The one thing I’ve noticed about the wacky world of self-publishing is the sense of engagement that rapidly develops between author and audience. This has to happen. The writer can’t afford to be aloof from his or her readership. The buffer zone that an agent and publisher puts in place just isn’t there.
That’s part of the fun of the self-pub game, but it does mean that word-slingers like me have to extricate ourselves from our cocoon and get out and engage with people. As we tend to skew introvert, that’s kind of tricky, and if you’re a shy retiring flower like me, it’s difficult not to feel like some kind of huckster or hawker when all you’re trying to do is make people aware of the worth and value of your work.
With that in mind, let’s get on with the sales pitch.
The first, biggest, most important thing you can do for Untruths is to buy and read the book. Sounds weird to say it, but sometimes simply saying BUY THIS, IT’S GRATE will do the trick. It’s available at Amazon for 99p. If you haven’t got, don’t want or have no need for a Kindle, then you can get it on Smashwords, which will allow you to download in any format you want, including good old HTML and plaintext. In short, if you have a computer, you can download and read Untruths in less than a minute.
If you don’t want to read the book electronically, then rest assured. I’m working hard on a print version* and, if there’s demand, an audiobook. I’m open to suggestions. Would anyone read a graphic novel version? Claymation? Interpretive dance?
If you’ve read and liked the book, then it’s massively helpful if you tell the world. Word of mouth is the best advertising vector there is. It would great if you could spend a couple of minutes giving Untruths a star rating and, if you have the patience, a review on Amazon. After price, drive-by browsers will check the star rating, and a healthy four stars or over is a good sign of kwalitee.
If again, you’re Amazon-averse, but you want to show Untruths some love, then there are options. Smashwords has a review section baked into the book page. And can I point you at the bookworm’s social network site Goodreads? If you’re bibliophilic it’s a great place to hang, make new friends and connect with Facebook and Twitter buddies, and even authors. I’m on there, of course.
Speaking of Facebook, Untruths has a Fan Page which is looking a little unloved at the moment. Although X&HT will always be the primary newshose for Untruths chat and blather, the BookFace page will also have exclusive content, which currently includes the first pic of a fan happily clutching his copy of Untruths.
So there you go. That’s four ways you can help out Untruths, not three. Dammit, I’m a writer, not a mathematician.
*Speaking of which. My first foray into self-published fiction, The Dead Files Vol. 1, is now available as a paperback. Buy one and wave it in front of me and I’ll happily sign the thing. Same goes for Untruths when I pull my finger out.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 