Amazon, me and my writing
So, I took a hiatus to writing and I think it was a helpful exercise. I am still learning to play guitar and violin but I have decided not to quit writing. Why?
If I have learned anything from the Amazon contest, it would be this:
1. I don’t care what people think of my writing, especially the type of reviewers that participated in the Amazon contest as a judge.
2. Trying to identify the quality of a book and the storyline by reading 3000 words out of 50,000 words is dumb. I understand the need to make the selection process a little more streamline so they don’t spend a year reading books trying to decide a winner, but it still doesn’t work.
3. The caliber of reviewers went from very good and constructive to useless, denigrating, and likely a failed writer with a chip on his of her shoulder.
4. Literary contests are not my thing and I knew that before I entered. I continue to do the same thing and expect a different result. I must be insane entering these contests.
5. I write for my own fulfillment and not to impress publishing industry executives, although if they are impressed I wouldn’t complain. Hmm so what does that make me? The book industry is in bad shape and self-publishing with a worldwide audience is much more appealing to me at this point of the game. I continue to write with the idea that good things could happen.
I must admit that I love having 100% control of my work. I make all of my own cover designs and write stories that are important to me all the while collect 70% royalties. I don’t get a large upfront royalty cheque but I don’t need it to live.
Writing is all about marketing and right now, I do more marketing for myself than any publishing company did in the past. I make my own videos, get press releases written and sent out I even have my own author page at Amazon.
Kindle is the best thing to happen to the publishing industry—maybe not publishers specifically but definitely for authors. All of my books are on Kindle and they sell better than paperback. I now own a kindle.
