Quote:
Originally Posted by morriss003
I often read nine novels issued by the big publishers that turn out to be crap. Big names are just as capable of writing crap as indies. I tossed aside novels by Niven, Kleypas, Coulter, Weber, Nora Roberts, and other popular writers last year.
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Therefore, we can conclude that, at a minimum, 90% of fiction available "out there" is crap, established or independent authors alike. With so much crap available, a really good author, with some hard work and a bit of luck, should be able to rise to the top. I'll always give a new author a chance for a few chapters, if I don't like the work I'll stop reading it.
For those new authors out there, I'll give you an idea of how I might come across your work and purchase it. There will be nothing profound or original in the process. These are the things that matter to me and me only.
Before we even start, though, I want to stress this. I
never buy a book from a new author based on the blurb and the reader reviews in the web store alone. Never. I might dl a free sample or book but buy? Uh-uh.
1) Reading recommendations. A trusted friend or family member, whose taste you are familiar with and largely agree with. Blogs with similar tastes to mine and recommendations on the web by authors you like and trust. A good review in a trusted newspaper or magazine. Lots of trust involved here.
2) Genre. I used to read just about everything, from Camus to Crichton. I no longer seek something profound and life-changing, though I still enjoy good literary works and good writing. Now I prefer SF & F, a good escape and a bit of fun. I am far more forgiving of the "literary" aspects of what I read when I enjoy the genre. While you don't have to be Gabriel Garcia Marquez, you still have to be able to write well and tell a good story.
3) Editing. Its just not enough to ask a friend to proofread and edit your work, unless they
really know what they're doing. If you have enough faith in your work you'll pay a professional. If you don't have that faith, why should I?
So step 1, somebody recommends you. Step 2, you happen to write in a genre I like or have a weakness for. Step 3, you have a free sample (at least 30-50 pages worth) available somewhere and I have access to it. You have talent, your book is well edited, and I like your style.
After all that, I'll buy your book, like I said before, for the same amount of cash I'd spend on an established author. If I really like it, I will in turn recommend it to so...
Even with the rise of the internets and self-publishing becoming affordable, I'm still convinced that if you're the next Charles Dickens or Stephen King, you will get noticed and find a following. If you're not (and I don't mean you personally) you will most likely toil away in obscurity, where you belong. Just because established writers can get away with occasional crap, doesn't mean you can or even should.