Driving Ambition

Well, it's finally official...I've got a new car. Or at least a newer car. It's a lot like my old car, but a lot more white. Well, my wife likes it, at least. The color doesn't really matter to me; I believe a car's primary function is to get me from point A to point B much faster than I can walk there. As long as it's got Bluetooth and air conditioning, the rest is optional. Including the steering wheel.

My wife talked to me about budgeting for my books, especially for the cover art. I want to get one cover purchased per month to put on my fantasy and sci-fi books. Two a month is a bit much, which means that I'll have to get some other types of stories written instead of the sci-fi or fantasy. That is, of course, if I can't come up with a way to make my own sci-fi cover. A fantasy cover just isn't going to happen without paying for it. So, the good news is that means I'll be able to get the Bard Conley anthology out next month. Behind schedule, I admit, but better late than not at all.

Now, one of the things she pointed out to me is that right now, I'm not selling many books. Well, there's a simple enough reason for that: No one knows about them. The word isn't getting out yet. I don't do Twitter or Facebook, so I can't advertise there. I don't have a lot of friends, so it's tough to ask people to spread the word. But I do know that people will eventually hear about my books. And the best way to advertise books is to keep writing new ones. Plenty of successful authors have made that exact point: When a new book does get noticed, people who like it will often look to see if the author has any backlist books they are selling as well. And so, I'm trying to build up that backlist with good-quality, entertaining stories that will draw people in for more over time.

Of course, marketing is the issue, and it's not my strong suit. But it's something I'm going to have to learn if I want to be successful in this business. And I do, very much. I love writing, and I love the feeling of seeing these books up on Amazon, selling the occasional copy, and holding a physical copy of the book in my hands. That's an amazing experience, one that every published author knows.

So, I'm going to keep writing, and I'm going to keep publishing, and I'm going to keep telling as many people as I can about them. I'm going to finish up The Gilded Age this weekend, and get it up on Amazon by the 30th. That will keep me on pace to reach my goal this year. It's ambitious, I know, but it's very, very doable.

In the meantime, check out the other books I've published, because there's already a backlist of seven books for you to consider. Four of them are mysteries, and two are fantasy. One's an anthology. If you're not sure where to begin, the best two options are Final Exam, the first book I published, and Arrival, the first book in the Meterra series. Check them out, and please, pass the word and support indie publishing.