Three months have passed since the debut of Shadows of Kings. Not only was this the first look at the Dragon Rising
series, but my debut as an author. So, the rookie took his swing…sometimes
trying to get the base hit, and on occasion – swinging for the fences. There
have been both quantitative and qualitative victories – the latter dealing more
with the overall experience itself than anything else. But one thing is
certain, the journey has been priceless.
When I last visited Murderby4, the article I shared dealt
with the love of writing and the discipline involved when taking on this
endeavor. This time, I wish to share some of my experiences – all of which deal
with reaching out. Most are positive, but to keep it real, I have to include
the bad.
Bloggers
This group is priceless. As a debut author, they were and
remain my launch pad. I can’t say
enough about bloggers. There are too many to name and what they offer for
writers is wondrous variety. Some offer spotlights, others do reviews, and some
offer both. What you get is exposure from their loyal readers at an inexpensive
cost. (Cost is generally associated with blog tour coordinators, but otherwise,
it’s free.) And at times, there is wonderful feedback in the commentary
sections of their sites. The downside…some sites receive little to no traffic,
but once again…the price is generally free.
Live Interviews
My experience with interviews has been solely on Blog Talk
and other Internet recordings. I have to say… this is a fantastic medium to get
the word out. When I did my first interview, it was a thrill to hear someone
else mention Shadows of Kings. I never fall short of mentioning my book to
others, but when someone else addresses your book and asks questions about the
content, you are filled with an affirmation that your work is out there and
ALIVE! I have no downside or bad experiences when it comes to this medium.
Regardless of the number of listeners, talking about your book in an interview
is another way to build experience for public speaking – the next medium on the
list.
Public speaking –
Signings/Speeches
This is a powerful medium. Thus far, I have had the pleasure
of two signings and one keynote speech. There is nothing as gratifying as
reaching out to people in a public forum. Hearing what people have to say about
Shadows
of Kings and answering their inquiries humanizes the writing process,
which is generally a solitary endeavor until release. Though the occasions for
public forums are not as numerous as Internet visits, I cannot deny the impact.
People see you and you see them. It’s personal and priceless.
Social Media
Twitter: I have
found that Twitter is resourceful for finding and/or creating a community of
authors. Now for the hard love: At the time of writing this article, I
had 968 followers. Out of that bucket, I have developed wonderful relationships
with 5% of them. The rest of the 95% neither equated to sales nor friendships.
Facebook: To express how I feel about Facebook I’m going to simply
defer to J.R.R Tolkien:
“I know half of you as much as I
like, and like half of you more than you deserve” – Bilbo Baggins (Fellowship
of the Ring)
I could go on and on about the
various social sites, but I can sense the Murderby4
hook coming, so I’m keeping this article reasonably short.
So…from a debut author to all
existing and aspiring authors - thanks so much…and keep writing.
Oceans of Love,
Jack Whitsel
***
Bio:
Jack
is a native Californian, but has made Oregon his home since 1982. He
holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Finance from Portland State University, but
studies medieval history in his spare time. His favorite genres are fantasy and historical fiction with a medieval emphasis. Shadows of Kings, the first novel of the Dragon Rising Series is the love child born of these two passions.
“I love the elements of
fantasy when mixed with the gritty aspects of a medieval society. In the
worlds I create, there are neither citadels of shimmering glass nor any
utopian realms.” The final contributing catalyst to Jack’s creative process comes from his two sons, Josiah and Noah. They remind him how important an active imagination can be, and are the first to hear his tales of diabolical wizards and valiant knights.
“Because of my boys, I still believe in Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy.”
1 comment:
hi Jack! thanks for posting with us... really, what did we do before there was Twitter and Facebook???
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