Novel Writing Made Less Impossible Who Wants To Read Your Crap?

When I tossed myself into the learning curve that became the basis of my publishing career, one of the first things I learned was that for every book, there's a reader out there somewhere. It's just a matter of finding them, which was what promotion is about.

Anyway, I took this to heart immediately after I saw the first month's worth of sales reports for Bloodshot: The Coldest Warrior, my first book. Yes, it was a calculated move to tap into an already-existing fan base to launch my career, but the fact that I sold quite a few copies in that first month drove home the idea that my brain children could find happy homes somewhere.

Fast forward to a year or so later. I attended a comic convention and the only book I had for sale was Santastein: The Post-Holiday Prometheus, but I'm pushing it fervently. During the course of my day, I spoke to a trio of wannabe writers. Naturally, one of them asked, "Who would want to sell my crap?"

I pointed out that my first two books dealt with a comic book soldier/assassin for hire whose bloodstream was filled with uber-nanites and the other was about Father Christmas being assembled from pieces of the newly-deceased. "If I could find an audience," I concluded, "then you can too."

Then I zeroed in on the lesson I'd learned during my explorations into self-publishing, one I still use today. "There's someone out there who doesn't just want to read your book, they need to read it. You don't know who you're talking off the ledge."

At that moment, a woman poked her head around the trio and mouthed the words, "THANK YOU," before disappearing into the crowd. Fifteen minutes later, she returned to speak with me privately.

It turned out that the woman was devoutly religious. All of her life decisions revolved around the word of God. However, her daughters dismissed the devotion to a higher power, which frustrated my new friend to no end. However, the woman saw that her daughters would absorb books via their smart phones. So she planned to write a book about her faith. She didn't plan to convert anyone to her faith, least of all her daughters. All she wanted was for them to read and understand her. Nothing more.

So if you have any doubts that your book can find an audience, worry not. There's an audience for the graphic horror of a Clive Barker or the sweet mannered romance of a Barbara Cartland or the raunch that no less than 50 Shades can provide. Heck, there's even people who want to read about nanite-fueled warriors, undead holiday icons, unnamed heroines, the adopted daughters of a Roman god, and a high-flying swashbuckling adventurer ... for which I'm grateful. So write your book and know that your fan base is waiting on you to discover them.

Your comments are welcome, as always. I'm braced for it.

Next Wednesday: Stuff you won't have to worry about Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to this blog. We're going to put out something every WEDNESDAY morning or you'll know the reason why. We plan to beef up our output to five times a week eventually. Don't forget that you can support me via Patreon as well as purchase my works on Amazon. I'm also on Twitter and Instagram. And don't forget Silver Phoenix Entertainment. Don't forget my Facebook pages for Freelance Words, Rising Tide Publications, and Vulcana. And every Monday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, I host a live interactive broadcast on my Facebook page.

#BrianKMorris #writing #Bloodshot #Santastein