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50 Little Breaks, 50 Small steps 1/1/2017 8:53:26 PM
2016 brought me at least two satisfying milestones in connection with the fiction I write.
First, I finished the fifth and last novel of a series called "Witnesses" that I'd been working on for 25 years. The series focuses on warfare and the aftermath of war and includes parts of America's story from the 17th century to a hypothetical future 300 years from now. It emphasizes the courage and persistence of ordinary people in times of crisis they didn't create.
The main characters -- heroes, in a sense -- aren't skilled warriors or great leaders but people who pass successfully, most of the time, through rough days, reflect on what they've experienced, and share their conclusions with others. I believe this series is unique, something no one has attempted before, and though nothing made by humans is perfect, I'm pretty much satisfied with the result. I'm hoping to find readers who'll share the adventure with me. More information is available on my website: rfrenchnovelist.com.
The second milestone is that all 13 of my novels and one collection of prose sketches about romance are now available on paperback from Amazon's CreateSpace.
I was reluctant to take on this project until I discovered training and a template on an English website called 5 Minute Publishing run by Wesley Atkins. What's more, though I'm shy when it comes to new-for-me internet procedures, I found CreateSpace's program easy to work with. They answered questions I had at the start promptly and clearly. Their system worked smoothly and consistently and accomplished what they promised.
Another plus was that Zack Pospieszynski was able to rework covers he designed for 14 ebooks into covers for paperbacks without any trouble.
Again, more information is available on my website: rfrenchnovelist.com.
I now have what I consider a good array of internet tools. That's not a stopping point, though. I need to look ahead to marketing, promotion, the sales angle. Plenty of advice -- courses, podcasts, blogs, webinars -- is easy to find on the internet. I have folder almost bursting with notes and printouts. As I develop a marketing plan, I keep a few things in mind:
Since my novels are literary fiction and my work is mostly done, I can't copy the sales methods of mid-career authors of thrillers and romances, which are popular now. Nor can I expect the results that some of them achieve. Confident that my work is good, however, I can persist till I find readers who would like to spend time with what I've created. How to do that? A big part of the challenge.
I've read that it's good to have a goal you can put into words and that can be measured.
Here's a watchword I like: I once saw part of a video somebody shot at a Hollywood party. The actor Walter Matthau asked an aspiring youngster how his career was going. The young actor said he was still waiting for his big break. Matthau said that the key wasn't one big break but 50 little breaks.
Very good. Similar advice goes this way: divide a large project into small steps, maybe as many as fifty. And keep on going. Anyone can do that.
With a high mountain to climb, it makes sense to go step by step, not rushing, not giving up, making adroit moves, not necessarily complicated ones.
Also, make a plan and stick to it. Building on what I have now, I set this as my goal for the start of the new year -- a week away. I'll surely come up with something, if I say I'll make a report in this blog by Jan 2. Some readers may be interested and even find my plan-to-be useful in their own work.
So that's what I'm looking at now. I wish everyone who reads this post a Happy New Year.
