“Why did you become a writer?”
The answer to that question is often some variation on “to tell my stories,” or “to get my stories in front of people.”
With me, it’s no different. I get my stories in front of people in a variety of ways. Naturally, one of those ways is the old-fashioned dead-tree book, but I also put them out via Patreon, my two Substacks, podcasts, short story markets, and e-books.
Of all of the ways I have to distribute my stories, the one which has been, for me, the most meaningful technique is selling one of my paperbacks to someone in person. A close second would be the long-distance version, selling a book to someone and mailing it to them.
Why is that?
It’s certainly not the money. Percentage-wise, I make less from those sorts of sales. It’s expensive to do an event when you take into account travel expenses, booth fees, and other overhead. Even selling a paperback to a person via the mail has its own packaging and shipping expenses. I still make a profit, hopefully, but that’s not the driver.
No, it’s that individual connection I make with the potential reader. I’ve talked to you, the reader, about my book. I’ve told you what it’s about. I’ve sold you on it.
I have a fond memory of one comic book convention where I had a reader buy a copy of each of the books I’ve brought with me. I’m sure I looked shocked, and she just said that I’d done a good job of selling my stories to her.
I’m passionate about my stories. I hope that comes across when I talk about them. I’m sure when I have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with a reader, it does.
When that connection happens and they get as excited about reading my stories as I am, I get excited that the reader has a physical copy of my story in their lives. I know, in my case, that having the physical book is a memento of the stories I enjoy.
Selling my stories directly to you (YES YOU) makes memories for both of us, and that means the world to me.
With all of that said: ask me anything you’d like about my books. I want you to be excited about them!
Sound off in the comments with questions, or tell me what kinds of books you like to read, with my thanks.
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