More in this series
How to "Make it" as an Author
Literary Virtue in the Branded Age
Dear Charles,
At the end of the day, and if you want to “make it” as an author, uploading your debut novel to Amazon in hopes of recognition is like recording a song on Garage Band, putting it on YouTube, and hoping it will go viral. (Of course, when I say "debut novel" I assume you’ve been through so many edits and drafts that if you look at it again you’ll scream like a banshee and punch the wall). As a personal accomplishment, I think it’s awesome you’ve got something “out there.” You did it, by god(s). You should be proud. Think about the ratio of people who say they’re working on a book to those who actually accomplish it--it's small.
Charles, let me tell you: completing that campaign without any “online presence” was a doozy (I didn't even have Twitter when I started), but let me tell you: it wasn’t impossible. I contacted every person I had ever made a connection with in my life, and also met more than a few kind souls at public bus stops and local bars. But let's be real: I am proud of Slim and The Beast, sure, but I have a feeling the reason I’ve sold over 1,200 copies has less to do with my heretofore undiscovered literary genius and more to do with the fact that I benefitted from a marketing campaign that was intended to get Inkshares off the ground (it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a completely unknown author to get a book tour and attend a major bookseller conference).
To fail as an author is human. To succeed as a writer is divine.
Write on.

Enter your email address to receive notifications for author Samuél Barrantes
Success!
Confirmation link sent to your email to add you to notification list for author Samuél Barrantes