Writers crave readers. It’s a simple as that.
It is much the same for any artist, though, because without someone to appreciate what you create, the piece serves little purpose.
There are those, however, who try to make a living from writing.
The relatively new trend of self-publishing (from around 2008), which in many cases is provoked by rejection slips from traditional publishers, has made it possible for anyone to write and publish almost anything.
The marketplace for books is now rife with electronic books (e-books) from good and bad authors. Some of those books are also self-published as paperbacks, although the electronic version is usually cheaper.
Those authors wishing to make money from their efforts, have discovered money has to be injected into the endeavour if they want positive results. A paid, professional book cover, even for e-books, is essential for attracting attention. No one wants to buy a book which cries out ‘amateur!’ To double up on the professional cover effect, it is necessary to expose the book in places where readers will be tempted to buy it. That often means paying a book promoter to publicize it on his website. Those sites who have gained the best reputation for book sales after only a day’s exposure, have prices which reflect the high demand. Depending on the genre, the cost is often prohibitive for a lot of smaller writers. No matter if one is willing to spend the money, there is no guarantee they will be accepted. Sometimes an author needs a certain number of reviews (this might be twenty or more) giving an average of at least four stars. The more professional a promoter becomes, the more selective he can be.
This brings me to the astronomical number of authors who claim to be New York Times Best Selling Authors to boost their sales. Are there really that many out there? I’m convinced that in some cases, the claim is unmerited, but who is going to check?
So, for us authors who write because we’re passionate about telling those stories which occupy our minds, money is only a serendipitous by-product. Quite often, our stories are free, because it all comes back to that basic need to have readers like what we write.
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