How not to sell books...

[jonesthecurl]

So I've taken to carrying a couple of copies of my novel around with me. Sometimes you get into conversation, and the line "I have a copy right here, would you like to buy it?" is quite successful, I've sold 4 or 5 like that recently. However, the conversation is usually in a bar, and because you're talking you get another drink. So: 100 for salesmanship, -several zillion for financial success.

[Dukasaur]

So I've taken to carrying a couple of copies of my novel around with me. Sometimes you get into conversation, and the line "I have a copy right here, would you like to buy it?" is quite successful, I've sold 4 or 5 like that recently. However, the conversation is usually in a bar, and because you're talking you get another drink. So: 100 for salesmanship, -several zillion for financial success.

Yup.

[KoolBak]

They should buy your cocktail as well!!

[tzor]

So I've taken to carrying a couple of copies of my novel around with me. Sometimes you get into conversation, and the line "I have a copy right here, would you like to buy it?" is quite successful, I've sold 4 or 5 like that recently. However, the conversation is usually in a bar, and because you're talking you get another drink. So: 100 for salesmanship, -several zillion for financial success.

You have chosen the wrong profession my friend. Now Barbershop Quartet Singing ... give them a sample (typically to the female bartender) and pretty soon they are paying for your drinks and wings.

Not really a "success" but hey, the night was free.

[betiko]

The real success comes if they actually read the book +100 if they lend it to a friend. They could just buy it to be nice, and then use it as a support for that broken chair in the kitchen.

Financial success.. who cares.

[jonesthecurl]

So I've taken to carrying a couple of copies of my novel around with me. Sometimes you get into conversation, and the line "I have a copy right here, would you like to buy it?" is quite successful, I've sold 4 or 5 like that recently. However, the conversation is usually in a bar, and because you're talking you get another drink. So: 100 for salesmanship, -several zillion for financial success.

You have chosen the wrong profession my friend. Now Barbershop Quartet Singing ... give them a sample (typically to the female bartender) and pretty soon they are paying for your drinks and wings.

Not really a "success" but hey, the night was free.

Even better is something I did in what feels like a different incarnation - palm reading. You may not get rich, but you get food and drink thrust upon you.

[nietzsche]

even better, being born as a hot female.

[jonesthecurl]

even better, being born as a hot female.

Never tried that one.

[jonesthecurl]

But to get more on-topic, there was one of these guys who I hope didn't lose the card and forget the conversation. He was an artist - he showed me a lot of stuff on his phone, and I was impressed. As it happens I am looking for a better artist than me for my next project ( a roleplay one) - and he was looking for help writing/plotting his epic comic book. We decided to work together on both projects, but he hasn't contacted me since. There was real potential for a collaboration on both projects. Maybe he's waiting till he's read the novel to see if he thinks he'd get as much out of it as I would.

Members of whatever usergroup it was may remember how impressed PimpDave was with my suggestions for a plot...

[nietzsche]

question.. in your experience.. is it harder to come up with a good plot or to develop good characters?

and which do you think is most important.. ?


i guess many of us have dreamt of writting a book.. and when i've pondered about it i feel like i could think of a good plot, but i wouldnt be able to develop good characters.

[jonesthecurl]

question.. in your experience.. is it harder to come up with a good plot or to develop good characters?

and which do you think is most important.. ?


i guess many of us have dreamt of writting a book.. and when i've pondered about it i feel like i could think of a good plot, but i wouldnt be able to develop good characters.

I don't think it's the same for everyone. And it depends what you're writing too. If I'm writing one of my murder events, the setting comes first, then the core plot, then I make up additional characters to confuse things. But if I'm writing a story or a play I usually have a setting and a vague idea of where the plot's going. If I get stuck I go off on a tangent and just have two characters have a conversation. This may not end up in the finished product, but it helps to define who they are - the dialogue should emphasize the differences between them.

For instance when I was writing the "panto' Wotcha! Gotcha!, I ran out of steam at one point. So I wrote a bit where Queen Victoria's son Leopold met Wiggins of the Baker Street Irregulars. They are from vastly different backgrounds, and have very different vocabularies. This one ended up being a key scene in the play and also helped me to solidify a major part of the plot.

You know you've got the feel of the characters right when they can have a conversation and the reader knows who's saying what without "George said"..."Isobel replied"..."George ejaculated"..."Isobel snorted"... and so forth.

Hmm, seems I've got a little plot going there without the characters.

[nietzsche]

funny, my name is George, and you nailed it.

[betiko]

funny, my name is George, and you nailed it.

Stop wanking while reading ot please

[mandalorian2298]

It seems like it could be a profitable sales strategy provided, as long as you drink sufficiently expensive stuff.

[KoolBak]

Good question nyetz......being an avid reader, I'm trying to decide what is more important to me as an end user, and I cannot. A book is not great without either......although if I had to pick one....I'd say characters I guess. I only read sci fi so I cannot address Jonezys answer re: WHAT you're reading / writing....hmmmmm.

Is the countryside where you live jungly, nyetz? Cause it would be awesome to think of you as George of the Jungle!!!!

[nietzsche]

i think i enjoy characters and setting more than plot.. both in books and movies.

I'm more like George of the Beach.

[KoolBak]

[jonesthecurl]

Sold a copy to the bartender a couple of days ago - and had some feedback from one of the poker players, a lady who (gently) hit me on the arm and said "WHy? Why did you do that to [name redacted]?"

[betiko]

i think i enjoy characters and setting more than plot.. both in books and movies.

I'm more like George of the Beach.

Sounds like a great character. What s the plot?

[Symmetry]

Have you considered doing a talk/reading/book signing at your local library and/or bookstore? Waterstones' managers are sometimes keen on stocking local authors after the bad publicity they've had with putting local booksellers out of business.

Not sure how successful it'd be, but would probably shift a few copies, and you're a performer.

[jonesthecurl]

Working on that. The library is just adding a "local author" section, and although they won'r give me an exclusive talk, they're putting together a general one (it's an artsy town with a number of authors). I had an author event arranged in Vallejo (next door town) but the date we fixed clashes with a book fair, so we're looking at rearranging it.

[Symmetry]

Working on that. The library is just adding a "local author" section, and although they won'r give me an exclusive talk, they're putting together a general one (it's an artsy town with a number of authors). I had an author event arranged in Vallejo (next door town) but the date we fixed clashes with a book fair, so we're looking at rearranging it.

Sorry, forgot you weren't UK based anymore. I think my only other suggestion would be to start a creative writing workshop, even as a one day thing. You'd be surprised how many people just want a push on how to get started and write that first sentence.

Anyways, it seems like you're really making some headway in what you want to do. Lot's of writers dream about the big break, but it's the hard-work and all the little breaks that build up to those.

Well done, mate. You sound like you're doing great.