Don’t judge a book by it’s cover
Want more like this?
If you aren’t on my mailing list you can make sure you get more of my video’s and updates by joining. Just fill in your details to get started.
Similar Posts
Planning your blog posts
(Please note: this post appeared on my original blog (Woman on the Edge of Reality, which no longer exists) in about 2012). I don’t know about you, but I sometimes struggle to know what to say on the various blog posts I write across the web, and this one is no exception; in fact, it’s…
The good, the bad and the downright ugly of marketing books
(Please note: this post appeared on my original blog (Woman on the Edge of Reality, which no longer exists) in about 2010). It would be fair to say that for most authors and writers, the act of writing books (and other things) is the part of their job that they are keen to be doing….
Creating the perfect author business card
(Please note: this post appeared on my original blog (Woman on the Edge of Reality, which no longer exists) in about 2010). Many years spent running my own business and attending hundreds of networking events over the years have taught me the importance of having a great business card. However, many authors and writers don’t…
Chesil Bank Writing Shed
Established and new writers are welcome. If you’ve never written anything before but would like to start, this is the place to practice, learn and develop your own writing style and voice.
How to be a rockstar blogger – part 2
(Please note: this post appeared on my original blog (Woman on the Edge of Reality, which no longer exists) in about 2014). I see and read many blog posts in the course of a working week, and it would be fair to say that most are a little on the ‘thin’ side. They promise me…
What is the Legal Deposit Scheme and why is it important?
(Please note: this post appeared on my original blog (Woman on the Edge of Reality, which no longer exists) in about 2010). Publishers and distributors in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland have a legal obligation to send one copy of each of their printed publications to the Legal Deposit Office of the…
As you imply with “We Judge Everything by its Cover”, appearance is all important. Research has shown that even parents favour their ‘best-looking’ offspring and it is well known that attractive individuals are given many more opportunities in life than others. Clearly, books need shelf appeal. A writer wants their book to catch the eye and entice a potential reader/buyer to pick it up, read the blurb and buy it. I have seen some appalling book covers on self published books, ones that are completely off-putting. Needless to say, getting the cover right is vital. Having said that, I think your undoubted success with self-publishing is commensurate with the time and effort you have made to build your readership and get your publications seen. You have a broad online presence, the value of which cannot be underestimated and well-done you for what you have built. I am not saying your circumstances are unique (I don’t know what they are), but when I envisage aspiring writers, I imagine (mainly) middle aged women (unattractive in a marketing sense) with family responsibilities and full time jobs, dreaming about getting their work published – those without the financial resources or time needed to build a means to reach a wide readership. For them, I predict that self-publishing will disappoint.
I agree with you for the most part Irene. Self-publishing is not a silver bullet for anyone and rather like the no-dig method on our brand new allotment, it doens’t mean no-work. But, I do believe that if writers recognised that once the writing is done (be it book, blog post, or update) then the hardest part is about to begin. The difference for those where self-publishing is successful, vs not successful is how much planning and subsequent action-taking was done.
I am no different from anyone else. I started self-publishing both through my website and books out of necessity. I was told by a well-meaning publisher that women weren’t interested in books or information about hysterectomy. My journey since the mid-1990’s has shown me that a plan and the consequent actions is what’s important. It’s only by doing both are you able to move from no-one in an audience, to a large potential audience.
As you know, I’ve been playing around with podcasts and it would be great to move this conversation into that forum if you’d be interested? Just let me know if you are and we can set up a conversation.