Comments on: How Many Licks, um Books, Does It Take to Get to the Top of the Best-Seller List? https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/ Author, Blogger, Social Media Jedi Tue, 01 Oct 2013 15:46:06 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.8 By: countingducks https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40304 Tue, 01 Oct 2013 15:46:06 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40304 The odds are chilling I know, and even the price of a pack of butter might sound like an ambition too far, but I enjoy the dose of realism you provide. Steeling myself for setbacks as my first book moves towards publication

]]> By: How Many Licks, um Books, Does It Take to Get t... https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40303 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 17:56:25 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40303 […] Image courtesy of The Dork Side Most of us, especially when we’re new, want our first short story to be a major contest winner or our first novel to be a runaway success. That’s natural. Of course, this is not reality for us mere mortals.  […]

]]> By: Tamara R. https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40302 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 22:01:06 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40302 The bottom line is that writing is hard work, and the more you learn about writing, the more you realize just how much you don’t know. It’s like trying to get into shape, if you don’t exercise regularly, you can’t expect good results. If you don’t write on a regular basis, well, you probably will never fit into the skinny jeans of success – whatever that may be on your scale. I love the owl picture! Thanks for the laugh : )

]]> By: broadsideblog https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40301 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 15:40:41 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40301 I’d start with first principles…why on earth does ANYONE ever anywhere assume their book is going to be/should/deserves to be a best-seller? Most rational people who buy a lottery ticket (maybe that’s an oxymoron) don’t EXPECT to win because they are aware of the enormous odds against it, no matter how much they wish and hope and pray.

Same with publishing.

I’ve published (commercially) two NF books, both well-reviewed, and my proposal for the third is now out for submission. Is three the charm? I have to find a publisher, then I have to write a fantastic book and market the hell out of it and get a lot of media attention and great reviews and…will it become a best-seller? Who knows? Probably not. Would I enjoy it? Of course! But even thinking about that flies in the face of reason, fact and experience — as my friends working in the industry remind me.

If that’s your goal, get a better goal. It’s way too unlikely and unrealistic.

]]> By: Sinistra Inksteyne https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40300 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 06:25:31 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40300 What if your earliest work is so cringingly bad that you feel you will be supernaturally struck down if you have the hubris to count it as a book?
Maybe I should set it on fire and chuck it in a swamp…

]]> By: Elizabeth Sharp https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40299 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:27:55 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40299 That’s my marketing strategy for the time being, just keep writing. It seems to be working. 🙂

]]> By: Raani York https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40298 Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:49:21 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40298 Hmmmm… 10’000 hours, right? I feel I’m at hour # 9,990… it’s time… *sigh*

]]> By: antinowherelane https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40297 Tue, 17 Sep 2013 20:25:01 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40297 My writing is more of a hobby than a profession, but even still I agree. It’s the practice and improvement that shows quality. Not ubiquitous social media promotions.

]]> By: J. K. Pendragon https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40296 Tue, 17 Sep 2013 16:47:56 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40296 This is so true! I’ve written four books so far and am starting on the fifth, and the first three books were long, arduous and painful, like pulling teeth… But by the fourth book, something had changed. It wasn’t so difficult anymore, the words came out easy and I stopped feeling like my writing was falling short of my vision. I feel like I sort of know what I’m doing now (as much as can be expected anyway) and I find that I’m becoming much more prolific and professional as I go.
It’s great to hear this and know that I’m on the right track and not way behind everyone else! This is a great, informative post, so thanks for writing it!

]]> By: nancyrae4 https://authorkristenlamb.com/2013/09/how-many-licks-um-books-does-it-take-to-get-to-the-top-of-the-best-seller-list-2/#comment-40295 Tue, 17 Sep 2013 15:50:37 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=13071#comment-40295 Oh, no. You just confirmed my worst fears:) Back to the keyboard I go!

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