The job of the modern novelist is not just writing quality work and handing it off to an agent or publisher, but to learn the art of marketing as well.
There will come a point, if you are extremely lucky, where your readers will take over this job and help to sell your work for you. Once you have reached a certain level of success they will happily tell others about the wonderful new writer that they have found. They will ask any and all that they come in contact with have they read this amazing new book (Calling Vicki, I hope) that they have just finished.
The problem with this is surviving until that time comes. You are going to need to have upwards of a hundred thousand readers for it to hit the autopilot stage. It is rare that the first novel achieves this.
Usually we have to publish half a dozen books before one and we never know which one will catch fire and people will not only tell others about that book, but take a second look at all of your other work.
The second look part of being a published author usually requires us to produce books that fit into the same genre.
There will come a point, if you are extremely lucky, where your readers will take over this job and help to sell your work for you. Once you have reached a certain level of success they will happily tell others about the wonderful new writer that they have found. They will ask any and all that they come in contact with have they read this amazing new book (Calling Vicki, I hope) that they have just finished.
The problem with this is surviving until that time comes. You are going to need to have upwards of a hundred thousand readers for it to hit the autopilot stage. It is rare that the first novel achieves this.
Usually we have to publish half a dozen books before one and we never know which one will catch fire and people will not only tell others about that book, but take a second look at all of your other work.
The second look part of being a published author usually requires us to produce books that fit into the same genre.
