Chapter 7 The Making of JOAN - So you think it's all over?

So you think it's all over?

So you think it's all over? My Journey Into Authorship has been a fascinating journey so far, I've found it really enjoyable. I never liked history at school, so suddenly finding it interesting was a major surprise! I had thought my work was done, my journey was over, but it was in fact, just the beginning... The next stage was marketing, or the business side of being an author. Marketing Like a lot of people I thought writing my story, turning it into a book, was all it would take - people would buy it -right? No! Friends and family could support me in my efforts. They'd read and write reviews wouldn't they? I'd only have to ask - or so I thought. Unfortunately, family and friends can only support so far. Then comes the time when everyone you know has been exhausted, you need new blood, it's time to reach out to a bigger market. 'Joan - Put on a happy face' is available on over seventeen Amazon sites worldwide alone! Some are under control of Amazon USA and others... I've yet to find out, even now, two years later. My next step was to sign into their kindle select. Amazon sell thousands of kindle device every year. Many of whom have subscriptions to the kindle library of which Amazon has the largest eBook library 'in the world!' WOW! Millions of books worldwide and my book is one of them... it's exciting! I thought I've made it! Unfortunately, being on a shelf doesn't mean anyone will pick it out of millions on offer to read it. I had to think of other ways... Next I decided to try to get my book into local libraries. There was a hitch. I had to join what Kindle Direct Publishing called their 'expanded distribution'. It doesn't cost me anything up front to join their expanded distribution but if any sales come through those points of contact I lose an extra 20% of my royalties but hey, it's worth it if they're doing the work for me and spreading the word - right?

Libraries and shops outside of Amazon shop won't stock books by indie authors. They feel that they're helping the competition. However, Carol does not like to be beaten, there had to be a way round it, and there was. Expanded distribution costs an additional 20% of royalties so instead of 60% and print costs, I get 40% and print costs, which applies to all sales created through ED, not sales on Amazon. KDP sent the details of my book onto their customers shopping lists, the customer, like any other, then had to choose to buy or sell my book; I'm still waiting for that magical day to happen, but I keep hoping, I keep the faith lol! Always looking for ways to get my book read I decided to try local libraries. I thought get copies to the British Library and it would make my book available to all local libraries in the UK! YAYY! No! There are six book depositories in the UK: British, Irish, Welsh, Scottish plus Cambridge and Oxford Libraries, they were all sent and accepted copies of 'Joan-put on a happy face', I thought I'd cracked it, only to find out that the book could only be read on their premises and was never let out to lending libraries! Marketing was becoming frustrating now. I was spending more time marketing than I was writing and I felt like I was batting my head against a brick wall! I sat through a webinar with some local librarians to find out what the craic was. I heard that they don't have the budgets any more to buy new books especially books from unknown indie authors that might sit on shelves unread, so I asked the obvious 'can I donate my book to libraries to be used around the UK?' I thought there'd be only one head office and that would be it - No! Why would they make it that easy? Aarrghh! I was told I would have to write to each individual central library, they'd review the book if I sent them a copy, then decide if they should purchase them for the rest of the library. I wrote to quite a few central libraries, luckily this time most of them do have emails, but not all of them answered.

Persistence reaps its own rewards My book is now held in Thornaby and Middlesbrough Library and Brent Library, others are awaiting orders to be filled. My book is also available as an eBook, Paperback or Hardcover on #Amazon or at Blackwells Waterstones or any good online bookstore.

For budding authors I would just like to say

'Don't give up on your dream!'

Happy reading!