I’m going to do something I shouldn’t
Again.
and moan
Again.
There is a book on here that has made over half the sales needed to be printed by inkshares, and it has me concerned. I’m concerned because it is truly awful, from the writing to the story line, even to the title.
I’ll never divulge who I think this is as this would only hurt someone who is trying to make their dream come true.
Except everyone reading this, including perhaps the author of the "truly awful" book in question, will have a theory as to whom it is. It isn’t hard to narrow this down if people are so inclined to do so. And even if those guesses are wrong, there’s a strong likelihood that someone, and maybe more than one someone, IS getting hurt from this.
It’s actually rather unpleasant of me to be so critical, and I was reluctant to say anything.
It IS unpleasant, precisely because you haven’t really been critical at all and haven’t said anything at all to the person whose book you’re publicly trashing. You’re just taking a passive-aggressive potshot that helps absolutely no one. If your concern is for their feelings and not your own, why not reach out and offer some constructive criticism? Why do this instead?
But it did make me wonder about the value of good writing vs good marketing or simply good networking on inkshares.
I’m concerned because I do not have the ability to market or network etc, and fear that even half decent writing, with a good story, simply will not do anywhere near as good as someone with rubbish writing, but good skills networking etc.
I’m pretty sure I’d make 1 sale if I dared put it out there.
You would have made at least that many, because I would have bought a copy based on what I’d read on your project page back in January. I don’t think I’m the only one. But every time I’ve seen you on this site since then, you give off the air that you’re just here slumming it with people who are beneath you while you wait for your publisher to have a change of heart and/or competence. And I honestly wonder, for all your talent, whether you care about your own project as much as some of the "truly awful" writers care about theirs. I’d never say you don’t, because I don’t know you, but this is the impression you leave.
Yes, marketing and networking go a long way on here. I’m lousy at both and hate doing both but I forced myself to deal with my misgivings and figure it all out because I didn’t have a choice if I wanted to make it. And I made it. You can do the same. Exceptions certainly apply, but the good work typically separates itself on here so long as that work’s author is bold enough to audibly stand behind it. But you need to embrace this method of publication and the community it’s created rather than (again, as appearances suggest) regarding it as some second class kindergarten for people who don’t deserve to be published. If you can’t do that, and if you wish to keep rapidly burning bridges instead of building them with the many, many, MANY people in this community who will gladly go to bat for good work, you should just pack up and go somewhere else. The previous pity party bellyaching was merely tiresome, but now it’s getting malicious.
So I got this weird sort of communique this morning from RAMSES and thought I would pass it along:
I posted the first 3 episodes of my book, which are around 10K words each, during the contest I participated in. I think the majority of readers read the first episode, at the very most; I’m glad I have that much posted, but I’m also glad I didn’t spam my followers’ inboxes with 30 small chunks of writing. I also really don’t expect anyone to read all of it - but it’s there if someone wants it.
The absolute most important thing, I think, is that the first thousand words you post are very strong - as cleanly edited as you can make them, strong voice, a decent introduction into the writing style people should expect to get from your book, etc. Most people won’t read more than that, and it needs to be good. It should be enough for readers to have confidence that giving you their money will result in getting something decent in return.