Being a new author necessitates all manner of begging

I have had the laziest of weekends! Thursday was crazed, as any holiday is to someone with a family as big as mine! But, since then, I have done little else but loaf around, eat leftovers, dabble in some writing, watch movies, and sleep. Such a lazy long weekend was very long overdue.

But, alas, I am up early this morning working on book stuff. For those of you unfamiliar, making a book (particularly your first) successful is a ton of work! "Success" in this case really comes down to building name recognition for myself outside of those who already know my name. That way, when book #2 comes out, you're starting from a better position to get that one out... and so on until one day, I am a well-known, professional writer and have the amazing opportunity to focus more on what I love.

Nonetheless, as a new author of one book who's only true following at the moment is friends and family, I must resort to all manner of begging, compliment fishing, and general egregious ego boosting! It's an odd feeling and activity for me.

Here's the interesting part of the social media age-- your words are more important than the creator of any product. Think about it-- if you're buying a new product is it the product description that sells you, or the customer feedback? This is especially true of books. In particular Amazon reviews, but also posts on Facebook, blog comments, and even endorsements to friends, carry an amazing amount of weight and are instrumental in the success of a book.

I have a sudden new appreciation for authors working today who live and die by those reviews. There are hundreds if not thousands of compatriates out there in exactly the same boat I am in-- with a work they are passionate about trying to create a name for themselves. But you are one title, one voice in a sea of billions and billions of other voices trying really hard to be heard. It's a fulfilling, wonderful, and exhausting pursuit!

Since I've been poking around figuring out venues for promoting my book, I've noticed how crucial this is to all authors. And so, this is my post to encourage all of you to review books! For all of you avid readers, when you read something that moves you, post a review to Amazon. Mention it on Facebook. Blog about it. Your voice is crucial to a community of authors, and to readers. Your reviews will help readers distinguish which books will move them.

Of course, reviews of my work are always welcome, but I promise you that I encourage this on more of a global scale. The internet has given us all a voice, and I think its critical to the advancement of our art that we use it!