I’m not. Far from it.
Every time I hear of another writer who sold a million ebooks on Kindle, I look to see how he or she did it, because I wonder why them and not me?
Here’s what I’ve learned. Kindle Millionaires Stieg Larsson, Michael Connelly, Nora Roberts, James Patterson, Charlaine Harris, Lee Child, Suzanne Collins, and John Locke have a few things in common.
Common Elements
1. They write in very popular genres that have a huge audience — sci/fi, horror, fantasy, thriller. None of them writes Westerns, historical fiction, or literary fiction.
2. They are already big or biggish names. Books by the late Stieg Larsson, Nora Roberts, James Patterson, and Michael Connelly are often the first books a book buyer will see on walking into a bookstore.
3. Most have been writing for a number of years, perhaps two or three decades.
4. During this time, they have written a lot of books. A few have more than 10 books available on Kindle. All these books come from their extensive backlist, to which they hold the rights. Their publishers helped them build their reputations, and they made money for the publishers. But not being gifted with foresight, the publishers failed to acquire ebook rights. Who knew in 1990 that ebooks would be the hot thing in 2011? Shucks, how many people knew that before the Kindle came out?
John Locke is a notable exception. He is a self-published author of ten novels — crime fiction and mock Westerns. All are priced at $.99.
4. Locke is a very savvy marketer, as is everyone else in the Kindle Millionaires Club. Or else they have market-savvy corporations behind them. They have inviting websites. Some of them blog, and are on Twitter and Facebook.
Locke has the attitude that if he can do it, you and I can be Kindle millionaires, too. He even wrote a Kindle book to tell how he did it. J. A. Konrath and Barry Eisler also say that if they can sell their books in the mega-numbers, you and I can do it.
Why I’m Not a Kindle Millionaire
I believe them up to a point. Beyond that, I’m skeptical of their assumption that anyone can sell a million books — on Kindle or any other medium. Here’s why I probably won’t be among Kindle Millionaires.
1. I write what I must. That means writing about the courageous people who made tough choices to survive and build a life in the West. Especially in Montana. Currently, I write about the Vigilantes of Montana, who tracked down the unknown murderers and robbers making gold seekers’ lives hell.
2. I do imagine a target audience who might like my books, but I don’t pander to anyone’s tastes. In general, my books appeal to people who are interested in law and order, Western history, and Montana history specifically.
3. My niche, therefore, is relatively small. At least it is so far. But I’ve only been a novelist for 3 years, and I’m working on my third novel.
4. As a self-publisher, I do nearly everything myself. For God’s Thunderbolt: The Vigilantes of Montana, I had the fine help of the CreateSpace people, especially my rep, Whitney Parks. For Gold Under Ice, Craig Lancaster of Missouri Breaks Press was marvelous. (You should really read his amazing novels, too.)
5. Doing it myself is a lot of work, but it’s work I love. Not as much as writing, but it’s interesting and lets me meet people throughout the country and the world.
6. I haven’t priced my books at $.99 because I think they’re worth more. If someone spends $7.99 to buy a book I’ve written, it’ll be the best I can do.
7. Doing my best takes time. I wish I were a faster writer, but I’m not. If I can keep writing for another 20 years, at my current rate I’ll have 10 books on Kindle — or whatever next generation device will exist then. That’s the equivalent output from John Locke.
So I won’t be a Kindle Millionaire. I can live with that if I have my readers’ respect. And maybe even some love.
I remember when we had two TV stations at my house. Still there was almost always something to watch. Now I have over a 100 and there is never anything on that I want to see. It seems like books have the same problem. The market is flooded with new authors, so much so that I’m afraid today Twain, Melville or even Hemingway would never get a look if they were just starting out. I go to the book stores and browse, but I put most of the books down, including the best sellers.
Someone came to our critique group and invited some of us to a nearby writers conference for free. I don’t make millions selling eBooks either. I couldn’t afford to go if it wasn’t gratis. The conference is about writing for the market. I wonder, is that the same market that is full of books I put down in the book stores? I suppose it is. I’ll go. I’ll ask questions. I’ll learn. I just hope I learn that there is a small hole for me in this huge market of writers.
Like you I don’t care about making millions. But after all the time, energy and sweat I’ve put into my writing, I do want want someone to read it.
John
The hardest thing for authors — self-publishers or not — on the Internet is to be heard above the “noise” of millions of others clamoring for attention. A musician friend tells me it’s the same for musicians to get themselves heard, but word of mouth works. It all takes time, hard work, and patience. In the meantime, John, it can be very frustrating and lots of writers give up. My advice to you? Don’t give up. Never.
I can’t believe I didn’t see this comment when it first went up. Sorry not to reply immediately.
A lot of people channel-surf in the vain hope of finding something to watch. Even cooking shows don’t show anyone how to prepare a meal, or cook anything.
Perhaps some of the root problem with publishing is that people want to write but they don’t think they have to put in any work to be a writer, learning grammar, punctuation, the art of storytelling, and structure. What if I were to say I build houses when I barely know how to hold a hammer and I’m about as likely to hit my thumb as not? Writers have tools, too, which too many people don’t think are important. They are important, though. Very.
Thank you for the kind mention, Carol. I’d still contend that you did almost everything with “Gold Under Ice,” including the most important thing: You wrote it.
I’m like you: I read Locke and Konrath and Eisler and try to glean information from them that I can apply to my own situation. They’re clearly good at what they do and successful by any measure. But I don’t necessarily believe I can mimic them and achieve the same results.
Just as an example: Konrath writes some really horrid books. This is an artistic judgment, not one of taste. Clearly, he manages to sell a lot of them — many, many thousands more than I’ve sold, or probably will ever sell. That’s to be respected, as far as it goes. But I could not, in good conscience, write that way just to ensure that more people read my words.
Like you, I write what I’m compelled to write, when I’m compelled to write it. I size up its worthiness. I ask people I trust, who are willing to give me the hard truth whether I like it or not, if it’s up to the standard I insist on reaching. And then I try to get it published. Konrath brags about being able to write 5-6 books a year; I’m quite certain that I couldn’t, and even if I could, it would never occur to me to do so.
And you know what? I’m perfectly comfortable with that.
Thanks for the comment, Craig. I’m with you on the quality issue. My aim is not to write as many books as I can write, either. I’d feel as if I betrayed the people who read my books or might want to read them in the future. Your readers and mine, some of whom may be the same people, have formed expectations from our books and I’d hate to disappoint them. We owe them the respect they’ve given us.
I’ve loved both your novels, by the way!
Carol
Thanks for writing this, Carol. I’m always interested in what’s going on with ebooks,
especially ebook marketing.
Thanks, Stephanie! it was fun to look up the Kindle Millionaires and learn from them.
Hi, Carol! I was so taken with your post that I sent you a Facebook friend request! Don’t know if I’ll be a KM (Kindle Millionaire). I’m going to give it a try––under my own terms. Yeah, I don’t see how people can bend who they are and what they’re interested in to fit a market. I write fantasy, a large category, but I write it my own way, with a message. And it writes itself, I don’t jack up a story because it will ring a lot of people’s chimes. I do it because the story comes to me, with its message, wanting to be told. Another reason I may not be a KM––can’t sit in front of a computer any more than I do. Bad back. So I gotta go now. Try my blog for writers, http://yourshelflife.com Thanks again for posting!