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

[bondo-ba.livejournal.com]

Absolutely agreed - plus, self-published authors are a... special... bunch. They have to be, because there is a huge amount of effort that goes into everything they do, and not only on the writing side. They seem to feel that aggressive promotion is a must for what they wish to achieve.

[msagara.livejournal.com]

They seem to feel that aggressive promotion is a must for what they wish to achieve.

I think it's because they confuse aggressive with promotion, i.e. if it's not In Your Face, it's not promotion.

The most successful publicists I met while working as manager were those who were so instantly likeable or helpful that you wanted to be helpful in return. They didn't do this by pushing or wheedling; they were often more blunt and more colourful.

[bondo-ba.livejournal.com]

I agree. The best salesmen I've met are the ones that convince without pushing. But not everyone was born to be a salesman, I guess.