Don’t Close The Store!

Some months ago I launched a longish short story, “Wakefield“, and it was phenomenally successful, selling instantly and acquiring reviews within hours. I remember thinking: Wow! If this is Amazon publishing, then it’s for me!

This past Saturday, October 10, I launched my short story anthology, “Odd Men Out“, and–needless to say–it did not repeat the success of “Wakefield“. Within hours I was despondent, lying in bed, wondering what I’d done wrong. Sure, it was a collection of stories from my youth, lacking the tight prose I apply to current work…but the stories were still interesting, to say nothing of varied, so I couldn’t understand the silence from my readers.

Odd Men Out” was a gamble, as I used themes never before explored in my fiction, and one story, “The Bathroom to Hell“, had a graphic male on male sex scene. Un-consensual, to boot! Did “Bathroom” scare off all my regulars? My use of graphic language might have also been a turn-off (even though, during revisions of that story, I asked readers, through social media, if such things would prevent them from supporting my work, and the word was a resounding NO!). But still: No response, and few sales.

The Sunday after my launch, while dopey on meds for chronic pain, I fell to bitching about the lousy sales, the lack of communication from my regulars, and other cose molto cattive. Boy, did I get a slap in the face and a Get over it! from a couple of my friends/readers! And it was exactly what I needed. The initial success of “Wakefield” spoiled me for future book launches. My promotion and marketing need a better business plan, and I hope to get advice from a fellow who has published submission anthologies and his own stories/novels. Till then, I’ll remain calm concerning my lackluster sales for “Odd Men Out“. I’ve a feeling this is how it goes for most launches–“Wakefield” was a fluke, a lucky strike.

I learned a valuable lesson by way of being (gently) reprimanded for being impatient for reader response. Friends assured me they had bought the new book, but they had others to read before getting to mine. The first of something is typically successful due to the “newness” of it–after that, one becomes just another writer, and his works are not revered simply because he’s known by several people. It’s been a rough lesson, but I think I’ve learned it.

I appreciate what I have…some Kindle authors release their books to absolutely no response at all. At least I have folks whom I can count on to buy the book–even if they’re too busy to drop everything and read it. I would hate to be an author who works their guts out, launches a book, and it languish in obscurity, never to be read.

I can’t imagine such a thing. Why write if someone’s not there to read it? I liken my stories to running a store: when the lights are on–and the open sign is up–folks come in. They may only browse, but at least they check things out before leaving. Hopefully, they’ll remember me in the future.

Like any artist bereft and betrayed, I took to my bed yesterday, closing the store. Forever. But Kathy picked me up, slapped me around a bit, dusted me off, and demanded I get the “store” operating again.

I’m please to announce it’s Grand Re-Opening. So what if “Odd Men Out” languishes? There are other stories to be told, and I mean to tell them. Come back to the store, from time to time, and see what’s new on the shelf.

You might just find something you like.

G.

cover