. we have to write and produce. It of course is also a help if we enjoy what we're doing. :)
Even writers seeking traditional publishing contracts should never quit writing. I wrote whole novels while waiting for answers from agents. They are notoriously slow to respond, and many now simply state on their websites if an author doesn't receive a reply in three to six weeks, consider it a rejection. Rough business. :)
I think that's a big part of my issue. I just can't keep new product coming because of the way my schedule works.
That's right, Charles. Without our day-jobs, we're starving artists... which is the pits, or we write when we can, and hope the market doesn't forget about us. It is indeed a very hard market to stay competitive in.
Bernard,
Very true. Things have changed a lot.
Can’t wait for the new release. :)
Best,
Jordan
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