A Bit of Authorial Brag

From time to time, Google Alerts pings me with a mention from the internet. Often, it's an article I've posted here on my blog. Today, however, a used book store described me thus:

Deborah J. Ross is an American author best known for her work in fantasy and science fiction. She has written numerous novels and short stories, often exploring themes of gender, social justice, and environmental issues. Ross is also known for her contributions to the "Darkover" series, which she continued after the original author, Marion Zimmer Bradley, passed away. Her style incorporates deep character development and intricate world-building. In addition to fiction, Ross has written non-fiction essays and articles on writing, and the craft of speculative fiction. She has served as a secretary and board member for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

I am chuffed, indeed.

How to Succeed as a Writer in 2015

As the year begins, I — like many, many writers — contemplate what I can do to further my career.

This applies whether we are traditionally published or self-published, or hybrids, partaking of both worlds. Publishers aren’t doing much in the way of promotion except for their biggest sellers, which leaves out most of us. More and more, traditionally published authors must do the same sorts of publicity as those who are going it alone. We are the ones to set up bookstore signings, place ads, plan blog hops, execute campaigns on social media, offer book giveaways, etc.

Success all boils down to having a product to sell, and in this case it’s the best books we can write. Tell a whopping good story in clear, accessible prose. But that’s not sufficient in itself. Many, many wonderful books fail to garner a readership (and many talented writers find themselves without a publisher because their sales are lousy). This is so unfair, I could weep.

The challenge is connecting those “best books” with readers who will adore them. We can’t count on readers wandering into a cozy local independent bookstore, where they will see our latest proudly displayed on the “New And Recommended” shelf. The internet is flooded with announcements and exhortations to Buy My Book! that readers have become deaf. Self-pimpage becomes not only monotonous but a turn-off. They make many potential buyers (like me) disinclined (to put it mildly) to even take a look at those books.

So if writing a fabulous story isn’t enough and relentlessly publicizing it on every social medium yet devised turns readers off, what else can we do? To answer this, I took a look at what factors do contribute to a writer’s success.