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

[janeg.livejournal.com]

I've told filkers the same about selling their own CDs. Leave the table and schmooze; let someone more anonymous sell for you. It's just so much easier and less stressful for people to browse and consider buying. Even worse, don't have two filkers sitting at one table each selling their own CDs, so you have to hurt someone's feelings if you only want to buy one. And that someone is usually a friend, for me, but money is limited and we have to make choices.