I have a burn against people who continually hawk their books but never even click on others’ hawked books to check them out. And do they buy someone else’s book? I don’t think so!
Indeed, if we each bought just one book a week that someone
tweets, all of us authors would be better off. And if we only wrote one book
review a month for a book title that was tweeted (and then broadcast that), we
would have a bunch of happy, not-so-desperate authors.
I did a very unscientific survey on Twitter and Facebook
asking authors if they also bought tweeted book titles. I had an abysmal
response rate. Pathetic, even. Very few people said they did. One person said
he/she would buy but nothing sounded
interesting.
Really?
I suggested he/she might want to follow different people.
There are tons of titles/topics out there. If you don’t see any, find people
writing what you do like.
Take a kind of selfie right now: How does it make you feel
when someone tweets they bought your book or tweets they just left a review? How do you look, inside and out?
Well, share the love. Do unto others blah blah. Get it?
I probably buy a half-dozen tweeted books a week. (Okay,
you’re right. I probably should seek professional help for that.) But my point
is, I am trying to support people, and I entertain myself in the process.
Sure, lots of the books are not-so-good and some are awful.
But there’s also some great stuff the tweeps are making
available. And it’s little money you are expending. Heck, I spend less on
tweeted books than you’d pay for a Caramel Macchiato several times a week! AND
I made somebody feel good!
I truly believe that if you expect others to buy your books,
you have an obligation to buy some of theirs. Not all. Not even close to all.
But click on the link of enticing tweets. Read the blurb. Sound like what you
like to read? Buy it. Read it. Leave a review.
Karma is an interesting thing. What goes around, comes
around. Do your bit to spread good karma.
Just in case you want to get your karma revved up, here are
the three books I have published. I’d love to hear what you think!
I agree.
ReplyDeleteI do buy books I find on Twitter, but usually it's from the more active authors: Authors who retweeted, commented, favorited, have more interesting tweets, blog a lot. This isn't because of a conscientious choice on my part, but because I spend more time with them than the thousands of other users I only see once when they ask, "Buy my book." I get probably over 100 book pitches a day, and the ones who stand out are those that I found when I was looking through their website or reading through their tweets, or whatever.
You're right, Daveler, there are names I recognize as "good Twitter citizens", and like you I incline toward them. But I'm also a sucker for a good pitch about a ghost who was a witch during the Middle Ages. A good logline gets me every time! LOL
DeleteI love buying the books. The problem is trying to find time to read them. Loved your Mission Impastable.
ReplyDeleteOn to Streetwalker next. Can't wait!
Sylvia, you for sure are not one of the deadheads! Thanks for your comment on MI! Streetwalker is REALLY different! Eager for your reaction to it.
DeleteYour articles are very useful and have good knowledge like thesis help
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you mean by thesis help, Helen. I've done both a thesis and a dissertation. These posts are nothing like those. Do you care to elaborate?
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