I almost weaseled out of writing a blog post this week, because I’ve been so insanely busy.
The strange thing is what I’ve been busy with. Since my book came out on the fifth, I’ve been hitting blogs and tweetting and attempting to promote it. So far I’ve been on http://www.ilona-andrews.com/2010/01/04/3318/ and on http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/01/07/the-big-idea-sarah-a-hoyt/
I am also in touch with various review sites, and a few other blogs that I’ll be making appearances in over the next three weeks (I’ll try to announce here, each week.) I am, in fact doing a blog tour. (Book your appearance now, no blog too large, few blogs too small. Bar mitzvahs and first communions. A Sarah A. Hoyt appearance is fun for the whole family.)
I have done a reading which is on mp3: http://darkshipthieves.com/audio/darkship1-2.mp3
There is one short story in the universe of DST already up on Evolutions and there will be a few more this month: http://darwinsevolutions.com/wordpress/?page_id=94
In addition I’m tweeting with Baen – Baen Books – this week as well as, of course, on my own twitter account (Sarahahoyt.)
So, will all of this mean anything? I don’t know. I know I could no longer stand by and let things take their course, which inevitably means no one hears about me and the books fail not because they’re bad but because no one knows they exist.
I’m horribly frustrated because I’d rather be writing, but because I’m frustrated, I’m also putting as much push as I can behind this – I’d rather only have to do this two or three times and not forever.
We might be about to find out what happens when the irresistible force meets the immovable object. More likely we’ll find out that when it comes to storming the castle of publishing I have "not a chance."
So, what do you think, have I finally gone insane? Throw me what you have: suggestions, comments, usable underwear and shoes not too well aimed.
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28 comments:
I have, of course, been following you everywhere on this blog tour. I'm quite enjoying it. I did have a random thought this morning though. Do you suppose it's possible for you to put out some editorials on some of the major news sites?
Oh, and Larry Correia seems to get a reasonable amount of traffic on his blog. Maybe you can convince him to do a review?
Chris,
I don't think I can do editorials on major news sites. They pay people for that. Unless I am failing to get it.
As for Larry... you could poke him on my behalf! Tell him I said "Portuguese ancestry uber allas" -- which is garanteed to make him run screaming into the night. ;) (I like Larry, but he was last heard of reading DST, and I hate to push people.)
If it helps, I read your post on Ilona Andrews's blog, and it got me interested enough to look into your book and put it on my next book shop list.
So it's not a completely wasted effort. I can see where it'd be kind of annoying to have to do, though. My sympathies. Writing is much more fun.
Sarah, you left out one. You're over at White Peril this morning...
http://whiteperil.com/2010/01/13/the-machineries-of-joy/
Oh, Ellyll, I shouldn't bitch. My hosts have been very gracious, particularly Ilona, and I have been having a bundle of fun. It's just I have this novel with vampires and musketeers ALMOST finished and it's yelling at me.
They do that. ;)
And it was a fairly minor bitch, after all. :)
Vampires and musketeers, huh? * wanders off thoughtfully *
Someone has been watching Princess Bride. :)
Inconceivable!
Good luck with the blog tour, Sarah.
Like you, I wish authors could just write, but if no one hears about your book, no one will buy it.
And there isn't time for it to gather a ground swell of people saying -- Oh, have you read this? -- before it comes off the shelves.
So, I admire your gumption. (Is that a word they use in the US?).
Ellyll, Grief carried D’Artagnan to Paris. Like a tidal wave, swelling from shock to anger it impelled him across the devastated country, riding on lonely roads amid denuded fields.As it receded, it left him sitting on an ornate chair, in the private office of Monsieur de Treville, Captain of the Musketeers.“I don’t know what you heard, in the provinces,” the Captain said. “But France is not England. We are not at war with the vampires. Our king and the Cardinal have signed a truce between them.
Sean,
Not lately... :)
Rowena,
I learned British English, anyway, so I tend to default to it.
