Thank you! It was so much fun and even this morning I was contemplating much of what we talked about. Actually, when I was walking the dog I left 2 lengthy voice notes that will probably turn into articles for The Writing Cooperative. It’s really good to get the larger perspective. We’re sharing our puzzle pieces and the picture is becoming clear!
I have self-published 4 novels, moved 25k units of those books and still feel like I have no forward momentum. It’s a tricky, nonsensical business. I just do what I do, come what may.
25k units from self-publishing is a huge accomplishment! Have you done active marketing/advertising, or more word of mouth? And yes, momentum might look real from the outside, but from the inside it often feels illusory.
It's mostly marketing and a bit of word-of-mouth. I have tackled rather taboo subjects in my thrillers in uncompromising ways (mass shootings, Epstein-style trafficking, domestic abuse), so I think people are bit timid to recommend them though they are generally well-reviewed by both Kirkus and readership.
Thank you. As you both know, it can often be a massive struggle. It's both Kindle and paperback but mostly Kindle. I've done all of this myself essentially but with essential help and support from a trusted editor-friend, ebooklaunch.com, and Kirkus. I've had great experiences with Kirkus; they've given me the "Get it" recommendation for two of the four books: three in a series; one stand-alone. And even the tepid reviews were informative. I don't mind even scathing reviews. I find it all interesting. I've had nothing but rejection for twenty-five years from every MFA program onward (I'm 47), so getting this far and being able to be legitimately independent is a kind of privilege.
Thank you! I kind of stumbled into that thought while we were in the conversation and it seems like an idea that needs to be explored further. But the fact is that some stories are excluded from publication and I think smart people need to come up with a way to get around that. We give too much power to corporate publishing I think.
This follows Gramsci's theories of power and the control of narrative meaning. I find publishers tend to pick up on the overarching cultural narrative and follow it when they evaluate scripts. This is why platforms like Substack are so important.
Thanks for the great conversation, @Walter Rhein !
Thank you! It was so much fun and even this morning I was contemplating much of what we talked about. Actually, when I was walking the dog I left 2 lengthy voice notes that will probably turn into articles for The Writing Cooperative. It’s really good to get the larger perspective. We’re sharing our puzzle pieces and the picture is becoming clear!
Looking forward to reading that piece whenever you write it!
That would be great! We’ll make it happen.
Hopefully it will be the starting point for another conversation!
I have self-published 4 novels, moved 25k units of those books and still feel like I have no forward momentum. It’s a tricky, nonsensical business. I just do what I do, come what may.
25k units from self-publishing is a huge accomplishment! Have you done active marketing/advertising, or more word of mouth? And yes, momentum might look real from the outside, but from the inside it often feels illusory.
It's mostly marketing and a bit of word-of-mouth. I have tackled rather taboo subjects in my thrillers in uncompromising ways (mass shootings, Epstein-style trafficking, domestic abuse), so I think people are bit timid to recommend them though they are generally well-reviewed by both Kirkus and readership.
That is impressive Jonathan! Is that both kindle and paperback (it's impressive either way)? You've got audio versions too I see. Great work!
Did you have a good experience with Kirkus?
Thank you. As you both know, it can often be a massive struggle. It's both Kindle and paperback but mostly Kindle. I've done all of this myself essentially but with essential help and support from a trusted editor-friend, ebooklaunch.com, and Kirkus. I've had great experiences with Kirkus; they've given me the "Get it" recommendation for two of the four books: three in a series; one stand-alone. And even the tepid reviews were informative. I don't mind even scathing reviews. I find it all interesting. I've had nothing but rejection for twenty-five years from every MFA program onward (I'm 47), so getting this far and being able to be legitimately independent is a kind of privilege.
I'm enjoying these longer interviews that you've been doing lately!
Thanks Sophie!
The de-evolution of quality
Bad screening process. Corporate gatekeepers
Great article from Persuasion about this—
https://open.substack.com/pub/persuasion1/p/the-big-five-publishers-have-killed
The causal Democracy of the Streets
What does News not tell
Controlling the cultural narrative by excluding certain voices. Absolutely!!
Thank you! I kind of stumbled into that thought while we were in the conversation and it seems like an idea that needs to be explored further. But the fact is that some stories are excluded from publication and I think smart people need to come up with a way to get around that. We give too much power to corporate publishing I think.
This follows Gramsci's theories of power and the control of narrative meaning. I find publishers tend to pick up on the overarching cultural narrative and follow it when they evaluate scripts. This is why platforms like Substack are so important.