Comments on: Heads and Tails and Book Sales http://www.mysterybookspot.com/sandra/?p=896 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:38:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Sandra http://www.mysterybookspot.com/sandra/?p=896#comment-10438 Sandra Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:41:24 +0000 http://www.mysterybookspot.com/sandra/?p=896#comment-10438 And in part, I think the internet runs counter to encouraging authors to take the long-term view. We see more and more writers posting unpublished material at least in part for the instant gratification of getting compliments via the blogs. E-mails from readers, comments on forums from fans. Too much time spent looking for validation instead of focusing on craft and what's really important. I have no idea how sales are going, other than the fact that my editor is asking after the next book. I take that as a good sign and haven't lost a single moment's sleep over trying to find out more details. Eyes forward, focus on the next book. And in part, I think the internet runs counter to encouraging authors to take the long-term view. We see more and more writers posting unpublished material at least in part for the instant gratification of getting compliments via the blogs. E-mails from readers, comments on forums from fans. Too much time spent looking for validation instead of focusing on craft and what’s really important.

I have no idea how sales are going, other than the fact that my editor is asking after the next book. I take that as a good sign and haven’t lost a single moment’s sleep over trying to find out more details. Eyes forward, focus on the next book.

]]> By: Babara Fister http://www.mysterybookspot.com/sandra/?p=896#comment-10437 Babara Fister Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:23:47 +0000 http://www.mysterybookspot.com/sandra/?p=896#comment-10437 Thanks for the props, Sandra! On a discussion list Jim Huang made an interesting point about the articles. He thinks there's a lot of potential in the long tail concept, and he thought the HBR article was flawed in its methodology - using percentages just doesn't work. But to realize the potential of the long tail, publishers need to totally rethink how to approach marketing. It's not about creating bestsellers. Unfortunately, a lot of authors define their own success, their own identities that way, and that's partly why things are so confused. All of us - not just publishers - have lots of rethinking to do if we're going to have the kind of diversity that the long tail concept celebrates and that it enables. Thanks for the props, Sandra!

On a discussion list Jim Huang made an interesting point about the articles. He thinks there’s a lot of potential in the long tail concept, and he thought the HBR article was flawed in its methodology - using percentages just doesn’t work. But to realize the potential of the long tail, publishers need to totally rethink how to approach marketing. It’s not about creating bestsellers.

Unfortunately, a lot of authors define their own success, their own identities that way, and that’s partly why things are so confused. All of us - not just publishers - have lots of rethinking to do if we’re going to have the kind of diversity that the long tail concept celebrates and that it enables.

]]>