Gumption... It would be harder in person. As is, it's sort of okay and even fun because I get to answer comments and such. I tell you what, when your next book comes out, you can come and blog over at my place, and I'm sure we'll find you others...
Okay, that was just evil. ;) Tempting, but very, very evil. * grin *
Sounds like more of a cri de coeur than a yell to me.
Sarah,
Granted this is a suggestion which won't work for DST specifically, BUT...
Baen has a long history of pairing it's writers together to work on projects. Take my history as a Baen reader for example.
I was pushed into reading David Weber by a former co-worker who wouldn't shut up until I bought one of his books, so I read though the Honor Harrington series and then stumbled onto the Prince Roger series, where he teamed with John Ringo. I also started reading the 1632 series, and along with them Eric Flint. I also just started reading Hell's Gate with Linda Evans.
So then I started buying John Ringo and Eric Flint books. I'm gonna get into Linda Evans too, but I need to read DST next, so she'll just have to wait for a minute. I hope she doesn't mind.
And since John Ringo had done book with Doc Travis and Tom Kratman, I started reading their stuff as well.
What I'm suggesting here is that maybe you could try to do the same thing to get your name out there. You write as well as any of them, you just need to let people KNOW how well you write.
As for the current novel my only suggestion would be to talk to your publisher and ask them to see if they can get it listed on the Science Fiction Book Club or something. I was just there looking to see if I could pick up some of your older stuff that I don't have yet in HC and, although they list your name, they don't have anything listed there. I find that more than just a bit annoying, but there's not a whole lot I can do about it. I'm going to buy it, and I'll make sure I mention it to a few friends. I also plan on making my wife read your Three Musketeers stuff so maybe she'll recommend it to some of her friends once she decides that she loves them as much as I know she will.
psst? Are you (or one of the mini-onions) going to keep a list of all the blogs and whatnot? Add it somewhere on the DST page on your website or something? I mean, people might like to take the tour later, right? And it makes a nice travelogue for your memoirs...
Good luck with the tour!
Jim,
Collaborations -- I'm not in principle averse, but I understand the PUBLISHER suggests it. So far none has been suggested for me, other than the book I am contracted to write with Eric. And yeah, that's up -- for writing -- in about a month.
As for the SF Book Club, it doesn't work QUITE like that. It buys the rights to those books it wants to publish as a secondary publisher. Death of A Musketeer sold to the Mystery Book Club, but the SF Book Club has never had any interest in my work. (Shrug.)
Ellyl...that wasn't cruel. THIS is cruel:(Athos)He looked like the angel guarding the entrance to a ruined Cathedral, beautiful, noble and hopeless. The mass of hair tumbled down his back might as well have been spun out of gold and his flesh resembled the marble out of which such a statue's features might be chiseled: The noble brow, the heavy-lidded eyes, the high, straight nose, the pronounced cheekbones and square chin, and the lips -- full and sensuous, as if hinting at forbidden earthly desires. All of it was too exquisite, too exact, the perfection that no human, born of woman is entitled to.
He also looked cold, unreachable and lost -- and except for still standing on his feet and moving -- as if he'd died waiting for a miracle that had never come.
Thanks for the invitation to blog at your place, Sarah.
We writers need to stick together!
Mike,
I think you'd best ask in the diner...
Clearly I don't have time. Besides, everyone knows how organized I am.
Chris,
Thank you. I need it.
The invitation to blog at my place -- which is not huge, but does have SOME readers -- is open to any member of MGC any time they wish. Heaven knows part of the reason I don't have more readers is that I tend not to update. :-P
Touché. (Seems only appropriate.) * grin *
I am now a broken woman. I beg you, heed the yelling, go ahead and finish this thing so I can have it!
Um, I mean, finish it so that it will stop yelling at you. Of course. That was it. ;)
* sits with head in hands, muttering something about "cruel, cruel world" *
P.S. I really liked "as if he'd died waiting for a miracle that had never come."
LOL. Ellyll, we'll keep you. You're amusing. :)
... and a good sport.
Why, thank you! :)
As Jeeves would say, "I endeavor to give satisfaction." ;)
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