Running with rose-colored glasses

It was another picture-perfect morning here in Laramie, Wyoming. The Snowy Range was painted a soft rose by a sun that was still below the horizon from my vantage point on the prairie. Although the rest of the beautiful blue sky was clear, above that shy sun was a selection of clouds that looked as though they were designed by an artist determined to impress me. Just above the horizon was a broad, thin swirl that looked like cream spun into coffee–if coffee was blue.

My granddaughter Kate

Where the still-hiding sun reflected off this swirl it was shining like a silver Christmas ornament. Just above, a narrow contrail divided the silver-tinted art from a group of symmetrical white puff-balls that balanced on the line like a large ellipsis on a page … I was enchanted.

Although it was only fifteen degrees, I was dressed just right and the crisp air was refreshing. After two days of hard runs, my legs should have felt tired and a little achy, but the truth is, I felt great. Keeping hold of the reins so that this run would not turn into another hard one was difficult. Between the beauty of nature around me and a weekend filled with happy news from one source after another, I had energy to spare.

Dashing through the snow... sort of.

My sixth grandchild came into this world on Saturday. She is the second girl and the first for my third son, Phil, who already had three sons of his own. That my wife and I had our daughter after three boys gave a bit of synchronicity to the occasion. Phil, Tory and their daughter are healthy, happy and got home from the hospital this morning. A week from tomorrow, my wife and I will get to see them all.

Also on Saturday, in the morning, my wife and I took part in the first Snowy Range Snow Shoe races. There was a light snow throughout the event, temperatures were perfect, neither of us got hurt, and, thanks to Tom Holt pulling me along, I ended up the Wyoming State Grandmaster Champion in the 10k. On top of that, I gave away a copy of “Harvest of the Heart” as a random prize and was able to invite everyone there to my Official Book Launch on Thursday. Finally, I won a random prize myself–lunch at the Beartree Tavern and Cafe in Centennial, Wyoming.

The weekend also included running with my daughter, who is having an excellent recovery from surgery, and holding grandchild number five, who continues to amaze me with how intently he studies the new world around him.

My grandson Chaitan

All of the above is more than enough happiness for one person, but there were also good things that happened on the writing and book marketing front. “Running Scared” is finished and in the hands of a talented editor. “Harvest of the Heart” received more excellent reviews, including those from Heather Faville @ Doubleshot Reviews and Rachel Abbott @ The Kindle Book Reviews. The Kindle Version of “Harvest of the Heart” is finally available and linked to the paperback and includes the “Look Inside” feature. I was interviewed for an article in a newspaper in Maryland that will help publicize my Maryland Launch. It is beginning to look like both my Official Launch on Thursday and my Maryland Launch will be well attended.

The weekend truly did see a flood of good happenings for me. Those glasses didn’t have to be rose-colored, since everything is rosy enough right now. I’d wish for such goodness every week, except I’m not sure what I would do with so many grandchildren! So I wish instead that everyone could experience such a weekend.

The sky reflects a troubled spirit

Once again my run turned into an introspective drama. As the day passed into night, the sky spoke to me while I made my through a prairie roiled by relentless wind. I take that back; spoke is too kind a word. Chastised is closer to the truth… berated might be better still.

I have felt out of sorts for the last couple of days and I have avoided trying to pinpoint why. Good things have been happening in my life; a happy new baby in the house, my health on an upswing and a book published. Even the not-so-good things have had silver linings.  Since the birth of my fifth grandchild, my daughter faced a health issue that has allowed me to play a contributing role in our household. I’ve felt needed after a year during which, as a wanna-be writer that wasn’t producing an income, I often didn’t.

I’m certain that my wife and daughter thought I was absorbed in reading books that I had received for Christmas. “Claiming Ground” and “The Hunger Games” I’ve just finished and I’m well into”The Passage”. They are captivating stories, which has helped keep me from facing the cause of a mild depression that is, inexcusably, lying just below the surface of my cheerful facade. The cause for said depression was also close to the surface — easy to reach if I only made the effort. Hence the reason I’ve been burying myself in the pages of one book after another.

But nature and my sub-conscious conspired this evening to force my hand.

