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Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Turning Pro

 With only 24 hours left on my Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/asinisterlove/a-sinister-love-by-spencer-hixon), I have to keep my eyes on the future.

I am juggling promotions, ads, new work, adding a newsletter, adding a Patreon, pledge fulfillment (which is a huge thing), and being a dad and husband. And I feel like I don’t know what I am doing with any of it.

You know, like a professional.

They say “fake it till you make it” but I think it would be better to say “act like it.”

I got in touch with an author who has many, many books and who I’ve met several times at conventions. Chris Schmitz. It seems to me that authors run into two “wannabe authors”, those who have a dream (probably 90%) and those who are working towards that dream. So when they heard me asking, as one put it, “the right questions,” they all were extremely helpful and kind. Chris has been and more. He’s treating me like a fellow professional and that means the world to me.

By researching what other authors do, I’m acting like one, right? Who knows if my novels will ever be a financial success. At the moment the Kickstarter will pay for the book’s art and editing. Someday, who knows? I could even do more than break even. But if I don’t, if I’m a failure, it won’t be because I didn’t act like a novelist.

Friday, April 12, 2024

Pounding that Pavement

 One of the things I really need to work on is exposure.

Not that kind.

Starting from scratch without the luck of having any real connections means I’ll likely be forming my base of fans for a long time to come. And I‘m just not quite sure how. Unlike many writers, I’m an ambivert, AKA I’m outgoing and sociable. Sometimes. But that doesn’t particularly help me online. 

  • Blog
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter/X 
  • newsletter
  • Kickstarter list
  • Facebook ads
  • Tumblr ads
  • Cold calling everyone I know
It’s a start, I suppose. But I decided it wouldn’t hurt to put up some fliers as well.  I mean, who knows? I hung up 15 today in various coffee shops and libraries. I’ve got more to put up in Columbus, OH, if I find the time. And then I’ll get some put up hopefully in the Atlanta area and the DC area, as well as North Carolina.  It helps to have a team that’s kinda spread out.

So here’s hoping that this works, at least a little. Even one person would pay for the flyers.
Fliers.
However you wish to spell it.