Read Lovely Books
They won’t make me rich but they are better than doing nothing
You possibly did the smartest thing by not going down the traditional publishing route
It’s hard enough writing and editing the damn thing, far less trying to get an agent
Selling over 12 copies puts you in the top half of book sales and you would need to
I’m not a marketing guru, but five years after publishing, I still earn about £100 a month
And the best way to get it is through recommendations from others
People are standing in a long queue to eat here — the food must be good
When people look at your book online and see you only have one review after a year,
These can be family or friends, but I have found that other writers and acquaintances do a
It gives you more honest and insightful feedback that can help you improve your book
Self-publishing on Amazon allows you to amend the content — I have done this several times
Second, I now have people who have invested their time in reading my book
I originally directed people to my website but found it had low engagement and added little value
They aren’t prisoners, but I’m not inclined to shove them on people without a little
If I’m in company and my writing crops up in conversation, I gauge their interest
If they aren’t readers, if they show no interest, if they have no personality and don’
People share things that make them look clever or cool to others
Imagine the next day when they speak to their friend and they pass on my card
“Hi, have you read any of Malky McEwan’s funny police books?”
A friend took some to the Scottish Police College, and I sent them some to other friends
I sent a cover letter explaining they were featured in my book and that it would be
But I received some positive comments and also an order for a dozen copies to be sold
I would consider doing this again in November to pick up some Christmas sales
They might not make me rich, but my books are still selling five years after being published
There are millions of books out there and yours is another straw in the haystack
Something they see every time they walk into the canteen, for example