I submitted Bloodlines to Kirkus today. As a self-published neophyte, it seemed the right thing to do. The challenges I face trying to market the novel are manifold, not the least of which is convincing people I don’t know to take a chance on an unknown like me.
My dream to become a full-time novelist continues to burn bright and true. The seven (and counting!) Amazon reviews I’ve received have all been positive, highlighting the quality of the plot, the characters and my skill as a writer. Those are all wonderful affirmations that all say the same thing:
I can do this!
But they’re also not enough.
Sure, I’m trying to play the Amazon algorithm game. Get at least 50 reviews, and now the novel is on a higher plane within the online platform. I get more exposure via automatic notices to potential buyers who are searching for books in the same genre.
More views = more opportunities.
It’s the Clicking Game.
Demented and sad, but social, right?
And it’s a good start. Add Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn into the mix, and I’ve spent the last two weeks saturating my meagre social media presence hoping to drum up some new viewers. The results have been predictably slow – as of this morning, I have 54 followers on Twitter, I have around 130 “likes” to my Facebook page, and a smattering of traffic that visits this website.
So I am doing my part.
This self-pub gig is like pushing a boulder uphill.
It gets a lot easier, when you have more people pushing.
Which means submitting to Kirkus.
I expect the novel will get torn a new one by whichever independent reviewer gets their hands on it. Kirkus makes a living being one of the standards in the industry. You get a good, solid review, and you can shout it from the mountaintop. People recognize Kirkus, which gives the novel some not inconsiderable street cred.
And that’s what I need.
I won’t receive the review until mid-November. In the meantime? I keep writing. I keep pushing Bloodlines on the world.
And I keep following that dream.
Peter Hartog - Official Site 