I am a newly minted author, my first book has just been published. What I am rapidly finding out is that the hard work has just started. I am going to write about the business work of being an author as I, hopefully, find my way into a new career.
This is the link to my Amazon page: amazon.com/author/conorhcarton
The first thing I did was to write a book. I have zero advice on how anyone else should do this. About 18 years ago during a bout of unemployment I decided to write a story as I had the time and it would distract me from my circumstances. I did write it and sent it to an agent, who returned it very promptly with any comment. Being employed again I put it aside and made sporadic unsuccessful attempts to develop it. Finally I had a thought about a better way to start the story, as a science fiction story the whole context has to be set up for the reader. I then continued to write the story on and off for some years before I suddenly realised that I really did want to see if it had any commercial potential. Would anyone who was not me think that there was an audience who would buy the story and would they publish it? I have no interest in self publishing, I wanted to see if the story could interest a publishing company who would see the potential for it to make some money for them and eventually me as well.
I greatly enjoy writing the story, thinking about the cast and the problems, resolving how to move the story forward in an engaging way. If I was the only person ever to read it I would be sorry not devastated. I had a brief flirtation with a publisher who then vanished. I was encouraged to continue in any case and decided that the story really should be a trilogy. I completed the first part and found a list of agents who dealt with science fiction and fantasy, researched how to submit a book to an agent and sent out my submissions.All of them declined me, some with courtesy, some with form answers and some by never replying at all.
I have never been encouraged by the stories of writers who send in a submission and instantly are embraced by agent and publisher. During the numerous times I have been job hunting in my life I have heard stories of people getting multiple job offers, leaving a job and finding a new one the following day, of piping hot job markets, companies desperate for talent. My experience has always been a long hard slog where the key is persistence. Same for finding a publisher.
I teach at a vocational education institute in Abu Dhabi and a fellow teacher just had a science fiction book published and I asked for an introduction. I submitted my story and to my shock and joy it was accepted.
Here I am, a published author with the dawning realisation that the description leaves out some critical elements. What I am is actually a micro business with a single product in search of an audience in a market where there are a very large number of similar micro businesses all chasing the same customers. I am fantastically lucky to have a company doing a chunk of the heavy lifting. My publisher, Next Chapter are working hard to push my book, it still remains that the person with the biggest stake in finding a paying audience for my story is myself. I am confident that if I could get my story to the right people they would buy, read and enjoy it and with a bit of luck they would positively review it which would encourage more people to buy, read, enjoy and review.
I know that I am at the outset of a new career, I need to find and build an audience, write more stories and get more experience with the whole process. Mostly this is really exciting and interesting, I am having to learn a great deal and the challenge is great. It is also overwhelming and frustrating, I know there are things I could and should be doing and I have no idea what they are. In addition having a lunch money budget means I need to be imaginative and creative in using social media. Having no previous experience or interest in social media platforms means that I am doing a lot more shouting and swearing that anything productive.
Thank you for joining me on my journey, I hope you will continue with me as I pursue my dreams.
This is the link to my Amazon page: amazon.com/author/conorhcarton
The first thing I did was to write a book. I have zero advice on how anyone else should do this. About 18 years ago during a bout of unemployment I decided to write a story as I had the time and it would distract me from my circumstances. I did write it and sent it to an agent, who returned it very promptly with any comment. Being employed again I put it aside and made sporadic unsuccessful attempts to develop it. Finally I had a thought about a better way to start the story, as a science fiction story the whole context has to be set up for the reader. I then continued to write the story on and off for some years before I suddenly realised that I really did want to see if it had any commercial potential. Would anyone who was not me think that there was an audience who would buy the story and would they publish it? I have no interest in self publishing, I wanted to see if the story could interest a publishing company who would see the potential for it to make some money for them and eventually me as well.
I greatly enjoy writing the story, thinking about the cast and the problems, resolving how to move the story forward in an engaging way. If I was the only person ever to read it I would be sorry not devastated. I had a brief flirtation with a publisher who then vanished. I was encouraged to continue in any case and decided that the story really should be a trilogy. I completed the first part and found a list of agents who dealt with science fiction and fantasy, researched how to submit a book to an agent and sent out my submissions.All of them declined me, some with courtesy, some with form answers and some by never replying at all.
I have never been encouraged by the stories of writers who send in a submission and instantly are embraced by agent and publisher. During the numerous times I have been job hunting in my life I have heard stories of people getting multiple job offers, leaving a job and finding a new one the following day, of piping hot job markets, companies desperate for talent. My experience has always been a long hard slog where the key is persistence. Same for finding a publisher.
I teach at a vocational education institute in Abu Dhabi and a fellow teacher just had a science fiction book published and I asked for an introduction. I submitted my story and to my shock and joy it was accepted.
Here I am, a published author with the dawning realisation that the description leaves out some critical elements. What I am is actually a micro business with a single product in search of an audience in a market where there are a very large number of similar micro businesses all chasing the same customers. I am fantastically lucky to have a company doing a chunk of the heavy lifting. My publisher, Next Chapter are working hard to push my book, it still remains that the person with the biggest stake in finding a paying audience for my story is myself. I am confident that if I could get my story to the right people they would buy, read and enjoy it and with a bit of luck they would positively review it which would encourage more people to buy, read, enjoy and review.
I know that I am at the outset of a new career, I need to find and build an audience, write more stories and get more experience with the whole process. Mostly this is really exciting and interesting, I am having to learn a great deal and the challenge is great. It is also overwhelming and frustrating, I know there are things I could and should be doing and I have no idea what they are. In addition having a lunch money budget means I need to be imaginative and creative in using social media. Having no previous experience or interest in social media platforms means that I am doing a lot more shouting and swearing that anything productive.
Thank you for joining me on my journey, I hope you will continue with me as I pursue my dreams.
