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Promoting your work

ecdavis

Troubadour
Following a suggestion made on this group, I created an account on Goodreads a few days ago and today decided to 'introduce' myself in the fantasy section of the Authors forum.

After seeing all the published books with nicely designed covers and the links for stuff on sale at Amazon, I felt like a kid in a go-cart trying to fit in at the Indianapolis 500.

I don't know if anyone else had that same 'wow, I don't belong here' feeling, but I sure did. I certainly hope I didn't do something really stupid by posting that introduction and a URL link to my page on Booksie. I did a search of the Goodreads group for the word 'Booksie' and didn't find anyone else who had entered a Booksie address.

That is a problem I'm having; how exactly to promote my stuff. I'm working on the third book in a trilogy right now and I'm not aspiring to get it published, I just want people to read it. My philosophy is that if you give something to someone for free and they don't like it, they can't get too mad, so if my writing is too amateur for the reader, at least they won't be out anything other than time.

So my question is: Is it okay to promote amateur writing at sites like Goodreads or on similar sites? I'm not promoting it to try to sell anything, just to make those who like amateur fantasy aware of my stuff. I'm not sure if Goodreads is set up for just anyone who writes, or is that really obnoxious to the published and successful writers? I don't want to be some dumb hick that gets on the nerves of everyone at a serious site for real authors. But if it is the proper thing to do, I wouldn't mind people reading my stuff.

Ed
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
I'm moving this to the marketing forum.

In a nutshell, if you want an audience you need to get the quality cover, blurb, and so on. There are ways of doing so on the cheap, or of not doing so while holding on to a bit of class. But if you think of yourself as an amateur, you might find it more satisfying to look for a critique group than an audience.

As for being an amateur on Goodreads, well, it's the web; if they host it, you can post it.
 

ALB2012

Maester
There are all sorts on GR, some are ....shall we say less forgiving than others. That said I am sure you will find people to give you an honest critique. I think you have to make it clear you aren't selling it, although being free doesn't mean someone won't moan if they don't like it. People are like that;)

I haven't heard of booksie and I did have a quick look at the site, now if you want an honest opinion, the art is...not wonderful - IF you were trying to sell on, say Amazon, but as a creative writing fantasy blog type thing it is probably OK.

There are a LOT of fantasy sites, and indie sites on GR and also a creative writing forum. There is also a mythic scribes forum there as well.

Promoting is hard and readers are an unforgiving lot, you might need to target your audience, chat find people who like to read RPG type stuff, as that what it looks like at first glance.

There are people who can do cover art for cheap prices, or even free. There are review groups and critique groups as well.

Something else you could try authonomy writing community - Helping writers get published now personally I didn't get on with it but I know a lot of people who did. You can post your work and people can read, critique it and shelve it and you go up and down the charts as it were. Now prepare to get spammed - "I will shelve yours if you shelve mine" etc. You need to put in the work to promote on there etc but it is something to consider. Again some of the folks there are quite critical but sometimes really helpful as well.

This is me on GR - friend me and I can give you some help.Alexandra Butcher ( of A Splendid Salmagundi)

Here are a list of useful groups
Mythic Scribes Group (111 Members)
Books, Blogs, Authors and More Group (1939 Members)
Indie Book Club Group (840 Members)
The Sword and Laser Group (16860 Members)
Struggling Writers Group (1234 Members) - This one is very useful
Traditional Fantasy Group (35 Members)
Writers and Readers Group (1555 Members)
 

BWFoster78

Myth Weaver
I recently posted two pieces of information on Goodreads:

1. That I was hosting a contest for authors in search of a review
2. That I have a free novelette available for download

The response on the first has been awesome. I've already got about 20 entries to the contest.

On the second, not so much...
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
Just one comment, not directed specifically at the OP because I've heard this sentiment more than once: it's okay to give the book away for free because the reader is only out the time.

Speaking just for myself, my time is worth way more to me than my money. The absolute worst thing you can do is to waste my time because I can always make more money but I cannot create any more time.

As for Goodreads, as someone else says, you'll get a wide range of reactions. But the presumption in most writing/reading communities is that the person is interested in honest feedback, so you'd do well to start developing Writer's Skin. And it doesn't matter how successful or brilliant the writers, s/he will always get criticisms, will always look to other writers and think those others are better, will always have moments when he thinks his own work is amateurish. The difference is, the successful writers don't let that stop them.
 
Response and feedback is good for good work.Time has value and is a big asset of life.It should be used positively.Thanks for sharing.Keep it up!
 
Try putting together a showcase of some kind (a short collection of stories, a website or blog, something like that) and then passing round business cards or samples at an event aimed at that genre, maybe a convention, a Games Workshop or even a LARP event (see the film Role Models for an admittedly stilted example). That'll showcase your stuff and get people with similar interests interested.
 
I have three novels on Amazon.com. Bern Pearson. "A Myth For The Reality Challenged" (Fantasy.) "Havelock's Inheritance" and "Havelock's Corpse." (Action adventure/ Murder Mystery.) There are two options for a cover. I actually had an artist friend do some original art. Then I uploaded the art in Powerpoint and drew the cover that way. You can check them out. I'd give them a 7 out of 10. Considering they were essentially free, that's okay. You can download all sorts of free art from the internet or clip art. Even modest skills on Powerpoint can make a decent cover.
 

phillipsauthor

Minstrel
I know that I think of Goodreads as more a site for readers and publication-aspiring/published writers than for writers who are not aspiring to be published. With that in mind, I would second what people have said above about being very clear that you're NOT trying to get your story ready for publication, and being ready for people to gripe if it isn't ready for prime-time.

I would also agree that you might get a better response to your work if you go to writers' communities and genre communities that are aimed at amateur writers; Goodreads people (in my experience) tend to be looking for mainstream or new self-published/indie-published books rather than for works that the author hasn't tried to get published.

Best wishes, and good luck with your writing!
 

ALB2012

Maester
There are creative writing groups on GR but I am not sure how active they might be. Even free books get bad reviews, just because it is being offered for free doesn't mean people will be more accepting. I have seen plenty of free books be totally flamed, but I have also seen free books get great reviews. People will be people, even free stuff gets judged.

That said it is entirely up to you to decide how you want to publish (or not). You could post it on a blog (if you haven't already) and try and get a following that day.

If you are writing a trilogy why not try and sell the first one and see what happens. There are beta read groups, and local critique groups to give you guidance if you need it.

Heck if 50 SoG can be a best seller there is hope for us all. It is really badly written!
 
If one wants to promote his work then online promotion is effective and cool .One can connect to millions of people on a single click of mouse.
 

Leuco

Troubadour
Our local newsletter, which really is mostly real estate ads, high school sports, and crime reports does some local author highlights. Just today I read this article about this retired Boeing engineer (maybe something different) who wrote a novel about Cold War espionage. Anyway, it wasn't a review, it was just his story about how he self-published his first book. They even had his picture and the cover image of his book. They had another one about a children's book author who was going to make an appearnce at the local bookstore. Chances are, if you are reading a newsletter, you're probably reading something. Seemed like a good place to market a book. Maybe your community does something similar.
 
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