I’m trying to write a novel titled Cut Loose – a dark satire on small-town journalism —and I’m on my second draft. If I ever finish it, I would like to get an agent. However, I realize that would be challenging because I am not a brand name. I’m a retired community journalist who never worked for a big-city newspaper that could have led to book deals. Think Bob Woodward or Thomas Friedman, among others.
The biggest challenge in self-publishing is marketing a book. Self-published writers have to do a lot on their own. They can use social media to promote their books and try to sell them on Amazon.com, then ask friends to plug the books in reader reviews. They can sign copies of their books at bookstores and attend book fairs. One former newspaper reporter apparently used her connections to land a television interview to promote her work about a dystopian future. She uses her Substack blog to promote her literary efforts, and encouraged readers to complete a survey with a chance of winning a signed copy of her maiden novel.
Mostly, sales have not been encouraging. A former newspaper columnist named Carl said he has sold 300 copies of a book in which he discussed his career change in becoming an elementary school teacher. I bought a copy of the book, an easy read that is funny and illuminating. Carl included testimonials from civic leaders he has known over the years. He’s thinking about other means to promote the book.
A former colleague named Linda self-published a book about courtroom drama in Trenton, New Jersey, that includes a reporter being kidnapped and a woman who pays a hitman to have her judge husband killed. It’s fast-moving with plot twists. Unfortunately for her, crime novels are a crowded field. Linda wrote that she has sold a few hundred copies and is “not very good at marketing.”
Another former colleague said he has written several novels while acknowledging sales have been dismal at best. Jim attended a book signing at a Barnes & Noble but sold only two copies.
Some aspiring writers are trying less conventional approaches. One of them caught my eye by wearing a paper bag over his head with the message, in all capital letters, “Wanna Buy A Real Dumb Book?” He was sitting on a bench at the Yavapai County
Courthouse Plaza in Prescott, Arizona. I likely would have walked by if he did not cover his head. He reminded me of the Unknown Comic, whose real name was Murray Langston, from the 1970s.
The author of Hopped Up, who used the nom de plume DJ Neon Jay Stick, displayed copies of the novel, which contained crude cover artwork of his own making. He used one word to describe his book: “raunchy.” He did not want me to use his real name but showed me his military ID card to confirm he served in the Navy. At 26, he said he was applying for disability that is service-related. He gave me permission to post a photo of him on Facebook and Twitter, where he has received 32 views and one heart “like.” I offered to sit down with him to discuss his literary ambitions and other plans. However, he did not respond to an email or voice message, so he missed an opportunity for 15 minutes of fame—or shame. Hopped Up is available on Kindle and Amazon.com.
Another aspiring writer tried a more dignified approach. Brian Scura set up a table at the plaza on Saturdays to do “research” for his forthcoming book of true stories My Life Behind Bars. He asked passers-by to read an excerpt in booklet form and on that basis decide whether to read an entire chapter — or even more. I read a chapter titled “Scared Straight Tickets to Hell,” about being taken to jail during his teens for unpaid traffic tickets. He has a breezy, conversational writing style.
Scura declined to be interviewed for this blog, but said he was honored that I asked him. You can Google him to find out more about his background.
My initial take is My Life Behind Bars would appeal to readers who like inspirational stories. I could picture Scura speaking at a banquet of a small-town chamber of commerce.
I did not get to have a quick read of Hopped Up, but I envision its raunchy content finding a potential audience among single guys under age 25. I have no desire to read a “dumb” book—unless it is funny. After reading a few pages before bedtime, I’d get bored and be ready to hit the sack.