Book Marketing (Fiction)

May I say that marketing my novel has been a harrowing experience - a bone-chilling, stomach-upsetting, and headache-inducing venture? Even worse, it takes time away from writing. Probably many writers today feel this way (maybe not so strongly). 

Sure, I would prefer to live in the world of my imagination than in the realm of social media, marketing research, and things like blog tours. (Remember when the word Blog would have just been confused with The Blob? Not that I'm really that old - just feels like it today.)

Worse than that: did you know that non-fiction is published (traditionally) at a far greater rate than fiction? Why? Strategic non-fiction sells, so publishing houses are taking less risk with it than they would be with fiction. 

Of course, when fiction hits, it hits big and keeps hitting. Contemporary (American) society is so brand-oriented, that once established, an author may even put his/her name to someone else's writing and keep selling.

To get to my point: people read non-fiction because they want to walk away feeling smarter than they felt before they read the book.

This is ironic because storytelling as a means to educate is in our genes. It's the way we have, as a species, learned to cope with the riddles of life, pass on our principles, and make way to create a more cohesive society. 

Reading well crafted fiction provides a means to learn new things, foster empathy, and create archetypes, which then may affect our subconscious minds and help us grow into something much grander than what we are. 

Over the course of my series The Search for Intelligent Life on Earth, I propose a more meaningful approach to the very transitory nature of life on our planet, a more spiritual version of what love and human relationships can be, and a more adult (or emotionally mature) interaction between lovers. 

In other words, my desire through this series is to provide a new interpretation of who we are.

And, yet, lofty ideals aside, I am left with the need to market. I am an "unbranded" writer, so readers are also wary to take a risk. There are so many books out there these days, you could lock yourself in the proverbial broom closet (equipped with a recliner and reading lamp) and spend the rest of your life reading - and still make little headway. 

I don't have the answers when it comes to this particular riddle, but I hope that my writing will stand the test of time, that my characters will embed themselves in the minds of my readers, and that the lives of others will be enhanced by my stories. 

Comments are always welcome. I am available at My Website.