In short: * there is very little the author can do on social media to sell books * the Good News Firehose is just as detrimental as the Bad News Firehose * taking a walk >opening your feed * if publishing is hard for you right now, you're not alone * keep writing; we need your stories 14/14 - ThreadSky

delilahsdawson.bsky.social • 5 days ago

In short:
* there is very little the author can do on social media to sell books
* the Good News Firehose is just as detrimental as the Bad News Firehose
* taking a walk >opening your feed
* if publishing is hard for you right now, you're not alone
* keep writing; we need your stories 14/14

Comments

gandalf63.bsky.social•5 days ago

For my part, I have no interest in Silver Elites (but absolutely no objection to it) but I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ravenloft: Heir if Strahd. You keep writing and I’ll keep reading. You have fans rooting for you, so that has to put a little swagger in your stride.

gandalf63.bsky.social•5 days ago

The vast majority of authors struggled to get published, typically while juggling another career. And publishers have no idea what will work. They chase trends and throw spaghetti at the wall and pray.

gandalf63.bsky.social•5 days ago

My wife and I both worked in book publishing for 30+ years and from my perspective, little has changed. There were always the big (random) winners, but the vast majority of authors just struggled to continue to get published, typically while working another career.

jmceli.bsky.social•5 days ago

Thank you for sharing this. I'm over in Indie Pub world, and it's sort of a microcosm of what you describe, but a lot of it is so relatable. Desperately trying to leverage social media as a tool, etc. Your posts are always so helpful. They help so many other authors feel seen. Thank you!

tadethompson.bsky.social•5 days ago

More of a comment than question 😁, but came to say I like how you think about this issue.

sallysultzman.bsky.social•5 days ago

I needed this today and also please take these hugs and Gold Stars for protecting your space, releasing a book!!! and doing the best you can with what you've got.

woodsandwaxelbaum.bsky.social•5 days ago

my coauthor and I have a book coming out in October and boy all of this hits home. add to it our acquiring imprint dissolving literally while we were negotiating the contract and getting kicked to a new editor twice. but we do what we can because we must.

orcwriter.bsky.social•5 days ago

I needed this, today. I'm a wee fish; if the bigger fish are also experiencing the same difficulties, then IT'S NOT JUST ME. And that makes me feel like I'm not completely alone.

caitlinrozakis.bsky.social•5 days ago

The degree of fear is also, I think, so ramped up right now that no amount of success will assuage it. I'd like to be happy with Enough. Right at this moment, I have Enough. But...I'm in my 40s and I have a kid in middle school, and what if this is the high water mark?

caitlinrozakis.bsky.social•5 days ago

The utter lack of safety net means that all of us are looking around, even if we're doing ok, at the people doing better than us and the people who did better than us a few years ago and are now crashing, and feeling a chill wind. Even "ok" is stressful. Which is as late-stage capitalism prefers...

delilahsdawson.bsky.social•5 days ago

OOOOOOOF, this exactly!!

delilahsdawson.bsky.social•5 days ago

Postscriptum:
Well, it felt good to say all that.
NOW I NEED TO BABYSIT THAT THREAD AND SEE IF ANYONE INTERACTS.
🤣😭🤣

squeevening.bsky.social•5 days ago

Oh god. Well, congratulations on your new Baby out in the world, and good luck not drowning from the firehouse. ❤️❤️❤️

authormsbev.bsky.social•5 days ago

Keep speaking your truth and creating your stories. “Blessed be the storytellers, music makers, and artists of life, for they are the true light of the world.” Louise Harmon

lifstr.bsky.social•5 days ago

You said a whole bunch that I have been thinking, and I especially appreciate that someone of your caliber of writing can feel those feels and share them, too.

Thank you.

dohmestic.bsky.social•5 days ago

My DM is running is through this campaign right now, so between them and Scalzi, I have something new to read/listen to, so woo! Thank you!

dawnb5417.bsky.social•5 days ago

I like being in a small community of authors & readers here. My carefully crafted FB timeline is gone, hacked. I guess I can pay someone to get it back, but I'm happy sharing on #BookSky instead. It's less emo than FB, less snarky than X & less esoteric than reddit. Midlist & new authors are here.💙

haileymaurice97.bsky.social•5 days ago

I know who can get it fixed and back permanently

shvetathakrar.bsky.social•5 days ago

Thank you SO much for this thread. When my last book came out in March, it disappeared without a ripple, and almost any post I made about it just didn't get noticed. It hurt so much. Add in the Good News Fire Hose, and . . .

I really appreciate you speaking the truth here. Much love.

diannalgunn.bsky.social•5 days ago

Might I suggest walking away for a couple of hours and coming back to it?

People aren't going to explode if you don't respond right away...

...I hope

mangy-dog.bsky.social•5 days ago

Wait … Nellie Oleson had a party and I wasn’t invited?

delilahsdawson.bsky.social•5 days ago

Even as a kid I was jealous? There was white sugar cake with frosting and a doll with blue eyes that blinked!

alexlondon.bsky.social•5 days ago

Thank you for this thread. Didn’t exactly “help” so much as resonated, but I surely needed that resonance today. I appreciate you.

gravewriter71.bsky.social•5 days ago

{{{strawhugs}}} and same. Tiny indie here, and honestly I've yet to find anything online which actually boosts sales more than one or two at a time. Weirdly, my in-person sales at events far outstrip my online sales every year. I'd be sunk without a day job. Thanks for posting all this.

unfetteredmuse.bsky.social•5 days ago

I've been toying with the idea of getting off social media more, but that makes me feel panicky in an "I'll miss out on something important for my career!" sort of way. Thank you for this thread, as dire as it is, because it helps me feel like I can take that break and not suffer for it.

kayarath.bsky.social•5 days ago

If there's such an overabundance of good books that can't find audiences, why are you encouraging people to write?

delilahsdawson.bsky.social•5 days ago

Because I'm not a gatekeeping jerk. 🤣

kayarath.bsky.social•5 days ago

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