Swirls of turbulent gray skittered across the sky, driven by a steadily increasing wind. High above me, an angry presence loomed - the tops of many of the clouds were painted a fierce red by a sun that was already beyond the western mountains. From the very start of my run, it was as though nature itself  was disturbed by and reflected my inner turmoil.

As I followed the narrow trail between rustling stalks of dried switchgrass and needle-and-thread, dodging the gust-driven tumble weeds, I felt buffeted by more than the wind. I was forced to admit the cause of my unsettled state, and that is doubt.

That every author has to face this insidious, tenacious creature doesn’t make it any easier for me. Right now it isn’t doubt about my writing ability, although I worry that will come hand-in-hand with the first negative review. What I doubt is my stamina and commitment for staying the course, for being willing to take my lumps and forge on. The promising early sales have ended and my naive hopes that “Harvest of the Heart” would take off and that sales would become self-sustaining have been dashed. Lots of hard marketing work remains that I, as a self-published author, will need to do myself if I want to succeed.

But I am eager to write, not sell. If I have to personally seek out and make every sale, I don’t know that I can do it. It is a little depressing that I’m feeling this way already. A lot of Indie authors would probably be overjoyed with the positive reviews and over eighty books sold in two weeks. But the truth is, I’m scared that, once my physical launch is over on January 12, that sales will fade away to nothing. How brave they are, the writers that absorb this type of disappointment for years, but stay the course and achieve ultimate success.

I’m not going to quit, I know that much; but I’m mad at myself for letting this doubt take the wind out of my sails; for zapping some of the energy that is needed to talk to bookstore owners and to keep working the social media in the hopes that sales will follow. I’ve been trying to wean myself from checking my sales statistics; I know I should ignore them since looking at them won’t change them… only marketing will do that.

Of course I am using running and this blog as a cheap substitute for a therapist. Running helps me think things through and writing it out helps me to work it out. I’ve set goals, and planned steps to reach them. Here is where I need to act as my own coach and say to myself, “Stop being such a wuss! Get out there and fight for your dreams!”

Paper Is Dead!… Really?

As you can imagine, I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the past several months studying the book publishing and book marketing business. I’m far from an expert, and all of my research has been online, but one of the main streams of thought that I kept having to swim through during my educational efforts is the one that keeps repeating over and over again that PAPER IS DEAD!

These books don't look dead to me!

The End is Near!

According to some sources, we are only years (not decades) away from the end of books, at least those with heft. Yes, I said heft – as in weight… significance. The kind you can hold in the palm of your hand and judge how many wonderful evenings you’ll get from it sitting by the fire, the crackle of the flames almost – but not completely – covering the crinkle of one page as you turn to another, enraptured by the story.

I’ll admit to being of an older generation. But I’m only fifty-five, computer-literate and enjoy my fair share of technical gizmos. I run with a Garmin and track my workouts online. My writing is all done on a laptop. I have read a book on a Nook and would be happy to do so again. It is likely that, someday soon, I’ll actually own a Kindle.

But the feel of paper is still important to me. Most likely it is psychological, but I can get lost in the story easier when it is written in ink and the words are all there; physically in my hand, not hiding in a chip or out in the ether. I treasure the ease of glancing back to re-read a passage for clarity, or just because it was so beautifully written. No matter what they say, I don’t believe it is the same with a piece of plastic and computer circuitry.

Smart Writers Don’t Mess With Paper Anymore

I’ve been told that the most successful self-published authors don’t even bother with paper any more. I recognize some of their names now, not

Image via Wikipedia

because I’ve read their books (I haven’t), but because they are held up as examples of the future of publishing. In some ways. I suppose I hoped that I would be able to mimic their success. “Harvest of the Heart” is available in all e-Book formats and part of me expected that most of my sales would be delivered electronically, not by UPS or the US Mail.

Someday that may be true. The e-version of my book isn’t yet available through Amazon. But for now, the physical manifestation of my book RULES! If this were a presidential election, they wouldn’t call it a land-slide, they’d call it a blood-bath. Paperback – 88.5%, eBook – 11.5%.

I Might Outlive Paper Books

I’m not on a crusade to save paper books; I honestly don’t think they are threatened. Who knows? Maybe fifty-five years from now, they’ll be extinct; but by then I’ll be listening to them through a headset as I train for my next marathon. I don’t think these old eyes are going to be reading much when I’m 110 years old.

