Just starting out is hard. Just starting out and not knowing anyone makes it harder. Just starting out, not knowing anyone, and not being given a chance can be crushing.
As you may be aware, I independently published my first book on amazon.com. So far Iāve had a good start. One five star review, a bunch of copies sold and given away in various formats. Iāve even had a book signing.
Itās the little things that make me foam at the mouth about the whole marketing aspect of being an author. I didnāt study marketing. I donāt know what Iām doing. That much is obvious. So I reach out for help. I looked for help in places I thought would be interested. Like my Alma mater, and my high school. News flash, they werenāt. The most I got was silence or a āgood job, buddyā. I didnāt expect a lot, just a brief line in the alumni magazine. X of class y published his first book. Eight little words. Minimal effort. They have plenty of room in those things to announce weddings.
Now, full disclosure. I wasnāt a student to be brimming with pride over when I went to those schools. I was one of those kids that realized the system itself is flawed and participated enough to advance but knew it didnāt measure anything of actual value to me. College was a little different. I actually enjoyed it. I felt challenged, it wasnāt all about grades, it was about experience.
So I reached out to the alumni relations of both. I know some alumni of my high school and college. Theyāve been trying to help as well. But it seems like to get anywhere you need to have the same things that you normally would need to get your book published the traditional route. Otherwise they donāt seem to care.
You need to know someone. You need to have money. And you need to already be an established author. Basically you need to be a sure thing. You need to not be a risky investment. By nature of being new, youāre automatically risky. If you donāt have these things you need to be extremely lucky.
Thereās one thing I have, and maybe you do too, that they undervalue. Iām not going anywhere. Iām going to keep writing. Iāll finish my second book and publish that on my own if I have to. Iāll keep reaching out to these people. At this point I expect rejection. Thatās fine. Not everyone is going to like everything I write. People are different from one another.
Mainly, none of this is about them. Itās all about the work. The work is its own reward. Iām going to write until I drop dead. Iāll be exploring the human condition through fantasy and Sci fi, and all the various other genres that donāt get enough credit. When Iām done Iāll have a body of work that I can be proud of, even if no one else is.
The thing about that is, I already have reached the point of being proud of my own work. And itās not in the status symbol sort of way. Itās in the way that a creator is proud of something.
For all the new authors out there struggling to find your way Iāve got some good news for you: youāre not alone, be proud of your work. The people not giving you a chance donāt actually matter. You gotta keep giving you a chance. You gotta keep creating.
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