This past Saturday, I had a book signing at a local chain bookstore in Ottawa (Carlingwood Coles). It was a wildly successful one, in my opinion, with sales that nearly cleaned out the store’s stock (including extra copies they’d received in error). Driving home afterward, I couldn’t help but reflect on how incredibly fortunate I was to have so many people willing to take a chance on an author they’d never heard of before, with many buyers taking not just one but both books.
I’ll be honest here, folks. Breaking into the book market is not an easy task. Even with Sins of the Angels on store shelves for a year now and Sins of the Son joining it six months ago, I’m still a newcomer to this game. My writing career, along with the careers of countless other new authors, hinges on readers taking a chance on us…trusting us to tell them a story that captivates them, that makes the money they spent on us worth it. We need bold, brave readers willing to step off the well-trodden paths into the worlds we’ve created for them. And we need those same readers to tell everyone they can think of about our books if they’ve enjoyed them.
So here’s my challenge: this week, I want everyone out there to pick up a book by a new author. If there’s something you’ve looked at a dozen times in the bookstore but haven’t gotten around to picking up yet, now is the time to do so. If you’ve seen a review that caught your eye, try the book that inspired it. Heard from your sister/mother/father/uncle/boss about a book you just have to read? Do it.
And then, if you like it? Tell someone. Tell lots of someones. Post a review on Amazon/Goodreads/ Chapters Indigo or wherever you hang out on the Internet. Oh, and make sure you tell me, too!
So what new author will you read this week? 🙂
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