Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Writers Diversify!

As an author in today’s changing publishing industry, its time to up your game and diversify as the way of the future. In the past an author would go about getting a Literary Agent, then hope their agent can sell their one book to an editor at a large or small publishing house and then their book is birthed to the world. After that, they hoped to garner a contract for additional works through the same agent and publisher.

HOW TO DIVERSIFY

Consider what you plan to write. What genres you are writing? Can you create some short story fiction to keep your readers engaged? Then write to build your platform.

Plan for more than one release....mix these up

Series:
If you are working on a series, don’t finish the series until you sell book one in that series. Instead for your second book, start a new series or create some short stories that can be sold independently.

Stand Alone
Creation of a stand alone without having additional works in queu can mean that after your book’s initial launch and post promotion period, your readers zest for your work has grown cold. Consider having other works that can be coupled with your stand alone like bonus materials, follow-on stories, or other items that give you a reason to entice readers and keep your work alive.

Serialized Series
This is a great new emerging market now that ebooks are well accepted and purchased nowadays. Planning this within your scheduled yearly releases can also boost readers awareness of you as an author with little time invested in writing a nice short serial sideline story to your novel releases.

Short Stories: This is a great way to keep your releases going without writing longer novels. Also, this can be a way to gently break into a new genre you’ve been wanting to explore.

Examples of ways to keep the wheel turning:

Create 1 novel for the year and two short story fiction works you can get placement in anthologies, publishing as stand alone, or submit to magazines.

Create 2 novels for the year, one a series, the other a stand alone short novel.

Remember, the more product you are producing, the more opportunities you have to sell.

Pursue more than just the traditional route...

Nowadays authors can publishing through an agent, publisher and in addition, publish some works themselves. Evaluate your book and your abilities to see if you can do both, publishing traditionally and non-traditionally. You can fund your publishing using sites like Kickstarter, or publish in ebook only.

Mix Things Up To Stay In Your Readers Good Graces

In the emerging publishing market of today, authors that want to stay above water and keep their visibility to their readers consistent will benefit by offering a variety of works besides just a novel a year. Mixing things up with a short story release, a serialized release and an appearance in a new genre grows your audience and gives you a valid reason to say to your readers, ‘Hey! Remember Me!’

5 comments:

S.A. Larsenッ said...

This is a fantastic post, LM! Great advice. Sharing for you.

ELAdams said...

This is really good advice! I definitely agree with not starting the second book in a series until you've sold the first, as I've made this mistake before!

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Great advice. I do think it's important to have other things in the works at all times...when you're selling, when the book is being released, etc. so there isn't a huge gap for your fans to easily forget about you.

Taxi for Agra said...

I am very happy to discover your post as it will become on top in my collection of favorite blogs to visit.

Shana Norris said...

Great advice! I also think diversifying helps with preventing burnout. Writing a couple of short stories after finishing a big novel can help motivate you to get work done but not feel as overwhelmed to start a whole huge story again.