Selling A Book

For me, writing a book is easy enough. I love to write and I even love to do the research that goes along with writing a book. Even when a writer writes a novel or a fiction book, a writer still does background work – unless the place is an imaginary one – then it doesn’t matter. If a writer is writing about a certain time – the writer usually researches what the area was like during that time period.

Since my novel was set during a specific time in a certain place, I did some background research, describing the time and place where my novel was set. I researched what was there, and what was going on during my novel’s time frame.

Once I have my setting and characters and some outline idea, I begin to write. Usually the beginning or the opening of my story is the hardest to write. It’s getting that opening scene and sentence to draw a reader’s attention into the book. Oddly, I pretty much know how my story or book will end.

As for the characters, a writer has to have a connection to the characters. Once I start writing about the characters and describing them, my pen or pencil or key board becomes an extension of the characters. It is as if my characters have come alive and they are doing the talking as I seem to have become the writing instrument, transcribing whatever my characters were saying.

After I get a good start into my book, I go back and add more description to the characters and the scenery. Then I continue to write, to add more to make my story interesting, and to delete what is unnecessary. So, writing brings joy to my life. I don’t think of it as work.

When my book is done, what then? This part is the hardest for me. For years, I tried to pitch my writing. I have a folder of rejection slips. Rejection is a big part of the writing process, or the down side of writing. This is where a writer, truly needs to develop a tough skin, but believe me, that isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Each rejection leaves a bit of a scar on the writer. After I get a rejection slip - I get down, and go off by myself to lick my wounds of disappointment. Thankfully, that rejected feeling doesn’t last long. I just decide that I didn’t send my piece to the right place, which is sometimes very true. Or maybe the editor or publisher isn’t interested with my work at the time, which is sometimes also true. I get it.

Even if a writer is lucky to have their work accepted, they are part of the selling process. The writer is their own PR person, taking their books to a bookstore, or library or any other place suited to drop off one’s books and try to get them noticed and sold.

Personally, I have used my Facebook page to launch my book. I’ve asked others to give my book a ‘shout out’, alerting their Facebook followers about my book. I know there are other ways to sell a book – and I will have to figure that angle out as well.

As one can see, writing for me is so much easier than being my own PR person because I usually don’t have the foggiest idea as to how to sell my book. But – I know how to write a good one!

If you are interested in a good read, you can buy both of my books – The Doctors’ Wives, and A Leap of Faith. Both books are on Amazon for the Kindle and Barnes and Noble for the Nook.