In late 2021, I published my second book.
‘The Fisherwoman’ would make waves.
This time, I would succeed!
This book was similar to my first effort (previously published stories, distributed on Amazon), but everything about ‘The Fisherwoman’ would be better.
- The stories were more ambitious and mature. They had been published in better-quality journals that paid, and a few had even been shortlisted or won competitions.
- The diverse characters would appeal to all: a war deserter fighting disaster at the Hong Kong races, a French clown who can fly, a neuroscientist desperate to implement ‘organic AI’, a downtrodden preacher in Mississippi, a frazzled competitor at an international Scrabble tournament, a time-travelling cat, and more.
- After five years of publishing fiction, I felt part of the community. I was a member of online writing circles, had 1,000+ Twitter followers and a mailing list, and was somewhat known to other short story authors and editors (especially in the UK).
- I briefed and commissioned an artist friend of mine to design the cover (see it in the header image here)
- I paid for proofreading and pro typesetting.
This time, I had a marketing plan, involving sharing story snippets, regular social posts, graphics, reviews, cover quotes, readings, and even paid ads. I contacted two professional short-story book critics to schedule detailed reviews (unpaid).
This was a more professional approach to self-publishing.
I was sure that, despite short story collections being less popular than genre fiction or self-help books, it would sell.
Well, I learned another hard lesson…
The Fisherwoman is the lowest-selling book of the five I have published to date.
I tried amending the description, the keyword ads, the book category, and how I promoted the book. I still don’t know why it sold fewer copies. Sometimes, creative endeavours fall flat.
But there was no time to lick my wounds, as I had to move on and market book three (released just 7 months later).
Some of the best things I’ve written are in that book (please indulge this self-plug).
Ultimately, you do the work for yourself. You do it for the quality of the story. And if just one person likes it, that’s sometimes enough.
Next time, I get my own back on a publisher that ghosted me by delivering the world’s-first Bitcoin story anthology.
I'm curious: if you were publishing The Fisherwoman now, with all your current experience, how would you go about it?
Would you split it up into individual stories and publish them on a substack?
Would you publish it on your own website and only accept bitcoin (why not make your niche even smaller?)
Would you try the same plan, just with different marketing keywords?
Good question.
I'm not sure I would do anything differently.
All the stories were published in zines and litmags previously. That gave me the boost that editors considered them worthy (and hopefully readers too).
It's important as a writer to have a product you can point to and wave around as your proof of work. Most books now (self and trad pub) build authority, not sell copies. With that said, I'd love to sell more copies, haha.
The traditional route is virtually impossible for short story collections, and I'm not sire the results would be any better.
And as for a Substack to publish stories, I'm not really a fan for a few reasons:
3.Finally, I think it is very very hard to build an audience of people who want to spend time reading diverse stories. The only successful Substack fiction I'm aware of is big names like Salman Rushdie or Chuck Palahnuik serializing new novels to earn more money than they could with trad pub contracts.
Maybe 6 months or 1 year after publishing the book, it can be good to post the individual stories accross many platforms. Give it a try. I've even posted a couple here to earn a few sats. As we move forward with Nostr, Lightning, and better incentives for community-driven fiction, I think this method of publishing will develop. We will think small, not try to crack the algo.
Really, community, networking and trust sells 'less commercial' creative work (like short stories, poetry, crafts, etc.) I could have done more festivals, fairs, events, readings, online forums etc., but I was focussing on my business. If you are retired, it's no biggie spending an entire weekend at an event to sell 30 copies, but the money you earn is usually less than minimum wage.
Overall, having a book you are proud of is worth it, no matter the sales.
Ironically, the easies way to monetize it is to write about your failures!
This is a good observation. It crystalizes things for me in a way that they weren't previously.
I suspect that this is true for the vast majority of fiction writers -- no matter the genre or format.
I haven't relinquished the idea that fiction can somehow be more than a "I did it for me" kind of project for the less than mega popular. But of course I don't have any evidence. How to make it so is something I often think about.
You should hold onto that idea.
As long as the driving force is the work itself, it's natural to want to share it.
I know authors who pubkish in a myriad of ways. Some are more successful than others, but no one has it all fogured out.
Different approaches suit different writers.
I can't help but think that fiction needs a multimedia app which solves discoverabiliy and creates community. With Lightning tips and zap to unlock, of course.
I enjoyed thinking about your question!
Here’s my stab at it:
If I were the OP, I would post readings in the form of YouTube shorts and promote them to my 1000+ X followers. Nothing like reaching out to the converted. Pique their curiosity to buy my book. Otherwise getting enough traction to earn from YouTube also works. (I think it isn’t too hard to qualify for earnings on YouTube!)
Thanks.
I did this with 21 Futures. We completed 20+ podcasts and shared lots of shorts and excerpts. We even made cinematic trailers!
This was good for brand recognition and awareness, but it's hard to tell how many copies it shifted.
I never would have thought of readings! That's an interesting idea. Maybe even tiktoks...
I will be keen to read about the frazzled competitor at the international scrabble competition
Ha ha. It's a story based on reality! I met a very strange Romanian guy who was a top competitor at a tournament in England.
Originally published here...
Triple Word Score by Philip Charter - FICTION on the WEB short stories
https://www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2021/06/triple-word-score-by-philip-charter.html?m=1
Better stories more professional production stronger marketing none of it automatically translates to more sales. Sometimes the market responds and sometimes it does not and there is no clear formula. But what matters most is the work itself and the creative identity you build over time.
The Fisherwoman may have sold fewer copies but it represents a creative high point for you in terms of maturity ambition and depth. That is not wasted effort. Every well written story builds the foundation for long term trust from readers and that can pay off later even if it does not in the short term. You are also building a body of work which matters far more for a sustainable career than one book’s performance.
I think your instinct to explore alternative promotional formats like YouTube shorts is smart. Short form readings bring your voice directly to potential readers allow them to make an emotional connection to your storytelling style and provide ongoing visibility. Paired with a consistent presence on your existing social platform this could create an audience that is primed to buy your work. Even if sales remain modest the reach and recognition will grow and the next book might benefit from that accumulated attention.
The takeaway is that creative persistence combined with tactical experimentation in marketing is the only hedge against the unpredictability of book sales. Keep refining both the craft and the outreach and you stack the odds a little more in your favor even if you never control them completely.