Why Should You Read My Stuff?

I would love for you to read my stuff. But how do I get you interested?

I have been writing for most of my life.

My first illustrated, sci-fi book was written when I was 9. The next, when I was 13. Then, on and off, I continued to write various fictions.

In 1998, I started what would evolve into my fantasy series – The Source Chronicles. As I worked to go the traditional route for publishing, I had my first professional edit.

My first editor cost a lot of money – but taught me so many things about writing choices, editing, perspective, and more. She made me a much stronger writer and taught me how to be an editor.

In 2014, I self-published the first book from The Source Chronicles – Seeker. A year later, I published Finder, it’s sequel. Then, in fits and starts, I published some other fiction and nonfiction over the next 4 years.

In 2020, I published 3 books. That opened my eyes to more potential – and as such, I am aiming to publish 6 books in 2021.

These will include the next 2 books of my Void Incursion series and 4 books in my new Forgotten Fodder series. All are sci-fi (which has been my first love, after all).

I am putting a lot into this. I hope that by adding so much to the market I can attract more readers. But how do I do that? Why should you – or anyone – read my stuff?

That’s the challenge I am facing. How do I get a following and garner more sales of my books?

Commercial appeal versus love of the words

I have read a lot of books on self-publishing. Additionally, I’ve read many books on book marketing. There has been some helpful advice and ideas there – also some unhelpful advice and ideas.

One thing I’ve come across frequently is the notion of commercial appeal. Often, they (the authors of the aforementioned books) suggest choosing the market to write for. What’s hot? Where is money being made currently and how can you capitalize on that?

This, sometimes, runs counter to the love of the words. It also opens questions about writing for the love of the craft versus writing for the money.

This is a question that tends to get applied to all arts. This is also where you get unpleasant notions of hacks, sellouts, and the unscrupulous simply pandering to the masses for money. You find lots of debates out there between the noble and the (perceived) ignoble.

When it’s a hobby to do your art – you won’t care about commercial appeal. When you are striving to make a living this way – you MUST care. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your principles or make awful choices in the name of commercial appeal.

But you do have to recognize that this is not something you can ignore. Particularly when you are working at it to make a living off of it.

This is why the question of why should you read my stuff isn’t something to be ignored. It matters if I am going to earn my living from my writing. And this is where marketing comes into play.

The challenges of marketing

Sales are next to impossible without marketing. Why? Because to sell your product you need to market it to people.

My first real job out of college was a sales job. It was a small audiophile record label that was producing some truly incredible, cutting-edge sound with awesome music. Audiophiles, however, are a super-finicky lot.

The boss wanted to also appeal to a broader audience. I realized, even then, that we needed further marketing to increase sales. But the boss focused too much on the sales and barely paid lip service to marketing.

Marketing is complicated. It can take a lot of different forms. This all depends on who you desire to appeal to, how you want them to perceive you, and what you are willing to do to sell to them.

You are marketed to in various ways. Advertising aims at certain people with needs and desires to appeal to them in one way or another to get them to buy a product or service. This is often emotional – but it might simply be meant to insert itself into your brain.

Lots of classic advertising slogans over my lifetime are still in my head. I can sing the Oscar Meyer Weiner song. I remember the jingle for potato chips you can’t get on the East Coast – but were prominent in the upper Midwest when I was a kid. The current Grubhub commercials with Mark Hamill and Patrick Stewart make me laugh every time I see them.

Those are all excellent marketing. Why? Because I remember them.

But whatever form it takes – marketing is intended to get you noticed – and in one way or another persuade people to buy your products or services.

That’s the question I need to address for marketing. And it is both easy and difficult to do.

There are simple reasons. Why should you read my stuff? If you enjoy sci-fi and fantasy, I think you’ll enjoy MY sci-fi and fantasy books. Straight forward and to the point. If you are intrigued by mindfulness, conscious reality creation, and self-help information, I believe that MY books along those lines will resonate with you.

That’s why I believe you should read my stuff. So how do I convince YOU of this?

That is the challenge of marketing. It’s all well and good for ME to understand why you should read my stuff. But if I don’t convince YOU, my books don’t sell.

As much as I have worked in sales and marketing before – I am not sure what to do with this. And that is why I have hired someone to help me with marketing. I know it’s not my strength, and that I can’t make this work on my own.

I believe in what I am doing. Further, I think and feel that what I write is fun, worthwhile, and has an appeal to a broader audience.

I would love for you to read my stuff. But how do I get you interested? I will continue to share my process, explore the why and how of it, and work with the marketing company I have hired to learn what’s necessary to entice you. Without sacrificing my ethics and standards.