Aah...the trials and tribulations of an author.

   NPR. National Public Radio. My hero. If a brick and mortar can be a hero, NPR is mine. But of course, it is so much more. NPR's Best Seller's List, it comes out weekly highlighting the best. It is a personal dream of mine. To not only visit but have the honor of having my book(s) post on NPR's Bestseller's List.

   Are these books all traditionally published or are some of these titles indie and/or self-published? I set out to find out. It didn't take very long. Most, if not all, are traditionally published as far as I could tell. What does this say? Is there any hope for the rest of us? Does it mean only traditionally published is the best? NPR is not alone. Just look on the web. Big name sites are everywhere. Goodreads in one of my personal favorite sites to surf. Sure there are sites like Smashwords and LuLu, and though they are making headway, they compete with the likes of Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Yes, I said Amazon. 

   Have you tried the Google search, "best of  ... "  Have you ever wondered how to get in "the best of ..." sites? Or, how to come up on the first ten pages of that Google search? SEO, that's a whole other topic my friends. 

   Amazon is clearly bringing indie published/self-published or vanity published to the forefront of potential readers; that golden audience, the reader, and how to reach them. I personally feel I will thrill readers with my selection of books. But how do I reach them? I was becoming frustrated, because I found myself with every published author's nightmare - marketing. Okay, you have a small nest egg; one you know you need for retirement, college, something or anything besides following your dream of writing successfully for a living. And don't even get me started about reviews and moving up Amazon's ladder, out of the pits of Amazonland. This is clearly my personal opinion and I am not getting paid nor do I dislike any of the companies mentioned in this blog article. Just the opposite, in fact, I am most grateful to Amazon and the others listed here for the opportunities that they have provided me.

   When I published my first book I sat back and waited. No really, I waited. My illusion soon was apparent. Although I knew my books were reader worthy - my readers did not. And, where were they; my readers that is? The Book Clubs I enthusiastically wrote to, the endless networking trails I followed, and on, and on, and on. They were out there, my readers, just hesitant to take a chance on me. After all,I didn't have 100 reviews under my belt or a NY Times best seller's label. Unlike Karen Alpert, who produced a self-published NY Times bestseller and, you guessed it, went traditional. So happy for her by the way, she can be found at www.babysideburns.com. 

   So what was it? What was keeping my readers away? Was it my price point perhaps? Or, maybe the fact that I didn't have a Kirkus review. The problem was that although I consider myself a good writer, I was naive when it came to marketing. I have made my share of mistakes. I certainly hope you don't experience the same, but you probably will. Pick yourself up and move on. The possibilities are endless, remember positive attracts positive. Be action oriented, you can do it. 

   There is good news. Baker and Taylor now offer a program called, Text Stream. There is also irselects.com where indie writers can distribute their books directly to booksellers nationwide. A number of book awards such as Indie Book Awards and Indie Reader Discovery Awards are available to add to your credibility. Of course, you should also contact reviewers/bloggers who will give your book a much needed review. 

   I have started implementing some of these strategies. Unfortunately, these all take time - a lot of time. Maybe I'm just impatient but I want things to happen - yesterday. I'm not getting any younger you know. But I kid you not, to find, let along try these strategies, will take most of your precious time. 

   Where is the time to write? I had the unbelievable good luck to run into Lane Cobb, LMT Holistic Life Coach. She helped me redirect my priorities so I have time for writing. This is why I started this journey - to write. Actually, many of my business colleagues have helped me through social networking. This too can be exhausting. No one is going to hand you a magic wand. Make your own success. 

   Here on my blog I will feature my share of successful stories along with websites I have found helpful and those that I personally felt were not the right fit for me and why. Then, all you have to do is decide what will work for you. Piece of cake, right? Oh, and I will feature all those helpful colleagues I mentioned.

   But I digress. I don't believe traditionally published exclusively has the best of the best. I do, however, think that they have the edge. I have to go now, time is money, or so I have been told.

Thanks for reading - by, Jackie Mae