Dailymile is a unique and wonderful place

On Dec.13, 2008, I logged my first workout on Dailymile. Yesterday I went to my training list, clicked “Last” and there it was. What serendipity that the release of my debut novel was today – Tuesday, December 13 – exactly three years later! It is hard to believe how much my life has changed in those three years. And now the most exciting change of all… I’ve become a published author! Dailymile was the first place I announced the release. I wanted my DM friends who have been so supportive to be the first to know. Your encouragement helped me reach this day. Dailymile is far more than “Facebook for Runners”. To me, Dailymile is family.

The heroine of  ”Harvest of the Heart“ is Elsa, a runner and a character that I hope you will come to love, since HotH is the first book of “The Elsa Chronicles”. I’m already working on Book Two – “Avenging Angel” – and plan on a September release. In addition, “Running Scared”, a collection of running-themed short stories that I’ve written especially for my DM friends, will be released in March.

Something I’ve learned during my three years on Dailymile is that stubborn determination can only take you so far. There are times when you need to admit that you need the support of others; that you need a helping hand. Leadville certainly taught me that. Being willing to ask for (and give) help and advice is a big part of what being a Dailymiler is all about.

Now I’m going to demonstrate how well I’ve learned that lesson. I’d really love your help in getting “Harvest of the Heart” off to a fast start. (Even if you’re reading this and aren’t a Dailymiler) Of course, I hope you’ll buy the book , but even if exciting, suspenseful thrillers aren’t your cup of tea, you can still help me immensely by spreading the word. A large publicity budget (which I don’t have) can’t beat word-of-mouth for creating buzz and assuring a book’s success. I don’t imagine that HotH will become a viral entity, but even a little spread is better than none.

I know that a number of you have already started helping and I’m guessing  that more would be happy to be part of spreading the word. There are a lot of little things you could do that would mean so much to me:

If you have a Twitter account, please follow me (@MichaelSelmer) and Tweet about the book a few times. My web-site (http://www.michael-selmer.com) has links on where to buy it, and I will also be tweeting the Amazon address the moment it comes online.

Are you on Facebook, My Space, Goodreads, Google+ or any other social networking sites? If so, could you write a post about the release and link to my website? Also, I have an Author Facebook Page and a Google+ Page and I’d love to have you “friend” me.

Once you’ve read the book, please write a review for my Amazon page, which is already online. It doesn’t have to be long or elaborate. Saying that you liked it and mentioning a couple reasons is enough. Having a lot of reviews on Amazon is an important signal of quality to potential readers.

If you are one of my many DM friends that have a blog, I’m open to doing an interview, answering questions for a book review, or writing a guest blogpost. It can be about running or writing. If I’m not already linked to your blog from my website, I’d be happy to do that, as well as tweet about the post. If you know someone who has a blog that might be interested, I’d really appreciate it if you’d refer them to me.

Maybe there is some other way you can help. Are you connected with a reader’s group, book club, or media outlet? Even a little mention in one of these venues goes a long way.

Doing all of these things is too much to ask, but an Indie author can’t accomplish anything alone. Even the smallest part you play in helping make “Harvest of the Heart” a best-seller will be greatly appreciated. Becoming a best-selling author may be just a dream, but if that dream comes true, I’ll never forget the part you played in making it happen.

Jealousy sneaks in

Jealousy is not at all low, but it catches us humbled and bowed down, at first sight. – Colette

My mind is all a jumble. Amid the frenzy of the approaching release of “Harvest of the Heart”, I struggle with a confidence that sometimes falters. Like a stubborn leak in the roof which no amount of patching can fix,  doubt and insecurity are drip, drip, dripping in the background of my public confidence; eroding the euphoria that should grace the atmosphere around an author on the verge of publication.

The doubts don’t attach to my writing. As I grow closer to seeing them exposed to the public, the confidence I have in my abilities has grown. I look critically at my own work and compare it to that of many “best-selling” authors… and I firmly believe the comparison is favorable.

At the top of my iGoogle home page this morning was a single line of text; an advertisement for a novel. Supposedly some algorithm selected this particular ad based on my browsing and e-mails. (I’m not one of those too concerned about my privacy. I’m about to ask the world to buy my book, I want to be noticed.) I clicked the link and found a book that was released in August. It is self-published. The author is someone with a lot of money, an idea, a marketing plan and a modicum of talent. I read the sample of the book and was not impressed. It wasn’t bad, it just felt as if it was written by a person who took a class on how to put words on paper. This was not a man who has been driven his entire life by a muse that poked and prodded and jabbed until he became a writer.

