psychotick
Dangerously confused
Hi Guys,
Okay first up apologies to the women of this forum for the thread title. But it's unfortunately relevant.
So this post may seem a little like sour grapes, and maybe that's there to an extent. But there's also a valid point to be made, so you'll have to forgive me my moment of weakness.
Now over the years we've all had this argument raging here and elsewhere about how to achieve success. Indie versus trade. How to get an agent / a publisher. How if youdon't it's always because your writing isn't good enough. Too much telling, not enough showing. Passive versus active voice etc etc. Honestly the arguments have simply gone on and on.
And through it all one word has for me been paramount. Luck. Now a lot of us argue that luck is a minor player in this game. That if only you work hard and study etc you will succeed. And that those who succeed have done so purely because of their own efforts etc. You all know my opinion on this paradigm. Luck is the biggest player in the game, whether you're trying to get an agent / publisher, or whether you're an indie trying to get readers.
Mostly the arguments have been looking at the negatives of the industry. How the odds are stacked against the authors. Though of course there have also been the head scratching comments about how certain books - eg Fifty Shades - have made it into the stratosphere.
Well here's a new success story. And just to be clear, it's not my book, has nothing to do with me, and I am not promoting it in any way. Hell I'm not even providing a link. You can all google it for yourselves.
2287 A.D. A Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Fantasy
This book crossed my screen on Facebook yesterday as an indie work that has sold a hundred thousand copies having only been published in June, and considering the rankings and numbers of reviews I tend to accept those numbers.
What I find difficult to understand is the how. Look I don't want to bag other authors - another reason I haven't provided a link - but there is an excerpt provided from the first chapter, and to me it shows the need for a damned good editor - not a proof reader to be clear. There are all sorts of issues in the writing, and the number one issue is that it's so frenetic that it almost doesn't make sense in places. It has absolutely no fill. No doubt those of you who read this and check it out, will have your own views.
Which leaves me with the obvious question. If the books not good - and to be fair I haven't read it and so am only working with the excerpt / look inside etc - what is it that has made this book a success? Because the writing certainly didn't grab me. Is it timing? Marketing? Pricing? The bought and paid for reviews? Or the babe factor on the cover? (Apologies to female members of this forum but if you look at the cover you'll understand.) I know I have my theories. You will no doubt all have your own.
But my point is this. As you go back to your computers and start typing away at your masterworks, agonising over your latest rejection letters - or lack of, pulling out your hair and asking yourself for the gazillionth time - why is my book not good enough? Why not think to yourself, maybe it is good enough. Maybe, this is more of a crap shoot than I want to admit. Maybe my book only has to reach a certain standard - (a standard which just recently I have started to think might be lower than I personally realised) - and after that it's time to think about covers, pricing and marketing instead of wasting my time trying to get an agent.
Maybe it's time to just give up and get a sexy babe cover! (More apologies to female forum members!)
Cheers, Greg.
Okay first up apologies to the women of this forum for the thread title. But it's unfortunately relevant.
So this post may seem a little like sour grapes, and maybe that's there to an extent. But there's also a valid point to be made, so you'll have to forgive me my moment of weakness.
Now over the years we've all had this argument raging here and elsewhere about how to achieve success. Indie versus trade. How to get an agent / a publisher. How if youdon't it's always because your writing isn't good enough. Too much telling, not enough showing. Passive versus active voice etc etc. Honestly the arguments have simply gone on and on.
And through it all one word has for me been paramount. Luck. Now a lot of us argue that luck is a minor player in this game. That if only you work hard and study etc you will succeed. And that those who succeed have done so purely because of their own efforts etc. You all know my opinion on this paradigm. Luck is the biggest player in the game, whether you're trying to get an agent / publisher, or whether you're an indie trying to get readers.
Mostly the arguments have been looking at the negatives of the industry. How the odds are stacked against the authors. Though of course there have also been the head scratching comments about how certain books - eg Fifty Shades - have made it into the stratosphere.
Well here's a new success story. And just to be clear, it's not my book, has nothing to do with me, and I am not promoting it in any way. Hell I'm not even providing a link. You can all google it for yourselves.
2287 A.D. A Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Fantasy
This book crossed my screen on Facebook yesterday as an indie work that has sold a hundred thousand copies having only been published in June, and considering the rankings and numbers of reviews I tend to accept those numbers.
What I find difficult to understand is the how. Look I don't want to bag other authors - another reason I haven't provided a link - but there is an excerpt provided from the first chapter, and to me it shows the need for a damned good editor - not a proof reader to be clear. There are all sorts of issues in the writing, and the number one issue is that it's so frenetic that it almost doesn't make sense in places. It has absolutely no fill. No doubt those of you who read this and check it out, will have your own views.
Which leaves me with the obvious question. If the books not good - and to be fair I haven't read it and so am only working with the excerpt / look inside etc - what is it that has made this book a success? Because the writing certainly didn't grab me. Is it timing? Marketing? Pricing? The bought and paid for reviews? Or the babe factor on the cover? (Apologies to female members of this forum but if you look at the cover you'll understand.) I know I have my theories. You will no doubt all have your own.
But my point is this. As you go back to your computers and start typing away at your masterworks, agonising over your latest rejection letters - or lack of, pulling out your hair and asking yourself for the gazillionth time - why is my book not good enough? Why not think to yourself, maybe it is good enough. Maybe, this is more of a crap shoot than I want to admit. Maybe my book only has to reach a certain standard - (a standard which just recently I have started to think might be lower than I personally realised) - and after that it's time to think about covers, pricing and marketing instead of wasting my time trying to get an agent.
Maybe it's time to just give up and get a sexy babe cover! (More apologies to female forum members!)
Cheers, Greg.
. (Although I'm sure it's already been done.)
