Scribe, unsubscribe

I recently unsubscribed from a lot of the writers’ newsletters I’d been getting for years, and most of the authors’ Facebook groups, and Twitter groups that happen to have been cluttering up my inbox and my news feed for the past few years.

 

Why? Because, while I’m always interested in learning new techniques for writing and book promotion, after nine mostly self-published book releases over 20+ years, I know what works: writing a great book. I also know what doesn’t work: not having a huge corporation to promote your book.

 

So, please buy my books.

 

It’s also been said that one shouldn’t be too blunt about promoting yourself.

F- that. Buy my books.

 

I’m tired of listening to chats about promoting books that dance around the truth; famous authors sell more books.

 

I hosted a Lit Crawl event for the (lucky) thirteenth time. Readings don’t sell books. But buy our books.

 

I stopped accepting invitations to seminars online, particularly one hosted by authors whose books I don’t want to read, but who says, ‘It isn’t a competition, support other authors.’

To that, I say, don’t buy their books; buy mine.

 

I stopped attending online seminars because they just repeated what I knew already; if you want to write, good for you.

 

If you want to get a lot of readers, write a commercial book and promote the hell out of it. Pay a billion-dollar corporation (Goodreads, owned by Amazon) $100-plus to give your book away.

 

Myself? Nope. Done that; complete strangers unfamiliar with gay fiction or books like mine will almost always dismiss or dislike something thy never would have paid to read.

 

Just buy my books.

 

I don’t do a newsletter, because I don’t care what you think about me, and I don’t have anything to say that would interest you. Did you know that I clipped my nails yesterday, and that typing the day after always hurts my fingers a little?

 

The interesting stuff is in my books.

 

Writing is difficult. I won’t be doling out advice to novices on spreadsheets.

 

If you don’t have a compulsion to write fiction or memoir or historical books, then do something else.

 

If you’re completely obsessed to the point of compulsion to write then do it.

If you ‘have an idea for a sort of book,’ then take up knitting.

Get out of the way. The future is crowded.

 

Buy my books, and my fellow authors’ books, and my frenemies’ books.

Go to an actual bookstore and buy books.

 

The underlying motivation for anyone to communicate is to sell their stuff.

And if you’re not buying my books, have never read any of my books, then go somewhere else.

 

It’s that simple.