Getting Noticed

David's got a point.

After spending the last hour clicking on blog links via McLinky that cater to novelists, I came across one post that managed to capture my interest. Well, three actually, out of about twenty-one total clicks.

Not to say that the other nineteen were uninspiring, because not only have I increased my awareness of the vast number of people in the world who aspire to write, I've also come across some like me who are romance writers and enjoy blogging about the process.

This particular post encourages us authors to offer up a copy of a published work, to be read by others and then reviewed.

The response was immediate but dismal, and there were more comments than takers, but a majority of them said it was a terrific idea and one they would really enjoy participating in, except that none of them had the time to read.

When it comes to writers and readers, unless you are a seasoned author with a solid fan-base, the chances of getting noticed (much less read) are slim.

It isn't right or fair to blame new marketing strategy or ePubs, either.

If you are old enough to remember the days of browsing the shelves of a real bookstore inside a real mall, or driving to your favorite Mom & Pop place somewhere in time, then you will recall the vast assortment of paperbacks, hardcovers, and a bit later, toys, gadgetry, and even crafts items being sold.

You might also recall the places never being cram-packed with bodies, either. Well, not unless it was Meet the Author night or something that would generate a big crowd.

Back in the day, there were only two areas of a bookstore that I ever spent any amount of time browsing in: romance and history.

In those two sections alone, it was a guarantee you'd find a vast selection of books by just as vast a number of authors.

Yet, when I'd eventually decide what I wanted, it was most often by just one author and with a grand total of one or perhaps two of her novels in my hand for purchase.

Ten years after that fact, I still find myself gravitating toward who and what I prefer, rarely ever stepping out of that comfort zone to venture forth into new and uncharted territory by way of a different genre of novel, much less author.

We can't expect our work to fly off the . . . wait. Let me reword that. We can't expect our work to zoom up the Amazon Best Sellers list if we're not well-known.

What I've begun to accept after learning from other indie authors is that social media awareness and visibility are key to reaching that goal -- and receiving helpful push posts from fellow authors works even better to gain notoriety.

Also, it is best to have more than just one publication available to potential readers who then become stalwart fans of your work.

As for finding enough readers with enough time on their busy hands to actually read our work? Well . . . that remains a writer's conundrum . . . for now, at least.