Self-publishing: an addendum to Jim Hines excellent post

[msagara]

jimhines has a post here about self-publishing, 'Part Whatever', and I've quoted the first of his five points because I wanted to expand on it here.

1. Dear self-published authors: As a writer, I am not your target audience.  I can’t count the number of times authors, mostly (but not always) self-published or PoD, have tried to hard-sell their books to me.  Just don’t.

This is very true. I know it's hard to attempt to sell self-published fiction. I see more and more self-published authors manning tables in dealer's rooms at even small conventions (and also larger ones), and I am one of the people who assiduously avoid those areas of the dealer's room.

Why? Because I can't browse the way I would normally otherwise browse in a bookstore or similar venue (i.e. Larry & Sally's in the dealer's room). I can't pick up a book and put it back down if it doesn't strike or keep my interest; I can't read a page or two to get a feel for its contents.

If I attempt to do either of these things, I am immediately assaulted by the author assuring me that I will love this book, or that I must buy this book, etc., etc., and I am paralyzed with both revulsion and guilt.

Guilt because I don't want to insult your hard work and the labor of love that is obviously sitting on the table in front of you. I also write, and I do know that the casual cruelty of strangers is often painful. Because I can sometimes be sensitive (although it's best not to rely on it, especially if I am over-focused, when I have been known to walk into moving cars because I was thinking too intently on what was inside my mind), I feel that I am causing you this pain if I choose not to purchase your (usually expensive) paperback.

Revulsion because I have always loathed hard-sell; it's why I hate shopping for shoes. I want to be able to look around to see if things catch my attention; I want your help only if I ask for it. I'm capable of deciding for myself what suits my taste; this certainty doesn't materially change because you are pushing pushing pushing.

You will note that i have said nothing whatever about the quality of your work. This is because the quality of your work is entirely irrelevant to these two points.

Comments

[tobemeagain.livejournal.com]

Guilt and revulsion, very apt descriptions indeed.

At the chain I worked for, many self-published authors never got the idea that we could not sell their books; not on commission, not buy them outright for resale - none of it. Even after talking to the home office several still didn't see why I couldn't sell them on the sly. I had one guy tell me he was calling the Better Business Bureau on me and that he would tell all the local writing groups that my store wasn't local author friendly. Which was outrageous as I worked many of the local writing group bookfairs and they got 20% of the proceeds.

[msagara.livejournal.com]

At the chain I worked for, many self-published authors never got the idea that we could not sell their books; not on commission, not buy them outright for resale - none of it. Even after talking to the home office several still didn't see why I couldn't sell them on the sly. I had one guy tell me he was calling the Better Business Bureau on me and that he would tell all the local writing groups that my store wasn't local author friendly. Which was outrageous as I worked many of the local writing group bookfairs and they got 20% of the proceeds.

I think many people don't really understand the concept of Head Office, which is almost beside the point. I think people work themselves up in a state of desperation in which they justify some pretty boundary-crossing behaviour as an acceptable action when it is done for their labour of love.

I've worked at both a chain and an independent, and it can be frustrating. Although I think we've only had to deal with one furious, frustrated self-published writer. You have my sympathies!