May 25, 2010
Clearly this blogging thing eludes me. I can't shake the idea that an entry deserves a theme, an epiphany, a punch-line, whatever. When I roam the blogosphere I see how outdated and off-base such an attitude is. Apparently this is my outlet for regular (daily? goodness) ramblings on whatever crosses my addled mind So be it, then.
I am wracking my brain at the moment for ideas about novel marketing, specifically Houdini Pie. It's been "out" a little over a month now, and its sales performance is completely opaque to me. I know that Amazon has sold copies, as they've asked for more; I know that I've sold some, and the printer, and the publisher. I know that Kindle copies have sold. And I know that all told it's still a pittance, and that very few people have bought it whom I don't know personally. Trolling the web for strategies I find not only that there are no silver bullets for small-press marketing, but that there aren't even any guns that shoot straight. The ongoing shift to the digital world has left traditional booksellers in feeling like horseshoe blacksmiths must have felt in the days of the Model T--poised on the brink of irrelevancy and extinction. I read that these are "exciting times" in the Business of Words. It is exciting, I suppose, for a parachutist when his ripcord fails.
I am directed, by sympathetic friends, to "book blogs." There are hundreds of them. Perhaps thousands. The idea is this: You send your book to a blogger, he/she reads it and gives it a (hopefully) positive review. Blog readers are intrigued and go out and buy the book. Simple. But. Does this happen? I've never read a book slog, and that's not how I choose books to read. I go by friends' recommendations, and on the strength of reviews in publications that simply aren't going to notice Houdini,, and, mostly, I browse bookstores. Which are dying out. So, bookblogs then. Who reads them? WHich ones? Thank god I have a publicist who understands these things. I've been "blogged" a few times, with more on the way. Has it impacted sales? Who knows? And so on.
I played a lot of music this past weekend. Mostly rehearsals, and one dance for the "Seattle Subversive Squaredance Society." This is a loose consortium of squaredance fanatics who gather in private homes for crowded, sweaty, intense dances with no amplification but lots of beer. They're very, very fun. During all my musical interludes I was struck by how much more I "get" the music business that the book business. The common factor seems to be that neither is likely to make me much money.
I'm open to marketing suggestions, advice and cautionary tales. Post as answers so the wondering world can read and learn.
And I'll blog again quite soon. Swear to god.