And so jealousy reared its ugly head. This author has – for his book – things that I want for mine: a Type-A personality driving it to market; a classy, custom website with all the bells and whistles; advertisements across the internet that seek out responsive readers; and the financial backing that opens doors.

Jealousy only adds to my doubt about the chances “Harvest of the Heart” has to find its market; that dripping threatens to become a steady stream. A lot is riding on my book at least showing the potential for success. I’ve done the best I can in a short period to position it to start well. But much of my strategy relies on social media to help create early momentum. I don’t have the money for a publicist to create ads, send out effective press releases, to garner reviews for a self-published author, to whisper in the right people’s ears. The learning curve to do all this myself is steep. The time to do it is hard to find and my muse is angry that I haven’t been writing much while I try to get this book launched.

This morning, I was indeed “humbled and bowed down” by jealousy. But that first sight did not last. The hour I spent with my grandson in my arms restored my spirits. Within days, I will have the proof in my hand. I tell myself that the quality of the book and the marketing efforts I am making will result in success.

The frenzy continues and the fateful day is nigh. Breath, Michael! Breath!

236 pages and a QR code

A couple of important milestones on the way to the release of Harvest of the Heart were passed today. I approved the digital proof, got the page count (and therefore the spine thickness), and uploaded the final, high-quality PDF of my cover. Now there is only one important step remaining before my debut novel will be officially on the market. Sometime in the next two weeks, I’ll receive the actual physical proof of my book. Once I approve, it will only be a matter of a day or two before my book is on Amazon for all the world to buy. To say the excitement is building is an understatement.

And something else pretty cool happened today. When I got the final PDF of my cover, it had the ISBN/Barcode on it, as well as the QR code that I generated. I was able to hold my Blackberry in front of the book cover image on the computer screen, scan the QR code, and my Blackberry was directed to http://www.michael-selmer.com. How amazing is that? When my book eventually reaches libraries and book stores, any person with a smartphone could scan that code and find out so much more about the author than could ever be squeezed onto a book jacket. You can publicize new releases, personal appearances, special offers… a whole host of mobile marketing potential is available through that little box of black and white squares.

If you are an author and have the opportunity, it would be well worth your time to get a QR code of your own, link it to your author website, and include it wherever you can. The QR code generation and image production didn’t cost me a penny. The only expense I had was in the time I spent researching and setting it up. Google “free QR code generation”, it’s easy.

There is no mystery to marketing

There have been a lot of blog posts from new or indie authors begging for the “inside scoop” on how to market their books. For a while, I was searching  for it too – that one magic key that would unlock the glaring spotlight of publicity for the release of my debut novel “Harvest of the Heart”. Within the first hour of combing the web, I discovered that there is no such thing as a magic key. After that failure, I kept searching for the easiest, most efficient and guaranteed reliable book marketing method. It has taken me many more hours to find out that doesn’t exist either. None of the marketing methods out there are magic; none are easy; none are guaranteed. If you have a lot of money to burn, there are certainly a boatload of marketing gurus and websites more than happy to take it. I haven’t found one that will guarantee your book’s success. or any level of success at all.

It isn’t that some aren’t good. It is just that they are in the business of making money regardless of whether you make any or not. I’d love to see a marketer that was willing to go out on a limb and say, “I love your book. I’m certain it will be a success. Instead of charging you upfront, I’ll take 10% of the royalties up to my fee.” I’d be willing to pay a marketer/publicist like that double their usual fee, just to see them tied to the success of my book.

Since- A) such a marketer doesn’t exist, and B) I don’t have the money to pay a marketer, I am wading through this marketing morass on my own. Valuable nuggets have been gleaned from discussion forums and OPBs (other people’s blogs). Carefully studying the information available from Amazon, CreateSpace and various marketers has yielded a lot of useful advice.

Blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, Networking, Goodreads, BookBuzzr the list goes on and on. They all take time away from my writing, but it seems I don’t have much choice if I want people to buy my book when it comes out in December. Time to pull on my boots and keep on wading.